Lake Taneycomo Fishing Report - Branson MO 4/23/09

Well... we're not calling it "fishing" here on Lake Taneycomo anymore, it's now called "drifting". Recent rains have caused Table Rock and Beaver Lakes to rise more than two feet over their power pool levels this week so water continues to flow through Taneycomo down the hill to Bull Shoals. High flows are not unusual for us in the spring. It's actually the norm. Lots of water flow and high winds makes for a difficult day of fishing even for the best of us. Presentation goes out the window replaced with the attempt just to feel the bite which is crucial to catch the fish! What I mean by that is we have to change from our normal fishing, "go-to" patterns like drifting with bait down the river to throwing a spoons, a spinner or crank bait... something that isn't affected as much by wind and movement. That's what we've done and it's working fairly good. Find where the trout are has been equally challenging. But we think we've done pretty well in that department. From Monkey Island down through the Landing is where we're been seeing the most trout caught this week. Last night, my mom and dad took my daughter Sara and I out to eat at the Landing. As we sat outside on the lakefront deck, I watch the slick surface of the lake carefully for rises, and sure enough those rainbows started midging in a couple of areas- one was down by the Princes Cruiseliner and the other up behind the Fish House with a few stragglers inbetween. Midging rainbows means they are feeding on the surface, close to the surface where they'd see a rooster tail or cleo thrown and worked a foot or two under the water. Drifiing Gulp power eggs has been good when the wind is low. Some guys fishing all this week said they did really well drifting from the power lines above Monkey Island down through the island using a white and a chartreuse egg on one hook. Now minnows has been the hot bait till I heard this report. I'd pack a minnow bucket just in case. Had a couple reports from the trophy area this week. Still tough conditions up there but they are catching some good quality rainbows on san juan worm, #10 gray scuds and peach egg flies drifted on the bottom. Morning and evenings have been the best time to get out and enjoy this drift.