Fishing Report by:     Wilderness Trail      

This last week started out with summer temperatures in the 80’s but by mid-week spring came back and temperatures ranged from mid-70’s during the day to upper 50’s at night. Lake temperature jumped to 78 degrees then at mid-week we had some wind, which mixed the layers and now the lake average temperature is 75.2 degrees. Lake clarity is around 14 feet this week with some stained water up in the Theodosia arm and in the Horseshoe Bend area. Lake level has stayed steady throughout the week. We are at 653.59, ½ foot below normal pool. 

White Bass unfortunately had a bad spawn this year, although they are still very aggressive in the back of the creeks and main lake pockets, that is where the shad are located. Early in the morning, just before dark and on cloudy days look for Whites pushing shad to the top. Pop R’s and Chug Bugs will trigger some strikes when frenzy feeding is in progress. 

Crappie are still in spawn and post spawn phases. Bull Shoals Boat Dock guides are catching nice stringers of crappie on points and inside brush piles on crappie minnows in 8 to 12 feet of water. Swimming Minnows are also working well in Blue Thunder and Smoke colors.

Largemouth bass are active in the mornings feeding on shad in the back of main lake pockets and the back of the creeks. Buzzbaits, Zara Spooks, Flukes and jerk baits are all producing some nice largemouth. Docks, blow downs and secondary points or watersheds are holding the largemouth during the day. Spider Jigs, Carolina rigs with centipedes or brush hogs and tube baits are triggering the largemouth during the daylight hours. Smallmouth bass are still holding off the deep side of pea rock points throughout the lake. They are moving up onto the points to feed in the mornings and late afternoon. Tube baits in cinnamon purple and apple seed colors are working well. Mojo rigs with centipedes or Fish Doctors and finesse worms are also catching some nice smallies.

Kentucky bass have gone deep with the bright sun this week. There is some frenzy top water feeding just before sundown but it is one of those deals where you have to be in the right place at the right time to cash in. Best bet is to fish Carolina rigs in 30 to 35 feet of water with centipedes around chunk rock points and channel swings.

Walleye are still very shallow holding around "do nothing" points and on transition banks. Early morning walleye are reacting to Glass Shad and Shad Raps cast to the banks. By mid-morning they are moving out to 18 to 20 feet of water. The hot technique and bait have been leeches this last week. That’s right – leeches. A hook, a split shot and leech tossed up into 12 feet of water or so and pulled back to the boat. Crawler harnesses will also work behind a bottom bouncer. Best combination is a Blue Smile blade with blue and orange beads and an orange and chartreuse float.

LAKE RATING: Crappie (good); Bass (good); Walleye (great). Overall rating – Good Plus.

Fishing for trout on the White River has been good this past week. Generation again has been low so the Berkley Power Egg bite has been good in yellow, white and pink, or Berkley Nuggets in Rainbow or Orange. With generation the Mepp’s spinners, Buoyant Spoons, and Rooster Tails are the bait of choice. The fly fishermen did well on Olive Woolly Bugger, tungsten bead head midges, sow bugs and soft hackles. The Brown trout are being caught on Flat Fish, Suspending Rogues and nightcrawlers.

Remember to keep only what you can eat and release the rest for another day. Rick Culver of Wilderness Trail does the research for this report and the writing of this report.

Blue cat fishing on lake of the Ozarks really slow catching small fish on the flats drifting shad sides.

Truman looks like blues are going to the nest

Date: 6/2/05
Lake Level : 606.5
Normal Lake Level : 606
Water Condition: Dingy to Clear

Surface Water Temp: 72 - 75

Crappie. Like last week, a lot of small crappie are being caught near the banks. This is great if you have kids, this will keep them happy and make for a fun trip. Of course it will also keep the parents very busy. The bigger ones are there, you just have to find them. A few patterns have been reported for finding the bigger fish.

1. Near the bank. While most crappie near the bank have been small, there are a few areas where the bigger ones have been on the bank.

2. Just off the bank, in the coves with deeper water. One fisherman reported he was fishing 6 and 6, 6 feet out and 6 feet deep.

3. The most consistent report for bigger crappie have them near the bottom in 8 - 10 feet of water close to coves, and next to river channels where it drops off to deeper water.

A LOT of good size crappie are showing up on fish finders, getting them to bite is the trick. As usual, keep on the move if you're not catching the fish you want. A limit of good size crappie, 10 inches and better can be had. Minnows and jigs. If using minnows expect to go through a lot of them. Some guy's like to double up on the minnows, putting two minnows on a single hook in order to entice the bigger ones to bite. If using jigs, use the larger tube jigs, such as an umbrella jig. It also helps to tip the jig with a minnow or crappie nibble.

Bass fishing has been good. The most reported lure continues to be a white/chartreuse spinner bait, with crank baits and tubes being a close 2nd. Productive areas continue to be primary and secondary points off of the main lake.

Cat Fishing has been excellent. A lot of cats have been caught near the banks, on rod and reel or trot lines, using nightcrawlers, cut shad, or perch. Some trot liners have had to adjust the location of their lines closer to the bank.

The White Bass fishing has been very good. Once they are located, you can have a blast using silver spoons or rattle traps. Main lake, submerged humps, or long shallow points extending out into the main lake, especially where there is deeper water on both sides of the point.

CRAPPIE: Good: The crappie spawn is about over but lots of nice fish are still being caught. Small males are still near the banks with an occasional female. Just back off the banks some and fish a little deeper along the flats and drop-offs in the mouths of the coves. The fish have been huge and this has probably been the best spring crappie fishing we have ever had.

BASS: The bass are spawning now especially around the main lake. This is going to make catching fish a little more of a challenge. Jigs, spinner baits and crankbaits are still the lures of choice for most fisherman. The fish are shallow especially up the river arms and up the Branch. See Thurs. 2005 or Weekend 2005 tournament results for the weigh-in.

CATFISH: GOOD: The cats are biting and can be found in shallow waters. Fish shallow points and flats where the cats are feeding. Several nice stringers are being caught by fisherman on a variety of baits. Channels and blues are most common. A 36 lb. flat head did come into the store over the holiday.

White Bass: Fair: The whites are starting to show up on the main lake. They are not concentrated in large schools yet but you can fish points and humps and find nice size fish. Use pepper spoons on the deeper fish and rooster tails and roadrunners on the shallower point fish. You can also catch some large fish by trolling a shad rap around main lake points.

KIMBERLING CITY, DAM AREA, BAXTER & CAMPBELL POINT

Fish main lake pea gravel points and flats with deep water close by. There are still a lot of good Smallmouths shallow at 5'-10' in these areas. Best bite is early, it slows down after about 9:30-10:00 AM. Use Carolina rigged lizards in watermelon candy, watermelon, & green pumpkin. 

Kentuckys can be caught in the same areas, just a little deeper- 15'-25'. Split shot or Mojo rig or Shakee head finesse worm will also work. The best top water bite seems to be from Baxter to Shell Knob, I assume because of the clearer water in this area. Fish main lake and secondary points with jointed Rapalas, Red Fins, or Spooks. Look for timber on points with drop offs just outside the timber. Also have been catching some fish on deep diving crankbaits such as DT-16, Fat Free Shad, etc. in the Kimberling City area around pole timbered points (hardwoods). Seems to work best when cloudy or windy, shad colors are working best for me. Fish should start moving out over deeper water as the water warms up more and gets clearer.

JAMES RIVER, LONG CREEK, & KINGS RIVER

The mid James is about the same as the Kimberling area with the exception of drop shot fish being caught on gravel flats at 20'-25' over 25'-35'. Deep crankbaits, football jigs working in the Upper James on main river flats, close to the channels at 15'-25', may be some up shallower early. Jig fish can also be caught on channel swings, small jigs 1/4-3/8 oz at 6'-10' in the upper rivers. Long Creek has great color, some fish still being caught slow rolling spinner baits in 2'-10' along chunk rock & channel swings.

Good Luck!!

Water temp: 54 at HM to 71 at FR

Black Bass: some bass caught on top water, spinners and plastic shad like lures. mostly 18-20' of water.

Walleye: not many reports, really slow this year

Of ALL the places we have fished over the years, the North Platte in Wyoming has to be the BEST! We caught lots of quality fish...20 inches or better! If you have never fished this area, put it on your list of places to go.

GENERAL COMMENTS

Water still off most of the day. Turning one of two generators on in the afternoon....3:00- 4:00 p.m. for a couple of hours. Information I received from one of the hydraulic engineers at SWPA, they are ATTEMPTING to maintaining the water level at the Branson Landing construction site at an elevation of 701 feet or less until the work near the water is completed.

Water Conditions: Water has been off most of the time. If they turn it on, it is only for 2 hours or so and it is generally 1, maybe 2 generators.

FLY FISHING TROPHY AREA (dam to Fall Creek)-SHALLOW WATER-WADING-

Fishing is still good. However, we have seen a lull in the morning from 8:00 to about 10:30 a.m. Had two boats out today and we picked up a few fish in the a.m., on various flies, U.V. gray scud, gold ribbed soft hackle and olive midge, but about 10:30 a.m. they took off on the olive zebra midge and tan flashback scud (miracle scud) My trip of two people caught 20 fish plus on these until lunch time. Had to drag them off the water for lunch! After lunch we stayed with the olive zebra midge and caught more fish as we drifted down the river. Wind was tough, so we rowed on down to the Lookout Point. God out and waded. Had the Olive zebra midge on one person and put a Chartreuse crackle back on the other. The olive zebra midge caught several fish, including a nice 16 inch Rainbow. The crackle back got hot and that person first started catching fish in the cross-current drift. After a while, the fish switched and started taking the crackle back more down stream with a couple of strips and let set. They caught 30 or more fish this way. New coule, juet finished the two-day fly fishing school. Think they were able to learn several different presentation techniques and catch fish. They had a great time!

STAN'S TIP: New regulations for most of the trout streams went into effect March 1. Read up on these changes. Specifically for Taneycomo, if you keep legal size fish, the limit is now 4. Also, a trout permit is required for anyone fishing above Highway 65 bridge.

Fishing Report from Sterett Creek Marina 6/1/05

The holiday has past and the lake is starting to get back to normal. Even though there were lots of boats out here last weekend the fishing remained good. We saw a lot of big hybrids and lots of crappie. We had just enough rain to keep the dust down and add a little extra O2 to the water. It looks like all the fish have finished spawning and are well into their summer pattern. With that here is this weeks fishing report.

LAKE LEVEL: 707.36
WATER TEMP: 72 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Big and Little Tebo clear. Grand, heavy stain to Finny Creek. Both Pommies clear. Osage, heavy stain to KK Island.

BASS: There are a couple of patterns going right now. The jig bite on the main lake points is good right now. Black and blue is the top producer. Flat points are working the best in 4' to 8' of water. Wind blown bluff banks fished with big worms is another good bite. Red shad or plum are the best colors. Here again 4' to 8' seems to be where the fish are holding. The top water bite is still good early and late. Buzz baits on the flats in 2' to 5' of water is working along with Pop R's. This weeks Hawg Fights were won by Ernie Cox and Russell Beck, they also had big bass. 2nd. was Quinten Koeffing and Lance Estes and 3rd. was Dave Braydon and Tom Novinska. The bite was a little off last night but I know our boat should have had 12lbs. Dave was practicing his Bill Dance quick release.

CRAPPIE: The crappie are well into their summer pattern. The outside tree rows in 15' to 20' of water fished with minnows about 8' deep will work. Look for trees that are under the surface for the best action. The big thing is to keep moving, don't spend to much time at each tree. Normally you will catch the big fish the first time you dip your minnow and then you might as well go to the next tree.

WHITES and HYBRIDS: We saw lots of big hybrids last weekend. Most of the fish were coming by trolling. The mag wiggle wart seemed to be the best bait. Jerry Coose did his norm and brought in a couple of 10's and a couple of 11's. These fish came on sassy shad with a 3/4 oz. head. The best area is between KK Island and the dam. There were some nice whites caught in the same area. small spoons were working along with a minnow drifted through the school of fish. These fish are at all different depths so you have to fish each individual school.

CATFISH: The catfishing is real good. Shallow set trot lines in 5' of water with stages set about a foot on the flats are producing some nice fish. Leeches and cut shad are the best baits. Look for areas that have a ditch or small creek channel close by.

Bass No Report