Catfish fair-hot dog

Bluegill good-wax worms

Crappie good-small jigs

Bass fair-crankbaits

 Report by: Wilderness Trail       "Braggin Board"

This week’s weather was a little chilly, but for the most part plenty of sun.  Lake is now in the low 50’s with the sun warming a few degrees during the day.  Pool level is at 654.85 this week, ½ foot above normal pool, which is great for this time of year.  Lake clarity is still at 15 to 16 feet with some color in the backs of the creeks. 

Crappie were not as active this week but a few were being caught in 25 – 35 feet around brush piles and docks with crappie minnows or shad colored crappie tubes.

Lake Rating: Bass continue to move shallower, crappie are feeding on small shad around brush piles and walleye are reacting to spoons so this weeks rating is good (and getting better).

Largemouth bass are moving shallower (12 to 15 feet) and around docks, in the back of the creek arms and main lake cuts and coves on blow downs.  They are not yet up on the banks.  Fish spinnerbaits or Bandit crankbaits for the shallower fish. Fish Spider Jigs for the largemouth that are staying deep off the drop offs on secondary points. 

Smallmouth bass are also moving shallower up on to pea rock points and chunk rock channel swings.  Both largemouth and smallmouth are foraging on crawdads filling up for the winter.  Spider Jigs and tubes are working well if the wind is down.  On windy days throw Wiggle Warts or Bandit crankbaits in crawdad colors. Carolina rigged Brush Hogs and finesse worms or football jigs will trigger the deeper 3 – 4 pound smallies.  

Kentucky bass are also foraging on crawdads getting ready for winter and have moved shallower.  They are in the back of the pockets and cuts, at the back of the creeks or along the bluff walls. Tube baits and Spider Jigs are the best baits on the shallow Kentuckys.  Drop shot rigs with 4” finesse worms and silver or white spoons are working the best on the Kentuckys under the shad.

Walleye have not moved as shallow as the bass and are still sitting in 20 to 40 feet of water. The bite has picked up on spoons fished vertically over their heads and ball jigs with a 2 – 3 “ shiner as bait.  The long liners are picking up a few on Reef Runners and Shad Raps.  The crawler bite is not doing as well this week as the lure bite.

PWT Tour Offers Walleye Anglers a Challenging 2005 Brainerd, Minnesota...The In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail announced a challenging 2005 season for the world's top-ranked walleye anglers. The PWT is a Pro-Am format. Pro anglers are fishing ambassadors who share their boats, tackle and tactics with amateurs/co-anglers at each tournament. Partners learn from their pros who know where to look and how to find fish. Local anglers and those who've always wanted to fish a special lake can do it as amateurs/co-anglers. Call PWT headquarters at 218-824-2542, for entry blanks, or go to www.professionalwalleyetrail.com. Entry forms are also available at Wilderness Trail and Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock. The top 40 pros and top 40 amateurs/co-anglers win cash and merchandise prizes, including Lund/Mercury boat packages for first place. The action from the 2004 season is now being featured on the PWT television series on the Outdoor Channel. Shows are being aired Monday (7:30 p.m.), Wednesday (3:30 p.m.) and Thursday (11 p.m.) central times, through March 2005.

Trout fishing on the White River has been good on Power Bait in yellow and pink.  Buoyant Spoons, Colorado spoons and Little Cleos have been working when the generation is on.  The fly fishermen have done well on olive Woolly Buggers, scuds, egg patterns and San Juan worms.  Browns are being caught on Suspending Rogues, 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 659.13 and the water temperature taken at Bagnell Dam is 53 degrees. There is heavy generation scheduled for the next three days, which according to AmerenUE should give the lake a level of 658.9 by Thursday, December 9th. The Corp of Engineers report Truman Lake at 712.8 with heavy discharge, which is causing the Lake of the Ozarks to remain muddy, except for portions of the Gravois, Grand Glaize and Niangua Rivers, which are clear to dingy with visibility ranging from 3 to 8 feet. The back of some of the larger creeks and coves are dingy with visibility ranging from 1 to 3 feet. The water conditions should remain the same for several weeks considering the heavy rains in the lake area and the heavy discharge from Truman Lake.

LARGEMOUTH BASS - FAIR The bass are still being stubborn, but can be caught with a lot of concentration and confidence in the baits used. The Melton and Eakins jig with matched trailers and the tube bait (black/blue, green pumpkin and brown) continues to be the most consistent bite worked on main lake bluff ends and secondary points with large chunk rock closest to the main lake. The bass seem to be in 6 to 10 feet of water and brush doesn't not seem to be a factor. The Wiggle Wart and Bandit 200 worked with a slow retrieve is also producing on the same type of structure, as is the spinner bait (white) with gold blades worked with a slow retrieve. The suspended jerk bait (clown, firetiger and aurora black) is producing worked with fast steady jerks off chunk rock banks in the clearer water, bluffs and secondary points. There is still some early buzz bait action (black) on the large chunk rock banks and points on the main lake and in the creeks, but this method is slowing down. There doesn't seem to be a specific area of the lake that has the best bite.

CRAPPIE - GOOD Reports that crappie are being caught anywhere from 6 to 15 feet suspended around brush on large chunk rock banks on main lake bluffs and pockets, and in the creeks. Minnows and Road Runners (white, white/blue, white/red head and chartreuse) has been the best bite. If the bite is slow or slowed down try tipping the bait with Crappie Nibbles.

CATFISH - GOOD The cats. especially the channels, are basically on the same type of structure as the bass, large chunk rock banks and points anywhere from 6 to 12 feet. Jugs, limb lines and tight lining from the bank with cut shad, gold fish, shiners and stink bait are the best bite.

Black Jack Marina will be open year round, with varying hours, but basically from 9 - 3.

Indian Creek marina is closed for the season.

Campers – The water has been turned off at the State Park.

Boaters – In preparation for the coming freezing weather, the Corp has pulled both walkways at the South Fork Ramp, and probably the rest of them as well. The State Park walkways are still in place, as of today.

Duck season is open, fishermen please be respectful if you see decoys and blinds set up, by giving them a wide berth. The waterfowl refuge (Middle Fork and Elk Fork area) is closed to boaters and waterfowl hunters from October 30 until December 31. Buoys are setup to indicate the closed off area. Land based activities are still permitted, such as bank fishing, hiking and other in-season hunting.

Flathead fair

Largemouth Bass good on black/blue jigs and brush hogs

Stripers slow

Crappie fair

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool:  Temperature:  

Fishing slow 

Take a kid fishing or hunting they need it

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 839.0 Temperature:

Inflow: 1300 cfs Outflow: 2000 cfs Level: 6.90 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: 

Inflow: 20 cfs Outflow: 100 cfs Level: 0.95 feet high

CRAPPIE: Good: Lots of crappie are being caught in 20 feet of water along creek edges and in brush piles. All of the marinas produce fish during the winter months. Most of the fish being caught are nice keepers. Minnows are still good and the jig bite is getting better. The docks at Campbranch are open to the public and fish are being caught. $2 per day to fish.

BASS: No Report: Not many people are fishing for the bass right now.

CATFISH: No Report

White Bass: Fair: Some are being caught around the docks by the crappie fisherman.

WALLEYE: No Report

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 867.7 Temperature: 

Inflow: 3300 cfs Outflow: 1488 cfs Level: 6.18 feet high

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: 12832 cfs. Level: 1.40 feet high

No Report

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Temperature:  Level:

Report by River Run Outfitters

GENERAL COMMENTS

The good news is, we moved. The bad news is, the water is running.

Water Conditions: Sorry to say, they are still running lots of water, 24 hours a day. With the heavy rains we had last night, we don't expect it to change for some time.

FLY FISHING TROPHY AREA (dam to Fall Creek)-SHALLOW WATER-WADING-
Had a boat out this past Saturday. Caught a few fish, but it would tough. Most of the fish being caught are at the chutes. Caught some today on a real small egg pattern, peach; and a micro hot pink San Juan. Another fellow fishing caught a couple on a tan, size 14 scud. Saw lots of fish. Lake still has not turned over and think the oxygen level is down. If we get some colder weather, it should help.

STAN'S TIP: With all the fishers out trying to catch that big one, the fish have been getting a lot of pressure. We have seen lots of dead fish in the water. Remember to try and not play your fish until they are exhausted. If you do, take time to revive them. Use care when handling the fish. Even though it is not required, consider barbless hooks. This certainly makes it easier and faster to release the fish and get them back into the water.

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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:  

Inflow: 33000 cfs Outflow: 23229 cfs Level: 7.67 feet high

We will be closing the marina for the season on Nov.7th. We will keep the campground open till after deer season. 

Tommy

Lake temp: 

Crappie No Report

Bluegill No Report

Catfish No Report