Catfish are biting river worms and shrimp

Bluegill good on crickets waxworks and river worms

Crappie fair to poor on minnows

Bass fair top water early am

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

Dog days is really living up to its name this year. No wind, very little rain and temperatures in the upper 90’s with mid-70’s at night. The extreme heat throughout the day has pushed the lake temperature up to 89.7 degrees – the fish are almost cooked by the time you get them to the boat. Lake level is not bad, taking into account the number of generators the Corps has been running this week. We are at 649.49, 4 ½ feet below normal and without any rain that is amazing. The thermocline remains steady at 31 feet and the oxygen level is at the highest level in the thermocline. 

Crappie have moved into the comfort layer of the thermocline and are now located in about 30 feet of water in the middle of the cuts, off the points and along the bluff walls on pole trees. Crappie minnows remain the best bait and Bink’s crappie spoons have worked real well this week. Catfish are in the 20 foot range in the creeks and are biting on nightcrawlers, Magic Bait and chicken liver. The best feeding period is from about 7 p.m. to midnight.

Largemouth bass remain active in the morning up against the banks in the creeks. Zara Spooks, buzz baits and Chug Bugs will trigger reaction strikes. There is an afternoon bite that has started this last week in the heat of the day (don’t know what that is all about!). Largemouth are attacking spoons and Carolina rigged finesse worms in 30 to 34 feet of water around points and deep brush piles. If you can stand the heat, you can get some bites.

Smallmouth bass are a little deeper than the largemouth bass and are located around chunk rock points and transition banks throughout the lake. 30 to 35 feet of water is a good range to fish with Mojo rigged centipedes (watermelon or cotton candy), brush hogs (watermelon candy and green pumpkin) or finesse worms. Tubes and Spider jigs are working well in the mornings and late afternoons on smallies that have moved into the 24 to 28 foot range to feed. Work your baits slow because the smallies are not very aggressive. 

Kentucky Bass continue to stay with the shad, which makes them hard to find as they are constantly moving. Spooning is the #1 technique along with a drop shot rig and finesse 4" worms. Live bait anglers are catching Kentuckys on a split shot and leech pulled under the shad.

Walleye have again been active this week with the best bite starting around 2 o’clock in the afternoon until dark. 30 to 32 feet of water is the key depth with a number of baits and techniques. Crawler harnesses and leech harnesses on bottom bouncers, spooning vertically with white or silver spoons and trolling a blue Glass Shad on lead core are all working if, again, if you can stand the heat. The walleye are shallower than you would think for this time of year.

NIGHT TIME UPDATE: The bite is okay before dark on jigs, worms and centipedes, but after dark it is very tough. Fish points and the ends of bluff walls along with brush piles for a chance at a bite.

LAKE RATING: Crappie are slow but okay, bass slow but can be caught with some work, walleye must be hungry as they are quite active. This week’s rating same as week; walleye good, crappie and bass fair.

Fishing for trout on the White River has been good on Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and orange, Berkley Nuggets in orange and Belgium red worms. With generation the Buoyant Spoons, Rooster Tails and Little Cleo's are the bait of choice. The fly fishermen did well on olive Woolly Bugger, Zebra midges, soft hackles, and olive scuds and sow bugs. The Brown trout are being caught on Suspending Rogues, Flat Fish 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.

Crappie No Report

Bass No Report 

Catfish No Report

Catfish are biting river worms and shrimp

Bluegill good on crickets waxworks and river worms

Crappie fair to poor on minnows

Bass fair top water early am

Channel catfish GOOD

Largemouth bass GOOD

Bluegill sunfish FAIR

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 closed through the end of August for some renovation work.

Lake of the Ozark water elevation is 658.01’. Truman Lake water elevation is 706.30’. Water temperature is 81 degrees Fahrenheit. Water discharge from Truman Dam is 550 CFS through the gates.

Bass (Largemouth): Great!

Shannon Harrison of Belton, MO and Dennis Dahlke of Bonner Springs KS cracked the code on Largemouth this weekend. I ran into the duo Saturday morning as they were headed out fishing and I told them to let me know if they had any luck. They shagged me out of the restaurant right around dinnertime to show off their catch. Apparently they both do real well in the local and regional bass tournaments and their live well full of fat bass proved their point. The first fist Shannon hoisted from the live well was a real nice 6 ½# (if not bigger) fish. He likes to use his fish finder to find the baitfish schools and then fish under the schools for best results. I took several pictures of their fish, which should be posted under the "pictures" link in a couple weeks. They said they fished the flats in 8’ of water and used worms, jigs and spinner baits. After our photo session they released all their fish unharmed. Well-done guys!

Catfish: Good.

Chad Wiseman from Slater, MO reports he had pretty good luck using limb lines this past week. He prefers to fish the deep water where the channel angles towards the shoreline and he uses live perch hooked through the tail. Chad uses a good stout nylon cord and sets his limb lines just before dark. He caught nothing but flatheads. He said fishing is slow during the heat of the day, find the cooler waters and you will find your best fishing. Father and daughter duet, Larry and Kelsey Hopkins had a good time cat fishing this weekend with Kelsey catching the biggest catfish on a night crawler. She had a nice 3# channel catfish she had caught for their dinner. Take a kid fishing and they will be hooked for life!

Crappie: Poor.

I couldn’t find anyone who had any luck fishing for crappie this weekend.

Remember a bad day fishing is better than a great day at work.

Date: 8/18/05
Lake Level : 601.5
Normal Lake Level : 606
Water Condition: Clear, some stain in the upper reaches.
Surface Water Temp: 83 - 86

Bass fishing has been good.

Cat Fishing has been very good. The rain over the weekend had the creeks and rivers flowing, which got the cats on the prowl. A lot of channel cats have been caught on rod and reel, using nightcrawlers or cut shad. Trot line and jug fishermen have enjoyed a little better success catching flatheads.

White Bass fishing has been fair

Crappie - the crappie lady caught 45 week on 7/30 and 25 on 8/6. She only uses minnows.

Bass - fellow said they were jumping on the hook from 8 am to noon today 8/7, before and after they didn't catch a one.

Bass - No report

Walleye (Fair)-some are being caught by crappie anglers in the standing timber and moderately -deep brushpiles on minnows and minnow-imitating jigs. Trolling points with shad raps and hot-n-tots is producing also. Most are undersized -from 13-16", but fish up to 24" are being caught.

Crappie (Good) - Crappie are staging above the thermocline near brushpiles and standing timber. Fish with shiners during low-light conditions for best results.

Bluegill (Good) - Fish with nightcrawler pieces in the same areas where you are targeting crappie.

Catfish (Good) - Dip-bait, liver and gobs of nightcrawler in the shallows is producing for fish from 3 to 10 pounds.

Black bass fair on green plastic baits early in the morning

White bass fair trolling on the flats using rooster tails

Crappie fair on minnows around trees and structures

Catfish fair on shad and worms

Bluegill fair on worms 12 to 15 of water

Walleye/Muskie slow.

Catfish (good) on liver, worms, dip and cut bait. Try shady banks near timber during the day, better at night.

Bass (good) at dusk, fair at other times. At dusk, try Pop-Rs, Zara spooks, or buzz baits on the shoreline for fun top water action.

Crappie (good) try above the thermocline from 4-12' down. try minnows or tube jigs under a bobber around timber

CRAPPIE: Fair: The larger crappie that we have been catching seem to have gone into hiding. Still plenty of smaller fish, just fewer of the big ones. They are still in their summer patterns. Fish the brush piles and tree lines in the deeper water. The fish are in 18' to 24' of water approx. 10'- 15' feet deep. This pattern should hold true for the rest of the summer. Minnows or jigs

BASS: Poor: The bass are playing hide and seek with the fisherman and most of the time don't get found. Some nice fish are being caught occasionally but not consistently. Worms, jigs, brush hogs seem to catch the majority of the fish. 8' or less of water seems to be the areas to concentrate on.

CATFISH: FAIR: The crappie fishermen are catching some nice ones in the deeper water on minnows so try the 20' of water areas with your favorite bait. Also other fishermen are reporting fish in shallow water back in the coves. Dip baits are working very well in the lake and in the rivers.

White Bass: Good: The rest of the summer should continue to produce nice stringers of whites. Fish main lake points early and late by throwing small crankbaits in the 2' to 8' water depths. If the fish don't show up on the points just back out to 15' of water and try pepper spoons on the bottom. Watch for surfacing schools. During the day troll to find the schools which are roaming following the shad. The size of most of the fish is excellent.

WALLEYE: Poor: The wallies have sort of vanished for the time being. They are either buried in the grass of laying in deep water either making them difficult to get to. Use crankbaits or a jig and leech or crawler.

No Report

GENERAL COMMENTS -

Water still off until 11:00 a.m. earliest, 1:00-2:00 p.m. latest.

Water Conditions: Pattern has been pretty consistent for the past five days. Water off until 11:00 a.m. or noon then one generator on for a short period then ramped up to four until 8:00 p.m. earliest or 10:00 p.m. latest.

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

Almost all the guides on the water this weekend. Everyone caught lots of fish. With the water off, midges are producing very well. With the foggy, cloudy mornings, the black has been the color to generally start with. Once the fog clears and the sun comes out, we switched to the Ugly or the olive zebra midges. Had a trip out past Monday and it was the prefect morning. Light fog on the water, cool breeze, only passed a couple other fly fishers as we rowed to our fishing spot. Black zebra midge was picking up fish or a hit on at least every other drift. Stayed overcast all morning and fishing was consistent. Caught lots of nice fish, 17-1/2, to 19 inch Rainbows. Fished the rise when the water came on about 11:00 a.m. and had a couple of really nice fish we could not get in with the heavy water flow. Fished a size 12 gray flashback, weighted scud. It has been working a little better than the red San Juan this past week. However, the hot pink San Juan worked well.

STAN'S TIP: Everyone has had it happen. You put your rod pieces together and can't get them apart. If this happens, and you have tried all the other techniques to get them apart, try putting ice around the joint. Let it cool down for a bit then try to get them apart. This usually works after everything else has failed.

Lots of well needed rain last week end has kept the fishing the same as it was last weekend. This week I am a little short on time for the fishing report so I am doing a condensed version. Sorry, will do better next week.

BASS: Good, suspended fish in 12' to 30' big worms fished 6' to 14' down. Move them real slow.

CRAPPIE: Fair, lots of little fish. 10' to 12' tree rows are producing some better fish. Minnows still the best bait.

Whites & Hybrids: Fair, seeing more whites every day now. Spoons and sassy shad in the KK Island area. 16' on the humps.

CATFISH: Fair, jugs on the flats. 16' with cut shad doing the best.

Just a reminder that we will be having the Sterett Creek Open Buddy Bass Tourn. on Saturday Sept. 17. Everybody is welcome. For info you can contact the marina at, Sterett Creek Marina

That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina

Lots of smaller fish being caught on flats 5-15 ft of water cut shad working best

Crappie are still being caught on the flats in 14 ft of water or more. Minnows are the bait of choice. Fish down 11 to 13 tithe best area is bucksaw to long shoal. Look for isolated trees or fencerows.

Bass are hard to find ,the ones we are seeing are being caught on buzz baits and crankbaits on shallow points. Point hop is the best approach. As the sun comes up fish out deeper using 11 in red shad worms.

Catfish are being caught on jugs using cut bait. The best water dept is 10 ft fishing down 5 ft. Fish the flats.

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