Catfish fair on fresh shad

Hybrids No Report

Bass good on jig and pig in coves.

Carp No Report

 Report by: Wilderness Trail       "Braggin Board"

This week started out very warm and summer-like and the game fish were just starting to get reoriented back to their summer patterns and then a major cool front hit and dropped 2" of rain. The temperatures dropped into the 60’s at night and 70’s during the day with winds out of the north. This weather change slowed the bite down. Lake temperature is 78 ½ to 80 degrees and the thermocline is now at 37 feet. The water clarity remains stained with 10 to 12 feet of visibility. Lake level is holding nicely this year. We are at 655.16, one foot above normal pool, so that is good news. Crappie are stacking up on the brush piles but they won’t bite until after dark. Use a floating light and fish with crappie minnows on a plain hook and split shot.

Largemouth bass have left the back of the creeks and pockets and moved out to secondary points and into brush piles. The bite is slow and few and far between. Best lures are pig and jigs, hula grubs and Texas rigged worms. Smallmouth bass remain suspended off the points and channel swings. They move up at night and early in the morning searching for crawdads. Best baits are Spider jigs, tubes and finesse worms on a drop shot rig. You can trigger a few during the day on smoke or watermelon grubs, fished on 4 lb line. Kentucky bass are easy to find graphing the channel swings and around main lake points. The problem is getting them to bite because they are under schools of shad and only feed when they have to. Your best bet is to drop spoons down through the shad and try to trigger a strike. White, silver, gold and Bink’s Pro Spoons are working the best.

Walleye remain deep under the thermocline holding off points and over flooded forest. The few that are being caught are coming on lead core line with Glass Shad or Reef Runners pulled down to 35 feet. A few are caught on spoons in the mornings up on flats and points. Best colors have been white, silver and Bink’s blue and gray back.

NIGHT TIME UPDATE: The bite picks up around 10 p.m. on points and brush piles. Best baits this week were pig and jigs, brush hogs and june bug Gene Larew worms.

Trout fishing on the White River has been good on Power Bait in yellow and orange, Gulp Earthworms, and Belgian red worms. Buoyant Spoons, Little Cleo’s and Rooster Tails have been working when the generation is on. The fly fishermen have done well on olive Woolly Buggers, scuds, and sow bugs. Browns are being caught on Smithwick Rogues, Countdowns, Flat Fish and nightcrawlers.

Crappie- No Report

Catfish -No Report

Bass No Report

Crappie fair small minnows on main lake

Bass fair topwater in morning .

Bluegill good on crickets

Catfish good on nightcrawlers

According to AmerenUE, the current lake level is 659.62 with medium generation scheduled for the three days, which according AmerenUE should give the lake a level of 659.2 by Friday, September 3rd. The water temperature has been averaging between 75 degrees in the morning to 79 degrees in the afternoon.

It seems like the shad are multiplying daily and can be seen in schools off the points and in the creeks and coves. The lake clarity is a little off color from the mid-lake to the upper Osage River with visibility ranging from 2 to 4 feet. The lower end is somewhat clearer and has a visibility of 5 to 8 feet. Bass fishing is still tough mainly because the bass are spread out chasing the schools of shad or suspended in the deeper water underneath the schools. The bass can be caught, but it is taking a lot of patience and hard work.

LARGEMOUTH - FAIR Since the water temperature has cooled down and has remained steady at 77 to 79 degrees, some bass have been moving towards the backend of the creeks and coves on the flatter banks feeding on shad. That doesn't mean the bass can't be caught in deeper water because they are, in fact, the larger bass seem to be in water 12 to 18 feet off points and the smaller bass with some keeper bass in the mix in the backend of the creeks and coves. Day fishing has improved slightly and night fishing is on the wane, which is typical this time of the year. The most productive baits in the deep water have been the 10 inch plastic worm (blue fleck, red shad and plum) and a new bait by Chomper called the Super Sinker Texas rigged with a 1/4 ounce slip sinker. The bass are still in brush and can be found on the plain small chunk rock banks off secondary and main lake points, and in front of boat docks in the creeks and coves. (White and white/chartreuse) spinner baits and shad colored rattle traps worked next to the dock flotation is producing some keepers on boat docks on the flats. The windier the better. The Melton jig and tube baits (green pumpkin/brown, white and black/blue) is producing around the docks on the flats and deeper structure by swimming the baits just under the flotation and worked in the deep brush piles. Pitching or flipping these baits behind the docks will produce with some hard work and patience. The main ingredient is knowing the docks holding fish. The deep diving crank bait (shad colors) is beginning to produce a few keepers off the secondary and main lake points.

CRAPPIE - FAIR With the cooler water temperatures and the shad moving into the shallower water the crappie can be found anywhere from 10 to 18 feet suspended over brush in the middle of coves, points and on bluff and in bluff pockets. Minnows are the best bite with Road Runners (white, white/chartreuse) have been the best colors. Tipping the baits with Crappie Nibbles will help when the bite slows down.

CATFISH - GOOD The cats are feeding good and the best method to catch some nice size blues, flatheads and channels is by jugs, limb lines and trotlines baited with cut shad, goldfish, perch, crawdads and shiners. Tight lining from the bank with night crawlers, stink bait, hot dog chunks and cut shad is also producing in the creeks and coves in 12 to 20 feet of water.

BLUEGILL - EXCELLENT The bluegill are still hanging around the docks and seawalls in 2 to 4 feet of water early in the morning. During the afternoon and evening the bluegill are a little deeper, 6 to 8 feet under the flotation and walkways of the docks. Night crawlers, red wigglers, crickets and wax worms (grubs) are the baits to use.

Date: 9/02/04
Lake Level : 618.88
Last Weeks Lake Level: 607.55
Normal Lake Level : 606
Water Condition: Muddy to Clear.
Surface Water Temp: 73 degrees

Late last week crappie fishing took a nose dive after the fronts came and went, and the lake rising with mud. Over the weekend, before the flood hit the main lake, there were several reports of some nice crappie being caught, with the best reports coming from the main lake bluffs and points. So far this week, there have not been very many fishermen out, the few reports have them catching a fair number of small crappie in the main lake, with keepers being slow. The few keepers are once again deeper at about 15 - 20 feet, using minnows or minnow tipped jigs. The clearer the water, the better your chances.

There's been even fewer bass fishermen out this week. Last weekend bass fishing took an upswing with several being taken from the water flooded grass and brushy slopes, using Carolina rigs, crank baits or spinner baits. Follow the shad.

The gushing rivers and creeks had the catfish rummaging for food. A lot of channel cats were very active especially in the head waters of the lake. Water runoffs also provided good fishing. Nightcrawlers, crawdads, or shad pieces. With the lake rising so fast it was a bad weekend for trot liners. With lots of water being released from the lake, the river below the dam has been very productive for catfish.

Unfortunately the last major holiday of the summer season is this weekend. It's hard to believe that school is back in session and summer is fast winding down. Get the family out to enjoy it, have a safe and happy Labor Day.

Flathead slow

Largemouth Bass good

Stripers slow

Crappie slow

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool:  Temperature:  75.8 

Catfish time is now seen some nice ones this week 

Bass fair 

Crappie fair 

Bluegill good 

Only 14 days to bow season should be a good season remember we are in antler restriction 4 on a side at least 1 inch long so lets be careful and make good shots 

Take a kid fishing or hunting they need it

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 839.0 Temperature:

Inflow: 35 cfs Outflow: 50 cfs Level: 0.51 feet high

Lindley arm: fair-good

White bass No Report

Crappie No Report

Catfish No Report

Pomme Arm

Black bass No Report

Lower lake

Crappie No Report

Black bass No Report

Catfish No Report

Temperature: 82 Clarity:  Level: high and dingy

Largemouth Bass slow using spinner baits

Channel Cat  fair using cut bait and nightcrawlers at night

Blue cat slow

Bluegill slow using worms

Crappie slow

Water Temp: 76

Crappie slow using jigs and minnows in the brush piles

Blue Catfish slow using night crawlers

Channel Catfish  good using night crawlers, stinkbait and liver

Largemouth Bass  fair using jig and pig 

Bluegill slow using night crawlers

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 864.2  Temperature: 76 

Inflow: 20 cfs Outflow: 8 cfs Level: 0.43 feet high

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. Tree lines in 18' to 20' or water are also producing nice fish. Fish 8' to 10' deep. Minnows are more productive than jigs. Try a purple and pearl or purple and chartreuse jig.

BASS: Poor: There seems to be a topwater bite if you are in the right place at the right time. 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. (SEE TOURNAMENT RESULTS THURSDAY or WEEKENDS)

CATFISH: Good 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' to 15' 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: Poor: The walleye seem to have disappeared and have probably moved to deeper water. You can also fish points in the Trimble area or up Campbranch and catch some 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: 81

Inflow: 90 cfs Outflow: 631 cfs Level: 0.28 feet low

Black bass fair early morning on topwater lures and buzzbaits, later on plastic baits around fallen timber

White bass fair trolling small crankbaits and Rooster Tails, later on topwater lures

Walleye fair trolling flats with shallow crankbaits

Crappie fair on minnows and small jigs around trees

Catfish fair on trotlines with shad and bluegill and drifting flats with shad and nightcrawlers

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

Release Rate: 625 cfs. Level: 1.42 feet low

Aug 24, 2004

WATER LEVEL - 917.02 Normal Pool 915'
JAMES RIVER Upper 79-83
MAIN LAKE 79-81

Main Lake Areas
The Dam and Indian Point area have been slow for me. The more you go towards Kimberling City, Baxter, or the mid James fish have been 30'-40' deep on bottom or suspended out over 40'-50' on long gravel main lake points. Try using a 4" finesse worm on drop shot rig. Watermelon candy or watermelon red seem to be working best for me. If the fish are on bottom, try using a 3/4 oz. Brown & Purple football jig tipped with purple or brown twin tailed grub. Most of the fish on the drop shot have been Kentuckys, and we are catching some small mouths on the football jig early in the morning. Try fishing 15'-20' on and just inside the main lake gravel timbered points (hardwoods) with 3/8 oz. Team Supreme brown jig tipped with twin tail grub. Some small mouths are starting to move up and feed early in the morning. This bite should get better as the water cools even more.

James River
Same patterns as above but fish are a little shallower 22'-30' on bottom or suspending over 30'-40'. There have been a lot of shad moving into the creeks, the bass should start to follow the bait. Try fishing spinnerbaits and shallow running crankbaits under and around the shad in the creeks early. As the sun comes up the shad move out to the center of the creeks, try tail spinners or chrome/ white jigging spoons at 20'-25' deep.

Long Creek
Long Creek has had lots of shad moving into the backs of Cricket Creek and Yokum Creek. I've been catching some small largemouth's on crankbaits and spinnerbaits, but with as much shad as what is back there, there should be some good fish back in there also. Just keep trying try different baits and colors to trigger the strikes, best bite has been early morning, or right before dark.

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Temperature:  Level:

GENERAL COMMENTS

Water Conditions: Water off most of the day during the weekend. One generator on for approximately 4 hours each day Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Didn't start water today until 1:00 p.m.

FLY FISHING TROPHY AREA (dam to Fall Creek)-SHALLOW WATER-WADING-
Fishing has been very good. Had a group fish for a while Saturday after the rain and everyone was catching fish on zebra midges and soft hackles. Only fished for 2-3 hours. Sunday was a beautiful day. A group of nine of us fished the Rocking Chair area and caught fish till we dropped. Black zebra, rust zebra and red midge were working great. One 22 inch Brown on a size 18 rust midge. Almost all the fish were 14 inches or better. However, every once in a while we would hit a run of 6-8 inch fish. Not certain where they were coming from. If we had to order a perfect day fishing, it would have to be Monday. Weather was perfect. Not too hot. Just enough wind to ripple the water. Hit the water about 11:00 a.m. and the fish were working the banks. Four of us fishing and two put on dry flies while the other two fished the black zebra. Everyone got tired catching fish on the zebra so we all switched to dries. Catch of the day was a 23 inch Rainbow on a 3 weight rod, 7X tippet and a size 14 LeTort Hopper pattern. Other great dries were a size 16 Elk Hair Caddis, a size 14 foam and hackle black fly. Caught nothing under 13 inches and several in the 16-18 inch range. We don't get this much dry fly action very often....better get out there and fish.

STAN'S TIP: If you are just getting starting setting up your fly boxes or if your flies are disorganized, think categorize. Dry flies in one box, midges in another, nymphs in another, etc. Otherwise, if you have lots of flies (an you will at some point in time) you will go through lots of boxes trying to locate the fly you want. .

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Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 722.00 Clarity:  Level:

Temperature: 78 High and Muddy

Crappie fair using minnows

Bass fair using lures

Channel cat fair using prepared baits, nightcrawlers and leeches

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 706.0 Temperature:  78

Inflow: 3600 cfs Outflow: 5471 cfs Level: 0.43 feet high

Fishing Report from Sterett Creek Marina 9/1/04

Well the holiday is upon us and the weather looks like it is going to be great. Some where along the way we missed Aug. this year. Don't get me wrong I sure didn't miss the heat but without the hot weather it sure messed up the fishing. Well this week the fishing has improved and lets hope this will be a good onset to the fall season. The whites and hybrids really took off this week and there were some big bass stringers last weekend. The lake is starting to get back in good shape and the COE has been running a little water so this should help with the fall fishing.

LAKE LEVEL: 706.53

WATER TEMP: 78 deg.

WATER CLARITY: Same as last week. The upper arms of the Osage and Grand are still dirty. Finny Creek and down on the Grand is good. Ed's Camp and down on the Osage is good. Everything else is a light stain to clear.

Bass: Well the bass fishing has really improved from a week ago. The bite was pretty good in the Tuesday night hawg fights. Even though the weight wasn't real big, more fish were caught. Even Emil showed up and caught a little fish. The winning stringer went to Doug and Ozzie with a total weight of 7.88 and big bass that weighed 3.02 Their stringer almost matched last weeks. Second place went to Earnie Cox and Russell Beck with a weight of 3.77. Doug weighed in a nice stringer over the week end which weighed over 20 lbs. Looks good as the water is warming and the fish are biting.

White bass: Last week they were impossible to find, and now they are showing up on the surface and the humps. Nice stringers of whites are being caught on spoons. Top water baits when they are on the surface. It may be a real good bite now for quite a while if the water stays at this temp.

Hybrids: They are on the move and on the bite. They really started turning on last Friday evening. Most of the good fish are being caught in the evening. The evening bite is the best, but don't count the early mornings short. Look for schooling shad and the humps. Sassy Shad are the best bait.

Crappie: Even the delicate crappie are coming back on the bite. Its amazing how a few degrees in water temp. can change the bite, and it showed how important it is this week. If we stay stable now we should enjoy some real good crappie fishing.

Catfish: The good ole catfish is still producing a strong bite. These fish are always hungry. A 10lb flathead was caught during the bass Tourn.. last night on a bass jig. Catfish will bite on almost anything. So come on down to the lake and enjoy some good fishing while the weather is nice. Hope to see you soon.

This weeks rankings from Sterett Creek are:

Whites & Hybrids: # 1

Bass: # 2

Crappie: # 3

So till next week we bid you good fishing.

Tommy

Lake temp: 78

CRAPPIE: A pretty good bite going down river from Bucksaw. Around the Finey Creek area, fish are being found on flats in 11 feet of water and about 7 feet deep. The bigger hardwoods are producing the best but don't pass up any scattered cedars. Seem some good sized limits this week. You still must work for keepers, but a keeper bite seems to be paying off with better fish than earlier this summer. Jig tipped with a minnow is the preferred bait.

BASS: A tough bite right now. Jig and pig and crankbait fished in 1-4 feet of water around main lake points seems to be the only bite going right now. Down by the dam there is a fair suspended bite going on worms and jigs.

WHITES/HYBRIDS: Very sparse activity early and late on topwater. Nothing much through the day as these fish are suspended over humps. Roadrunners, 1/4oz pepper spoons and rooster tails have been working best.

CATFISH: Good bite on trotlines and jugs. Seem some real nice fish in the last week. Most being caught in 6 feet of water on main lake flats near creek channel swings with drops set at 18". Cut shad and leeches seem to work best.

Crappie fair using minnows and jigs

Bluegill fair using crickets

Catfish good using nightcrawlers