Trout Fishing Report, 12/3/08

Seems like the Corp is settling into a pattern of generation this week of running water early in the mornings till about 10 am, then shutting it down till 5 pm and running it a bit into the night. This is a pretty typical pattern- they are generating power during peak power demand times of the day/night. On colder nights/mornings, people are kicking their heaters on to warm up the house or office, then cutting them back during the day. Makes sense I guess. The water they're running in the mornings isn't that much and it doesn't take long for it to drop out once they shut it down.

These darker days seem to make the trout bite a bit better. Today, the wind has laid down though so the fish are going to be a little hard to fool and easier to spook. If there's just a little breeze, our trout get active and start looking for stuff to eat. That's why I tell people to seek out choppy surfaces along the lake.

Up below the dam, wade fishing was been great. There's alot of rainbows up there for the catching. Stripping leeches and buggers in earth colors (brown, olive, black, purple, dark red) #10's to #6's in deeper pools (from the cable half way down to outlet #2, between #2 to the top of rebar, the big hole area down thru the KOA).

Stripping soft hackles in red, olive, black or yellow #14's and #16's where there's a little current and/or where there's a chop on the surface of the water; stripping a crackle back in lighter colors (white hackle/red, yellow, orange body) #14 in same areas and conditions as soft hackles.

Dry flies #8 stimulator in yellow or orange, #12 olive elk hair caddis, #14 renegades, #14 black ants worked against the banks, especially a bluff or high bank.

Midge larva and pupa fished where rainbows are feeding on midges, either on the surface or under the surface- #20's to #24's thread midge or emergers in cream, brown, olive or red. Either grease the line or use a small indicator but it must be small and light like a palsa not to spook the trout that are feeding. They tend to be either in shallow water or close to the surface when feeding on midges to the line or indicator will scare them easily.

Zebra Midge #14's to #20's in red, black, olive, rust, pearl using a variety of heads, mainly tungsten, fished below an indicator targeting feeding rainbows. Depth of fly depends on trout activity. If they're feeding close to the surface, set the indicator about 10 inches. If not, set it at 2-4 feet.

Scuds and sow bugs #12's to #20's but mainly #16's and #18's in olive, varied shades of gray, tan and brown. Some have been tying a bit of orange in the dubbing imitating a pregnant or dead scud. Either use weighted flies or use a small split shot. Areas- anywhere from the cable down to Fall Creek.

Tippet - 5x-6x for most nymphs (scuds, sow bugs), 4x for most woolies and leeches, 6x for most zebras, and some midges but when using the smallest midges, use 7x, dries- depends on the size of the fly.

Micro jigs, mainly in olive, black and brown. Set the indicator about 4-5 feet deep and seek out choppy water. Marabou jigs will work too. one-eighth to 1/125th oz in sculpin, sculpin/orange, sculpin/ginger, black/yellow, olive, sculpin/olive have been good colors. Areas- anywhere on the lake basically but the best areas have been from Lookout down thru Fall Creek, Fall Creek thru Cooper Creek and even further down to the Landing.

Marabou jigs worked straight-lined without a float, sizes from 1/32nd oz to 1/8th oz, depending on tackle (line size and rod size) and conditions of water and weather. If it's windy, it's hard to work a small jig. Four pound line is standard but some use 2 pound. Six pound it way too big.

Cranks baits like rapalas, pointers and rogues have been working fair. Work them against bluff banks around falled trees and structure for browns and open water for rainbows. Windy conditions or during generation is best.

Live bait- air injected night crawlers are best. Either drift them on the bottom when water is running or anchor and use them still fishing. Best to anchor close to the banks and off the channel and throw into the channel or up off the channel on the sides. Don't anchor and block channels- will just cause frustration to you and other boaters. Best areas are from Fall Creek to Short Creek.

Gulp Power Eggs are working good too. Use one white and one other color- pink, orange or yellow. Use 4 pound line, preferably green or clear. Use a small split shot to get the bait to the bottom.

Winter Trout Fishing

We're at the end of a very unusual year here in the Ozarks, one that hopefully won't repeat itself any time soon. Spring flood waters made our fishing season a tough one, continuing into the fall months and disrupting our fall brown trout spawning run.

Warm water plus low dissolved oxygen issues put alot of stress on our trout, especially up close to the dam but all that is now behind us and we have winter to look forward to. Cold water heals alot of wounds.

Our trout are in good shape though. We've seen healthy rainbows caught and released here in the last couple of weeks all over the lake. Some good stringers of trout have come into the dock for the supper table too. Most anglers have had good fishing trips here of late.

Our midge population looks to be in great shape. We've had some awfully good hatches almost every evening and our trout are responding in a big way. From Fall Creek to the dam on most days, all you can see are trout dimpling the surface of the water, picking off tiny midge flies as the hatch in the film. Scuds or freshwater shrimp are doing well too. We observe alot of trout up in the shallows nosing around in the gravel for a bit to eat.

December marks the beginning of great winter trout fishing here on Taneycomo. Cold yes but fishing is great. Whether it's a fly rod or spin rod, anglers of all skills can come out and enjoy a day on Taney's water and catch some trout.

Fishing with Jigs on Lake Taneycomo

Phil Lilley, OzarkAnglers.Com

Marabou jigs. I tie them here at the shop, and I also buy them from a tier in Fayetteville, Arkansas. They're easy to tie and even easier to fish. And very inexpensive.

For those who don't have any idea what I'm talking about, they're very simple.

Starting with a hook matching the size jig you're tying (#12 to #6 for smaller jigs- 1/150th to 1/32 and #4 or #2 for up to 1/8th oz jigs) this hook has a 90-degree bend towards the eye, straight shank and a big, bowed belly. The bend is where the lead is poured to form the head, shaped round, flat or oblong for various swimming action.

If you're serious about making your own lures, here's how you get started. You can purchase all the ingredients to pour your own jigs. Bass Pro or Cabalas both carry melting pots, forms and hooks. I'm sure you can find what you need on the internet, too.

For painting the heads I use Power Paint. It's the easiest and best paint for staying power. It comes in two-ounce jars, and I think Bass Pro carries it. Heat the head with a candle or torch, dip it in the powder quickly and hang it to dry. Bake them in the oven at 200 degrees for 20 minutes, and the paint won't come off. Word of warning -- make sure the eyes are clear before baking them. I personally don't bake my jigs. The paint stays on well enough for me without the extra step.

Tying is the easy part. All you need is feathers and thread. Marabou is sold in several different forms. Select 12-piece is long, slender feathers for long tails, strung is the blood quill, approximately 3.5 to 4.5 inches long and is best for tying jigs at high speed. There's also the woolly bugger which is used -- for tying woolly buggers and streamers. For thread I use #130 Denier 6/0 Uni-Thread or #210 Denier waxed nylon, but any brand will do as long as it's the right strength and color. Color should match either the color of the jig or I tie with red sometimes to give it contrast.

Use of chenille is totally up to the tyer/fisherperson. Chenille is a string material, with different colors, material, and thicknesses used for the body of jigs. It's also used for the body of streamers and woolly buggers. "Trout jigs" are normally tied without chenille, but again it's personal preference.

For the tie -- depending on the type of head used for the jig, start your thread just behind the head and wrap over and ahead to secure the thread. If you have a collar behind the head down part of the shaft of the hook, this will help hold the thread, versus a ball head without a collar. If you have no collar and you're wrapping on a bare hook shaft, I would run a bead of head cement on the thread after securing it, making sure the thread and the rest of the material doesn't spin around the hook.

After the thread is secure, peel, cut and lay your marabou over the hook shaft using your off hand. Extending the cut ends of the feathers, hang over the head about 1/8th inch. Loosely wrap the thread once around the shaft, and with the second wrap, tighten the grip down on the feathers. This will ensure that the feathers will drop in place instead of wrapping around as you tighten. Repeat again until the right amount of marabou is applied. How do you know how much is enough? Experience. You can always pinch off the jig if it's too long or pluck out some if it's too big, but you can't add-to once your out on the water.

If you're tying on chenille, leave a space for it behind the head. If not, tie all the way to the head. Using the chenille, tie off the end at the base where your marabou left off and wrap the thread on up to the head. Then wrap the chenille evenly to the head, tying off the chenille and cutting it off. Apply a little head cement.

Equipment is important to ensure success. Line size and brand name is at the top of my list. In my business, I get to try lots of line, and the very best I've found is Seagar's CarbonPro. It's 100% fluorocarbon. The two pound I use is very strong, comes off the reel extremely smooth, and holds my knots well. I haven't broken off a trout yet using it. Second best is P-Line fluorocarbon coated line in clear or moss green. It's not quite as thin as Seagars (.0055 vs .005" dia.). Trilene XL green is still great line and was my choice for years.

A good rod and reel combination is important. If your reel doesn't have a good drag system, use the anti-reel and back reel-- don't trust the drag. Long rods are best for throwing jigs because you can cast longer, with greater sensitivity when working the jig and setting the hook. I use either a six-or seven-foot, one-piece, graphite rod. A one-piece yields a better feel but is harder to transport.

Now you're ready to fish.

Since I live on and fish Lake Taneycomo, I'll talk most about trout fishing with jigs. There are two ways to fish jigs, under a float or throwing them straight without a float. Personally, I get more satisfaction throwing them straight with no float. Why? I guess because what you do with the rod, rod tip and reel directly affects what the jig does, putting me in complete control of whether or not I can fool the fish.

Colors: Since I've found this sculpin-looking color, it's been hard to find any one color that out fishes it. White may be tops at times, but year round, sculpin is the best. It's an olive/brown drab color, close to brown with a little hint of olive green. White works well in the winter here, as well as olive, brown, gray, black, ginger, light lemon, purple, chartreuse, pink and combinations thereof. When do you fish what? I usually stay with lighter colors on bright days and darker colors on dark days but there are always exceptions. I use sculpin all the time.

Using two-pound line allows me to work the jigs without as much drag through the water and with more direct line to the jig. This is important because of the subtle strike you feel with trout. Holding a long rod high in the air when working the jig lets me create an angle to the jig, giving me a better advantage in feeling the strike.

Working close to the bottom of any water I'm fishing is important. Knowing how fast the jig drops and knowing the depth of water is also important. Drop speed depends on the weight of the jig (duh). Also depends on if you let it drop freefall or in a controlled manner. This brings me to a very important aspect of jig fishing.

If you hold the rod up, keeping a straight, taught line to the jig while it's dropping, I call this controlled because the jig is dropping slower because of the drag on the line through the water. If you drop the rod, hold the bale open or both the jig will fall faster without the drag of the line. When working the jig back, the same applies.

I hold my rod almost straight up -- twelve-o'clock noon -- for most of the retrieve. I use the tip of the rod to twitch the jig, letting it drop between twitches. If I perceive that the water is deeper or that I need to drop the jig deeper or faster, I drop the rod tip, allowing the jig to drop deeper and faster, all the while watching the line where it enters the water for movement and feeling the actions for any slight change, bump or slack. I don't reel much, one crank per jig-with-the-rod usually. This is dictated, though, by other conditions -- wind, current and depth of water.

Ever fished with what I call "jerk spoons?" You fish them vertically -- straight down -- jerking them up and letting them free fall. If the spoon stops when it's not supposed to stop, you've got fish. The fish has taken the spoon and is waiting for you to set the hook. Same with these jigs. Watching the line where the line enters the water on a controlled drop is the same as watching the spoon drop. If it goes slack and you know it's not on the bottom, set the hook. If you feel less tension on the lure on a controlled drop, set the hook. If you feel anything different, set the hook. Hook-sets are free, but missing a strike costs you.

I don't move the jig very much when working it. I'd say I may lift the jig 12 to 18 inches or even less. But I do have friends that work their jigs harder and they catch fish. Vince Elfrink of Walnut Shade is one. There are some times you want to work it faster or harder, depending on the water conditions and the fish's disposition. How do they want it? That's what you have to adapt to.

If the trout are biting "short," pinch the jig tail off -- never cut the tail. I've been know to pinch the tail clear off and still catch fish.

In current, I work the jig cross current. Sometime I slow the boat when drifting and work the jig upstream a bit. I rarely work the jig downstream. Although fish will take it that way, it's harder to detect their strikes.

I have another friend that "swims" the jig, constantly reeling and moving the rod tip. And I do consider this fishing buddy, J.D. Dudley of Fayetteville, one of the best jig fisherman there is. He catches a lot of big trout on the White River system.

Using a float is an easy way to ensure good jig fishing. In slow to no water running, we use small, lead head or micro jigs which have pewter heads. During running water, I use heavier jigs such as 1/32nd ounce. Why? The flow we experience here is turbulent, which will move a small jig around in the column of water. Heavier jigs tend to stay down and stable, making it easier to detect the strike. In choosing the float make sure that the jig won't sink it and that you can cast it with ease and see it clearly.

With no generation it's best to find choppy surface water. This will move your float and, thus, move your jig under the float. On glassy water, move the float yourself by twitching the float every 10 seconds or so. Watch carefully for the float to move. A trout may not take the float completely under like a blue gill will. Trout are picky eaters and may take the jig and blow it out without even moving the float.

In moving water, drifting the jig with the water ensures good action. Make sure the drift isn't impeded by the line bowing and causing drag. Keep track of your slack, holding a direct line to the float and jig, making quick hook setting effective. When the trout takes the jig in moving water, the float will tend to stop or appear to move upstream.

Micro Jigs are way over-priced in my opinion. Bill Babler had to talk me into carrying them, but he has made a believer out of me as far as effectiveness. They do catch trout better then conventional marabou jigs in most cases. But it sure hurts three times more when you break one off!

I hope this enlightens you enough to try jig fishing. Trout are easy to release when hooked on jigs, especially if you bend the barb down on the hook. You may miss a lot of strikes but will hook a lot more fish than with bait. Have fun!

Lilleys' Landing Resort & Marina

Basic Trout Fishing on Lake Taneycomo

Basic Trout Fishing

Four main ingredients are needed for a successful trout fishing trip:

1. Two to four-pound line is a must when using almost any kind of trout bait or lures. There are a few exceptions. Bigger crank baits like Rapalas and Rouges are larger spoons and spinners require heavier line such as six- or eight-pound test. The line should be green or clear, not incandescent or blue. Monofilament is good. Flurocarbon in ok. Braided line I wouldn't recomend.

2. A good ultra-light rod and reel are the best. The rod should be five- to seven-foot long with medium to light action. The reel needs to be one that holds plenty of line with a good drag system.

3. Small weights, hooks or lure are important because hook size is critical. Trout, especially rainbows, have small, soft mouths. Numbers 6, 8 and 10 are average sizes for any type of bait used. Short, bronze hooks are recomended. Weights should only be heavy enough for successful casting. You won't be able to feel the trout bite if there's too much weight.

4. Patience and a light hand complete the presentation. Trout typically don't strike hard. They tend to pick at their food like a little kid eating spinach. I've witnessed rainbows taking a piece of worm in their mouths only to blow tearing it off the hook. Are they smart? It seems so. But don't give them too much credit. Generally they are easy to catch.

Bait Fishing with no Water Running

There are several techniques to catch trout. One of the most popular and easiest is bait fishing. When the water is not moving, sit in one spot, whether on the bank, on a dock or in a boat. Throw your bait out, let it sink to the bottom, and leave it there, drawing in slack line after the bait hits the bottom. Either hold the rod or set it down until the line moves or the rod tip jerks. Set the hook sharply, then reel. Don't get into a hurry -- enjoy the fight. That's what it's all about. It's a good idea to have a net handy. Trout mouths are soft, and the hook will tear out right at the edge of your reach. When fishing from a boat, the technique is basically the same. Anchor in a good spot, throw out your line and let the bait settle to the bottom. Wait for the strike and set the hook.

Bait Fishing During Generation (moving water)

From the dock or bank, throw upstream using a little more weight. Let the bait sink and bump along the gravel bottom. Trout stay close to the bottom, looking for food drifting by. The strike will feel different than the bumping, like a pull and bump. Set the hook sharply -- harder than still fishing because there will be more slack in your line from the current. One thing to remember: The harder the water is running, the more weight you will need to get to the bottom, but too much weight will cause you to hang up more often. When drifting, position your boat sideways in the current. This allows everyone in the boat to fish directly behind the boat and cause fewer tangles. A drift rig is a pre-made rig with about 36 inches of four-pound line. A hook is tied to one end and and a weight tied to the other. A loop is then tied towards the sinker side of the middle. This is where the line from your rod and reel is attached.

We recommend using a snap swivel. Drag the bait along the bottom as before. The strike will feel the same but a little different than the bumping with a bump-pull-soft bump. It does take time and a little experience to feel the difference in a bite and the bottom.