|
Missouri Fishing Report
Submitted by Anglers Like You
Help The Angler keep others informed by emailing
fishing reports to us. Include your name in the message part
of your report if you'd like to receive credit for the report.
December 2, 2005 - Question
on heated docks in southwest Missouri - how could
i find a list of public heated docks in southwest Missouri.?
Editor's note: If you know of any, email
us and we will post the answer.
December 1, 2005 - Table
Rock - Submitted by Table Rock Guide Service
- Lake Level: 905.0 / Normal Pool: 915.00' / Water
Temp: 50-53 degrees
Mid Lake-Kimberling City Area The cooler weather and drop
in lake temperature has really helped the fishing pick up. In
early morning and late evening, bass are hitting War Eagle spinner
baits in pockets just off the main lake where shore minnows are
present. On windy days, bass can be taken on spinner baits off
chunk rock banks where the wind is blowing in. As the day goes
on, use a Carolina rigged centipede in watermelon red or a brown
and purple football head jig on the main lake points and flats
in about 30-40 feet of water. The fish are also hitting white
jigging spoons on main lake bluff ends over deep tree tops that
are in 35-45 feet of water. Also try drop shot rigs and 4 inch
gray grub on 1/4 and 3/8 ounce heads 30-45 feet deep on main
lake flat gravel points and bluff ends over timber. With the
colder weather, some fish are starting to move back into the
creeks. They can be caught in the creek channels with jigging
spoons, gray grub or drop shot around shad schools. On windy
days, the crank bait bite should start to improve. Try throwing
a crawfish patter wiggle wart.
Lower End-Damn Area There is an early morning
spinner bait bite in cedar trees and gravel pockets just off
the main lake. Drop shot and spoon fish are being caught in 35-45
feet deep on long flat main lake gravel points. Throw Football
head jigs, brown and purple or green pumpkin ,on main lake gravel
in 30-40 feet of water. On main lake and secondary points, throw
a wiggle wart crank bait in crawfish patterns on ledges or rock
structures. Some fish are starting to move back in the creeks,
following the shad schools. They can be caught on jigging spoons,
grubs and drop shot rigs.
Upper End-James River Work the main lake
flats and points with Carolina rig and football head jigs in
about 25-38 feet of water. Try throwing a white jigging spoon
in 30-40 feet of water on the main lake flats and points around
shad schools. Fish are also being caught on shallow running crank
baits in the upper ends of the James and Flat Creek. Work channel
banks with crawfish pattern wiggle warts and spinner baits.
Bluegill Some of the bluegill are still shallow but alot of the
bigger bluegill are on the main lake gravel flats and points
in 25-35 feet deep. Crickets are best.
Crappie I've been catching some nice crappie
while fishing for bass on bluff ends over deep tree tops 30-45
feet deep on a 1/2 ounce white spoon and gray grub on 1/4 ounce
head. I think crappie fishing will improve as the water temperature
cools down. Some crappie are also being caught on flats in 25-35
feet deep in the Long Creek area and the James River on 1/4 oz
jigging spoons, crappie jigs and minnows.
Lake Taneycomo Trout Trout fishing is very
good in the trophy area and also below Fall Creek dock. In the
trophy area from Fall Creek to the damn, the trout size seems
to be improving with the cooler weather. I'm catching some nice
rainbows and a few browns on a small Rapala in the morning and
also swimming a white 1/16 ounce jig. The trout in the trophy
area will also take pink or green micro jigs under a float and
a zebra midge has also been very good. Below the trophy are from
Fall Creek down, the trout are biting very good on night crawlers
or power baits. In the early morning you can catch them swimming
a 1/16 ounce jig or little Cleo spoon.
November 17, 2005 - Table
Rock - Submitted by Table Rock Guide Service
- Lake Level: 905.5 / Normal Pool: 915.00'
/ Water Temp: 57-59 degrees
Mid Lake-Kimberling City Area The cooler
weather and drop in lake temperature has really helped the fishing
pick up. White bass are chasing shad in the morning, evening
and on cloudy days. In early morning and late evening,
bass are hitting War Eagle spinner baits in pockets just off
the main lake where shore minnows are present. On windy
days, bass can be taken on spinner baits off chunk rock banks
where the wind is blowing in.
As the day goes on, use a Carolina rigged centipede
in watermelon red or a brown and purple football head jig on
the main lake points and flats in about 30-40 feet of water.
The fish are also hitting white jigging spoons on main lake bluff
ends over deep tree tops that are in 35-45 feet of water.
Also try drop shot rigs and 4 inch gray grub on 1/4 and 3/8 ounce
heads 30-45 feet deep on main lake flat gravel points and bluff
ends over timber. With the colder weather, some fish are
starting to move back into the creeks. They can be caught
in the creek channels with jigging spoons, gray grub or drop
shot around shad schools. On windy days, the crank bait
bite should start to improve. Try throwing a crawfish patter
wiggle wart.
Lower End-Damn Area There is an early morning
spinner bait bite in cedar trees and gravel pockets just off
the main lake. Drop shot and spoon fish are being caught
in 35-45 feet deep on long flat main lake gravel points.
Throw Football head jigs, brown and purple or green pumpkin ,on
main lake gravel in 30-40 feet of water. On main lake and
secondary points, throw a wiggle wart crank bait in crawfish
patterns on ledges or rock structures. Some fish are starting
to move back in the creeks, following the shad schools.
They can be caught on jigging spoons, grubs and drop shot rigs.
Upper End-James River Work the main lake
flats and points with Carolina rig and football head jigs in
about 25-38 feet of water. Try throwing a white jigging
spoon in 30-40 feet of water on the main lake flats and points
around shad schools. Fish are also being caught on shallow
running crank baits in the upper ends of the James and Flat Creek.
Work channel banks with crawfish pattern wiggle warts and spinner
baits.
Bluegill Some of the bluegill are still
shallow but alot of the bigger bluegill are on the main lake
gravel flats and points in 25-35 feet deep. Crickets are
best.
Crappie I've been catching some nice crappie
while fishing for bass on bluff ends over deep tree tops 30-45
feet deep on a 1/2 ounce white spoon and gray grub on 1/4 ounce
head. I think crappie fishing will improve as the water
temperature cools down. Some crappie are also being caught
on flats in 25-35 feet deep in the Long Creek area and the James
River on 1/4 oz jigging spoons, crappie jigs and minnows.
Lake Taneycomo Trout Trout fishing is very
good in the trophy area and also below Fall Creek dock.
In the trophy area from Fall Creek to the damn, the trout size
seems to be improving with the cooler weather. I'm catching
some nice rainbows and a few browns on a small Rapala in the
morning and also swimming a white 1/16 ounce jig. The trout
in the trophy area will also take pink or green micro jigs under
a float and a zebra midge has also been very good. Below
the trophy are from Fall Creek down, the trout are biting very
good on night crawlers or power baits. In the early morning
you can catch them swimming a 1/16 ounce jig or little Cleo spoon.
Bill Beck
November 17, 2005 - Mark
Twain - Submitted by South Fork Resort - Lake Level : 599.8
Normal Lake Level : 606 / Water Condition: Clear
/ Surface Water Temp: 50 - 54
There have not been a lot of fisherman out lately.
It's deer hunting time with firearms, and will be until November
22. There were a lot of deer taken on opening weekend, it seemed
to be mostly does and small bucks. However several trophy bucks
have also been taken. The cold front that hit tuesday and the
continued cold weather in the forecast is more like hunting weather
should be. Duck hunting has been ok, and this cold front should
push more into the area.
Crappie keepers have been slow. A fisherman
can go out and catch small crappie all day long. The bigger crappie
can be caught shallow near the bank in water anywhere from 3
- 8 feet deep, look for areas with good cover (log jams, fall
downs) catch a few and move on. Go further up the branches, or
work the back of coves. Also, some crappie can still be caught
in deeper water, suspended anywhere from 6 - 12 feet deep, in
water anywhere from 10 - 20 feet deep, around submerged cover.
Minnows, or minnow tipped jigs have been the best bait.
Bass fishing has been slow.
Cat Fishing has been slow this week.
South Fork Resort / 36765 Hwy 154 / Stoutsville,
MO 65283
573-565-3500 / 866-382-0033 / www.SouthForkResort.net
November 11, 2005 - Mark
Twain - Submitted by South Fork Resort - Lake Level : 599.9
Normal Lake Level : 606 / Water Condition: Clear
/ Surface Water Temp: 56 - 60
Today is Veterans Day, a special thanks to all
Veterans for protecting our freedoms and way of life.
Crappie fishing is still pretty much like
it has been the past few weeks. The better catches have been
caught shallow near the bank in about 6 - 8 feet of water, further
up the branches. Look for cover, the more cover the better, log
jams and fallen timber are good sites to dip a minnow into. Some
crappie can still be caught in deeper water, suspended anywhere
from 6 - 12 feet deep, in water anywhere from 10 - 20 feet deep,
around submerged cover.
Bass fishing has been fair, shallow near
points using spinner baits.
Cat Fishing is still good for rod and reel
fishermen, using nightcrawlers.
South Fork Resort / 36765 Hwy 154 / Stoutsville,
MO 65283
573-565-3500 / 866-382-0033 / www.SouthForkResort.net
November 3, 2005 - Mark Twain - Submitted
by South
Fork Resort - Lake Level : 599.9
Normal Lake Level : 606 / Water Condition: Clear
/ Surface Water Temp: 59 - 63
The better Crappie catches have been caught
shallow near the bank. Look for cover, the more cover the better,
log jams and fallen timber are good sites to dip a minnow into.
Bass fishing has been fair.
Cat Fishing is good.
South Fork Resort \ 36765 Hwy 154 \ Stoutsville,
MO 65283
573-565-3500 \ 866-382-0033 \ www.SouthForkResort.net
October 26, 2005 - Truman
- Submitted by Sterett
Creek - This morning is more like summer than
fall. The wind hasn't picked up yet but the weatherman says it's
going to. The wind has been just right for the white bass fishing
this week, we have seen a lot of fish come in. The way it sounds
it is supposed to hold through the weekend so lets hope the fish
do the same.
LAKE LEVEL: 705.78
WATER TEMP: 51 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Big & Little Tebo, light stain.
Big & Little Pommie, light stain.
Upper Osage, stained.
Lower Osage, stained.
Upper Grand, stained.
Lower Grand, light stained.
BASS: The shallow bite is still going on. Spinnerbaits
in the back ends of the coves has been working. Fish are running
in 2' to 5' of water. Single spins seem to be working the best.
There is a jig bite going on the secondary points in 4' to 8'
of water, black and blue seems to be working the best. There
are a few bass coming off the flat main lake flat points when
fishing for whites. These fish are right on the banks.
CRAPPIE: Brush piles are the best of the best. The fish
have started hitting jigs when fished in 20' over top the brush.
Black and chartreuse has been the best color.
WHITES: The white bass fishing has really picked up this
week. White Rooster Tails have been working the best. Rat L Traps
and small shad bodies on a 1/4 oz. head have also been working.
These fish are on the flat main lake points in a foot of water.
Have seen some real nice whites, but no hybrids as of yet. You
need to have the wind blowing in on the points.
CATFISH: No Report.
This will be the last fishing report for the season as we will
be closing the marina down for the winter. We will keep the campground
open thru deer season. We will reopen March 1 2006.
We would like to thank all our patrons and wish everyone good
holidays and a warm winter. Look forward to seeing you in the
spring. Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net
Tommy
October 26, 2005 - Truman
- Submitted by Sterett
Creek - If you want to see some pretty colors
now is the time to be on Truman. The leaves are really doing
their thing now. The weatherman is even telling us that the weekend
is going to be great weather wise. The fish are cooperating enough
that it should be perfect weekend.
LAKE LEVEL: 705.6
WATER TEMP: 64 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Big & Little Tebo, light stain.
Big & Little Pommie, light stain.
Upper Osage, stained.
Lower Osage, light stain.
Upper Grand, stained.
Lower Grand, light stain.
BASS: Spinner baits are the best of the best right now.
Look for cedar trees off the secondary points about 1/2 way back
in the coves. Jig and frog are also working around the laydows
in the back ends of the coves. Black and blue seems to be the
best color. Fish are holding in the 3' to 6' depth. Still haven't
heard of a top water bite but it can't be to far away.
CRAPPIE:The crappie fishing remains slow. The brush piles
are producing most of the crappie that we are seeing now. Jigs
seem to be working a little better than minnows. Black and chartreuse
has been the best color. Fish seem to be holding around 15' on
top of the brush in 20' of water.
WHITE BASS & HYBRIDS: It's funny how when one species
of fish slows down another gets going. The white bass have been
doing good on the flat main lake points. Rooster tails are the
best bait along with 1/8 oz. Rat L Traps. Fish are holding on
the windy points in about a foot of water. There are a few fish
still holding on the humps but the best bite is on the points.
CATFISH: No Report.
Next week will be my last fishing report for the season. We will
close the marina for the season on Nov. 6th. and reopen on March
1, 06.
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net
Tommy
October 20, 2005 - Mark
Twain - Submitted by South Fork Resort - Lake Level : 600.1
/ Normal Lake Level : 606
Water Condition: Clear / Surface Water Temp: 65
- 68
The Crappie are scattered and as of today
have slowed down considerably. Over the weekend the better size
crappie were caught anywhere from 1 to 8 feet deep. Bluffs near
river channels. Minnows, or minnow tipped jigs.
Bass fishing has been fair, although they
have been mostly small.
Cat Fishing has slowed down somewhat.
White Bass fishing has been fair.
South Fork Resort \ 36765 Hwy 154 \ Stoutsville,
MO 65283
573-565-3500 \ 866-382-0033 \ www.SouthForkResort.net
October 19, 2005 - Truman
- Submitted by Sterett
Creek - Looks like fall is right around the corner.
The weatherman is talking like starting tomorrow we will be seeing
fall temps moving into the area. Also we are to have some wind
which is a good thing this time of the year getting the white
bass up on the banks. The leaves are really turning now and its
beautiful out on the lake. The COE has the lake pulled down about
a 1/2' now so you have to be a little careful going back in some
of the creeks.
LAKE LEVEL: 705.54
WATER TEMP: 70deg.
WATER CLARITY:
Big & Little Tebo, light stain.
Big & Little Pommie, light stain.
Upper Grand, heavy stain.
Lower Grand, light stain.
Upper Osage, heavy stain.
Lower Osage, light stain.
BASS: Spinner baits were the talk of the tourn. Sunday.
Super Bass went out of here on Sunday and it took 14.74 lbs.
to win and the winners were talking spinner baits. 1/2 way back
in the creeks on the secondary points seems to be the best bite.
There is still a good jig bite in 4' to 8' of water on black
and blue jigs. If the water temp will fall like its supposed
to the bass should get in the back ends of the creeks real soon.
The shad have already moved back in, so good things are yet to
come.
CRAPPIE: The crappie fishing remains slow. The best bite
on this end of the lake is the brush piles. Fish are holding
on the 20' piles about 15' deep. Jigs are starting to produce
some fish. Had a report of some fish being caught off of shallower
tree rows on the flats around 10' deep. Minnows are working the
best in these areas. Haven't heard of any moving to the back
of the coves yet.
WHITES & HYBRIDS: The whites are moving up on the
windy flats. Rooster tails seem to be the best baits on these
shallow fish. The fish are up in 1' to 2' of water and right
now it seems to be a early and late bite. There are as lot of
small fish on the flats so you have to weed through them to get
to the big ones.
CATFISH: No Report.
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina / 660-438-2280
/ critter@dam.net
Tommy
October 13, 2005 - Mark
Twain - Submitted by South Fork Resort - Lake Level : 600.2
Normal Lake Level : 606 / Water Condition: Clear
/ Surface Water Temp: 66 - 70
Crappie reports continue to be mixed. Most
fishermen have been struggling. However, some of the better reports
have the crappie being caught in 30 - 35 feet of water and being
suspended about 20 - 25 feet deep. Some fishermen are catching
them where you would expect them to be this time of year, up
the rivers and creeks and shallow. Minnows, or minnow tipped
jigs.
Bass fishing has been fair.
Cat Fishing continues to be good.
White Bass fishing has been fair.
South Fork Resort / 36765 Hwy 154 / Stoutsville,
MO 65283
573-565-3500 / 866-382-0033 \ www.SouthForkResort.net
October 12, 2005 - Truman
- Submitted by Sterett
Creek - The weatherman has been really kind to
us this week and the way it sounds he is going to carry the good
weather all the way through the weekend. This weekend we have
Heritage Days in Warsaw which is always a good time. We have
Super Bass going out of here on Sunday and with the conditions
we have there should be a bunch of fish caught. The leaves are
turning now so all and all it should be a great weekend.
LAKE LEVEL: 705.55
WATER TEMP: 68deg.
WATER CLARITY: All arms clear to light stain.
BASS: Secondary points are the name of the game. Jig and
frog seem to be the best bite going right now. Black and blue
fished in 4' to 8' of water seems to be working the best in the
mornings. Later in the day they seem to be suspending in 10'
of water about 4' deep. The water temp is still in the upper
60's so the bass haven't pulled all the way to the backends of
the creeks yet. I did hear of a few spinner bait fish last weekend
that were caught off the points but the best bite is still the
jig and frog. Look for the points that the wind is blowing across
and fish the back side.
CRAPPIE: Have had a few good crappie reports this week.
Steve Blake had good fish this week off the brush piles. Look
for piles in 15' to 20' of water. The fish seem to be laying
on top of the brush. Minnows are still the best bait. There are
also fish on some of the inside tree rows. Look for the rows
in 15' of water and use minnows down about 8'. Seems like the
little fish are on the outside tree rows.
WHITES & HYBRIDS: The white bass fishing has been
good this week. There has been fish on the humps and also on
the banks. Point O 3 seems to be the best area. Spoons are working
on the 8' humps. Rooster tails are working on the flats in 2'
or less of water. When fishing the flats make sure the wind is
blowing on them. Haven't heard of any hybrids this week.
CATFISH: No report.
That's going to be it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net
So till next week we bid you good fishin
Tommy
October 7, 2005 - Mark
Twain - Submitted by South Fork Resort - Lake Level : 600.2
/ Normal Lake Level : 606
Water Condition: Clear / Surface Water Temp: 68
- 72
Crappie reports have been mixed, both in
how good the fishing is and where they are being caught. The
reports earlier in the week were pretty good, however it slowed
down considerably since the cold front hit Wednesday night. Some
fishermen had good fishing, catching them about 20 feet deep
in the usual summer pattern. And other fishermen found their
best fish in about 5 - 10 feet of water and going down about
2 feet deep. Once this front settles down it is expected to push
the crappie even more toward a fall pattern. Minnows, or minnow
tipped jigs.
Bass fishing continues it's slow pattern.
Although one fisherman reported catching some at about 10 feet
deep suspended over deeper water, near points and the mouths
of coves, with spinner baits.
Cat Fishing continues to be good. Channel
catfish have been the most active, for both trot liners and rod
and reel fishermen. Some flatheads are being caught.
White Bass fishing has been good.
South Fork Resort / 36765 Hwy 154 / Stoutsville,
MO 65283
573-565-3500 / 866-382-0033 / www.SouthForkResort.net
October 5, 2005 - Truman
- Submitted by Sterett
Creek - If the weather forcasters are right we
should be in for some good fishing this weekend. We have a real
strong cold front moving through the area which should drop the
water temp to the point that the whites will be on the banks
big time. We are supposed to have some good wind which will also
help. the leaves still haven't started to turn yet but the acorns
are dropping like crazy so the leaves should start real soon.
LAKE LEVEL: 705.91
WATER TEMP: 74 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Big & Little Tebo, light stain.
Big & Little Pommie, clear.
Upper Osage, stained.
Lower Osage, light stain.
Upper Grand, stained.
Lower Grand, clear.
BASS:spinner baits and tubes in the backends of the coves.
2' to 5' of water.Look for shad. Main lake points 6' to12' of
water, using jig and frog and big worms. There have been some
fish holding in the cedars off the points so be sure to check
them. Black and blue and watermelon and red have been the two
best colors. The top water bite slowed down but with this front
I think it will pick right back up.
CRAPPIE: The brush pile fish are the best thing going
now. Fish the piles in 12' to 20' with minnows. The crappie seem
to be holding right on top of the brush. There has been some
nice crappie caught drifting minnows on top of the wier in front
of the dam.
WHITES & HYBRIDS: With the weather we have coming
in there should be whites on most of the flat bare banks in our
area. Last weekend there a lot of fish caught off these banks
but they would slow up when the sun got high in the sky. The
water has warmed a little this week which slowed them down but
like I said with this front I think it will push them right back
up. Rat L Traps and Rooster Tails are the two top baits. Remember
when fishing the flats that its really hard to fish to shallow.
These fish will be in 2' of water or less.
CATFISH: No report.
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net
So till next week we bid you good fishin.
Tommy
September 30, 2005 - Mark
Twain - Submitted by South Fork Resort -Lake Level : 600.5
Normal Lake Level : 606 / Water Condition: Clear
/ Surface Water Temp: 70 - 74
Crappie reports have been poor this week.
With the cool weather and water temps that have dropped considerably,
this could signal the transition to a fall crappie pattern. A
few fishermen have reported catching crappie inside coves and
shallow. If you're not catching any fish where they've been hanging
out for the summer, then try just inside coves off of main lake
points, vary your depth, and then work you're way further in.
Minnows are your best bet.
Bass fishing has been slow.
Cat Fishing has been good. Trot liners have
been having a little better luck lately, gold fish or perch.
The channel cat bite has been good for rod and reel fishermen
using nightcrawlers or shad.
White Bass fishing has been good. Several
fishermen that started out fishing for other species last weekend
ended up targeting white bass.
South Fork Resort \ 36765 Hwy 154 / Stoutsville,
MO 65283 / 573-565-3500 / 866-382-0033
www.SouthForkResort.net <http://www.SouthForkResort.net>
September 29, 2005 - Truman
- Submitted by Sterett
Creek - This morning sure feels like fall outside.
Air temp was down to 45 deg. Looks like it is going to be a great
weekend. With this cool weather the water temp should start dropping
and start the fish on a fall pattern. Have had a couple of reports
this week that some of the fish have moved farther back in the
creeks. I haven't noticed any of the leaves turning yet but it
shouldn't be to far off.
LAKE LEVEL: 706.62
WATER TEMP: 74 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Big & Little Tebo, light stain.
Big & Little Pommie, light stain.
Upper Grand, stained.
Lower Grand, light stain.
Upper Osage, Heavy stain.
Lower Osage, Light stain.
BASS: The bass fishing remains pretty good here on Truman.
Some of the fish have moved to the backends of the coves. Spinner
baits fished in 2'o 5' of water are working on these fish. There
are also fish on the secondary points in 6' to 12' of water.
Jig and frog and big worms are the best baits here. Haven't heard
of any top water bite yet but it has to be right around the corner.
Check the shallow tree rows on the flats, this is the time of
the year that you can pitch a tube in 5' to 8' and catch fish
that are working shad up shallow. With the water temp starting
to fall the bass fishing should really start to pick up.
CRAPPIE: Talked to Steve Blake this morning and he said
the best bite on crappie right now is on the shallower brush
piles. Piles sitting in 8' to 15' fished with minnows right on
top of the brush is the way to go in our area. He said some of
the shallow tree rows had a few fish in them also.
WHITES & HYBRIDS: This week has been one of the best
weeks on whites we've had in a while. Seeing lots of good sized
whites coming in. The humps in 8' to 15' fished with spoons has
been the best bite. The Shawnee Bend to KK Island area has been
the top producer. There have been a few whites starting to pull
up on the wind blown flats in the same area. Rooster tails and
small Rat L Traps are the best baits on these fish.
CATFISH: Rod and reel has been the top producer this week
on cat fish. The fish are still on the humps and night crawlers
are the top bait. Humps in 15' of water seem to be working the
best.
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net
So till next week we bid you good fishin
Tommy
September 23, 2005 - Mark Twain - Submitted
by South
Fork Resort - Lake Level : 600.9
Normal Lake Level : 606 / Water Condition: Clear
/ Surface Water Temp: 79 - 82
Crappie reports continue to be spotty. Most
fishermen have struggled, some have done good. The better reports
have the crappie being caught in about 20 feet of water near
the bottom. The best bait continues to be minnows. If using jigs,
then tip them with minnows.
Bass fishing has been fair. Plastics or
jigs around main lake points. The 21st Buddy Bass Tournament
was held last weekend, the results and details can be read at
the Mid America Outdoors website <http://www.mwbt.com/marktwainbudlight05.htm>
.
Cat Fishing has been good, especially for
rod and reel fishermen. There has been an excellent early evening
bite for channel cats, using nightcrawlers. Trotliners have been
doing fair, using gold fish or perch.
White Bass fishing has been fair. There
have been a few reports of fishermen catching good numbers of
white bass.
South Fork Resort \ 36765 Hwy 154 / Stoutsville,
MO 65283 / 573-565-3500 / 866-382-0033
www.SouthForkResort.net <http://www.SouthForkResort.net>
September 20, 2005 - Truman
- Submitted by Sterett
Creek - It sure looks like fall in the mornings
with the fog but about noon when it starts to heat up its just
like summer again. The mornings have been cool and perfect for
fishing but when it jumps up to about 90 at noon it gets a little
sticky. Hasn't seemed to bother the fish though. I think that
they could like to start moving on a fall pattern but the temp
just won't let them. I have heard of a lot of point fish this
week so maybe they are going to move a little anyway.
LAKE LEVEL: 707.95
WATER TEMP: 77 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Big & Little Tebo, Light stain
Big & Little Pommie, Light stain
Upper Osage, Heavy stain to Ed's camp
Lower Osage, Stained
Upper Grand, Heavy stain to Hay Creek
Lower Grand, Light stain to clear
BASS: We had the Sterett Creek Open Bass Tourn last week
end and Doug and Ozzie Wallace were the winners with 12.01 lbs.
2nd. Chuck Strohman and Jeff Rehmer, 9.13 Big Bass 3.80 lbs.
3rd. Russell Beck and Dustin Cox, 7.24 lbs.
4th. Rick Barton and Jerry Heenan, 6.74
5th. Ken Mason and Randy James, 6.66 lbs.
6th. Larry Wright and Ron Taddiken, 6.54 lbs.
We would like to thank all the participants and are looking forward
to the Hawg Fights next spring. The best bite right now is either
jig and frog or big worms on the points in 7' of water. Best
colors are watermelon red or black and blue. The first point
off main lake seems to be holding the most fish. There were some
spinner bait fish caught in the lower Osage off laydowns. This
is the time of the year that the little guys seem to be hungery
and you have to weed your way through them.
CRAPPIE: The crappie have slowed up a little this week.
Most folks are catching them out of 10' of water. It doesn't
seem to matter if you are fishing 12' or 30' the fish seem to
be holding at 10'. Minnows are still the top bait. There are
still fish on the brush piles but they seem to be running small.
WHITES & HYBRIDS: I don't know why but it seems when
the crappie slow down the whites and hybrids pick up. We have
seen a lot of nice whites this week and some real good hybrids.
The humps are the best spots when fished with spoons. 16' seems
to be the best depth. KK Island has been hot along with the airport.
The hybrids are still hitting the big sassy shad in the same
areas. Haven't heard of much surface activity yet.
CATFISH: Jugs on the flats baited with cut shad seems
to be working in this area. Set jugs about 12' Next to deep water.
There are still a few fish being caught off the humps on rod
and reel with night crawlers. 12' to 16' seems to be the best.
For the leaf lookers our leaves haven't started turning yet.
But if you are traveling in the lakes area be careful the deer
are moving about dusk. That's it for this week from Sterett Creek
Marina, 660-438-2280, critter@dam.net.
So till next week we bid you good fishing.
Tommy
September 16, 2005 - Mark
Twain - Submitted by South Fork Resort - Lake Level : 600.9
(Click here for the most current lake level)
Normal Lake Level : 606 \ Water Condition: Clear
\ Surface Water Temp: 79 - 82
The rivers feeding Mark Twain Lake are turning
over. The 21st annual Bud-Light Bass Tournament is this weekend,
good luck to all that enter.
Crappie reports have been spotty this week.
It's still mostly small crappie, bigger ones have been more frequent
the past week and a half. The weather fronts this week have messed
with the fishing. The best reports have come off of the main
lake points and tree lines, about 10 - 15 feet deep. Minnows
have worked the best. If using jigs, then tip them with minnows.
Bass fishing has been fair. Plastics around
main lake points.
Cat Fishing continues to be good. The rain
this week has the rivers and creeks flowing. Nightcrawlers and
cut shad have been the best bait for rod and reel fishermen,
still catching mostly channel cats. Flatheads on trotline have
been fair, using gold fish and perch.
White Bass fishing has been fair. There
have been a few reports of fishermen catching good numbers of
white bass.
South Fork Resort \ 36765 Hwy 154 \ Stoutsville,
MO 65283
573-565-3500 \ 866-382-0033
September 14, 2005 - Truman
- Submitted by Sterett
Creek - Last night we had a 1 1/2" of rain
which we really needed, and the other good thing is that it did
not affect the lake level or water clarity in our area. The upper
arms had a little wash in but everything else looks good. This
weekend we are having the Sterett Creek Open Buddy Bass Tourn.
on Saturday. Everyone is welcome. Contact the marina for info,
660-438-2280.
LAKE LEVEL: 707.56
WATER TEMP: 79 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Big & Little Tebo, light stain.
Upper Grand, stained.
Lower Grand, light stain.
Big & Little Pommie, clear
Upper Osage,stained.
Lower Osage, light stain.
BASS: Think shallow. Laydowns on the flats, 3' to 5' of
water. Spinnerbaits are starting along with jigs. There are still
some good point fish in 8' to 12' of water on big worms. Watermelon
and red shad are two of the best colors. Secondary points seem
to be working better. The shad are starting to move back so I
think the creek bite should really get going.
CRAPPIE: The crappie are doing about the same as last
week. It doesn't seem to matter if you are on the bluffs or the
flats fish 8' to 10' down with minnows. There has been a good
bite on the Grand from Otter Creek to Finey Creek. The brush
pile fish are still hitting. Look for piles in 15' to 20' of
water. Here again minnows are the top bait.
WHITES & HYBRIDS: The white bass are still doing good
on spoons. The best areas are from the dam to KK Island. Fish
the humps. There have been some hybrids surfacing in the same
areas but they aren't staying up very long. Sassy shad and hawg
sticks are two of the better baits.
CATFISH: Night crawlers on the humps is the best with
rod and reel right now. 16' to 25' seems to be working the best.
Also jugs baited with shad on the flats has produced this week.
Fish about 12'.
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net
Don't forget the Sterett Creek Open Buddy Bass Tourn. this Sat.
With that we bid you good fishin.
Tommy
September 7, 2005 - Truman -
Submitted by Sterett
Creek - With the holiday over and the boat wakes
subsiding the fish are starting to come back out of their hidy
holes. Seems like busy weekends sends them somewhere and it takes
a couple of days to come back to their normal behavior. The water
temp is still holding steady and the clarity is good in our area.
Have seen some nice white bass and black bass come in the last
couple of days. Looks like the fishing is going to pick up nicely.
LAKE LEVEL: 707.99
WATER TEMP: 80 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Big & Little Tebo, light stain.
Big & Little Pommie, light stain.
Upper Osage, heavy stain to Berry Bend.
Lower Osage, stained.
Upper Grand, stained.
Lower Grand, light stain.
BASS: Last night was the final Hawg Fight of the season
and Howard and Kevin Love took the honors with 10.45lbs. and
had big bass weighing 3.30lbs. Second went to Ozzie Wallace with
5.83lbs. ( You should of been there Doug.) Third went to Ernie
Cox and Russell Beck with 2.80lbs. Everyone I talked to said
they caught a lot of short fish. The best bite was on big worms
in 6' to 12' off the points. The COE was running water real hard
and pulled the fish on the points. You can also hop a jig on
the points and pick up fish. Haven't heard of anything in the
way backs yet but with the water holding at 80 deg. this will
be another week or two.
CRAPPIE: There are a few crappie starting to come off
the brush piles. Best depth seems to be about 20'. Minnows are
still the best bait. There is also a bite on the isolated trees
on the flats in 12' to 20' of water. Fish seem to be holding
about 8'. Here again minnows are the best bait yet. The Clear
Creek area has been producing some good fish but you have to
weed through the little ones.
WHITES: The white bass fishing has been good. They are
still holding on the humps. There has also been a good bite on
the wier.Jigging spoons have been working the best. A small medium
running crank bait ( 8' ) has been working on the weir. The hybrids
are surfacing but aren't staying up long. The O-3 area has been
the best for hybrid activity.
CATFISH: The catfish are still holding around the humps.
Crawlers have been the best bait when fished about 16'. No report
on Trot lines or jugs.
On Sat. Sept 17 we will be doing the Sterett Creek Open Buddy
Bass Tourn. Fishing will be from 7am. to 3pm. $ 50.00 entry fee
and $10.00 big bass. 100% pay back so if you want to have some
fun come on down. For more info you can contact us at the marina.
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net
So till next week we bid you good fishin
Tommy
September 1, 2005 - Mark Twain - Submitted
by South
Fork Resort - Lake Level : 601.5 / Normal Lake Level
: 606
Water Condition: Clear / Surface Water Temp: 82
- 85
This weekend will be the last major holiday for
this summer. Have fun, but more importantly have safe fun. Happy
Labor Day.
Crappie remains the same, there are lots
of crappie being caught, just not lots of size to 'em. Expect
to go through a lot of small crappie to get your keepers. The
most consistent reports of better size crappie are coming from
about 20 feet of water, near bluffs with lots of structure. Keep
on the move. Jigs tipped with minnows, or jigs tipped with crappie
nibbles.
Bass fishing has been fair. Plastics off
of main lake points, in about 3 - 10 feet of water.
Cat Fishing has been fair. A lot of channel
cats have been caught on rod and reel. Trot liners have been
slow.
White Bass fishing has been slow.
South Fork Resort / 36765 Hwy 154 / Stoutsville,
MO 65283
573-565-3500 / 866-382-0033 / www.SouthForkResort.net
August 31, 2005 - Truman - Submitted
by Sterett
Creek - Up and down is the word out of Truman.
After the heavy rains we went up to about 708.50 and are coming
back down already. The good thing about a rise in the water is
the fact that the COE is going to run water and when they do
that the fishing picks up. With the holiday weekend coming we
are looking for some real good white bass fishing. The water
temp is holding in there and the water clarity in our area is
good.
LAKE LEVEL: 708.21
WATER TEMP: 80 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Big & Little Tebo, light stain
Big & Little Pommie, light stain
Upper Osage to Berry Bend, dirty.
Lower Osage, light stain.
Upper Grand to Bucksaw, dirty.
Lower Grand from Finey, light stain.
BASS: The bass fishing is up and down like the water.
One day its hot and then like last night it got real tough. Larry
Wright and Ron Taddeken took first place with 4.38lbs. They also
had big fish of 2.62lbs. Second went to Crist Fanning and Terry
Close with 2.37lbs. 3rd. went to Doug and Ozzie Wallace with
1.88lbs. The best bite was off flat points in 4' to 6' of water.
Main lake points seemed to work the best. Big worms in watermelon
red and black and blue jigs were the best baits.
CRAPPIE: We have been seeing crappie come in all week.
The pattern that is working the best is isolated trees on the
flats in 15' to 20' of water fished with minnows. Big and Little
Tebo are the better areas right now. There are a lot of little
fish being caught so take lots of minnows. I did hear of some
crappie coming off the weir in front of the dam drifting minnows.
Steve Blake had limits this week off the brush piles in 15' to
20' of water. These fish also came on minnows.
WHITES & HYBRIDS: We have had quite a few good whites
come in this week off the airport and O-3. Jigging spoons seem
to be working the best. Some of the fish are coming as deep as
20' off the humps. Have had reports of the hybrids starting to
surface in the same areas but not staying up for any long times.
The 4" sassy shad is still the top bait on the hybrids.
CATFISH: In talking with the white bass fisherman they
say they are catching catfish on jigging spoons off the humps.
Might not hurt to drift a night crawler around the humps, who
knows you might even catch a walleye.
With the holiday coming this weekend please drive carefully in
the lakes area. The kids are back in school and there are a lot
of deer starting to move in the early evenings.
So till next week from Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net
We bid you good fishin
Tommy
August 25, 2005 - Mark
Twain - Submitted by South Fork Resort - Lake Level : 601.4
Normal Lake Level : 606 / Water Condition: Clear
/ Surface Water Temp: 83 - 86
Crappie fishing has been good. Expect to
go through a lot of small crappie to get your keepers. The winning
weight for last weekends CrappieMasters tournament was 7.38 for
a 10 fish limit. The winners caught them out of the South Fork,
while most of the other top teams caught theirs out of the North
Fork. Some fishermen had success fishing in 6 - 12 feet of water,
fishing the stained water, and other fishermen caught theirs
in 8 - 15 feet of water. Locating submerged cover was key to
finding crappie. Jigs tipped with minnows, or jigs tipped with
crappie nibbles. The CrappieMasters Kids Rodeo was a blast, check
out the pictures.
Bass fishing has been fair. Plastics off
of main lake points, in about 3 - 10 feet of water.
Cat Fishing has been fair. A lot of channel
cats have been caught on rod and reel, using chicken livers.
White Bass fishing has been fair.
South Fork Resort / 36765 Hwy 154 / Stoutsville,
MO 65283
573-565-3500 / 866-382-0033 / www.SouthForkResort.net
August 24, 2005 - Truman
- Submitted by Sterett
Creek - The weather has turned almost to fall.
Cool in the mornings and evenings and warm during the day. We
have had good rain this week but the lake has stayed in great
shape. The cooler weather seems to have got the fish going a
little better, we are seeing a lot of nice white bass coming
in now. Talked to several people that saw hybrids surfacing,
they didn't stay up long but they are starting again. The water
temp is holding steady and the color is good so lets hope we
have some good fall fishing in front of us.
LAKE LEVEL: 706.50
WATER TEMP: 80 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Big & Little Tebo, light stain.
Lower Grand, light stain.
Upper Grand, stained.
Big & Little Pommie, light stain
Upper Osage, heavy stain
Lower Osage, light stain.
BASS: The bass bite remains good on Truman. We are starting
to see some of the bigger fish come in again. Last night in the
hawg fights Jerry Crossweight and Doug Scheling weighed in 13.09lbs.
with big bass weighing 5.24lbs. for first place. 2nd. went to
Doug and Ozzie Wallace with 9.08lbs. 3rd went to Crist Fanning
and Terry Close with 5.95lbs. Not bad for 3 hours of fishing.
The best bite seems to be on a jig fishing suspended fish in
10' to 25' of water. These fish are suspended about 4' down.
There is also a good bite on the wind blown chunk rock banks
with big worms in 3' to 5' of water. Red shad seems to be the
best color.
CRAPPIE: The crappie fishing changes day to day. There
are still fish in the 10' to 15' tree rows suspended about 8'.
There are some fish starting to show up on the brush piles in
20' and also on the bluff banks in 30'. the only thing consistent
is that they are all eating minnows. Cedar trees seem to be the
best of the best right now. I did hear of a small jig bite in
Clear Creek which netted pretty good fish but it was a slow bite.
WHITES & HYBRIDS: The white bass have started to come
in a lot better now. We are seeing limits brought in about everyday.
They are back on the humps in about 16' of water and are hitting
jigging spoons. KK Island and the airport seem to be the better
areas right now. There has also been some hybrids surfacing in
the same area. Jerry Coose had a couple of fish in the 9lb. range
this week.The COE hasn't been running much water this week so
this hasn't really helped but the shad are getting more active
so I think this bite will get better with the cooler temps.
CATFISH: The only good catfish report I have had this
week is the white bass fishermen are catching a lot of catfish
on spoons while fishing for whites.
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net
So till next week we bid you good fishin.
Tommy
August 18, 2005 - Mark Twain - Submitted
by South
Fork Resort - Lake Level : 601.5
Normal Lake Level : 606
Water Condition: Clear, some stain in the upper reaches.
Surface Water Temp: 83 - 86
Crappie fishing has been good. It is still mostly
small crappie. The bigger crappie (9 - 11 inches) are out
there, you need to keep on the move and find them. They've
been caught anywhere from 8 - 15 feet deep around tree covered
areas. Several fishermen have reported catching crappie
in the flats along tree rows. Minnows or minnow tipped
jigs. The Crappie Masters tournament is this Saturday,
August 20th. The Kids Fishing Rodeo will be in our pond,
registration starts at 08:00 am. Bring the kids out, it
will be fun.
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.
South Fork Resort / 36765 Hwy 154 / Stoutsville, MO 65283
573-565-3500 / 866-382-0033 / www.SouthForkResort.net
August 18, 2005 - Truman
- Submitted by Sterett
Creek - Fishing Report from Sterett Creek Marina
8/18/05
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.
LAKE LEVEL:
706.63
WATER TEMP: 80 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Big and Little Tebo, clear.
Big and Little Pommie, clear.
Upper
Osage, heavy stain.
Lower Osage, light stain.
Upper Grand, heavy stain.
Lower Osage, light stain.
BASS: Good, susspended fish in 12' to 30' big worms fished
6' to 14' down. Move them real slow.
CRAPPIE: Fair, lots of little fish. 10' tp 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.
Sorry about the short report will do better next week.
Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net
Till next week we bid you good fishin
Tommy
August 13, 2005 - Busch
Wildlife Area - Lake 27 Bass fishing was much fun
this morning on floating top water minnow 5" (average size
was 12" with biggest at 14". Caught eight fish from
7am -10am and released them all.
Bass fishing was fair on tubes, plastic worms,
and spinners from 10am to noon. Caught two fish same size category
and released them.
Tony Huffstutter
August 13, 2005 - Mark
Twain - Submitted by South Fork Resort - Lake Level : 601.5
/ Normal Lake Level : 606
Water Condition: Clear / Surface Water Temp: 85
- 88
Crappie fishing has been good. Lots of crappie
are being caught, there's just not lots of size to them for the
most part. The bigger crappie (9 - 11 inches) are out there,
you need to keep on the move and find them. They've been caught
anywhere from 12 - 20 feet deep around tree covered areas. Minnows
or minnow tipped jigs.
Bass fishing continues to be good. The best
bite has been in the main lake, and they've been suspended anywhere
from 4 - 12 feet deep over 20 - 40 feet of water. Deep diving
crank baits or spinnerbaits.
Cat Fishing has been good. It is still mostly
channels on rod and reel, using nightcrawlers or cut shad. Trot
line and jug fishermen have been catching channels using shad.
White Bass fishing has been hit and miss.
Most reports are of individual white bass being caught.
South Fork Resort / 36765 Hwy 154 / Stoutsville,
MO 65283
573-565-3500 / 866-382-0033 / www.SouthForkResort.net
<http://www.SouthForkResort.net>
August 10, 2005 - Truman - Submitted
by Sterett
Creek - The weather is still hot and we haven't
had any rain but the fishing is starting to heat up. I heard
of one tournament last weekend that had a 22lb. stringer of bass
weighed in on Sunday. Then last night in the hawg fights we had
a 15lb. string and that was in 3 hours, with three more stringers
over 10lbs. No matter how you look at it that is some good fishing.
The lake is just about normal pool and the water clarity is good
so lets look for a lot of good fishing to come.
LAKE LEVEL: 706.18
WATER TEMP: 85 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Big & Little Tebo, clear
Big & Little Pommie, clear
Lower Grand, light stain
Upper Grand, stained
Lower Osage, clear
Upper Osage, stained
BASS: The suspended bite is really going good now. Last
night in the Hawg Fights Doug and Ozzie Wallace brought in the
winning stringer of 15 lbs.even. Second went to Howard Love with
14.39 lbs. and he also had big bass at 6.02 lbs. 3 rd. went to
Marty Watson and Randy Lutjen with 12.72 lbs. Fourth went to
Ernie Cox and Russell Beck with 10.33 lbs. Most of the fish came
on big worms in 10' to 25' of water and were suspended 6' to
8' down. Tree rows that run next to a channel are the top picks
right now. Also tree rows that come off a point are are holding
fish. As far as color I am hearing watermelon red and red shad.
CRAPPIE: The crappie are working a couple of different
patters now. Guide Steve Blake brought in some real nice fish
this week which were caught off tree rows in 10' of water on
minnows fished 8' down. Have had several reports of fish coming
off the bluffs out of 30' of water fished 20' down on minnows.
The big thing is to find trees that are a couple of feet under
the surface that most folks go by. Cedars are producing better
than hardwoods.
WHITES & HYBRIDS: The COE hasn't been running much
water this week so the white and hybrid fishing has been kind
of hit or miss. The fish are surfacing in the evening but you
have to be at the right place at the right time. Concentrate
on the areas where the fish hang out most of the time and you
will probably have fish coming up. KK Island and G 7 are two
good areas to look.
CATFISH: Jugs are the best right now. Main lake flats
in 20' of water with stages set about 15' are producing some
cats. Cut shad is the best bait.
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
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net
With that we bid you good fishin.
Tommy
August 3, 2005 - Truman
- Submitted by Sterett
Creek - The weather has been kind to us this and
the fishing has picked up a little to make it a perfect week.
The hybrids are still a little slow but the bass and crappie
have made up for it. The COE hasn't been running much water this
week and I really think this is why the hybrids have slowed up.
We are supposed to warm up a little this weekend so maybe they
will run a little.
LAKE LEVEL: 706.28
WATER TEMP: 83 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Big Tebo, light stain.
Little Tebo, light stain
Upper Osage, heavy stain.
Lower Osage, light stain.
Upper Grand, heavy stained.
Lower Grand, clear to light stain.
Big and Little Pommie, clear.
BASS: The bass bite here on Truman has really picked up
this week. Last night in the hawg fights Doug and Ozzie Wallace
took 1st. place with 15.16lbs. 2nd. went to Marty Watson and
Clint Rayburn with 9.68lbs. 3rd went to Emil Tally and Jim Lehares
with 7.19lbs.and they had big bass weighing 4.87lbs. 4th. went
to Ernie Cox and Russell Beck with 6.16lbs. All these fish were
caught in 3hrs.15min. So as I said the bass bite is pretty good.
The suspended bite is the best thing going. Outside tree rows
with 12' to 25' of water fished with big worms about 6' seems
to be working well. You have to move the worm through the limbs
real slow but the fish will bite it. Point fishing is also working,
The deeper points falling off into 30' of water fished with big
worms is another good producer. Plum to watermelon seem to be
the two predominant colors.
CRAPPIE: The crappie fishing has also gotten a little
better this week. The Hennis Boys out of St Louis did real good
last weekend taking limits both days. The best bite seems to
be from Hogles Creek to Berry Bend. The bluff banks are still
doing the best and minnows are the bait of choice. 20' to 30'
of water fished 10' to 12' deep on the hard woods is where to
look.
WHITES & HYBRIDS: The whites are starting to show
up in the KK Island area. Sassy shad and small jigging spoons
are working the best. The 16' humps seem to be the prime areas.
I have been seeing some surface activity later on in the evenings.
Rooster tails and small Rat L Traps will work on these fish.
It seems they don't stay up long but they come up in the same
areas two or three times. I have talked to a lot of hybrid fisherman
and they tell me they are grafting a lot of fish suspended over
deep water but can't seem to get them to bite.
CATFISH: We have seen some nice catfish come in on jugs
this week. They have been setting their stages about 16' deep
and drifting them over deep water. Cut shad seems to be the best
bait. If you are running lines you have to check them quite often
so you don't loose your fish.
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net
So till next week we bid you good fishin.
Tommy
dition.
The crappie reports have still been spotty, however it is on
the verge of getting better. Last weekend most fishermen
struggled to find them, while some caught several small ones.
The fishermen that caught crappie reported catching anywhere
from 40 to 100. The most reported size is about 8 inches,
with enough 9 to 10 inch crappie to make a meal. Monday
and tuesday we had some better reports, which gives reason to
believe the crappie fishing is starting to heat up. The
crappie are still scattered, with some being caught at 5 feet
deep, while others are finding them along bluffs about 12 feet
deep. The bite has been very lite, keep a finger on your
line and feel for a very lite tap. Occasionally raise the
line and feel for resistance, or watch your line for any subtle
changes, such as going slack. With the cold water temps,
the crappie have been pretty sluggish. Any branch on
the south side of the lake could prove productive, look for
banks that get good day long sunshine, with good heat gathering
objects, such as large trees and rocky banks. Bridge piers
gather warmth and could be worth trying. As for bait, minnows
or jigs tipped with minnows. Crappie nibbles are very helpful.
Black/Chartreuse or Blue/White tube jigs have been the most popular
color combos. As always, be patient and don't give up too
soon, however move on if the crappie are not cooperating within
a reasonable amount of time.
Follow this link to an excellent article about spring time crappie
fishing on Twain.
Bass fishing has been tough. The few reports have not been
encouraging yet, however the season is young and the water temps
are still cool.
We haven't heard much from cat fishermen this week. The
water flow into the lake is low. The warm, sunny days,
along with the warm winds will rapidly heat shallow areas of
a lake, which are warmer than the nearby deeper waters.
Look for wind blown shallow banks, the warmer water and food
gathers there. Catfish love these conditions, moving out
of the deeper, colder areas of the lake to feed themselves.
If you don't have any bites for about 30 minutes, try a different
area. Shad sides is an excellent choice under these conditions,
the smellier the better.
Happy fishing and good eating or releasing!!
South Fork Resort
36765 Hwy 154
Stoutsville, MO 65283
573-565-3500
866-382-0033
www.SouthForkResort.net
Back to Current Reports
from Missouri Anglers
Reports from Missouri Anglers for Jan
- May 2005 | June - July
2005 | Aug. - Dec. 2005
Reports from Missouri Anglers for Jan
- May 2004 | June - July
2004 | Aug. - Dec. 2004
Reports from Missouri Anglers for Jan
- May 2003 | June - July
2003 | Aug. - Dec. 2003
Reports from Missouri Anglers for Jan
- May 2002 | June - July
2002 | Aug. - Dec. 2002
Reports from Missouri Anglers for Jan
- May 2001 | June -
Sept. 2001 | Oct. -
Dec. 2001
Reports
from Missouri Anglers for 2000 | Kansas Angler Home Page
Reports for
Kansas | Arkansas
| Colorado | Missouri
| Nebraska | Oklahoma
| Texas
|