Catfish fair-hot dogs

Bluegill good-wax worms

Crappie good-small jigs

Bass fair-crankbaits

 Report by: Wilderness Trail       "Braggin Board"

WALLEYE SEMINAR

MARCH 5th and 6th

DETAILS WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER JANUARY 1ST

If you are interested in this seminar call 870-445-2703 to receive a registration form

Weather patterns can be crazy this time of year, one day the sun shines and it’s 60 degrees, the next day the wind is blowing 30 mph and the temperatures are in the 40’s. Last week was just that kind of week with a little rain thrown in for good measure. Here’s a surprise! The lake level is at 656.28 which is two feet above normal pool. I can’t remember the last time the lake has been this high in December. Lake clarity remains around 16 feet and water temperature is in the low 50’s, perfect conditions for the fall bite which was a little spotty this last week. Crappie backed out away from the brush piles and are now suspended in 30-35 feet of water. There is a feeding bite in the afternoon other than that it’s been tough. Crappie minnows with a bare hook and swimming minnows are the best baits.

Lake Rating: Bass are moving in with the wind otherwise the bite is slow, crappie are suspended and only feeding a few hours a day, walleye are scattered and hard to pattern, so this week we will call it "fair".

Largemouth bass are on the banks on windy days holding on blow downs and large boulders. Crankbaits (Wiggle Warts or Bandits) and spinner baits will trigger some good largemouth's. When conditions don’t have the bass pushed up onto the banks fish secondary points with Spider Jigs or Mojo rigged Brush Hogs. 

Smallmouth bass remain in deep water on the drop-off side of points. They’re moving up onto the points to feed then returning to the deep water drop-offs. Fish the deeper side of the points first with football jigs or Mojo rigged centipedes. If you don’t get bit throw a Spider Jig or tube bait up onto the points. 

Kentucky bass are with the shad and on the chunk rock banks foraging for crawdads. Spoons and drop shots are the key lures for some success with the suspended Kentuckys that are swimming with the shad. Check the end of bluff walls and the middle of main lake cuts for the balls of shad. Fish chunk rock banks with tube baits and Spider Jigs in crawdad colors for the Kentuckys that are up shallow.

Walleye have not been very cooperative this last week. They have moved off the points and are suspended 40-48 feet down over 50-55 feet of water. We think they’re moving back onto the points to feed at night but the weather has been a little nasty to check it out. A few walleye have been caught in 35-40 feet of water but they’re gone by 8:00 am or so. We will se if any changes take place this upcoming week.

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 amateur/co-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 Boat Dock.

Trout fishing on the White River has been great this week as some of the trout are already spawning. Power Bait eggs in fluorescent yellow, pink and red have been great. Corn and salmon eggs are also working well. On high current, Buoyant Spoons, Colorado Spoons and Rapala Countdowns have been hot. The fly fishermen have switched over to egg patters flies and are having great success. Browns are being triggered on bigger baits. Suspended Rogues, Shad Raps, Flat Fish and Lucky Craft Pointer 78s have produced many nice browns in the 4-8 pound range this week.

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 658.68 with light generation scheduled for the next three days, which according to AmerenUE should give the lake a level 659.2 by Friday, December 31st. AmerenUE reports the water temperature at 44 degrees. The lake is slowly clearing, but the visibility remains dingy with visibility averaging 1 to 2 feet in some coves off the Osage River. The Grand Glaize, Gravois and the Big and Little Niangua Rivers are dingy near the Osage River, but begin clearing towards the upper ends with visibility averaging 3 to 4 feet. Bass boat temperature gauges indicate surface water temperatures ranging from 39 to 42 degrees in the tributaries and 41 to 44 degrees in the Osage River. The warmer water is near the lower end near Bagnell Dam. There was some ice in the upper end of the tributaries earlier this week, but with the recent warm weather the ice has melted.

LARGEMOUTH BASS - FAIR The Melton and Eakins jig, tube bait and grubs have been the better bite. Brown, green pumpkin and black/blue have been the most consistent colors fished on channel banks with chunk rock and secondary points in creeks and the larger coves in 12 to 15 feet of water. Some bass are being caught on the inside of main lake bluff ends on the jigs and by working a medium diving crank baits (crawdad and shad colors) like the Wiggle Wart, Bomber A and Bandit with a slow retrieve, parallel to the bank. This bite seems to best in the afternoon after the sun has warmed the water near the banks. The suspended jerk bait (clown, chartreuse shad, grey ghost and aurora black) is producing in the clearer water in the larger coves and tributaries around boat docks and on channel banks with chunk rock, but isn't at it's peak yet. This bite should pick up though once the water starts clearing and it should within a couple of weeks since the level of Truman Lake is 708, just 2 feet above pool, discharge should begin slowing down and eventually stop.

CRAPPIE - GOOD Since the lake has dropped a foot this week the larger crappie have moved out to deeper water suspended near or over brush in 12 to 20 feet of water. The crappie can be located around docks on the steeper banks in the creeks and in bluff pockets. Minnows, tube baits and Road Runners (white, chartreuse/white, white/red and white/blue) have been the best colors. When the bite slows or stops, try tipping the baits with Crappie Nibbles.

Catfish Reports by: Anthony Ford: Catfish & Spoonbill Guide

CATFISH - fishing is poor, extreme cold weather and lots of water. Bait is easy to find in deep coves out of current.

Date: 12/17/04
Lake Level : 608.80
Last Weeks Lake Level: 611.86
Normal Lake Level : 606

Water Condition: Muddy to Dingy
Surface Water Temp: Cold......

This season has pretty much wound down. There are not many fishermen or fisherwomen out these days, it's been mostly duck and deer hunters, so there's not much to report on. There have been a few deer taken during this last deer hunt (antlerless) and yesterday was a good day for duck hunters.

It's been cold enough for ice to start forming on the lake, mostly in the back coves facing north. A small amount of ice is forming out on the main lake during the night, but it is usually gone later in the day. It's getting to the time of year when ice may start drifting and boaters should exercise caution while underway. If you have to get out on the lake, go prepared with snacks and emergency supplies and something to keep warm with, such as a sleeping bag. Know the area you're going to be boating in, just in case you need to hike out. Take a cell phone and file a "flight plan" with a buddy.

The Corp of Engineers has pulled all the walkways from their ramps. The State Park ramps still have one walkway in place, however that will change as soon as we start getting some serious ice.

Flathead fair

Largemouth Bass good on black/blue jigs and brush hogs

Stripers slow

Crappie fair

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool:  Temperature:  

Check out river bottom lures we stock 8 colors in 4 and 6 inch
Check out the new lx bow by Matthew's

This is Big Bird. Merry Christmas, may God bless you guys with good health

The boat pass price changed to $5.00 day pass and $35 for the year also 

Come in and see the new switchback bow from Mathews
Tell the people God bless and merry Christmas

You guys do a real good job on the web site

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 839.0 Temperature:

Inflow: 400 cfs Outflow: 2000 cfs Level: 5.41 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: 0.80 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: 1500 cfs Outflow: 2889 cfs Level: 6.04 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: 9011 cfs. Level: 1.02 feet high

No Report

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Temperature:  Level:

Report by River Run Outfitters

FROM ALL OF US AT RIVER RUN OUTFITTERS, WE WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS AND BEST FOR 2005....ESPECIALLY MORE DAYS ON THE WATER!

GENERAL COMMENTS

Just a reminder, we moved. Our new address is 2626 State Hwy. 165, just north of the Hatchery.

Water Conditions: They turned the water off yesterday morning and it is still off!!!

FLY FISHING TROPHY AREA (dam to Fall Creek)-SHALLOW WATER-WADING-
Of course, since the water was off yesterday and we are now so close to the good fishing area, Stan headed for the water to see what they were hitting on. His findings, olive zebra midge, size 18 and the size 18 dark olive soft hackle. The fish were so happy the water was off, they were popping up everywhere taking midge emerges. He is on the water today with clients and at 10:00 a.m. or so, they had already boated 20 plus fish on the dark olive soft hackle. They are fishing it with a #6 shot about 12 inches or more up from the fly and presenting it with the accelerated downstream presentation. Cast cross current, let a loop form in your line. Strip occasionally, but the fish are picking it up on the drift. You'll generally see your fly line, where it touches the water, move before you feel the strike. One of our customers came in yesterday morning and he had caught and released two Browns around 22 inches that he had caught on scuds across from the Rocking Chair area.

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: 10500 cfs Outflow: 23358 cfs Level: 6.92 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