Catfish good in Jacomo overflow- live shad

Hybrids fair in Jacomo overflow- shad, liver, rattle traps

Crappie fair -jigs and small minnows

WALLEYE- The walleye bite is on. The night crawler with a split shot or crawler harness in 15 to 25 feet of water is one of the best patterns. They are using shallow running stick baits- mostly rogues- in various depths depending on what type of structure you are fishing. The best colors are chartreuse, yellow, bluegill, perch or purple. They are also catching lots of walleye trolling deep diving crank baits and deep diving stick baits during the day. The walleye are shallow during the early morning and afternoon. They are deeper in the day so deeper diving baits are necessary.

WHITE BASS- not much reported except under lights at night with minnows in 20 to 35 feet of water.

CRAPPIE- same thing as the white bass.

CATFISH- The catfish are doing well on jug lines, trot lines and limb lines. We have seen several good catches and stringers. Most of the fish are in shallow water and being caught on the same bait- perch, dead shad, liver, stink bait, etc.

Crappie- No Report

Catfish -No Report

Bass No Report

Catfish excellent on shad, nightcrawlers

Crappie good- small minnows, shallow water

Bass fair on topwater lures

According to AmerenUE the current lake level is 659.79 with light generation scheduled for the next three days, which should give the lake a level of 659.6 by Friday, July 2nd. AmerenUE reports the water temperature taken at Bagnell Dam at 78 degrees. The lake is clear with visibility ranging between 5 to 10 feet depending on the area of the lake. There is still some debris, small logs and Styrofoam, floating in the lake that can be hazardous especially at night.

LARGEMOUTH BASS - EXCELLENT Bass fishing continues to be excellent especially at night with the majority of the fish averaging between 3 and 4 pounds. The Texas rigged 7, 8 and 10 inch plastic worm and Brush Hog with 1/4 to 5/16 ounce slip sinker (black/red neon, red shad and tequila sunrise) are the best bite fished in brush piles from 15 to 20 feet on secondary points and around the deeper boat docks in the creeks and in the larger pockets off the main lake. Some bass are being caught on the inside of main lake points with the Melton jig n trailer, Chomper (black and black/blue) and deep diving crankbaits (shad colors). There have been some good keepers caught early just before daylight by pitching jigs and worms in shallow brush piles behind boat docks.

SPOTTED BASS (KENTUCKY) - FAIR There have been a few spots weighing 2 pounds or more being caught on the windy main lake wave breakers and boat docks with shallow diving crankbaits, Flukes and Gitzits. Small crawdads are also taking keepers pitched weightless around the same type of structure.

BLUEGILL - EXCELLENT The bluegill are beginning to return to the boat docks and along the seawalls in 5 to 8 feet of water. Crickets, wax worms (grubs) and nightcrawlers and red wigglers will produce.

WHITE BASS/HYBRIDS - FAIR The whites and hybrids are beginning to surface on the main lake flats and points early in the morning and late evening. The most productive baits are the Mepps Spinner, Road Runner and topwater baits like the Pop R and Devils Horse. Once the sun comes up, trolling off the main lake points and flats with medium diving crankbaits, Rattle Trap and spoons has been producing.

CATFISH - EXCELLENT The majority of the cats have spawned, but some are still on beds and can be found on pea gravel/chunk rock banks in coves and back portion of the creeks. Tightlining cut shad, perch, stinkbait and hot dog chunks are taking nice blues and channels. Jugs, trotlines and limblines baited with gold fish, cut shad, crawdads and perch are producing big flatheads, channels and blues in the creek arms and the upper Osage River away from the heavy boat traffic.

Date: 7/02/04
Lake Level : 611.72
Last Weeks Lake Level: 612.2
Normal Lake Level : 606 5
Water Condition: Dingy - Clear
Surface Water Temp: 78 degrees

Guide Bruce Carpenter reports a great day fishing last Saturday morning. He and his fishing buddy caught probably 200 crappie while keeping 30 ranging from 9 1/2 inches to 12 inches. Lots of small crappie and several bass in the 15-17 inch slot, using jigs tipped with minnows 4-15 feet down in 15-25 feet of water. Most of the keepers hit as the bait was falling while tight lining. Bruce fished South fork, Middle Fork, North Fork, Otter creek and Shell Branch and caught fish in all locations. Points were the better locations around hardwoods. The bigger crappie, 11 and 12 inchers, were found around a few cedars. He is also a diehard believer in the early morning fishing, preferring to be on the water before day break. "We fished hard, quick and long from 6 till noon and threw back 20 or more that were just 9 inches. Most action on keepers in three weeks. If your not catching them you need to adjust what you are doing or where. Go when you can, Bruce."

Other fishermen this week have been catching limits of crappie. Fishermen will have to weed out a lot of small crappie while accumulating keepers as they go. Trolling along bluffs with good cover brought at least one fisherman a limit of crappie. He used minnow tipped jigs under a slip bobber set anywhere from 10 – 15 feet. The bite has been so light that using a slip bobber may not work while tight lining, however while trolling the crappie will usually hook itself when it takes the bait. If tight lining, it is best to "watch the line", which takes practice and concentration. When crappie are biting on the drop, let out about 8 - 9 feet of line all at once, watch the "coil" of line on the surface as it drops, let out about 8 - 9 feet more all at once, again watching it as it drops, if the line stops dropping then it's either on a tree or a fish has taken it. Also crappie nibbles are a good enticer for tight lining but are not good when trolling because they come off too easily.

Guide DuWayne Azotea reports the bass fishing has been tough this week. The bass have moved back out to the main lake bodies following the shad, and are suspended in deeper water. Crank baits worked around bluffs close to points would be a good bet, as several crappie fishermen will attest to the bass being in those areas. Hopefully it will pick back up soon.

Catfishing has been slow. One trot liner said he had a few crappie and a bass on his line, and not much of anything else. Some catfish have been caught on rod and reel using nightcrawlers or stink bait.

Have a fun and safe 4th of July this weekend, whether you’re on the road or on the water.

Flathead slow

Largemouth Bass slow

Stripers slow

Crappie slow

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool:  Temperature:   

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 839.0 Temperature: 80 and Clear

Inflow: 40 cfs Outflow: 100 cfs Level: 0.76 feet high

Pomme Arm Good

White bass throw top water lures into schooling shad

Black bass Spinnerbaits and top-water early or late

Crappie fish minnows around trees deep 20-25 feet

Lindley Arm: Good

Crappie throw minnows 10-15 in standing timber

Black bass try spinning jigs 10 off main points

Bluegill fish are running shallow use worms or crickets.

Lower lake Good

Black bass use Shad Rap in about out 20 feet or dark plastic.

Crappie use minnow around docks or standing timber

White bass top water baits, or Road Runners in the flats

Walleye are being caught on minnows or nightcrawlers under the white bass on the flats just about dark.

Temperature: 72  Clarity:  Level: high and dingy

Largemouth Bass fair using plastic worms and rattle lures

Channel Cat  fair in 10 feet of water using nightcrawlers and cut shad 

Blue cat No Report

Bluegill fair using worms

Crappie fair in about 8 feet of water 

Water Temp: 71

Crappie fair using jigs and minnows in the brush piles

Blue Catfish good using night crawlers

Channel Catfish  fair using night crawlers

Largemouth Bass  fair on jig-n-pig

Bluegill fair using night crawlers

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 864.2  Temperature: 70 to 76

Inflow: 20 cfs Outflow: 500 cfs Level: 0.69 feet high

CRAPPIE: Fair: The fish have started to scatter because of the high water and slowly warming water and are a little harder to find. Minnows and jigs are still the ticket. Fishing the bridges are a good bets or in the trees along the channel edges heading out of the coves.

BASS: Poor: Since the water has come up a few fish are being taken out of the grass. There seems to be a topwater bite if you are in the right place. A variety of baits are working depending on where you are fishing. Crankbaits, buzzbaits, or some sort of plastic will catch fish. Thursday evenings still are tough. Fishing in 8' to 10' of water is considered deep and is probably the max depth to try. (SEE TOURNAMENT RESULTS THURSDAY or WEEKENDS)

CATFISH: Good The rain has got the rivers moving and this has improved the fishing in the Platte and Little Platte Rivers. The high water has moved lots of the catfish into the flooded areas to feed on worms and bugs. The catfish are feeding up before they spawn. There is lots of grass in the lake so try fishing on the flats just on the inside or outside edge of it.

White Bass: Fair: The whites are showing up on main lake points in the evenings and mornings. If you are in the right spot when the fish start busting shad you can have some fun. The fish are also on the old Trimble dam and some of the main lake humps. The face of the dam is also starting to produce some whites especially on windy days. Use pepper spoons and vertical jig for them. You can also troll small crank baits around the main lake points.

WALLEYE: Fair: Some nice walleye are being taken on the main lake using crawlers and leeches on a jig head. You can also fish points in the Trimble area or up Camp branch and catch larger fish. You can also troll or cast a #5 shad rap around main lake points. Stay in 4' to 10' of water most of the time. This should be the pattern for the next month.

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 867.7 Temperature: 77

Inflow: 450 cfs Outflow: 40 cfs Level: 2.39 feet high

Black Bass fair on plastic baits off points

White Bass fair early and late on Rooster Tails and minnows

Walleye fair trolling crankbaits over points

Crappie fair 10 - 18 feet deep around trees, good at night with light on minnows and shiners

Catfish fair trolling crankbaits over points.

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 915.0 Temperature: 79 - 83

Release Rate: 3888 cfs. Level: 1.38 feet high

WATER LEVEL - 916.41 Normal Pool 915'
JAMES RIVER Upper 79-83
MAIN LAKE 79-81

Fishing has gotten tough in the past week, weights were way down this past weekend from the previous weeks tournaments, with winning stringers coming from the James River & Kings River.

James River, Kings & Long Creek

3/4 oz. football jigs still seem to be producing best, fished 15'-25' on main river points with deep water close by, also on humps and drop offs, try Carolina rigged Chompers, Team Supreme Tournament French fries, Brush hogs, or lizards in green pumpkin, watermelon, or pumpkin colors, and 7"-9" worms fished in the same areas. Some fish are being caught on spinnerbaits and buzzbaits early in the upper river arms around lay downs and bushes. In the Mid river the drop shot bite has slowed down, but should pick up when the weather stabilizes.

Main Lake-Kimberling City, Baxter, Campbell Point and Dam Areas

These areas have been real tough for me this past week, the bait fish are the key. Find the shad and you'll find the fish. Fish main lake gravel points starting from 25'-40' with 3/4 oz football jigs and 4" drop shot worms in watermelon, green pumpkin, or candy colors, a couple of feet off bottom. These fish should start to bite better once again when the weather stabilizes and the thermo cline develops. Also try chrome or white jigging spoons in the same areas. I've had some reports of fish being caught on Fat Free Shads and DD-22 crankbaits on secondary points with submerged timber @ 15'-20'. Shad, again seems to be the key, look for shad and fish starting to gather up over the deeper water 50'-100' off these main lake gravel points and bluff ends, fish should be suspending at 25'-35'

Temperature:  Level:

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 722.00 Clarity:  Level:

Temperature: 76 and Dingy

Crappie slow

Bass fair

Channel cat fair using nightcrawlers and stink baits

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 706.0 Temperature:  76 and Heavy stain to clear

Inflow: 7500 cfs Outflow: 8217 cfs Level: 1.22 feet high

With the lake holding steady and the water temp. not changing it looks like a good 4th. of July. With everything holding steady I guess you could say that the fishing is holding steady also. Water clarity is the same with the exception of the Grand which I think has cleared a little. It still looks dirty but a lot of it is surface mud. The rest of the arms are very fishable.

LAKE LEVEL: 707.32
WATER TEMP: 76 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Heavy stain to clear.

BASS: The bass fishing is the same as it was last week. Flat points with 2' to 5' of water are the best bite. 10" worms in red shad or black and jigs in PBJ or black and blue. The fish seem to be holding real tight on timber. Had a good report this morning that a Rat L Trap on these same points ( early bite ) was producing some nice fish.

CRAPPIE: The crappie have picked up a little but still have a long way to go. There are a lot of 8 1/2" to 9 1/2" fish being caught. The big fish have not came up yet. Minnows on the flats in 6' to 10' of water on the trees is the place to look. My feelings are that until the water temp. gets to at least 80+ deg. the big crappie are going to stay where ever they are. You also have to remember that when its 80deg. on top at 15' its well less than that. We did have a couple of good reports on crappie way up Pommie and on Little Tebo.

WHITES and HYBRIDS: We have had an exceptional week on whites this week. They have been surfacing just about everywhere. Crappie jigs on a 1/4 oz. head have been working well along with Rooster Tails. They are in all the same old areas.

The best area to look is from the dam to KK Island. Cemetery on Little Tebo is producing a lot of fish also.

CATFISH: Jugs are working really good. Perch, leeches and cut shad are the best baits. Set on the flats in 10' of water with stages set at 6'.

This weeks rankings from Sterett Creek are:

Whites & Hybrids: # 1

Bass: # 2

Crappie: # 3

That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina

Lake temp: 

White Bass  good using spinnerbaits

Crappie fair using minnows and jigs

Bluegill good using crickets and worms

Catfish fair on trotlines and juglines using live bait and worms