Fishing Report by:     Wilderness Trail      

TUESDAY NIGHT OPEN TOURNAMENTS

SPONSORED BY R & H MARINE

$25.00 PER TEAM WITH $5.00 GOING TO BIG BASS POT

Rules and information available at R & H Marine and Wilderness Trail

Hot and dry was the weather this past week. With that said, the lake level dropped ½ foot and is now at 652.83, 1 ½ feet under normal pool, but for this time of the year that is not bad. This next week we are expecting some rain almost every day, which will be a big relief. Lake clarity remains at 10 to 16 feet depending on where you are on the lake. The thermocline remains at 36 feet and the lake temperatures range from 84 to 85 degrees. 

Crappie are in the brush piles between 28 and 30 feet. Live crappie minnows are the bait of choice with Bobby Garland’s Swimming Minnows also doing well. Catfish are plentiful, being caught on nightcrawlers and chicken livers in the cuts and coves, night time bite being the best.

Largemouth bass are still feeding in the mornings and at night on shad and crawdads. The daytime bite is still very slow due to the bright sun and heat. Buzz baits, Zara Spook Jrs. and Chug Bugs trigger feeders in the creeks in the mornings. After the sun is up, throw Spider Jigs or Carolina Rigs and brush hogs, centipedes or finesse worms. Tube baits also have been working in medium Apple seed and Brown Cinnamon colors. 

Smallmouth bass are in the middle of the channel swings in the creeks and on the main lake. Top water in the morning may or may not catch a smallies, Spit’N Image or Chug Bugs work the best. Tube baits, Spider Jigs, and Mojo Rigs with Fish Doctors, centipedes or finesse worms work well later in the day. 

Kentucky Bass are traveling with the shad and moving to the banks for crawdads throughout the day. There is some top water frenzy feeding in the morning, so have a top water bait tied on and be ready for them to break the surface. If you find a ball of shad throw a spoon well under the shad along with drop shot rigs with finesse baits. Tube baits and Spider Jigs work the best on the Kentuckys that are searching for crawdads. Chunk rock points and banks are the areas to fish.

Walleye are still inside the thermocline at about 25 feet, moving to the banks throughout the night and feeding in the mornings. Nightcrawlers and leeches are still working well trolled in 20 to 25 feet of water with bottom bouncers. Long liners are pulling Reef Runners and Glass Shad around main lake points and catching a few. Other baits working well are the new Wally Minnow, Jr., Bill Norman’s Deep Little N and Shad Raps.

NIGHT TIME UPDATE: The bite before dark is hit and miss, the better bite starts after dark on channel swings and in brush piles. It took 16 lb 10 oz last Tuesday night to win the R&H Marine Tuesday Night Open Tournament. Pig and jigs and 8" Black/Blue or Strawberry Gold worms have been the best baits. Jerk baits will catch a few walleye and even a bass or two around points. Suspending Rogues and Lucky Crafts are the best baits.

LAKE RATING: The bite has not changed since last week, the rating is Fair.

Fishing for trout on the White River has been good this past week. The Berkley Power Egg bite has been good in yellow and pink or Belgium red worms. With generation the Buoyant Spoons, Little Cleo's, Rooster Tails and Super Dupers are the bait of choice. The fly fishermen did well on olive and black Woolly Bugger, tungsten bead head midges, soft hackles and scuds. The Brown trout are being caught on Suspending Rogues, Countdowns 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.

No Report

Catfish good at night on shrimp and shad

Bluegill good on crickets and wax worms

Channel catfish GOOD

Largemouth bass GOOD

Bluegill/Sunfish GOOD

Redear sunfish FAIR

Crappie SLOW

Cottontail Lake will be closed for physical renovation for the next couple of years. The lake has refilled and the stocking of small fish will occur this summer. After they reach a harvestable size the lake will reopen for fishing.

Honker Pond will be close to fishing the last week of July through the end of August for some renovation work.

Lake Level : 603.7
Normal Lake Level : 606
Water Condition: Clear
Surface Water Temp: 84

The lake is lower than it has been for a while. A word of caution, some trees and underwater humps are emerging. If you are unfamiliar with the lake then make sure you get a good map that shows the river channels and depths. There is plenty of open water in the main lake and lower sections of the forks for cruising around in. This word of caution should apply to any body of water you choose to visit.

Crappie fishing is pretty much the same as it was last week. The crappie are in a summer pattern, and it's been mostly small crappie around 6 - 8 inches long being caught. Bigger crappie can be caught, you just have to go after them and keep on the move. If you 're catching nothing but small crappie, it's time to move on. Of course, if you've got kids that just want to catch fish and keep busy, then that should be no problem. Even small fish make for good childhood memories. The better areas seem to come off of points with good cover and within close proximity to the river channel. Bridge piers can keep a fisherman busy, there's just not much size to the crappie hanging around them. The best bite has been early in the morning, till about 10:00 am, and the last couple hours of daylight. They've been caught anywhere from 8 - 15 feet deep, over deeper water. Some fishermen are finding the bigger crappie by trolling along tree lines next to river channels. This is a good way to cover a lot of territory and find holes along the way. Minnows or jigs, tipped with crappie nibbles.

Bass fishing has been very good. Crank baits, jigs and spinners have been good, worked near main lake points with good rock cover or brush piles. The best bite has been in shallow water about 2 - 5 feet deep.

Cat Fishing has slightly improved. Rod and reel fishermen have been catching channel cats in 4 - 10 feet of water near the river channels. Set line fishermen have been doing a little better as of late using goldfish. Nightcrawlers or cut shad for rod and reel fishermen, perch or goldfish for set lines.

White Bass fishing has been good. Points and shallows near deeper water, where the white bass can funnel the shad and feed. Watch for them busting the surface, toss a silver spoon or rattle trap into the feeding frenzy and use a fast retrieve.

Black bass fair on buzz baits early and plastic baits later in the day

White bass fair early and late on flats using top water lures and small crankbaits

Walleye good on jigs, minnows and trolling crankbaits

Crappie fair on minnows and jigs 10' to 15' of water over brush piles and good at night on minnows

Catfish good on trotlines using bluegill and shiners and drifting with nightcrawlers and shiners

Bluegill good on worms

Black Bass fair using top water poppers, white buzz baits, chartreuse or white top water spinners early morning or late evening, or on black, watermelon or brown plastic baits in 8'-10' of water around structure, points and drop offs

Bluegill excellent using crickets and worms around structure and docks in 3'-8' of water 

Catfish good on bank lines, trotlines, jug lines and limb lines using worms, shrimp, cut shad and sunfish off channels and points

Crappie fair on chartreuse, white or yellow jigs, green Twister Tails, white grubs with a spinner 10'-20' deep in the stumps and fish attractors

Muskie hitting shad colored lures trolling along flats and structure; walleye good while drifting jigs, leeches or worms in 10'-15' of water along channels and rock bluffs and trolling crankbaits

White Bass fair on the flats trolling rattle Rooster Tails, crankbaits, spinners or spoons. (Report made on 6/29/2005)

CRAPPIE: Good: The crappie have moved into their summer patterns. Fish the brush piles and tree lines in the deeper water. The fish are in 15' to 20' of water approx. 10' feet deep. This pattern should hold true for the rest of the summer. Minnows or jigs

BASS: The bass fishing is really fluctuating right now. Most of the fish being caught are relating to the grass. They have been pulling water for a couple of weeks so most people are fishing points. Some fish are starting to come from tree lines up in the arms of the lake. Rigs: crankbaits: jigs

CATFISH: GOOD: The catfish are feeding up before they spawn and are biting good. Fish shallow in the coves and just about any bait you like will work. Some nice flatheads are starting to be caught on trotlines.

White Bass: Fair: With the Corps pulling water the whites are relating to the points and can be caught under the bridges or by trolling small rattle traps around main lake points. You can see them busting shad in the mornings and evenings on main lake points.

WALLEYE: Good: The wallies are still biting and relating to the main lake points much like the white bass. Use crankbaits or a jig and leech or crawler. Fish 2' to 10' of water . The fish will either be behind or in front of the grass.

White Bass fair early and late schooling on top of the water on crankbaits

Crappie fair in 12' to 18' of water on minnows over brush piles and tree lines

Walleye fair on jigs worms and crankbaits

Catfish fair to good on cut bait

Perch No Report

No Report

GENERAL COMMENTS

Water still off most of the day. Fishing continues to be pretty good!

Water Conditions: Water still off most of the day. Past few days water has been off from 8:00 p.m. to latest, midnight, then on around 2:00 p.m. next day. When they turn it on, it has been 2 to 4 (today) generators.

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

Fishing is still good. Couple of weeks ago, fishing was pretty slow in the a.m. until about 10:00-10:30 a.m. No so now. Trips out every day and fishing has been good all day. It has not been uncommon for 20-30 fish half days and 50-60 for full days. Most of the fish are still being zebra midges, probably olive and rusty leading the way. The tan flashback scud (MS) was working good today. Did have reports today that the copper tungsten midge with a rusty dun body was working well. Most everyone is catching fish on smaller flies right now...size 18-20 scuds! Soft hackles in olive and dark olive are also picking up some fish. Better take advantage of the good morning fishing. Can't last much longer. As the weather gets warmer, we will probably see more generation possibly earlier in the day. Had a new lady fisher on the water Monday. She is still talking about how she caught more fish than her husband. She fished midges most of the 1/2 day, but switched to the red San Juan when the water came on and caught a couple of nice Rainbows.

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.

Still no rain but he weather has been great this week. We have been seeing some nice crappie coming in and the bass have moved to the summer pattern so all in all the fishing is not to bad.

BASS: The bass fishing on Truman is starting to pick up. The fish are working the summer pattern right now. They are starting to suspend in the trees in 15' to 20' of water at around 6'. Big worms has been the best bait. Last night in the hawg fights Howard Love and John Pollitt took 1st. place with 8.28 lbs, and had big bass weighing 4.10lbs. 2nd. went to Emil Tally and Jim Lehares with 6.15lbs. Third was Christ Fanning and Ned Aurther with 4.51lbs.

CRAPPIE: There are two different patterns working on the crappie now. There are fish on the bluffs in 25' to 30' of water suspended at 20' to 25'. There are also fish on the edge of the flats in the outside tree rows in 10' to 17' suspended at 7' to 10' down. Minnows are the best baits in both areas.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: Most of the fish we are seeing now have been caught trolling. O 3 has been doing good along with the humps at Berry Bend. Crank baits that will get down to 16' are the best. The COE has been running water in the afternoons so the evening bite has been better.

CATFISH: Trot lines in 5' to 8' on the flats baited with leeches are the best of the best now. Floating lines with drops set about a foot deep next to deeper water are producing fish. Remember to run lines more often with the heat.

That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina

Fishing below Truman dam slow running water at peak time of day 2-7 or so catching a lot of small fish on the lake drifting cut bait in 15-30 ft of water

Crappie fishing on the grand is going strong. We are catching most fish between here and longshoal. The water needs to be 14ft deep or more and fish down 12ft using minnows. Fish all the flats.

Bass are being caught on points early using buzzbaits and crankbaits.As the sun comes up switch to flipping fence rows using 10 inch red shad worms.

Catfish are being caught on flats on jugs and trotlines using cut baits.Most fish are in 7 to 10 ft of water.Lots of white cats are being caught.

White bass are surfacing early and late so the action dont last long.Try to stay up with the school using any thing that resembles a shad.

Water is in good shape for fishing

The lake level is 706.59 Over all the fishing is good.