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"

ANGLER'S EDGE TEAM BASS TOURNAMENT
OCTOBER 9 AND 10, 2004
CALL FOR INFORMATION

FALL IN STORE SEMINAR - SEPTEMBER 25TH 2 TO 4 P.M.
CALL US AT 870-445-2703 TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATION
There is no charge, everyone is invited - but we are limited to 50 people

September 20, 2004

The weather pattern this last week was very stable with highs in the mid-80’s and lows in the mid-60’s. You need to wear a light jacket out on the lake in the mornings. Lake temperature is holding around 75 degrees warming to 77 degrees during the day. The thermocline is holding around 34 feet and the smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and some walleye have moved out of the thermocline into 28 to 32 feet of water this week, we may have an early fall this year. Pool level is at 652.67, which is almost two feet below normal pool and we are getting close to winter pull down, so we could use a little rain.

Largemouth bass became active again this week in the back of the creeks and pockets. Buzzbaits and spinnerbaits are triggering most of the bass in the mornings. Tube baits and pig and jigs are working after the sun is up. Look for logs, stumps or big rocks, any structure that will hold a bass and pitch into it. 

Smallmouth bass are slowly moving back onto the point that have a drop off on one side or the other into 25 to 30 feet of water in the creeks and on the main lake. Spider jigs, tubes, Texas rigged craws are all starting to work. Carolina or Mojo rigs with green pumpkin or watermelon purple brush hogs or finesse worms are also starting to pick up. A deep pattern is also in place at this time. Smallies are holding in 45 to 50 feet of water and in front of the points waiting to move up. Football jigs in brown/purple and Missouri craw with cinnamon purple Yamamoto trailers are working great on these deeper smallies. 

Kentucky bass remain scattered throughout the lake. They are under shad in deep water, along bluff walls and around chunk rock points. The deep Kentuckys can be triggered with spoons (silver, white or blue), on a drop shot rig with Bobby Garland’s Swimming Minnows or finesse 4" worms in green pumpkin or natural nightcrawler colors. The point and bank runners are feeding on crawdads and Spider jigs or tube baits are your best baits.

Walleye have been active all week around points and over feeding flats both on the main lake and in the creeks. As I stated earlier they have moved into shallower water above the thermocline. Long lining ha been catching some four fish limits on Reef Runners and Glass Shads by Rapala over 32 to 35 feet of water. Vertical spooning is also working around the points and over the flats. Silver and white are the best colors. Bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses are catching numbers of walleye but the size is smaller than the long lining or spoon walleye. Best blade colors have been chartreuse/orange, gold and red or orange.

NIGHT TIME UPDATE: There is still a great night time bite, which is starting at sundown and lasting past midnight. Most of the bass are being found around brush piles and points where big rock is present. Jigs are the best baits in black/blue or June bug colors. A few bass are being caught on Thumper blade spinnerbaits slow rolled along the banks but the bites are few and far between.

Trout fishing on the White River has been good on Power Bait in yellow, chartreuse 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 or chartreuse and San Juan worms. 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 658.23 with light generation scheduled for the next three days, which should give the lake a level of 658.6 by Friday, September 24th. AmerenUE reports the water temperature taken at Bagnell Dam at 77 degrees. The mid and upper Osage River is dingy with visibility averaging 2 to 4 feet. The Grand Glaize, Big and Little Niangua and Gravois Rivers are clearer with visibility averaging 4 to 6 feet. According to bass boat temperature gauges, the surface water temperature ranges from 74 degrees in the morning up to 78 degrees in the afternoon. The lake seems to have more shad than last week. The coves and creeks are stacked with schools of shad, especially late afternoon and evening.

LARGEMOUTH BASS - GOOD The bass are still elusive at times, but limits can be caught with hard work and a lot of moving from location to location. The best bite has been up the Osage River above the 45 mile marker where the water clarity is somewhat off color, but there are bass being caught in the mid and lower end of the lake. Flipping or pitching jigs, tubes and small plastic worms (green pumpkin, black/blue and/or brown) and working shallow diving crank baits (shad or chartreuse) around shallow boat docks on flats on the main channel and in the creeks and coves have been the most productive method to catch a limit. The bite is early and seems to stop before noon. Once the shallow bite slows down, a majority of the bass seem to move out or become more active in brush piles located in 9 to 12 feet of water, especially with high skies. The 7 & 10 inch plastic worm, jig and medium diving crank bait will produce, but again it is taking a lot of hard work and constant moving to different brush piles. There have also been reports of a morning top water bite on Pop R's and Zara Spooks off the main lake points and bluffs, and on secondary points, but this bite dies once the sun gets up.

CRAPPIE - GOOD The crappie are like the largemouth, spread out. The average size being caught has been 9 1/2 to 10/1/2 inches, but some larger crappie are in the mix. The most productive depth has been 12 to 18 feet where the crappie are either suspended over or near the brush on main lake bluffs and pockets, creeks and coves. Minnows is the best bite. Road Runners (white or chartreuse) is also producing. Try tipping the bait with Crappie Nibbles, they will work.

CATFISH - GOOD The cats are active and spread out like most of the fish. Jugs and limb lines are the most productive method of catching the larger blues, flatheads and channels baited with cut shad, shiners, crawdads, gold fish and perch. Stink bait, night crawlers and hot dog chunks are producing by tight lining from the banks in 12 to 18 feet of water.

WHITE/HYBRIDS - SLOW The whites and hybrids seem to have disappeared, but some are being caught by trolling spinners, medium diving crank baits and spoons off the windy main lake flats and points.

BLUEGILL - GOOD The blue gill are still hanging around the boat docks near the surface and around the seawalls throughout the morning. They move out to deeper water, 6 to 9 feet or suspend under the boat dock foam in the afternoon and evening. Night crawlers, red wigglers and wax worms (grubs) is the best bite.

Fall is officially here!! The mid to upper sections of the South, Middle and Elk Forks are muddy, it's dingy to clearing the further down lake you go.

Crappie fishing has been challenging this week. The better fishing has been in the lower sections of the South, Middle and Elk Forks, and the main lake. Your best bet is probably to head to the lower lake and fish the clearer water. The most reported depth continues to be between 12 - 18 feet deep, with minnows working the best.

Catfishing continues to be very good. Rod and reel fishermen have been catching channels using nightcrawlers or cut shad. Troltliners have been catching channels using shad, or goldfish for flatheads. The rivers and creeks have a slight flow from last week rain.

Flathead good

Largemouth Bass good on black/blue jigs and brush hogs

Stripers slow

Crappie good

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:80

Inflow: 25 cfs Outflow: 50 cfs Level: 0.10 feet high

Black Bass fair in 3 to 12 feet of water using light colored topwater lures

White Bass slow while trolling with silver or white lures in 5 to 15 feet of water

Crappie fair using jigs and minnows in 8 to 15 feet of water

Catfish fair on trotlines and jug lines using shad and worms

Walleye fair using deep running lures in 10 to 20 feet of water

Bluegill good using jigs and crickets in 3 to 8 feet of water

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Temperature: 78 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: 74

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: 422 cfs Level: 2.08 feet high

Water Temp:76 degrees

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: 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 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: 74

Inflow: 65 cfs Outflow: 1965 cfs Level: 1.61 feet low

Black Bass fair on topwater in early morning over points and plastic baits in timber

White Bass good on trolling Rooster Tails on flats and topwater lures late and early

Walleye fair drifting nightcrawlers and trolling crankbaits over flats 8-20 feet deep

Crappie fair around standing timber on minnows and grubs

Catfish good drifting night and trotlines with shad and bluegill

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 915.0 Temperature: 

Release Rate: 713 cfs. Level: 1.42 feet low

No Report

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Temperature:  Level:

Branson Trout Unlimited Meeting - September 28, 2004, 7:00 p.m. at the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery. Annual Trout Unlimited Dinner/Auction October 23, 2004 at Landry's Seafood. Sit down dinner, choices of entrees. E-mail us for more information or give us a call 1-877-699-3474.

GENERAL COMMENTS

Water Conditions: Lots of time to wade fish in the mornings and most of the afternoons....at least until 3:00 p.m. or so.

FLY FISHING TROPHY AREA (dam to Fall Creek)-SHALLOW WATER-WADING-
Trips out every day this past week and weekend. Good numbers and decent size fish, 13-17 inches and catching 50-60 a day. However, no big fish. Most of the folks we have had out this past week have been new fly fishers. Even had a group of four neat children out Sunday. The youngest was 8 and he learned to roll cast and set the hook on several fish on his own. Helped him a little in bringing it in as the line and long rod were a lot for him to handle, especially with a fish tugging on the other end. The youngest girl, think she was 10, landed a 16-17 inch Brown. Each of the children landed several fish and think we have a fly fishing family. New lady to fly fishing out for 1/2 day with her husband today. She certainly had beginners luck. Boated the first two fish and probably boated 10-12 more. Won't talk about the misses. Still need some work on the hook set. All our fish are on the size 18 zebra midges. Pretty consistent with either the rust or olive. Did well on insect green and dark olive soft hackles this weekend. When the day brightens up, especially early afternoon, generally switching to the Miracle Scud (tan flashback), size 14. Two other guides were out this a.m. and they did well on hoppers against the bank just above the boat ramp. Caught some nice 18 inch Rainbows.

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 (and 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: 76 High and Muddy

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:  78

Inflow: 8900 cfs Outflow: 4329 cfs Level: 0.49 feet high

Fishing Report from Sterett Creek Marina 9/22/04

Another week has come and gone and it seems like every other weekend it rained. We had 2" Sat. morning so it changed the color of the water up the creeks. Now it has pretty well cleaned up and things are getting back to normal. With the warm days we have had the water temp is also back up. The fishing has improved a little and things are starting to look up for a beautiful fall.

LAKE LEVEL: 706.55

WATER TEMP: 78 deg.

WATER CLARITY: Upper arms heavily stained. Rest of the lake is stained to clear. Very fishable.

BASS: The bass fishing remains the same as it was last week. The best bite is still the suspended fish in the tree rows On either big worms or jig and frog. Red shad worms and black and blue jig are the best colors. Fish seem to be holding about 4' over 15' of water. There are also a few fish being caught on the bluff ends in 8' to 12' of water, here again the big worm is working along with deep running crank baits.

CRAPPIE: Ditto! Same as last week. The brush piles are holding the better fish. 15' to 20' piles are the best of the best. Minnows are the top bait. There have been a few fish come in off the bluffs. 30' fished 20' down with minnows has started to work a little better.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: I think I should have just posted last weeks fishing report again, Spoons in 20' of water either on top of the deep humps or on the sides of the shallow humps. There has been a few hybrids caught on sassy shad over deep water in the dam area. Watch for the gulls popping the water for fish.

CATFISH: Trot lines are starting to produce a few nice cats on cut shad. 12' seems to be the best depth. The main lake flats seem to be the best producer.

This weeks rankings from Sterett Creek are:

Bass: # 1

Crappie: # 2

Whites: # 3

Don't forget this Sat. is the Sterett Creek Buddy Bass Tourn.

So till next week we bid you good fishing.

Tommy

Lake temp: 

CRAPPIE: No Report

BASS: No Report

WHITES/HYBRIDS: No Report

CATFISH: No Report

Crappie fair using minnows and jigs

Bluegill good using crickets and worms

Catfish fair on trotlines and jug lines using live bait