River Run Outfitter's Carolyn Parker with beautiful Lake Taneycomo Rainbow Trout
BRANSON, Mo., September 27– 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
Taneycomo tail waters were still giving it up for our fly fishermen last week. We had many reports coming in from locals who fish here frequently and visitors’ telling us fishing was very good for them. It is safe to say that on a scale of one to ten, we are staying up high.
Along with the great fishing, the fall weather which officially began Friday has been wonderful with sunny days and cool nights. Branson is looking at slight chances for rain through Wednesday followed by another good looking weekend.
The wading conditions still continue to be favorable for fly fishers. Water was off every morning last week with generation beginning in the early afternoon. When the generation gears up, we have most often seen two units going. Last Friday three units ripped downstream and messed up the river for awhile. The water gets so dirty sometimes when it starts, you can’t keep a fly clean enough to fish. You might as well take a break when this happens. In general we don’t think much will change in the pattern of generation releases.
The best flies for us and our customers were zebra midges. The number one color for the week was the primrose and pearl, followed by the copper dun, the ruby, the black, and the rusty. Best streamer is still the CQ which is like a size 8 olive wooly bugger with a wild hair and we fished it with a sinking leader or sinking tip line. We caught some fish on the filoplume with the takes stopped on the CQ. The dark olive and the red ass soft hackles were working well especially in the early morning. We used the peach or apricot egg as an attractor with a primrose dropped and caught fish on both flies. In fact, we had several outside reports telling us that the trout were taking egg patterns in the peach color and chartreuse. With a little generation and a good flow, the Big Ruby with a red San Juan was a good combo too.
Of course, if you want to fish in the runs by the hatchery or any faster riffle you can find, you should have some tan or gray scuds, trout crack, or G bugs. I watched one of our Louisiana patrons catch fish after fish on a gray scud last Friday while we were fishing the CQ. The CQ was doing just as well. Guess it was day you could do what you liked.
Last week the clients on our guide trips came from California, Connecticut, Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana, and as far away as England. It’s amazing how many places people come from to fish here at Taneycomo. When it fishes good, there’s no better place to go.
Submitted by Carolyn Parker, River Run Outfitters
Lake Taneycomo by Eric Prey, FocusedFishing.com
Generation has been exclusively at night making it a little more difficult for most Branson fishing guides. Successful anglers have been mixing and matching their presentations throughout the day to stay with the trout. Early the best bite continues to be with a small jerkbait or Zig Jig worked around wood cover and boat docks. Branson fishing guides will position their boats so casts can be made more or less parallel to the cover, cast beyond wood or dock and work a jerkbait with an erratic stop and go retrieve back to the boat. The Zig Jig bite is very similar; cast the jig to the cover allow it to fall to the desired depth and work the jig back to the boat with a series of twitches.
As the sun comes up Trout Magnets and micro jigs fished below a small float continue to work on wary Taneycomo trout. Cast the rig close to cover and allow the wind or current to move the float and bait. The only action you need to impart are small twitches, basically try to cause the float to “bulge” on the surface. Most Branson fishing guides will experiment with colors until they get a positive reaction from the trout. Some day’s bright colors such as pink, pink/white and orange are effective on others more subdued browns, blacks and tans have been the ticket.
As the day wears on Branson fishing guides will switch to drift rigs with either prepared bait or live night crawlers. Gulp or Power Bait eggs on drift rig have been very good; usually we mix colors but it seems the trout are reacting to two eggs the same color this fall. Chartreuse, orange, white and pink have been the best colors on prepared baits. When using a live night crawler take about a half of a crawler and inject a small amount of air into it to keep it floating off the bottom. On either drift rig moving the bait very slowly has been key to drawing strikes, a stop and go retrieve has also been working when trout get a little more active.
Submitted by Eric Prey, FocusedFishing.com
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Phil Lilley
Lake Taneycomo by Phil Lilley, Ozark Anglers
The trout fishing has been great this week despite the change in weather. Table Rock is holding steady at around 908.00 feet above sea level. The Southwestern Power Administration has kept the generators off most mornings until about one or two o’clock in the afternoon. Days like this usually give everyone a chance to do the type of fishing they like to do. In the morning when the water is off the wade fishermen have their time and in the afternoon the fishermen who like the generators running have their time.
Up in the trophy area, when the generators are off, the wading has been good. Fishing #16 to #18 Rusty, Primrose & Pearl, or Ruby Red Midge has been great. Fish these under a Palsa Stick On Indicator about eighteen to twenty inches deep. Miracle Flies in yellow or peach have also been good. These both can be fished on 5x Fluoroflex tippet also under a Palsa, but on the bottom, not suspended.
Down below Fall Creek fishing has been good when the water is running. There are a couple of things that are working down here. Powerbait or Gulp in white plus a color, for example, white and pink on a hook at the same time. Fish this on a drift rig on the bottom. Air injected worms fished the same way are also catching fish. Trout Magnets in Pink, Cotton Candy, Sassy, or Salmon Fix either under a float of without a float is good also.
Submitted by Phil Lilley, Ozark Anglers
http://www.ozarkanglers.com/
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.
