I had not been out fishing in over two weeks but the weather at about 4:00 p.m on November 24 was unseasonably warm, the wind was down, and, as I looked out of my window, Lake Taneycomo just seem to beckon.I grabbed my fly rod and headed out the door. When I got up around the bend from Fall Creek I noticed midges rising and decided to fish right there. The boat was in about 3 feet of water and I was fishing back into shore. Without thinking I simply stripped out some line, made a cast, and caught a nice little 13-14 inch Rainbow. Over the next 30 minutes or so I caught about six more, none real small and none over 14 inches. Then I hit a 30 minutes stretch where I didn’t have a hit.
Finally I decided to check the midge and discovered that the indicator had slipped up to within three inches of the midge. Don’t know how long I was fishing that way but I would bet it was just about 30 minutes or so. Point is, I didn’t check or change a thing when I started fishing and that worked well. I didn’t check anything the last 30 minutes and it didn’t work too well. Typically I would change flies or jigs and tippet before each trip but I did not here. I used the same size 18 Copper Dun Midge I had used the last time I had been out set at the same three foot depth with the same tippet even though I was fishing in a different spot, under different weather conditions, and in deeper water. But what if I had hooked into the fish that I fish all year for, the 20 inch plus lunker and it had broken off. Simple fishing and quick but dumb. Typically, if I don’t get a hit after about five casts I check the lure and or change. This day I just kept casting, again, simple but dumb, because cast after cast I wasn’t getting a hit.
Regardless of the fact that it was late in the day, I should have started with new tippet, I use Orvis Mirage 6x and tied on a midge or jig specific for the conditions I was fishing. As I fished, every few casts or so I should have check the fly end to make sure there was no moss etc. on it, that the indicator hadn’t slipped down, and there were no nicks in it. As I was I lucked out early on in spite of myself but that luck ran out during the last 30 minutes.
River Run Outfitters – For their latest fishing report click here.
Chartered Waters Guide Service and Fly Shop .-For the latest fishing report click here.
Lilly’s Landing – For the latest fishing report click here.
Scotty’s Lakefrom Trout Dock – For latest fishing report click here.
Guide Bob Klein of “Bob’s Guide Service” – The following standard default techniques produces fish routinely:
Water Off Conditions (not generating power from Table Rock Dam) – Air injected night crawlers or Orange and Chartreuse Power Eggs, with the Chartreuse on shank of hook and the Orange on tip. Fish them off the bottom with no heavier than 4 pound leader, size 8 or smaller hooks, and just enough split shot to cast. Place the shot so that the bait floats 12-18 inches off the bottom. Spin-A-Lures and Little Cleos have been working well.
Water On Conditions – Orange and Chartreuse Power eggs with the Chartreuse on shank of hook and the Orange on tip, white Power Eggs, bubble gum power bait, or inflated night crawlers bounced off the bottom using the standard "Lake Taneycomo Drift Rig." which is readily available at all Marinas and most resorts on the Lake.
Water Level Information: There is nothing that effects the fishing and the way a person fishes on Lake Taneycomo than whether or not they are running water from the Table Rock Dam. The number to call for a recorded message on current conditions is 1-417-336-5083. For on line information about water condtitions go to http://www.swl-wc.usace.army.mil/WCDS/plots/Web/tab.htm or click here.
Special Regulations apply to the Trophy Trout Area running from Table Rock Dam to the mouth of Fall Creek and to fishing Lake Taneycomo for trout., Click here for an overview of these regulations
History of Lake Taneycomo – .
More Lake Taneycomo Information – An excellent place to get your Lake Taneycomo Questions answered, or any question relating to the fishing and other outdoor topics in the Branson area, is the “Branson Outdoors Activities Forum” which is monitored by your editor and other local outdoor enthusiasts.
