River Run Outfitter's Carolyn Parker with beautiful Lake Taneycomo Rainbow Trout
BRANSON, Mo., July 5, 2012 – The most comprehensive fishing report available Branson’s Lake Taneycomo submitted by people who fish the lake on just about a daily basis. As used in this report “Trophy Area” refers the portion of Branson’s Lake Taneycomo between the mouth of Fall Creek and the base of Table Rock Dam. It is the primary wade fishing area, a trophy management area and has special regulations and limits in effect within the area. Natural baits, Gulp and soft plastic baits are illegal in Trophy Area. but ok for the other 19 miles of Lake Taneycomo.
Lake Taneycomo Trophy Area – Fly Fishing – by Carolyn Parker, River Run Outfitters
Hot and hotter pretty much sums it up for the last couple of weeks. Generation has been fairly consistent here at Taneycomo with flows off in the morning and then on again with a couple of units in the afternoons. We can continue to expect that with the extreme heat in the weather forecast. Early in the day the current flow is very slow to almost flat through the wide stretches, and you’ll see trout dimpling the water after emergers through mid morning.
On our guide trips the past couple of weeks, best colors for zebra midges have been rusty, ruby, primrose and pearl, and the black with the copper head. Fishing them under a very light indicator or the Big Ugly or some other dry is a good idea because of the clarity of the water and the spooky nature of the trout in these conditions. Stripping soft hackles in yellow, orange and green, 56-er’s, and the holographic cracklebacks has been working too. Olive streamers are still on the top of the list too for effective flies. Wooly buggers, filoplumes, leeches fished slow and on the bottom have caught some good fish lately.
Actually, stripping anything has been rousing up more fish during low water than the indicator rigs. That said in the outlets and few places where there are fast riffles the small gray scuds size 16-20 are still great. Small peach eggs and San Juan worms in red, pink and tan are good in those places too. Some of the fellas who regularly fish around the hatchery have tied up a big white chenille worm that is a size 10 and it has been turning the trout on.
That time of the year is here when terrestrials like ants and grasshoppers and small dries will bring fish up. This past weekend the Big Ugly was doing just that too. Dry dropper combinations ought to work.
When the generators kick on, we go back to nymphing the Big Ruby with or without a midge dropper and stripping the streamers behind a sinking leader in the seams and below the islands.
Fishing has been pretty good on a scale of one to ten for us. Some of the waders coming into the shop say it has been tough or slow for them, and then the next guy comes in and he has caught thirty fish. Best advice we can give you is keep changing your flies until you find the one that turns the trout on and get your feet in the water and keep cool.
Submitted by Carolyn Parker, River Run Outfitters
Lake Taneycomo – by Eric Prey, FocusedFishing.com
The lack of generation has made the trout fishing a little tougher over the past week. The best presentation has been Gulp or Power Bait eggs on a drift rig worked close to cover like docks and sunken trees. Jigs are working as well but downsizing and working the bait slowly is critical to draw strikes. Rather than making an erratic retrieve simply shake the jig while slow retrieving it back to the boat. Finally Trout Magnets are still working, browns and other dark colors fished about six feet below a float has been the best option.
Submitted by Eric Prey, FocusedFishing.com
Don’t Miss Eric’s Tournament Fishing Radio on ESPN 1400 AM Springfield
Mondays 5:30pm and Saturdays 5:00 am or on-line at www.espn1400.com
Phil Lilley
Lake Taneycomo by Phil Lilley, Ozark Anglers
Generation patterns remain about the same this week with the water off for the mornings but two units running later in the afternoon into the evening. Water temperature is a chilly 45 degrees coming out of Table Rock Lake while the air temps are reaching the upper 90′s into the triple digits in the heat of the day. There has been very little wind in the mornings with a welcome slight breeze starting about 11 a.m. and on into the afternoons.
No wind, sun and no generation means tough fishing for the most part. As Bill Babler would say, “We’re not getting rich out there.” But we’re not getting skunked either. Being stealthy and patient is the key. Use small line and stay with it. Pay close attention and take advantage of each “bite” because you won’t get a whole lot of them.
Air-injected night crawlers are still the best live bait being used for rainbows. Inject air into the worm, using the head of the worm, hooking it only once at the ring. Set your weight about 18 inches from the worm–that’s how far the worm will float off the bottom. Use two-pound line if possible because our water is very clear.
Berkley’s Powerbait paste or nuggets are working fair in chartreuse or yellow. Same line size. When the water is running, drift with Gulp Eggs using white and orange. Drifting from Cooper Creek to Monkey Island is the best area.
Use Trout Magnets in Sassy, Bison, pink and salmon, with two-pound fluorocarbon and fish them seven feet deep, our guides say, especially after 11 a.m. when the wind picks up and there’s a chop on the water. They are best around and below Cooper Creek, Monkey Island and the Landing areas.
Above Fall Creek in the mornings, fish the deeper pockets way above the Narrows to Lookout and try white thread jigs, cream micro jigs and rusty or red #16 zebra midges under a palsa five-feet deep. Remember to be patient and don’t recast the fly very often. Watch closely for the bite — it’s slight. There’s some nice 15-inch plus rainbow up there that will put up a good fight.
Up below the dam wading in the mornings, #16 black or olive woolies fished on the flats are working fair along with #18 zebra midges rusty or red fished about 12 inches below a palsa where rainbows are midging the surface. At night after the water is off, black or purple pine squirrels stripped slowly are catching some nice rainbows and a few browns on the flats.
Submitted by Phil Lilley, Ozark Anglers
As part of its continuing commitment to serving the community, Branson Tourism Center (BTC), one of Branson’s largest and most respected sellers of vacation planning services, Branson show tickets, attraction tickets and lodging is proud to sponsor this fishing report, the Central Pro-Am Association and K.A.S.T. (Kids Are Special Too). BTC can be reached by calling 800-785-1550 or by visiting their website www.BransonTourismCenter.com. The Central Pro Am Association, through such sponsorship and that of Ranger Boats and Mercury Marine,is pleased to participate in furnishing this report to those fishing the Branson Tri-Lakes area.
