August 3 Fishing Report

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I haven’t written a fishing report in almost a month — which may be a record… not a good one, I guess. Between traveling and home projects, I’ve only been out on the lake the last couple of evenings.

We had quite a July, didn’t we? Sure love this global cooling. Fish do, too. Generation has been different almost every day. We check the Southwest Power Administration charts every afternoon to see what generation is planned for  the next day — a lot of our guests come in and check. It’s been fairly accurate. Most mornings the water is off but then running in the afternoon — up to four units. I’ve heard the same thing everyone has heard about Beaver Lake dropping, which should result in more generation here, but we haven’t seen it yet. Table Rock is in good shape, not high at all, so we’ll see what happens here in the next couple of weeks.

Fly fishing below the dam has been fair to good, depending on the time and day. Anglers are still catching rainbows on dries — beetles, ants and some midges. With all the rain we’re having, San Juan worms in brown and tan are working well in the swifter moving water and with the water running. Scuds in #18’s and #20’s in tan, olive and brown have been good but require use of 7x tippet, especially in sunny weather.

From a boat, they’re using either micro jigs or small 1/125-ounce jigs under a float when the water is off both above Fall Creek and below. With no wind, the bite has been REALY light, barely moving the float, so you really have to pay attention. And again, two-pound line is a must. Change colors if you’re not getting bit. Guide Vince Elfrink reported NOT catching fish on olive but changed to sculpin and did well. There’s not much difference in those colors… but it made a difference for Vince. If they stop hitting one color, don’t keep fishing it, change. Change depths, too.

Evenings are great to get out on Lake Taneycomo. There has been very little boat traffic, and it’s been great out there with just mild fog. The water starts to drop out about 7 p.m. I’ve been fishing from Lookout to Fall Creek throwing 3/32-ounce jigs and working the middle to channel side of the lake. I tried a white jig and the trout ran from it. Best color has been a combo sculpin/ginger jig. There seems to be pockets or schools of trout holding here and there, not spread out throughout the area. I’d go for several hundred yards without a bite then get three or four trout in a row. The size of the rainbows I’m catching are still very good. Had one pushing 19 inches the other day. All are fighting real well. Now I have gone to using two-pound  line. I usually do in the fall months when the water gets gin clear and the trout get a little fussy about the line size. I’ve been telling anglers who are fishing below the dam the same thing – go to 7x flourocarbon and you’ll get bit more often. I did see some fish taking dries off the surface as the water dropped out last evening along the bluff bank. I didn’t have my fly rod or I would have tossed a beetle or elk hair at them. It’s getting time for dry fly fishing to get REAL hot. Fun times!

Below Fall Creek, Bill’s been catching some REAL nice rainbows on night crawlers, water running or not. Anchor in the middle of the lake and throw to the channel when the water is not running. Inject the worm with air using a blow bottle. Four pound line is okay,  but two-pound will catch you more fish. Also, I’d think you’d do well working 1/8-ounce jigs along the bluff bank while the water is running. If these are rainbows that have come out of the trophy area, they should take a jig well. Dark earth colors are the best — brown, sculpin, olive and combinations  right now. Of course, a jig and float will work in this area, too. Best when there’s a chop on the water but if it’s slick, pay close attention to the float because the fish might not move it much on the bite. With the water off, anglers have  been catching rainbow on Gulp Power Bait, anchoring on the shallow side and throwing to the middle from Short Creek up to Fall Creek. Anchor off the channel and you won’t have boats running over you all day.