Catfish fair-hot dog

Bluegill good-wax worms

Crappie good-small jigs

Bass fair-crankbaits

 Report by: Wilderness Trail       "Braggin Board"

November 1, 2004

We have had a crazy week for this time of year. Temperatures jumped into the 80’s with some warm rain, you would think it was late summer instead of fall. Here’s one for you! The lake temperature has gone from 63 degrees to 60 – 69 degrees; something is wrong with this picture and the game fish are very confused. With the rain this last week the lake level rose to 651.08 up ½ foot from last week and we are 3 feet below normal pool. Water clarity also took a hit, with run off and high winds we now have 12 feet of visibility. Crappie stayed active throughout the week around the brush piles and the deep edge of the underwater stump fields. Crappie minnows are still a good bet but a few other baits are triggering the bigger crappie. They are Swimming Minnows, crappie tubes in pink or brown and small ¼ ounce spoons.

Largemouth bass are in on the banks today then gone tomorrow, they’re moving in and out like a bouncing ball. Start your day off in the banks of the creeks and pockets with spinnerbaits or buzzbaits to see they they’re up. If they’re up you can work the shallow pattern all day. If not, look for blow downs or docks and flip pig & jigs. Another pattern is deep water drop off points, fish these areas with football jigs in 35 – 50 feet of water. 

Smallmouth bass for some reason are holding on flats and pea rock do-nothing points. There’s not many crawdads on that type of structure so we don’t know what they are doing up there. Best bite has been in the morning up until noon or so. Spider Tubes, Mojo rigs with centipedes and finesse worms and crankbaits, Wiggle Warts and Bandit. Work from the bank out to 40 feet of water because the smallies are also moving in and out like the largemouth. 

Kentucky bass are a little easier to find as they are traveling with the shad, so find the shad and you find the Kentuckys. Now – getting them to bite is another story. Spoons in silver or white is the best at this time. Bink’s makes a spoon with a blue back that’s very hot at this time. Some Kentuckys can be found away from the shad around deep brush piles on channel swings. Best baits in these areas are crankbaits (Bandits or Bill Norman DLNs), Mojo rigged finesse worms or Fish Doctors and Spider Jigs.

Walleye are still doing their thing at night feeding on crawdads, shad and perch. Suspending Rogues, silver/ blue back, silver/black back and clown have been the key baits and colors. Work from the bank out to about 20 feet of water, that’s their feeding range. During the day the walleye are moving out on the points suspending 18 – 30 feet down over 40 – 60 feet of water. Long liners are now pulling shallower baits such as Rogues, Hot-N-Tots, Reef Runners, Little Rippers and Wally divers that will stay over the top of the suspended walleyes.

The PWT will return to Bull Shoals on May 11 through 13, 2005 and entry blanks for amateurs are now available. The can be ordered by phone from PWT at 218-824-2542, or by downloading them from the PWT web site at www.professionalwalleyetrail.com. They are now available at Wilderness Trail. The PWT is a Pro-Am and this past June one-third of the field consisted of local anglers. The week of November 8th, the Bull Shoals PWT tournament from June 2004 can be seen on The Outdoor Channel, Monday at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday 3:30 p.m. and Friday 11 p.m.

Trout fishing on the White River has been good on Power Bait in yellow, orange and white and Belgian red worms. Buoyant Spoons, Little Cleos, and Rooster Tails have been working when the generation is on. The fly fishermen have done well on olive Woolly Buggers, sow bugs, egg pattern in peach and San Juan worms. Browns are being caught on Countdowns, Flat Fish and nightcrawlers.

Crappie- No Report

Catfish -No Report

Bass No Report

Catfish fair-shrimp

Bluegill good-wax worms

Crappie good-small jigs

Bass fair-crankbaits

According to AmerenUE the current lake level is 659.30 with medium to heavy generation is scheduled the next three days, which should give the lake a level of 659.2 by Friday, November 5th. AmerenUE reports the water temperature taken at Bagnell Dam is 68 degrees. Considering the heavy amount of rain the lake area received over the last three days, the mid and lower end of lake is fairly clear with visibility ranging from 3 to 8 feet. The upper end, above the 60 mile marker is off color and has a visibility ranging from 1 to 2 feet, and a surface water temperature averaging 61 to 65 degrees. By this coming weekend, however, if there is heavy discharge from Truman Lake, Lake of the Ozarks could change color overnight, especially in the upper portions. Since the heavy rains and fronts moving through the lake area, the shad have moved deeper and haven't been surfacing until late afternoon if at all. Most of the upper lake area and some portions of the mid lake have turned over, which could have some bearing on the inconsistent bite.

LARGEMOUTH BASS - FAIR The bite hasn't really changed much from last weeks report. The bass are still spread out chasing shad and are being caught in 3 to 4 feet by shallow boat docks and in 12 to 15 feet in or near brush piles. The best bite is still the (brown, brown/green pumpkin and/or black/blue) 5/16 Melton or Eakins Jig with a small crawdad trailer. A 6 inch American fry or worm (green pumpkin and watermelon red) has been producing when pitched or flipped around boat docks on the upper Osage River flats and creek arm flats. There has been some early buzz bait action and top water with a Zara Spook off main lake and secondary points, and around boat docks. There is a spinnerbait bite (white, chartreuse/white and chartreuse) in the upper Osage River around lay downs and boat docks where the water is more off color. The crankbait bite has slowed down, especially the DD22. The medium diving crankbaits like the Norman DLN and Bandit 200 are producing off points, but not that consistent either. Like last weeks report indicated, a person can catch a good limit one day thinking a pattern has been developed, but the next day go to the same area and fish the same baits and get skunked or just catch one or two keepers.

CRAPPIE - GOOD The crappie bite is good, but a lot of 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 inch crappie are being caught shallow, 8 to 10 feet. There are some bigger crappie being caught in deeper water, 15 to 20 feet that are suspended over brush piles in 20 to 25 feet. Minnows and Road Runners (white and/or chartreuse) are the most consistent bite and when or if the bite seems to slow down try tipping the baits with a Crappie Nibble.

CATFISH - GOOD The cats are still active and are probably the best bite going now. Jugs, limb lines and tight lining from the bank or a boat docks are working with cut shad, shiners, gold fish and crawdads. The cats are being caught in 12 to 18 feet of water in the creeks and coves.

BLUEGILL - FAIR The bluegill have moved off the bank out to 8 to 10 feet of water. A few can be seen suspended under boat dock foam in the afternoon, but not many. Night crawlers and red wigglers are the best bite.

Date: 10/21/04
Lake Level : 606.90
Last Weeks Lake Level: 607.62
Normal Lake Level : 606
Water Condition: Muddy to Dingy to Clear.

Surface Water Temp: 62 degrees

Crappie fishing has been tough lately. Some of the best reports have been from fishermen catching crappie near the bottom in 20 - 25 feet of water. The bite continues to be very light, with minnows being the best bait.

Bass fishing has been fair, with mostly small ones being caught.

Catfishing is fair. Trotliners have been having a tough go of it this week. Rod and Reel fishermen had been doing good catching small to medium size channels using nightcrawlers.

Flathead fair

Largemouth Bass good on black/blue jigs and brush hogs

Stripers slow

Crappie fair

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool:  Temperature:  

Catfish No Report 

Bass No Report 

Crappie No Report 

Bluegill No Report 

Take a kid fishing or hunting they need it

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 839.0 Temperature:

Inflow: 2000 cfs Outflow: 500 cfs Level: 3.05 feet high

Black Bass No Report 

White Bass No Report 

Crappie No Report 

Catfish No Report 

Muskie No Report 

Walleye No Report 

Bluegill No Report 

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Temperature: Clarity:  Level: high and dingy

Largemouth Bass No Report 

Channel Cat  No Report 

Blue cat No Report 

Bluegill No Report 

Crappie No Report 

Water Temp: 

Crappie No Report 

Blue Catfish No Report 

Channel Catfish  No Report 

Largemouth Bass  No Report 

Bluegill No Report 

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 864.2  Temperature: 57

Inflow: 325 cfs Outflow: 100 cfs Level: 2.07 feet high

CRAPPIE: Good: Lots of crappie are being caught in 20 feet of water along creek edges and in brush piles. Some fish are also starting to show up in the backs of the creeks. Most of the fish being caught are nice keepers with some nice 13" and 14" monsters showing up occasionally. Minnows are still the best but you can also catch fish on jigs.

BASS: Fair: Not many people are fishing for the bass right now but the grass is the place to look. Top water or shallow crankbaits are your best bets.

CATFISH: Good The crappie fishermen are catching some nice cats on minnows in the deeper water while crappie fishing. The cats are also starting to show up in the shallow creeks along with the crappie. Lots of shad and the fish are feeding up for the winter.

White Bass: Good: 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 in 15' to 20' of water during the sunny days and vertical jig for them. Move shallower in the mornings and evenings and on cloudy days. You can also troll small crank baits around the main lake points.

WALLEYE: Fair: You can fish points in Campbranch and catch some fish by trolling or casting a #5 or #7 shad rap around points and humps. Stay in 4' to 10' of water most of the time. Also try the main lake points. As the water cools the fish will move shallower.

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 867.7 Temperature: 

Inflow: 4300 cfs Outflow: 40 cfs Level: 0.61 feet low

Black Bass No Report

White Bass No Report

Walleye No Report

Crappie No Report

Catfish No Report

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 915.0 Temperature: 

Release Rate: 816 cfs. Level: 0.24 feet high

No Report

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Temperature:  Level:

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Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 722.00 Clarity:  Level:

Temperature: Lake Map

Crappie slow using minnows in the deep brush piles

Bass slow using lures

Channel cat good using worms and minnows

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 706.0 Temperature:  64

Inflow: 19784 cfs Outflow: 10200 cfs Level: 2.78 feet high

We will be closing the marina for the season on Nov.7th. We will keep the campground open till after deer season. Next week will be my last fishing report for the season. we can help you with anything you can contact us at Sterett Creek Marina

Tommy

Lake temp: and dirty

Crappie No Report

Bluegill No Report

Catfish No Report