Missouri Fishing Report from Anglers

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May 27, 2009 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - We would like to thank everyone that showed up for the holiday. The weather held for us until Monday and then of course we had to have some rain come in but it was a fantastic weekend, the fish even cooperated. We saw lots of crappie and big catfish come in. The COE is still dropping the lake and the whites and hybrids have started hitting. Even saw a few walleye. The weatherman is calling for good weather all week so I look for lots of good fish to come in.

LAKE LEVEL: 720.23
WATER TEMP: 71 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Stained.

BASS: The bass fishing is starting to turn on here on Truman. Last night in the Hawg Fights Howard Love and John Pollit showed how good it was by bring in 18.55 lbs and a big fish of 5.56 lbs for first place. Second was 13.90 lbs. caught by Doug and Ozzie Wallace. Third was Tim Blankenship and Tom McGovern with 11.07 lbs. There are a couple of different patterns going right now. The main lake points are holding fish in 6' to 10' of water in the flooded willows. Worms and jigs are working the best on these fish. There are also fish 1/2 to 3/4 of the way back in the coves on the secondary points. The way backs are producing some fish on a top water bite, Pop 's seem to be working the best.

CRAPPIE: Right now the best bite in in the coves in the flooded cedars and hedge trees. 25' to 30' of water 10' to 12' down. Minnows by far are producing more fish. There are also fish coming in off the main lake flats at the same depth. Keep moving tree to tree for best results.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: These fish are starting to move to the humps. It seems like they are holding on the shallowest part of the hump. Jigging spoons are working the best. You might also try the current break points and cuts with water flow going over them. The best depth seems to be 20' of water.

CATFISH: We are seeing some real good catfish come in. Brady Haggerman brought in a 58 lb. flathead last weekend. The flats are starting to hit. Black perch on the bluff banks are working. We also saw some good blues come in off the flats on jugs. Cut shad, leeches and perch are the top baits. There are also fish coming off limb lines out of the flooded willows on the flats next to deeper water.

That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net
Till next week
Tommy

The spawn is pretty much finished there are still a few late ones. The bite
has been tough as the fish are in post spawn but it is starting to pick up
as the fish are starting to feed up and move out to structure.

In the Main lake, Dam, Campbell Point, Kimberling City and Aunt's Creek
areas there has been a good top water bite when cloudy and overcast. Look
for fish on bluff ends with submerged timber and secondary points in 10' -
20' on bottom. Watermelon candy, watermelon red, and green pumpkin colors
are working well on French fries and lizards. Having success also on 1/2 oz
football jigs in Peanut butter/jelly & green pumpkin and 4" -5" grubs in
smoke or watermelon red on 1/4 oz. jig heads fished slowly on the bottom on
the same points. Fish are also starting to get out a little deeper and
drop-shots have been starting to work. Fish main lake gravel points, trying
to keep bait in 22' - 25', some are on bottom, others are suspending over 30
-50'. Try throwing deep diving crankbaits like DT16, Fat Free Shad or DD22
in the same timbered flats and points where would be working top water baits
This bite should get better as the largemouths will suspend in these areas
for the next 4-6 weeks.

In the river arms there are lots of smaller fish being caught just outside of the buck brush and willows. As the water drops out of the cover look for the bite to get real good in 15' - 25' on main river flats close to channel swings. Fish Carolina rigged lizards, brush hogs, 1/2 & 5/8 football jigs and DD crankbaits. Also try a 4"-5" swim baits for a larger fish. There has also been a top water bite early and late on the main lake points in the river arms. In the heat of the day run to the upper ends of the rivers and throw 3/16 oz. shakey head worms or brown 5/16 Eakin's jig on bluff channel swings, 5' - 10' and around any visible cover on the channel swings or on the flats.

Great news the sun is shinning over Mo. once again. Looks like we should have a great Memorial week end. Better yet, the water is going down, and all our facilities are running full throttle. Our campgrounds are in great shape with lots of green grass and plenty of shade. Come and see us and spend the week end at Sterett Creek. If its your first time to Warsaw, check out our visitors center, walk across the Osage river on the swinging bridge, or visit a number of our antique shops. Now lets get to the fishing reports.

Lake Level: 723.09
Water Temp: 69 deg
Water Clarity: Light stain, to stained in our area of the lake

BASS: Last evening was our 6th Tues. night hawg fight. With the hammer down the 5:30 take off sent 16 fishermen in all directions until that 8:30 weigh in. It was a great evening and the bass fishing was better than last week. When the smoke cleared, Jim Lahares and Bob Dodd took first place with 7.51 and big bass at 3.98. Second place, John Pollit and Howard Love with 7.01 and third place went to Doug and Ozzie Wallace with 5.80. The bait of the evening was the Brush hog. Our Tues. night tourn. are open to everyone. So come out and join in on the fun.

CRAPPIE: If your taste buds are ready for some good eating, you better get to the lake and catch some of these crappie. The fishing has been really good for the past week. Even with the high water the fishing continued to be good. Some people were catching them on jigs while others were using minnows. The summer pattern is starting and minnows are the best bait now. Big Tebo and Little Tebo are both producing some nice stringers of crappie. So stop by the Sterett creek marina and get some of our crappie catching minnows.

WHITE BASS: With the dam releasing some 40,000 cfs the white bass have decided to go on a feeding frenzy. Slab spoons and big sassy shads are the answer. Look for these whites on the humps. With this much water being released, it gets the shad moving and when they come across the humps, this is when the whites get on the feed. So look for the shad and you should find the whites. Some nice Hybrids have been caught. Hybrids will often mix in with white bass when they are feeding. These are great fighting fish, and very tasty as well.
CATFISH: Catfish fishing is always good with rising water. They will get up in the shallows and search for food. Cut shad,livers,leeches,and night crawlers are all good bait choices. Jug lines are always a good choice when the lake is up. Limb lines in the back waters of coves will produce some nice catfish. Truman is know for some really big cats. There are some nice fish being caught with rod and reel from the banks of Truman.

That is, the fishing report for this week. We've got some nice weather for the week end and we hope to see all of you at the lake this week end. Stop by the marina and say hello. It's going to be a busy week end on the water so wear those life jackets. Just like seat belts they save peoples lives. See ya around the water.............

The Legend sitting in for Tommy

May 13, 2009 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - The lake is still high but the COE has been running about 48,000 cfs and has it going down. Even with the high water the fishing has been fair. The water clarity in our area remains good.

Lake Level: 724.20
Water Temp: 63 deg.
Water Clarity: Stained.

BASS: The bass fishing has slowed down on Truman. I think that the fish are still hitting it's just the fact that there is so much more area for them to hide in they have gotten harder to find. The best bite right now is 1/2 way back in the coves fishing the flooded willows on secondary points. Big Brush Hogs are the top bait. Last nights Hawg Fights were won by Doug and Ozzie Wallace with 3.62 lbs. Second and big bass went to Jim Lehares and Bob Dodd with 3.04 lbs. Doesn't sound like much weight but the 50+ mph winds they fished in didn't help anyone.

CRAPPIE: Most of the fish we are seeing are coming in on the summer pattern out of 25' to 30' of water down around 12'. Minnows by far are the top producing bait. The deeper tree rows in the cedars are the best areas.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: We have seen some real nice whites and hybrids come in. Jigging spoons and sassy shad seem to be working the best. Most of the fish are coming off current break points out on about 25' of water.

CATFISH: Jugs and trot lines both are starting to catch fish. Leeches and perch are the top baits. Fish the flats in 10' to 15' of water setting baits at about 8' has been producing some good fish.

That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net

The boat ramp is open.

Till next week
Tommy

Fish are in all stages of the spawn. top water bite is picking up as fish get done spawning and start to feed up on shad on main lake and secondary
points. Look for deep water and submerged timber close to the spawning pockets. Zara Spooks, Red fins, & swim baits are working and the bottom bite is also starting to pick up. Watermelon candy, green pumpkin colors are working good on Carolina rigged French fries, lizards & 1/2 & 5/8 oz. football jigs. A pretty good bite around and in the buck brush where fish have been spawning. Water levels have been dropping everyday pulling the fish out of brush, try weightless Senco's rigged Texas or wacky style in front of bushes and on steeper banks in creeks. Also try Shakey head, 6" Zoom trick worms in watermelon candy and green pumpkin. These colors are working well. Fish the small pockets on the bluffs or pockets in the major creek arms.

April 29, 2009 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - The fishing remains good here on Truman. The lake is on a pretty good rise right now from the rains we had earlier in the week, I don't know where it is going at this time. It has not effected the crappie fishing at all you just have to fish a little deeper. The turkey's are still gobbling and there are still a few morals being found. Looks like a good time to head for the lake and enjoy the great outdoors.

Lake Level: 711.02
Water Temp: 60 deg.
Water Clarity: Stained but very fishable.

BASS: Last night in the Hawg Fights I was expecting a 15 lb.+ stringer to be brought in after the 27 lbs. weighed in on Sunday at the Joe Bass Tournament. Wasn't really figuring that the COE would shut the water off at noon and really goof things up. Tom Monsees and Chantz Steele were the winners with 5.03 lbs. Second was Marty Watson and Doug Long with 4.85 lbs. Third was Geo Thorton and Shane Tumlinson with 4.25 lbs. which was also big bass. The pattern was pretty much the same for everyone. 45 deg. transition ( chunk rock that switch to either pea gravel or dirt ). 1' to 4' of water was working the best. The baits varies a little. Brush hogs and Beavers were working along with lizards and jig and frog. If you are throwing a bottom bumper you will do all right. Fish the secondary points and niches for best results.

CRAPPIE: The crappie are still bedding. We have seen lots of limits of nice fish come in. This year the fish are the best I have seen in two or three years. With the lake on the rise you will have to fish a little deeper for spawning fish. Look on the pea gravel points and niches in 3' to 5' of water. Minnows on a bobber or jigs on a bobber are working good. Using a road runner to find fish and then going with the jig or minnow is a good tactic right now.

WHITES: No Report.

CATFISH: The cat fishing is good on trot lines and jugs. We are seeing a good number of 30 lb.+ fish come in. Perch and little smokies are the two top baits. The fish are on the flats in 8' to 10' of water close to channels and ditches. I think a floating line will start working with the lake on the rise.

WALLEYE: I have had several requests to post a report on the walleye fishing here on Truman. I will do this when we stat seeing some walleye come in. I look for this to start in the next couple of weeks.

That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net

Till next week
Tommy

April 25, 2009 - Lake of the Ozarks - Submitted by Old Oar House Inn Mile Marker 81 -Lake of the Ozark water elevation is 658.14'. Truman lake water elevation is 708.61'. LOZ water temperature is 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Water discharge through Truman Turbines is 24,000 CFS and over the spillway was 0 CFS.

Spoonbill:
Outstanding!
Spoonbill fishing doesn't get any better than it is right now. The big sows I've been talking about have arrived just in time for the last week of snagging. I saw too many big sows weighed in for our tournament to count. The biggest sow I've seen this year was caught by Kelly Donaldson from Vandalia, MO and paid him $1,012 for first place. Kelly said he caught the fish w/in sight of the Old Oar House upstream on the flats. She was an old 84.6# sow that had the first and only conservation band on her jaw I'd seen all season. Missouri Department of Conservation used to have a small bounty on fish with these bands if you sent them in but I'm not sure if that program is still in place. I believe you can still call them in and they'll give you some history on the fish such as when it was stocked and where and how old it is. 2nd place and $607 went to Rick Ringling of Fluorescent, MO for his 75.2# sow and 3rd place and $405 went to Barry Rudman of Lesley, MO for his #70.2# sow.

Crappie:
Excellent
Crappie fishing is getting ready to take off in a big way as the spawn approaches. Robert Kluge of Kansas City, MO and Carson Kominsky of Oklahoma City, OK are shown here w/ a great mess of males they caught in the coves. Robert said the fish were caught in 2' of water on minnows. The depth of the water and the size of the fish tells me the males have finally started moving up on the flats to stake out the breeding grounds in anticipation of the spawn. As soon as the water approached 60 degrees the big females will begin moving in from the main channel and the spawn will begin. Keep an eye on the water temperature as it will dictate when the spawn starts.

Catfish:
Very Good
Cat fishing continues to be the 'bomb' down off our cleaning station. 6 year old Rayden Hale and his Dad, Luke, from Mountain View, Arkansas caught a hefty stringer of blues that weighed 12# and only took _ hour to catch. Rayden said it was the best fishing of his entire life (all 6 years of it anyway!). Friend Dan O'Brien from the fort popped in Friday and also tried his luck down near the cleaning station. Dan's nice stringer of fish only took him _ hour to catch as well. Jason is shown here with a 35# flat head he caught on a jug below the station. It won't be long and the real big cats will start showing up at our dock scale.

Largemouth Bass:
Slow
Bass fishing is beginning to improve as well now that the water temperartues are finally climbing. Mike Yeaton from Sedalia reported rubber worms in the flats produced 3 keepers and several smaller fish he threw back.

Carp:
Good
Luke Hale reported he caught a nice 12# carp down at the cleaning station Saturday night. He caught the fish on a chunk of liver. Remember to always set the drag anywhere you fish in LOZ. This lake has some really tremendous fish. The very healthy food forage base of shad at the bottom of the food chain in the lake is one of the best anywhere in the united States.

Walleye:
Good
Robert Kluge is shown here with a really nice walleye he nailed. He said he caught his fish in about 20' of water in the main channel. I've seen some really nice walleye over the years and this is one of the better ones.

For up to date water temperatures and elevations for LOZ and Truman call Truman Dam Water Report at (660) 438-7317 and mash #2 once the recording starts.

April 22, 2009 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - Good weather good fishing !! Lets hope anyway. We started out great last week and then got hit with another front that slowed the fish up but we are on the right track now so this week looks fantastic. As you will see from the fishing report we had and have some really good fishing starting. Our weather is going to be in the 70's the rest of the week and the night time lows are to be in the 50's so that should bring these fish back to the banks as soon as tomorrow. This weekend should be fantastic. The mushrooms are still doing well and the turkey's are still gobbling so don't miss the best time of the spring season.

Lake Level: 709.03
Water Temp: 52 deg.
Water Clarity: Stained.

BASS: We had a real good turn out for the Hawg Fights last night. Now I want you to remember that we only fish for 2 1/2 hours. First place went to Danny Johnson and John Weber with 17.80 lbs. Second went to Doug and Ozzie Wallace with 15.45 lbs. Third went to Mousees and Chanze Steele with 13.75 lbs. and they also had big bass weighing 5.84 lbs. That is some awesome fishing. Jig and frog was the top bait. 45 deg. banks close to points in 3' to 5' of water is where it is happening. Crank baits were also working on the same pattern. Secondary points with the warmest water you can find will be holding fish.

CRAPPIE: Last Saturday the Sedalia Lions club had their crappie tournament out of Sterett Creek and Allen Morgan and Don Brooks were the happy anglers that brought 15.08 lbs. to the scale. This was a 10 fish limit. Second was Tyler and Travis Glenn with 13.13 lbs. Third was Travis Mace and Bob Thorne with 12.89 lbs. Big fish was 2 lbs. caught by Dallas Bandy and Alvin Whittaker. Most of these fish were bedding fish. We had a cold front move through on Sunday and shut everything down. They are starting to move back in now and I would bet by the weekend we will have bedding fish all over. 1' of water jig and bobber will work.

WHITES: No Report.

CATFISH: Jugs on the flats in 10' of water baited with little smokies are working. I saw some nice fish come in on perch also. Look close to deep water.

That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net
Tommy

Water warming up and so is the action! The water is rising everyday and is in the bushes and so are the fish.

Fish are bedding all over the lake now and with the recent rains the lake level continues to rise and the river arms all have some color. You can catch fish on just about any bass lure right now.

Senco's, floating worms & top water baits are working around flooded cover and in spawning pockets. Shaky heads, jigs and tubes are working well in the steeper cuts and creeks at

2' 10'. Along with wacky rigged worms and spinnerbaits, they are working well in the flooded bushes and cover on main lake points and pockets, particularly if there is wind blowing on there.

There are still lots of fish being caught on main lake and secondary points with SOS jerkbaits, look for some of those same areas to start producing top water fish, as the fish complete the spawn and start to feed heavy again. Jigs, sweet beavers, and tubes flipped around shallow cover working great right now. Carolina rigged French fries and lizards working on gravel points in 5' 20'. Having success on 4"-5" grubs on the same points.

Fish seem to be biting all over the lake, there doesn't seem to be one area better than another. The fish are by no means jumping in your boat, you still have to work for them, but they are shallow and biting good for the most part.

April 19, 2009 - Lake of the Ozarks - Submitted by Old Oar House Inn Mile Marker 81 -Lake of the Ozark water elevation is 657.92'. Truman lake water elevation is 708.56'. LOZ water temperature is 51 degrees Fahrenheit. Water discharge through Truman Turbines is 32,000 CFS and over the spillway was 0 CFS.

Spoonbill:
Excellent!
With water temperatures continuing to slowly climb we are beginning to see some really nice sows weighed on the scale on our dock. Brian Volmert from Westphalia, MO is shown here with the winning 75.4# fish of the "Snag Master's" tournament. This fish paid $2,130 to Brian which is one of the top two fish I've seen all year. This fish was caught w/in one mile of the Oar House. Exact location is a 'secret' but for starters fish upstream from us! Brian Hartwig of Rosehill KS. is shown here w/ sons 14 yr. old Dalton and 12 yr. old Cody, and friends Don Nichols and Lenny Gregory from El Dorado KS. Cody took the whole boat to "school" by catching the biggest fish, a 65# sow, of the group. Well done son!
Next weekend is our very own 'Last Snag' tournament. Entry fee is a paltry $20 so make sure you sign up by 0700 Saturday morning which is the start time. Don't be one of the 3 guys that shows up during every tournament to gas up his boat with a fish that would have taken first place and the prize money! Same as the last tournament no string marks on the fish. 1st place pays 50% of the pot followed by 2nd 30% and 3rd 20%. Bernie's "World Famous Hillbilly Breakfast Buffet" featuring his world renowned 'Hog Biscuits and Gravy' will begin Saturday and Sunday at 0600 hrs.

Crappie:
Good
Crappie fishing continues to improve and I saw several small fish caught off our dock Saturday and Sunday but it's still a little early. Continue to watch this report and I'll let you know when the big males start moving in which is our first indicator the spawn isn't too far off. Cole Camp Creek is the crappie location of choice, Jigs and minnows continue to catch the crappies.
Catfish:
Very Good
Cat fishing was back on again this weekend down near our cleaning station. The slower current brought the fish in by the hundreds. I took a ride w/ Guide Brian Heinen below the cleaning station after we'd finished spoonbill fishing Sunday afternoon and the fish finder showed hundreds if not thousands of catfish below the cleaning station for at least 100 meters or so. We all remember 14 yr. old Tyler Moore of St. Louis. Women love him and fish fear! Here's a picture of a few great looking cats he caught in about 30 minutes of fishing near the cleaning station. Well done buckaroo!
Largemouth Bass:
Slow
I had one report from a bass boat and the guys said it had been slow. They caught and released several small bas but nothing legal. Cole Camp Creek continues to be the 'place of choice' for bass fishing right now.
Carp:
No Report
Walleye:
No report

We endorse trophy fish catch and release!
Remember a bad day fishing is better than a great day at work.
Good fishing!
Bruce

April 14, 2009 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - OK it looks like the weather is finally going to give us a break. Highs in the mid 60's lows in the mid 40's. There is a little chance of rain but at least it will be a warm rain and start raising our water temp. The turkeys are gobbling and the mushrooms are starting to pop. Lots of grays some reds and a few morals. With the sunshine and warm weather I think this should be a good shroom week.

Lake Level: 709.10
Water Temp: 49 deg.
Water Clarity: Light stain to stained.

BASS: Last night we had the first Hawg Fights and it was a good night of fishing. The winners were Steve Blake and Jim Lehares with 6.53 lbs. Second place was Doug and Ozzie Wallace with 5.80 lbs. which was also big bass. Everyone that fished caught fish but there were lots of short fish. This is good, at least the fish are starting to bite. The pattern for most was the same, chunk rock points either main lake or secondary's. 5' to 8' of water. The baits were mixed going from Beavers to Rogues to jigs. It seems the first half of the pockets were the best because they were holding the warmest water. The farther you went back the cooler it got.

CRAPPIE: I don't have much of a report on crappie right now but here again with the weather we have coming in I think that will change by the weekend. The State Fair Lions Club is having their crappie tournament this weekend and we are hoping to see a bunch of good fish. Right now it's still deep water on main lake. 20' to 25' on the bluffs close to points.

WHITES: No Report.

CATFISH: The cat fishing on jugs is still doing ok. Fish the flats in 8' to 10' of water. Little smokies are the best bait.

That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net
Till next week
Tommy

April 12, 2009 - Lake of the Ozarks - Submitted by Old Oar House Inn Mile Marker 81 -Lake of the Ozark water elevation is 656.59'. Truman lake water elevation is 709.45'. LOZ water temperature is 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Water discharge through Truman Turbines is 31,800 CFS and over the spillway was 0 CFS.

Spoonbill:
Great
Another great weekend of spoonbill fishing has come and gone. Depending on whom you talked to the fishing was either fantastic or terrible. At one point Saturday afternoon I counted 50 boats from my docks as I was pumping gas. Most of the boats I saw had fish tied off. I had a report that there was a huge school of fish stacked up near the Route 65 Bridge. Two other reports I received were there was another great school of spoonies stacked up just before the "Dome Hole" on the flats over on the right. Apparently most of the fishermen are trolling main channel and may have bumped them over to shallower water due to fishing pressure. There is also another great holding area a mile or so down from the "Dome Hole" over on the left as well. Look for a floating log stuck in the mud and begin snagging to its left upstream 50 meters before the log and at least 300 meters downstream past the log. I can personally attest to this hole as my nephew and I limited out there in 30 minutes a couple weekends ago. Remember when you catch one make sure you make another pass through the same hole. The best way to make that second pass and not spook them is to circle back to where you caught the first one and then start snagging again. I don't recommend turning around and trolling up stream. I believe the vibration of your line through the water spooks them and they'll quickly disperse. Here's a great picture of Rod Hatcher from Milan MO w/ his 53# sow, Carlos Linares from Guatemala with his 55# & 38# fish and Robert Dover from Linneus MO with a great looking 63# sow. Believe it or not but the real big sows still haven't arrived yet due to the low water temperatures which actually dropped a degree since last week. Next weekend is the famous 'Snag Masters' tournament and we'll be open at 0600 hrs. so you can stop in for our "World Famous Hillbilly Breakfast Buffet" featuring Bernie's world renowned 'Hog Biscuits and Gravy'!

Crappie:
Good
Crappie fishing is back on the upswing. Paul Weston limited out twice last week fishing the bluffs below our cleaning station. He said to use a one ounce jig head in a chartreuse color. Paul loves to fish like his dad, Al. He said if he can limit out with only one arm so can you. Bob Tally reported he also did real well this weekend. Bob said he mostly caught resident fish and it's still too early for the pre-spawn due to the cold water temps. The water needs to be in the low 60s before the big males will come up out of the deep channels onto the shallow flats where they stake out nesting areas for the bigger females to lay their eggs.

Catfish:
Good
Cat fishing was a little slower this weekend than most. They ran water all weekend which serves to flush the spoonbill roe and waste from the cleaning station area and in turn spreads out the fish. I did notice a pontoon boat tied off just below the cleaning station trying to catch some cat fish. This is a great idea and I commend the guy who thought of this but again the current served to disperse a lot of the waste which usually makes great chum. I did have a report of several 5-10# blues and channel cats caught after dark Saturday night. 10 year old Hunter Dillon from Omaha, NE caught this great looking, 6 # blue Friday night. Great job hunter!

Largemouth Bass:
Good
I had a report of several nice large mouths caught up in the Cole Camp Creek area on large skirted jigs. The fish were caught in shallow water around supporting structure such as brush piles and rocks.

Carp:
Good
Saw several more good carp caught down at the cleaning station Saturday. One 20# plus fish was almost netted before it made a mad dash when it was brought to the surface and saw the net. For some odd ball reason this angler who will remain nameless didn't set his drag.

We endorse trophy fish catch and release!
Remember a bad day fishing is better than a great day at work.
Good fishing!
Bruce

April 5, 2009 - Lake of the Ozarks - Submitted by Old Oar House Inn Mile Marker 81 -

Spoonbill:
Great
We had a great tournament with a record number of 220 participants and it was too close to call until with only 30 minutes left in the tournament Jeff Thacker came roaring into the docks with a 73.6# fish and blew the competition out of the water. Until then all 6 fish were separated by only 2.4#. 1st place and $710 went to Jeff and his 73.6# fish, 2nd place and $507 went to Rick Mills w/ his 61.3# fish, 3rd and $406 went to Ransom Spiker and his 61# fish, 4th and $203 went to Donnie Bexton and his 60.8# fish, 5th place and $142 went to Kurt Holzer for his 60# fish and Brian Gambgenett took 6th place and $60 with his 59.8# fish. Special thanks goes out to our judges Tommy, Jerry and Tracy who spent the day on the docks weighing and recording the fish.

Crappie:
Slow
Crappie fishing appears to have slowed slightly or else everyone I talked to was focused on spoonbill fishing and the tournament. Margaret and husband David were fishing off the docks Sunday and reported they'd only caught a few small crappies which they threw back. I heard mixed reports on Cole Camp Creek and Turkey Creek Cove depending on whom you talked to.

Catfish:
Excellent
12 year old Elsie Peterson took Dad, Dana, to 'Cat fishing school' Saturday off the end of our docks. The couple from Ozark, MO are shown here with a great looking stringer of cats. They both limited out on blues and a nice bunch of channel cats in short order. Elsie said they used small #6 treble hooks and chicken livers for non-stop action. Well done Elsie!

Carp:
Good
I saw some really nice carp caught off the end of the docks again this weekend. The scavengers were no doubt feeding on the 'spoonbill leavins' from the cleaning station. I'm not a fan of carp but I've heard they can be quite tasty when cooked right and especially when canned in a pressure cooker.

April 1, 2009 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - Last weekends weather sure put a damper on the fishing. With lots of rain,snow,sleet and wind I think all the tournaments on Truman were cancelled. The lake has been on a steady rise all this week. The interesting thing is that the water temp is still holding about 49 deg. and we are looking for warmer weather this week so we might get a little help there. We are on a pretty good rise right now but the COE is running water through the turbines, haven't run the gates yet. I hope they remember last year and get this thing pulled down before the spring rains get here.

LAKE LEVEL: 711.9
WATER TEMP: 49 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Heavy stain to stained.

BASS: There's not much of a report this week due to the weather so I will tell you what I would do. Crank baits along the bluff banks in 10' to 12' of water, close to main lake points. Work them slow. I would say with the water color the Rogue bite will slow way down. I would look for a spinner bait bite about 1/2 way back in the creeks around the secondary points and if I did catch a fish I would go back in with a black and blue jig and work the area real hard. I would look for 4' to 8' of water. Look for willows.

CRAPPIE: Here again I would stay on the bluffs close to main lake points. 20' to 30' of water and use a jig down about 18' to 22'. Would also check the brush piles in 20' of water. I don't think the crappie have started to move back in the creeks yet but with just a little warm weather I think they might start. With the wind we had this week the water temp will probably be running the same.

WHITES: Run up the big creeks just about as far as you can go and throw a 1/4 oz. Rat L Trap. Firetiger would be a good color choice. These fish should be up shallow.

CATFISH: Jugs on the flats in 10' to 15' of water. I guess I have to stay in there with our old buddy and bait them with little smokies. There has been a rod and reel bite in the creeks on night crawlers.

That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
660-438-2280
critter@dam.net
Till next week
Tommy

March 25, 2009 - Table Rock Lake - Submitted by Pete Wenner's Professional Guide Service - Lake Level: 915.51

Smallmouths and Kentucky's are starting to move up on main lake and
secondary flat gravel points. If cloudy and windy, try wigglewarts in
crawdad patterns and stickbaits in chartreuse/shad, Table Rock shad, &
Norman flake colors. If the bite is slow try 3/16 or 1/4 oz. 4" or 5
single tail grubs in salt & pepper, or smoke, fishing them 8'-20' deep.
Carolina rigged French fries and split shot rigs starting to work in 10'-20'
on twin tailed Chomper grubs or 3/8 - 1/2 0z. football jigs.

Still many fish being caught on jerkbaits on main lake and secondary points
with submerged timbers close to creek channels & channel swings.

Water in the upper ends of the rivers are warming up to 55-60 in the afternoons. Many different lures are working. Wigglewarts, Bandits 200's, 6 or 7A Bombers, etc, are working. If water has a lot of stain or color to it throw a bait with chartreuse in it. Spinnerbaits and chatterbaits working as well as jigs. You just have to weed through small fish in some of the areas to get quality bites. If the weather stays nice we should have fish on weeds in the next 10-14 days.

March 25, 2009 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - And the rains came. Looks like we had about 3"s yesterday. Talked to some people that went out after the big event and they said they were seeing allot of drift. I would think as hard as the wind blew it would have pushed everything up on the bank. It dirtied the creeks and upper arms but right now the main lake is still in good shape. The water temp is still on the rise at 49 deg. and I did here of some good fish being caught last weekend. There are a few wild plum trees starting to show and the turkeys are starting to gobble. Haven't heard of any reds being found yet but I guess that's just wishful thinking.

LAKE LEVEL: 709.77
WATER TEMP: 49 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Stained to dirty.

BASS: The Benton County Bass Club had a tournament out last Sunday and I understand that Dennis Morgan from Anglers Port Marine came in with a big bag of fish, over 17lbs, and my old buddy Larry Egidy had big fish weighing over 8lbs. For this early in the year that is some really good fishing. I talked to Tim Blankinship over at Parkside Cabins and he said they had fish last week to. Wigglewarts on main lake bluff points are working. There were some spinner bait fish 3/4 of the way back in the creeks 3' to 5' of water. There was also a Rogue bite along the bluffs, don't forget work them really, really slow.
I also heard there was a black and blue jig bite on the transition banks in 3' to 5' of water. There have been reports of water temps as high as 55 deg in some of the creeks. For this early in the season that is some pretty good stuff.

CRAPPIE: We had a report that there was a tournament last Sunday with a 7 fish limit and it took over 11lbs to win. They said there were not allot of limits caught but there were a few fish over 2#'s caught. I can't find out much info on this one. The crappie on our end of the lake are still slow. Haven't heard of any pulling back in the creek channels yet but I look for that to happen real quick. I would stay on the bluffs in deep water with jigs until the water settles down.

WHITES: Guide Steve Blake and Bob Bates had some real nice whites last weekend. The problem is they aren't telling what or where they were doing to catch them. If it were me I would look up the big creeks along the banks for them. Hope I can pin them down a little better on these fish by next week.

CATFISH: Our catfish expert Dick Caton has been a little under the weather but we have had some whites and blues come in on jugs. Little smokies are the top bait and the fish are on the flats. Set your jugs in about 10' of water. Hurry up and get well Dick your missing some good fishing.

We have the Joe Bass fishing tournament out this Sunday and are looking for some good bass to come in. That's it for this week from
Sterett Creek Marina
660-438- 2280
critter@dam.net
Till next week
Tommy

March 23, 2009 - Lake of the Ozarks - Submitted by Old Oar House Inn Mile Marker 81 - Lake of the Ozark water elevation is 654.30'. Truman lake water elevation is 709.68'. LOZ water temperature is 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Water discharge through Truman Turbines is 3,300 CFS and over the spillway was 0 CFS.

Spoonbill:
Good
Even though Spoonbill fishing has slowed slightly I still saw some nice fish weighed off our docks this weekend. As the water temperature continues to climb the fishing will continue to improve. The water temperature now at 48 degrees climbed 3 degrees since last Sunday and once it breaks the 50 degree mark things should really pick up. Local guide fishing phenomenon Anthony Ford www.catfishingguide.com stopped by with a couple of his clients and weighed these two nice fish. The biggest one I believe was close to 60#. I had reports that the old 'Dome Hole' continues to hold fish each morning and I also heard a report that right around mile marker 80 there is typically a few good fish each morning as well. Each weekend if you stop by to use our scales to weigh your fish be sure to ring the gas bell and I'll come down and take a picture for the web site. Additionally if you want to email me a picture of your fish, turkey, deer etc I can drop them on the web site as well. Drop an 8 X 10 picture off at the bar and I'll hang it on the wall of fame.

Crappie:
Excellent
The crappie fishing continues to be outstanding. Pete Robinson from KC is shown here w/ a pie plate crappie he caugh fishing jigs back in Cole Camp Creek. Pete is a master of all fish types and does real well each weekend. He said Chartreuse and Red and White Tube Jigs continue to work real well. They are still catching the fish in 10-12' of water wherever the sun hits the bluffs. We now have minnows for sale just up the road from us for those who prefer live bait.

Catfish:
Excellent
As usual the catfish are really biting great down near the cleaning station as is evidenced by this proud angler. This was the little dudes second 5# channel cat in as many minutes. With a slow current as we've had the roe and spoonie carcasses are staying right underneath our docks and the fish are feeding heavy. At one time Saturday there were close to 20 fishermen and women steadily catching cats. I remind everyone to set their drags as you never know what you are going to catch there. Three years ago my grandson, Austin, caught a 35# Buffalo carp on a Mickey Mouse pole on 6# test. I took over his pole when I saw how big it was and an hour and thirty five minutes later I finally netted the fish. This end of the docks is where you'll want to run your jug lines after dark, especially if you are staying with us. Use small treble hooks and liver for best results. Two 35# blues were caught on jugs there last year.

Largemouth Bass:
Outstanding!
Shannon Harrison from Ziana KS and Dennis Dahlke from Bonner Springs are shown here with two great 5# largemouths they caught in 10-12' of water using oversize jigs. The guys were in a tournament that originated down around the 50 mile marker and were definitely in contention for first place when I saw them. Well done guys!

Stripers:
No report

We endorse trophy fish catch and release!
Remember a bad day fishing is better than a great day at work.
Good fishing!
Bruce

March 18, 2009 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina -
Lake Level: 710.25
Water Temp: 48 deg.
Water Clarity: Light stain to stained.

It's that time of year again so I thought I would let you know that we are open and getting ready for another great year of fishing on Truman. I will post a fishing report once a week on Wednesdays and if something really good starts happening I'll try to give you an update. This weeks report isn't going to be much due to lack of fisherman. The weather is defiantly cooperating with highs in the mid 60's to low 70's and the night time lows in the 40's. The water on Truman is starting to warm nicely, with main lake running in the high 40's and some of the creeks above 50. The water color is good and very fishable. At this point in time we are running about 4' high but the COE is running water, lets hope they have learned from the past and get us pulled down before the spring rains start.

As I said earlier we are open here at Sterett Creek. We have the campground open with water electric and sewer but will not open the shower house until April. The Resort is open.

Now for the good part, fishing. We are seeing a few crappie come in. Most of these fish are coming off main lake points out of 20' to 25' of water and down about 18' to 20' on jigs. If the weather will hold I do look for them to start moving back in the coves along the creek channels, we need another 5 deg. of water temp to get them moving.

There really hasn't been much of a report on bass. But if it were me I would have the dreaded ROGUE out and fish the windy main lake points. Fish the cedars in deep water down about 6' and fish real s l o w.

There are a few catfish coming in on jugs but not much on size. The fish in this area are on the deep flats and down about 10'. Cut baits seem to be working the best.

That's going to be it for this week. Hope everyone faired well over the winter and we are looking forward to seeing you.

Tommy

March 16, 2009 - Lake of the Ozarks - Submitted by Old Oar House Inn Mile Marker 81 - Lake of the Ozark water elevation is 653.21'. Truman lake water elevation is 710.56'. Spillway water temperature is 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Water discharge through Truman Turbines is 7,200 CFS and over the spillway was 0 CFS.

Spoonbill:
Good
Opening day spoonbill was as I'd expected. I saw some real good looking fish. The biggest fish I saw weighed was 75# and was caught just up from the Oar House near the power lines. The first fish I saw for the year was a fish caught directly in front of the Oar House and I saw it caught while I was pumping gas. I'm guessing there is a hole or some type of structure there as I seem to see a lot of fish caught there every year. Reports were the Dome hole was holding a nice bunch of fish as it seems to every morning before they get stirred up. We have two great guides who work out of the Oar House. If you'd like a guide please contact me and I will give you both of their names and numbers. I strongly recommend a guide the first time or two you go out. They are worth their weight in gold and will quickly have you catching fish. I caught my first ever spoony 4 minutes after I started fishing with a guide. Beginners luck I'm sure.

Crappie:
Great
Roger Bexton from Dixon MO and his brother Doug from Westphalia put a hurtin on the crappie as did just about everyone I spoke to as they fueled up Sunday. Red and Chartreuse and Red and White Tube Jigs helped them limit out. They said to fish in 10-12' of water wherever the sunny was hitting the bluffs. Roger said it was the best crappie fishing he's experienced in several years.

Catfish:
Excellent
I saw a bunch of great catfish Saturday as folks went out scouting for spoonies and wanted to wet a line. The bigger cats are caught in separate holes and when you catch one there are typically several in that same hole so don't give up on it. Shad bellys is the bait of choice. 3 weekends ago I saw a nice 50# someone had caught, photographed and released.

Largemouth Bass:
Good.
Friend Pete Robinson from KC was in again Saturday night. Pete's specialty is largemouth bass. He reported he'd done fairly well Saturday and had netted two nice keepers using spinner baits, one was 7#. He also reported several 'shorts' he'd caught on a split shot rig with a fish doctor (zoom) and one short on a senko. Pete said to fish the flats right now in about 2-3' of water for best results. Pete is known for his catch and release tactics and released both of his keepers. Well done my friend!

Stripers:
Excellent:
I heard the stripers were going crazy just below Truman Dam. One ole boy and his buddies caught 100 fish one evening between the group. They used top water rapala shiners.

Walleye:
Good:
Local Bill Bowles stopped in early Saturday morning for our world famous "Hog Biscuits and Gravy" and reported the Walleye were biting real well. He said for starters begin by trolling crank baits over the flats and along the drop off edge. He said use fire tiger color crank baits. Fire tiger is a yellow, green and red color w/ tiger stripes.

We endorse trophy fish catch and release!
Remember a bad day fishing is better than a great day at work.

One of the best areas now seems to be the upper White River from Shell Knob
to Beaver Town with the Kings River, James River and Long Creek also good.
The water is stained in the river arms and is also warmer than main lake
areas.

Fish main river channel swings with crankbaits in crawdad patterns,
Wigglewarts and Bombers in 2' - 10'. Try to work the baits slowly, staying
in contact with the bottom. Shakey head worms and small jigs (1/4 oz. - 3/8
oz) in brown/black or brown/green colored skirts are working well. Look for
channel swings in the creek arms as well as the main river. Fish are really
scattered, you may get one bite at the mouth of the creek and the next at
the very back end of the creek.

On the main lake and lower river arms, jerkbaits are still working on main
river and secondary points on the major creek arms. Search for submerged
pole timbers and cedars where the creek channels come close to the bank.
Some fish are being caught in the back of creeks from the last couple of
boat docks in pockets around gravel in 5' - 10' on Shakey head worms.

Main lake grub bite is starting to pick up, and it should get better, I'm
finding them on flat gravel points on the main lake, suspending 5' - 15'
deep or on bottom from 5' - 20'. For suspending fish, try 1/4 oz. 4" or 5"
smoke, salt & pepper or watermelon grubs and 4" twin tailed hula grubs or
Chompers, and small 3/8 oz. Football jigs, fished 5'-20' deep on bottom.

If we get heavy rains the next few days go to the backs of the creeks and
places where run-off is coming into the lake. The are will have warmer
water coming in and will get the fish feeding. Spinnerbaits, jigs &
crankbaits will also work in these areas.

Fishing has been changing daily due to weather pattern changes. In some
areas of the upper rivers and in the backs of creeks you can find water in
the 50 degree range.
This past Saturday in the Ozark Mountain Team Trail tournament there were
several limits caught with a 3 lb. Average. Some 6 & 7 pound fish with a
big bass over 8 lbs.
The weather was cloudy most of the day with 15-20 mph winds. On Sunday's
tournament just a few limits were brought in, 5 lbs. Being the big bass and
there was blue bird skies and a light wind. What a difference a day makes..
Anglers reported that most of the fish were caught in the clearer water near
the 86 bridge in Long Creek to the upper White River and in the Kimberling
City area over to Aunt's Creek area.

Crankbaits & wigglewarts in crawdad patterns fished in 5' 10' on channel
swings banks in the creek arms proved to be successful. This pattern works
best when cloudy and windy. If you get a day with high skies try backing
out 15' 20' and casting in 5' with Chompers twin tailed grubs or 14- 3/8
Eakins jig or some kind of small profile jig with a green pumpkin or
watermelon trailer.
Stickbait fish have been caught from main lake points to the very backs of
the creeks. Fish are scattered, when you get one bite you can usually get a
few more in the same area.

I've heard reports of some grub fish being caught on main lake and secondary
points, 15' 20' deep on bottom or suspended at 15' 20' over submerged
timber. Use 14 oz. Or 5/16 oz. Ball or darter head with 4" 5" single tail
grub or twin tailed Chompers in smoke, salt & pepper colors. A 3/8 football
jig will also work here. This bite should get better as the water warms.
Look for points with mixed with gravel and chunk rock leading into spawning
coves. Fish are starting to stage in these areas.

Throughout the majority of the lake the water temperatures are pretty
consistent at 44-47, with the upper ends of the rivers being cooler at 39-44
The warmer days and nights of late should warm up the lake some and
improve the stickbait, grub and jig bite.

The bite has been pretty tough the past week, which isn't abnormal for mid
February. The deep bite remains the most consistent with stickbaits
catching a few larger bass. The stickbait bite will improve and the deep
bite toughen as the deep fish that are in the middle of the creeks
suspending over deep timber mover to suspend in shallower water and staging
on main lake and secondary points. Cast out your stickbait, start your
retrieve to get it down to the desired depth, start jerking or twitching it
a few times and let it lay motionless for a moment or two. Repeat this
technique all the way back to the boat.

Suspending fish can be caught on shad colored or clown colored jerkbaits and
crawdad patterned crankbaits on main lake bluff ends, points, and in the
creeks on secondary points and major creek channel swings with mixed chunk
rock and gravel. Hook sharpness is important with crankbaits, keep your
hooks sharp and check them often if working around the rocky areas. Check
your line above the lure frequently when fishing crankbaits, as rock, gravel
stumps, etc., will quickly fray your line. 5/16 oz & 3/8 oz. Brown jigs
fished slowly on channel swing banks in the creeks and secondary points in 5
-15' will also produce some fish.

Deep fish are being caught throughout the lake from deep structure in the major creeks, suspending over submerged timber around 35'-50' over 60' -100', and also on main lake bluff ends. . 1/2 and 3/4 oz. Spoons in white or chrome, Rapala Ice jigs, 4" or 5" single tailed grubs in smoke and salt & pepper colors, 4" drop shot worms in purple or shad colors.

Lake Level: 913.71
Water Temps: 37-47
Everything I mentioned last week noted below is still pretty much the same with the more consistent bite continuing to be deep. Stickbaits, crankbaits & jigs are still working shallow.

Many fish are being caught throughout the lake from deep structure in the major creeks, suspending over submerged timber around 35'-50' over 60' -100' and also on main lake bluff ends. Keep a close eye out for the birds, Gulls & Loons then idle around these areas looking for schools of bait fish.

When the bait or fish have been found on your locators there are several baits that will work. 1/2 and 3/4 oz. Spoons in white or chrome, Rapala Ice jigs, 4" or 5" single tailed grubs in smoke and salt & pepper colors, 4" drop shot worms in purple or shad colors. Fish will suspend at different depths depending on the depths of the bait fish, try to keep your lures below the bait & around the tops of the submerged timber. These patterns are working throughout but more effectively in the clearer, deeper water.

Fish can still be caught on suspending jerkbaits and crankbaits on main lake bluff ends, points, and in the creeks on secondary points and channel swings. Crawdad patterns and colorations working best on the crankbaits and shad colors on the jerkbaits. Use different retrieves on your jerkbaits to find which is working well for you, and don't be afraid to play with colors other than those mentioned, you may find them to be more successful on any given day. 5/16 oz & 3/8 oz brown jigs fished slowly on channel swing banks in the creeks in 5'-15' will also produce some fish.