Catfish No Report

Hybrids No Report

Crappie No Report

July 12, 2004

Hey - it's summer and the humidity is high with temperatures in the low 90's - Whoopee! Lake temperature is running between 80 and 83 degrees, pushing the shad and most of the game fish down into the thermocline, which has developed around 32 feet. This is the time of year where we need to change our times and fishing techniques so starting with this week's report we will talk about deep water tactics for summer success. Lake level this week is at 660.43, six feet above normal pool. Crappie fishing picked up some this week as the crappie started to return to the deep brush piles and standing trees along the bluff walls. Best baits are still crappie minnows on bright jig heads but here is a little trick - put a piece of nightcrawler on the jig along with your crappie minnow. This will increase your summer bite ratio.

Largemouth bass are hard to find during the daytime hours throughout the summer. They relocate on drop offs, cliff walls and under dock areas where they can find some shade. Slow moving baits work the best during the summer heat. Around docks fish Sinko's, Flukes, jig and pigs or Texas rigged worm with a light bullet weight. The deeper largemouth can be taken with football ¾ oz jigs or Carolina rigs worked along the bottom in the thermocline.

Crappie- No Report

Catfish -No Report

Bass No Report

Crappie good- small minnows, shallow water

Bass slow

According to AmerenUE the current lake level is 659.25 with heavy generation scheduled for one day and light generation scheduled for the following two days, which should give the lake a level of 659.4 by Friday, July 16th. The lake is clear with visibility ranging between 6 and 12 feet with a water temperature of 83 degrees.

LARGEMOUTH BASS - EXCELLENT The best bite is at night. The bass are in brush piles 18 to 25 feet on main lake and secondary points, deep main lake pockets and in the creek arms. The Texas rigged 7 and 10 inch power worm and Zoom 11 1/2 inch magnum worm (red shad, plum, tequila sunrise and blue fleck) and the 3/8 and 1/2 ounce Melton Jig (black, black blue and black/red) with dark colored trailers. Some bass are moving shallow, 4 to 8 feet, after midnight or later and are being caught by pitching tubes, the Melton jig and plastic worm behind the deeper docks with brush. The key is to work the bait very slow. The deep diving crankbait is begriming to produce a few keepers in the evening and early morning on the points. The day bite is slow, but some anglers are catching some keepers by using the drop shot over deep water, 20 to 30 feet, in the creeks, on the main lake points and humps where there is shad are schooled.

SPOTTED BASS (KENTUCKY) - FAIR The spots are being caught around the windy main lake points, wave breakers and deep water docks on small crawdads with no weight or a small split shot, medium diving crankbaits and (shad colored) Flukes.

CRAPPIE (FAIR) The bigger crappie are being caught in 20 to 25 feet of water suspended over brush in deep main lake pockets, main lake points with brush and in the creeks. Some crappie are being caught in 12 to feet of water around docks, but they are only averaging 8 to 9 inches. Minnows seem to be the best bite, but Road Runners (white and/or chartreuse) tipped with Crappie Nibbles are producing too.

CATFISH - GOOD Jugs, trotlines and limblines baited with cut shad, perch, crawdads shiners and gold fish on main lake points and bluffs are producing the bigger flatheads, blues and channels. Tightlining with nightcrawlers, stinkbait, and hot dog chunks is producing channels in 12 to 18 feet of water off the chunk rock points and banks.

WHITES/HYBRIDS - FAIR The whites and hybrids are surfacing early in the morning off main lake points and flats before the heavy boat traffic and later in the evening on the same type of structure. Mepps Spinners, topwater baits like the Rapalla, chugger and Lucky Craft Pointer.

Date: 7/14/04
Lake Level : 611.33
Last Weeks Lake Level: 611.92
Normal Lake Level : 606
Water Condition: Clear

Surface Water Temp: 84 degrees

Bass fishing continues to be slow this week.

While still slow, catfishing has gotten better. The predominate bite continues to be channel cats for rod and reel fishermen. Nightcrawlers or shad guts have been the best bait.

Flathead slow

Largemouth Bass fair

Stripers slow

Crappie slow

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool:  Temperature:   

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 839.0 Temperature: 

Inflow: 25 cfs Outflow: 100 cfs Level: 0.68 feet high

White bass No Report

Black bass No Report

Crappie No Report

Bluegill No Report

Walleye No Report

Temperature: 84 Clarity:  Level: high and dingy

Largemouth Bass fair using spinner baits

Channel Cat  fair in 10 feet of water using worms at night

Blue cat No Report

Bluegill fair using worms

Crappie fair

Water Temp: 74

Crappie fair using jigs and minnows in the brush piles

Blue Catfish good using night crawlers

Channel Catfish  good using night crawlers

Largemouth Bass  slow

Bluegill fair using night crawlers

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 864.2  Temperature: 73 to 76

Inflow: 110 cfs Outflow: 8 cfs Level: 0.41 feet high

Water Temp:73 to 76 degrees

CRAPPIE: Good: Summer patterns are here and the crappie will probably not change much the rest of the summer. You can pick you favorite type of fishing. Brush piles on the main lake in about 14' to 16' of water are producing. You can also catch fish 6' to 12' deep in trees in 20' to 30' of water. Minnows are working best but a purple and chartreuse jig will also work.

BASS: Poor: There seems to be a topwater bite if you are in the right place at the right time. Since the water is warming up the fish seem to be moving into the grass more. A variety of baits are working depending on where you are fishing. You can fish soft jerk baits on top of the grass or drop a worm in front of the grass. The grass is primarily on the main lake but is also extending up both arms of the lake quite a ways. 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 Most of the catfish have probably already spawned and are feeding up now. Some nice flatheads are starting to be caught on trotlines as well as channels and blues. A variety of baits will work depending on the way you like to fish. Fish in 10' of water or less along the flats but near the creek channels.

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 to Good: 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 or #7 shad rap around main lake points. Stay in 4' to 10' of water most of the time. This should be the pattern for the rest of the summer.

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 867.7 Temperature: 79

Inflow: 250 cfs Outflow: 1435 cfs Level: 2.00 feet high

Black Bass fair in 20-25 feet deep on plastic baits

White Bass fair early and late on Rooster Tails and Road Runners

Walleye fair drifting nightcrawlers near flats and points

Crappie fair in 20 feet deep on minnows at night under light

Catfish fair on trotlines using bluegill and shad

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 915.0 Temperature: 79 - 85

Release Rate: 8920 cfs. Level: 0.89 feet high

WATER LEVEL - 916.48 Normal Pool 915'

JAMES RIVER Upper 79-85

MAIN LAKE 79-83

Water temp is finally start to warm up after staying in the high 70's (77-80) for the past month, due to below normal temperatures. Lots of water running through the lakes from the heavy rainfalls & high lake levels , this should trigger the fish to group up better on the main lake points and as the water levels drop, the fish will get on the humps and drops in the river arms better as well

James River, Kings River, Upper White & Long Creek,

Kentucky's are starting to group up again on main river gravel humps and points in 18'-25-, and can be caught in !/2 & 3/4 oz. football jigs still seem to be producing best, with deep water close by, Try Carolina rigged Chompers, 4" finesse worms drop-shorted. As water levels continue to drop use some deep cranking baits should start working better such as DD-22's, Fat Free Shads. & Dt-16's in shad patterns. In the heat of the day try going way up the James or Flat Creek and the other river arms and fish the channel swings with 1/4 oz jigs in brown or black or Texas Rigged 7"-9" worms or Team Supreme Tournament French fries, Brush hogs, or lizards in green pumpkin, watermelon, or pumpkin colors. Watch for the shad activity on the flats in the same area, if shad are on the flats throw small crankbaits in 3'-6' running depths around the shad and any cover on the flats such as stumps, lay downs, & brush piles. 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

Fish long gradual sloping main lake points in 30'-40' with drop shot worms. Some of the fish are on bottom and some suspended off bottom. The key seems to be finding a point with lots of bait fish , we are catching fish suspended around 25'-35' over 50'-80' on top of submerged timber. This should get better as the water warms up more. 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. Also try drop shotting 3"-4" grubs or chrome or white jigging spoons in the same areas. Good Luck!!

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Temperature:  Level:

Branson Trout Unlimited Meeting - July 27, 2004, 7:00 p.m. at the Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery.

GENERAL COMMENTS

Water Conditions: Water was off Saturday and Sunday until around 3:30 p.m. and then they only turned on one generator until midnight. Started the week with early generation and have run 4 generators every day. turning them off around midnight. We will probably see a lot of this pattern during the hot weather.

FLY FISHING TROPHY AREA (dam to Fall Creek)-SHALLOW WATER-WADING-
Saturday and Sunday were both good days on the water. Caught fish early in the day on dark olive soft hackles. Around noon that turned off and we caught them on stripping a size 12 or 14 olive crackle back. They were also hitting the red midge on Saturday. Once they turned on the water, on with the red San Juan and fished until I was tired. Nice fish! Monday we had high water so the red midge was the fly of choice. Two brand new fly fishers and they caught several fish. Yesterday had two seasoned fly fishers out. They caught most of their fish on the red midge....one 18 incher and one 17-1/2 incher. Also caught a few on the sink tip line with an olive woolly bugger. The guys missed a lot of hits but boated somewhere between 30-40 fish in a half day trip. With so much water running during the week, we have been suggesting to our customers that they try and see if there is a space to fish up by the hatchery at the chutes. Depending on the time of day, you might get lucky. Sent a gentleman up there day before yesterday with a caterpillar type fly and he hooked into three nice fish. The third one broke him off and took his fly. Back to the tying bench! Scuds, sow bugs and San Juan worms are good choices for this area.

STAN'S TIP: Seeing lots of nasty sunburns! Keep putting on that sun lotion while you are on the water. Also, don't forget to drinks lots of water. Standing in the cold water sometimes makes you misjudge how burnt or dehydrated you are getting.

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 722.00 Clarity:  Level:

Temperature: 78 and Dingy

Crappie slow

Bass slow

Channel cat good on setlines

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 706.0 Temperature:  77

Inflow: 5300 cfs Outflow: 7567 cfs Level: 1.94 feet high

Fishing Report from Sterett Creek Marina 7/14/04

Looks like it's going to be another short one. I have come to the conclusion that the older you get the slower you get, but the work load keeps coming at the same pace. Jim and I have been going full blast along with all the staff here at Sterett Creek since the storm. Everyone here has gone to the well and gave 200% with long hours and hard labor. We are getting things put back together but it looks like it is going to take some time. Again I would like to thank all the folks for the help and kind words and everything else, with people like you around it goes to show what a great country we live in. We are open and fully operational. Again thanks to all !!!

LAKE LEVEL: 708.06

WATER TEMP: 77 deg.

WATER CLARITY: All arms are clear to lightly stained with the exception of Grand River which is heavily stained from G 4 to Finny Creek and dirty above that.

BASS: The bass fishing has slowed a little this week. The fish are still on the flat main lake points in 3' to 6' of water. The best bait right now is a 10" worm in plum or watermelon. With the lake being up a little there are a few fish in the willows. Buzz baits and big worms are working on these fish. Did have a report or some suspended fish in the tree rows next to deep water. Worms and jigs fished down to about 6' will work on these fish.

CRAPPIE: Same as last week. 6' to 10' of water on the inside tree rows and isolated trees. Minnows are your best bet. Had some nice fish come in yesterday off Pommies. There is a big algae bloom up the Osage so you might want to watch for that.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: These fish have slowed a little with the COE not running much water. There is still surface activity in the evenings. Looks like the hybrids are looking for small baits. Try a weighted popping cork with a 2" twister tail. Zara Spooks and Hawg sticks are also picking up a few fish. They are in the same areas with KK Island producing the best.

CATFISH: Trot lines are the best bet for catfish right now. Set in 6' of water on the flats with 12" stages. Leeches are the best bait. With the hot weather check your lines often.

So till next week we bid you good fishin.

Tommy

Lake temp: 

White Bass  No Report

Crappie fair using minnows

Bluegill fair using crickets

Catfish slow using nightcrawlers