May: Early Spring on the rivers

May 6, 2012: Rod and I had another chance to fish the pothole. There was some generation from Taneycomo coming through the power house with a cold front moving through. It rain on our drive from Springfield but the skies cleared at sunset.  I was able to get to the mid-lake gravel bar and found 13-14 inch male white bass before sunset. Rod found a few whites after dark in the same general area. I fished the three trees after 8 PM, without a bite. My first trip in six weeks without hooking up a walleye; I suspect they are retreating to deeper water with the end of the spawn. Rod and I fished until 9:30 PM before calling it a night.

May 10, 2012: I received a tip of gar pike in the James River below Lake Springfield. My wife dropped me off below the dam; it is called the Tailwaters Access on City Utility property. The first warning of the day was a brown recluse escaping from my wading boots as I laced them up. It was in the truck, next to my wife in the driver’s seat as I was getting into my boots no harm but I did dispatch the spider.

I carried the kayak to the water’s edge, returned to the truck to carry the rest of the gear down to the water. My wife waved good-by and took off; she was to pick me up at the Campbell Bridge in four hours. So, she was going to shop until time to pick me up. Within 5 minutes, I realized two boxes of flies were left on the rear bumper of the truck. I immediately called Ann; she called me back thirty minutes later. One of the boxes was found in Kohl’s parking lot a few feet from where Ann parked. The other box was lost, approximately 50-70 streamers; including Clouser minnows, buck-tail streamers, etc. Ouch that hurts; for me time to get back to work trying flies. Ann returned in short time and gave me the box she found; it contained large streamers with a few small gray Clouser minnows.

It was almost 3 PM, I finally shoved off. It was been years since I fished this portion of the river; it had changed significantly with the area around the cave completely different with the main stream taking a different path. I went a little farther downstream and finally had some water to float. The water was low with many of the shoals difficult to pass. I was making a run and the current pushed the kayak into an uprooted tree.  I saw it and thought I would be able to paddle through it, instead I crashed into it. Damn, there goes the rod!!The fly rod was caught in the mess of roots and broke, rendering the rod almost worthless. I floated downstream and parked on a gravel bar.  

My two piece fly rod is now a four piece fly rod. Sometimes things just happen, and for me it was modifying my 9 ft 8 wt Loomis rod, to a 4’10” fly rod. I took a knife and modified it by inserting the tip section into the butt section and placing a tender twig between the sections to secure it. It actually threw a nice roll cast and finally started to see head to tail movement of gar. The rod worked in a pinch and took a few pumpkinseeds, an eighteen inch channel catfish and two small-mouth bass downstream.

The honeysuckle was in full bloom and the perfume was overpowering in some areas with a field nearby of fresh cut hay. There were several sightings of white tail deer along the water’s edge.  It was almost 6 PM and I was making my final push to Campbell Street and saw two eagles fly across and downstream. Rod told me later that pair has been nesting there for five years or more. Ann was waiting for me at the bridge and I took out at 6:30 PM, right on time.

It was a memorial trip with a box of flies lost to the road, a broken fly rod. So, back to the tying bench and considering a new rod one that is six foot with the stiffness to roll cast a sink tip line… more to think about.

April: White Bass, white bass and walleye

Sean and I made plans last month to fish three days together for white bass in April. The weather was ideal with the streams down a little due to lack of rain. Bull Shoals has dropped seven feet from two weeks ago and now at 655 ft, ideal for wading. Our first evening of fishing took place below power site dam in the Pot Hole.

Wednesday April 11, 2012: The highlight was catching seven species of fish; a few walleye, small white bass, a couple largemouth bass, a number of crappie, a hand full of bluegill, two perch and a 24-inch drum. The white bass were small; the crappie may have been legal but without a tape measure to confirm the length decided to release them back to the lake. It was after 8 PM; the sun was down with Venus bright in the evening sky. The belt of Orin was in the western sky. At 8:15 PM, the first walleye was caught; it was small, probably near 15-inches and was released. The next cast took a larger walleye that was measured later that night to be 20-inches. Sean had on a large fish and we finally figured it out when we turned on a flashlight to ID the drum. We called it a night of fishing at 9 PM.

Thursday April 12, 2012: We had a short day to fish. I had to be back in Springfield before 5 PM. So we drove north to the Little Sac River near Morrisville. We parked at Taylor Bridge and took a canoe upstream to the power line hole. I fished below the power line hole with six fishermen above me fishing the S-curve; all catching white bass. We fished until 3 PM and caught just short a limit.

Friday April 13, 2012: The day was wet with thunderstorms in the surrounding area. The rain was light for most the day but the passing storms did provide some lightning. The white bass were not interested in our flies during the heavy rain and storm activity. After the second storm passed, the white bass calmed down and took our flies. Sean and I had a good afternoon of catching white bass with only a few other fishermen in the area. At 4:30 PM, I took Sean back to Taylor Bridge; he was to return to St. Louis.

Rod came in at 4:30 PM and we went back to fish earlier. There were several fishermen in the hole, but we found other places to catch a few more white bass. Rod released a 16-inch walleye, since it was after 6 PM. It was about this time we could hear thunder off in the distance and it was rumbling and we knew in a short time another storm would be over us. We moved downstream at sunset, and made our way back to Taylor Bridge after 8 PM. The thunderstorm was over us with intense lightning and thunder. Several ground to cloud lightning hit near us and we rowed our way downstream. As we lift the canoe to the rack on my truck, all HAIL broke loose with pea size hailstones, heavy rain and lightning. I made it home for a sandwich and cleaned fish until 11 PM. Saturday the stream came up and foot and Sunday the data indicated the stream rose five feet. Fishing will be good next week with a new run of fish moving up during this high water.

Wednesday April 18, 2012: I met Rod on the Little Sac River, we planned to meet at Taylor Bridge but I was late getting there after a drive from Bennett Spring State Park getting ready for the MTFA State Derby. Rod had walked upstream an hour later, I found him near a feeder creek. He loaded his gear into the canoe and we continued up stream. Days earlier the Little Sac was up five feet and it dropped as fast. The level was at 3.5 ft with a good flow. There were many local fishermen near Taylor Bridge with no one up stream in the power lone hole. We found a few white bass along the banks with Rod catching and releasing a channel catfish. The catching was better after sunset, one could see moving fish in the shallow waters. We managed to put a limit in a cooler.

Saturday April 21, 2012: I received a call from Rod at noon, he and Keith fished Friday night in the Pothole and did well catching many species of fish, including a number of 17-inch white bass, a few walleye with one over 22-inches. That was all the information I needed. That evening I returned to the Pothole before 6 PM. I caught a few small crappies on a smaller fly. It was nearly 7:30 PM and I put on a large streamer tied for walleye. I managed three for the evening with the largest measured 21-inches. The cold front moved in during the day and the night was cool, there was forecast of local freezing. Now it is beginning got feel like spring.

Sunday April 22, 2012: Rod and I decided to return to Bull Shoals. I decided to check out a spot Paul and I would visit in the spring for white bass. There was a good flow from Taneycomo and a current in Bull shoals all the way to Swan Creek. We fished above Swan Creek and managed a few large white bass, one measured over 17-inches. We moved at 7 PM to fish the Pothole at sunset. There were only a few people fishing the banks, the two boats left when we arrived. Rod found his spot and caught several species of fish; a smallmouth over 18-inches, four white bass over 16-inches, three short walleye, and a few small large-mouth bass. I caught a few small white bass before 8 PM and picked up two walleye after 8:30 PM, one was 20.5 inches. The night was pleasant with a thin crescent moon following the sun into the western sky. Rod and I called it a night of fishing at 9:30 PM. 

March: Bull Shoals, Beaver Creek, Swan Creek and more...

I had an opportunity to fish three evenings this week. For me, fishing the Pot Hole below Power Site Dam is my best option to possibly catching a trophy walleye. I know the area from the dam to Swan Creek and places to fish.

Friday, March 9, 2012: I drove to the east side of the Pot Hole late afternoon; a clear blue-sky day, a moderate wind with some riffles on the water. After parking the truck, I watched Harvey Ragsdale cast for a short time into the pool near the three trees. He drove down solo, wanting to see if the white bass were biting. We talked for a short time, before he decided to call it a day. I walked straight out from the point just above the three trees and found the gravel bar. A short time later, Ty Ingram drove in and we fished together until 7:30, before he decided to call it a night. He did release a bluegill over nine inches. I fished until 9 PM with one 14-inch large mouth returned to the water. There was no generation from the powerhouse with the wind blowing towards the dam. It made for a tough evening of fishing.

Saturday, March 10, 2012: I attended a meeting for the MTFA at Bennett Spring State Park, which started at noon. It was almost 3 PM, when I returned to Springfield. I returned to the Pot Hole, hoping for some current. Again, the powerhouse remained quiet. Warren Wilkerson and Joe Davis pulled in behind me on the east side of the Pot Hole on River Run. We walked out to the gravel bar and in a short time I hooked a 16-inch walleye, which was returned to the water. A short time later, I hooked and released a seven-inch bluegill.

It was after 8:30 PM; Warren and Joe were getting ready to leave. I caught up with them and we decided to check out Swan Creek. There was some talk that Swan Creek had a few white bass caught a few days earlier. We walked the high banks of Shadow Rock Park walking from the bend to the mouth of Swan Creek and saw no movement in the water. It was after 9 PM and we all called it a night.

Sunday, March 11, 2012: It was a persistent overcast day, with forecast made by NOAA for increase chances of rain and possible thunderstorms. It was after 2 PM, and I made the drive back to the Pot Hole. It started to rain hard when I turned off of Hwy 65 and made my way to Forsyth on Hwy 160. When I drove down River Run several vehicles were on their way home. I parked the truck and saw the last of them leave. There were several flashed of lightning with little or no wind, but the rain continued to fall. While sitting in the truck when I realized my raincoat was in Springfield; going through my fishing bag I found a $ 0.99 light plastic poncho for an emergency. It actually worked with my overcoat and hood staying dry in the torso area. I fished the east side until 5:30 PM and decided since there was not any water flowing, perhaps a lost cause. So, I decided to look at Silver Creek, just .25 miles downstream. I drove cautiously down the wet, muddy lane and parked on some gavel some distance from the water and walked in. Silver Creek was muddy with a slow flow into Bull Shoals. A little farther down the road, I came across a Ford four-wheel drive truck stuck in the mid with a family of three. They were working to get it out with winches and straps, progressing an inch at a time. I helped for an hour before getting the truck moving again. The waders were wet inside due to perspiration and covered in mud on the out side. I walked back to the truck and drove to Swan Creek. The waters around Shadow Rock Park were dirty with low flow; again no movement in the water. I worked the water from the bend to 160 bridge, catching a small line bass and watching a small white bass chase my fly. I left Swan Creek and checked out the waters 200 yards upstream from the mouth of Swan with no takes. It was 8:30 PM; I decided to try one more spot. I drove back to the Pot Hole and fished the west side. I left the truck near the sycamore tree and walked down to several spots Paul and I use to fish. I tied on a purple/orange buck-tail streamer. The powerhouse was starting to push some water through with the currents beginning to move. With a first cast I hooked a large fish, after a short fight brought it to shore and hit it with a flashlight. It was a large walleye; I dispatch it and continued to fish until 9:30 PM without another bite.

I left the Pot Hole and drove to the fish cleaning station to measure the walleye and to my surprise; it was 27.5 inches with a 15.5 girth. A calculation later at home determined it to weigh 9.2 lbs.

Two fishermen came to the cleaning station; they caught a few walleye and told of the MDC coming in Tuesday night to shock the waters for their annual survey. It is my feeling the fishing will only get better.

MARCH 15, 2012: Another day off with unseasonably warm weather, my plan was to fish all day if there was rain. Instead the day turned out mostly sunny. So, I worked in the yard until 4 PM and I rode down with Rod Pennington after 4:30 PM to fish the Pot Hole, since there was moving water from Table Rock Dam and the water was passing through Power site dam with the water level steady at 654 ft. We parked on the west side and worked our way towards the dam since there was a good current with the water moving towards the island. We caught an assortment of fish including; white bass, large-mouth bass, walleye and blue-gill.

The walleye was legal, since it measured 18.5 inches. Rod and I watched the western sky after sun set, two planets; Venus and Jupiter were in close proximity and very bright before following the path of the sun hours after sun set. We finished the night on the east side fishing in front of the three trees and caught another white bass. We called it a night at 10 PM.

MARCH 20, 2012: Rod and I left his house at 4 PM and returned to waters below Power Site Dam. The rain started when we arrived and parked on the east side of the Pothole before we began to fish. There were a few fishermen in the area, with more on the west side throwing their bait and sitting on buckets. There were a few claps of thunder as we fished. The water was flowing through the power house and over the top of the dam with Bull Shoal lake level at 654 ft and on the rise; the water did come up six inches while we fished, actually reaching rod’s vehicle after dark. We watched a fellow with an ultra-light spinning rod with a small gray jig take a limit of white bass. Rod found the white bass some time later, his largest white bass for the night measured eighteen inches. He took ten fish to the cleaning station.

Ty Ingram drove down thirty minutes after we arrived and fished with us for a short time. He reported some activity at Beaver Creek. Ty did take a twenty-inch walleye and a few white bass. Most people left after 7:30 PM, Rod and I continued to fish until 9 PM. I caught two walleye, one fish was 22-inches and the other was ten inches and released. I kept seven white bass several measured seventeen inches with the smaller white bass returned to the water.

On this night, we did see the MDC return with their boats and shocking equipment. They took the boat to the powerhouse and worked another boat along the west bank below the pothole. Last Tuesday night, they shocked the water for their annual survey. We stop and talk with Justin and other MDC personal about their activities and why they returned. We were told they needed more walleye eggs and they had some eggs in a bowl mixing with a turkey feather. These eggs will go to Chesapeake Fish Hatchery. As of this posting, Bull Shoals has come up five feet. The rivers and streams are up, many at flood level. The fishing will begin to get interesting, time to start looking for the this weekend.

March 25, 2012: I made a return trip to Bull Shoals and carried along my kayak. The water level has risen since my last trip seven ft with a lake level of 661 ft. (March 20,2012: 654 ft)

My how conditions change with some rain. I did look at Swan Creek and drove up stream from Shadow Rock Park to the bridge. Since, the bridge and road project a few years back very little cover for the fish. I am sure the white bass will migrate up Swan Creek in the evening only to return to the lake during the day.

I drove down River Run and parked the truck just above the waters edge, unloaded the kayak and made my way out into the moving water. Taneycomo has been up (a normal lake level of 700 ft) and now at 710 ft with all four generators going. This water will stay in Bull Shoals for the summer with a slow release in Arkansas through out the summer. Of course wee know it is capable to rise and other 33 ft if necessary, recall last year.

View from my kayak

I fished along the tree edge and picked up a few large mouth bass and a thirteen white bass. It was after 7:30 PM, the sun went behind the trees on the west bank and I position myself near the three trees throwing into the deeper water, it was near 8 PM and I took another large walleye, figured 7.5 lbs, 26 inches in length and a 15.5 inch girth.

I fished until 9:30 PM, broke off on the bottom and decided to call it a night. I will probably look at new water and will get out on Thursday.

April: White Bass, white bass and walleye

It is a pleasure when plans are made to fish and it all comes together without a hitch. Jim Scheve and I spent one day on the North Fork of the White River. Sean came down from St. Louis and fished with me for three days. My fifth day of fishing Rod Pennington spent the afternoon into night fishing the Pot Hole. The weather was near perfect, the lake and stream levels are predictable, the fish were plentiful and of quality size. April is the best month of the year to fish.


April 6: Jim Scheve and I left Springfield at 6 AM and took a drive down Hwy 60 going east. Our destination was the North Fork of the White River. We drove over Blair Bridge at 8 AM and stopped in to see Craig at Pettit’s canoe rental. The river was clear. It was low for this time of the year, the stream level was 2.85 ft and the flow at 600 cfs; it made for comfortable wading. The day was sunny with a strong wind blowing upstream most of the day. We landed 26 rainbow trout, with Jim catching a male over sixteen inches and had a break off.


On this day, no other people were seen on the river. It was a delight getting out, passing the day with the sounds of the river, wind passing through trees and birds calling out to each other. We finished the day at 6:30 PM and had the setting sun in view on our way back to Springfield. It was a good day.

April 7: Sean and I made a quick run to the Little Sac River to get a feel for the stream and to figure out where the white bass may be located. We had only a short time and had to leave the river by 3 PM since the MTFA club had a MSU class that evening. Stockton Lake level was 868.8 ft with the Little Sac River level at 3.1 ft, flowing at 180 cfs; It is very low for this time of the year. Sean caught and released two dozen white bass in a short time and we took three walleye home that afternoon. We left the river at 3 PM and made it to class on time. It would have been a great evening of fishing.

April 8: The next day Sean and I returned to the Little Sac River. There were very few people fishing, much less than expected, putting very little pressure on the fish with one canoe passing through and a boat leaving as we arrived at 1:30 PM. We found white bass in a short time and continued to pickup fish past the power line hole. I did fall into the stream, slipping on a muddy bank going into the stream and went in head first, not my first baptism and probably not my last. We figured 75 white bass released and two walleye released due to us leaving after 6 PM. It was a good day of catching fish. The Little Sac white bass spawn was in progress. The weekend was probably excellent fishing with all the fish moving into the stream from the lake.

April 9: Sean and I were invited to a fish fry by Norm Collison and his family at Kissee Mill park on Beaver Creek. We heard about all the fish on James River from Norm’s brothers. Every one caught limits of large white bass with a large number of boats and fishermen at Galena the night before. We ate lunch and bid farewell at 1:30 PM and looked at fishermen’s nose and slough hollow, fish were seen with fishermen tethered to full stingers of white bass. Beaver Creek was low and clear. The day was breezy, full sun and air temperature in the mid-eighties. I was sure evening would bring on a many fishermen and provide combat fishing if we stayed. We moved on and fished Bull Shoals Lake in an area above Swan Creek. In a short time we had people all around us with no hook ups. We decided to look at the Pot Hole. The fishing conditions were less than favorable; bright sun, no generation from the powerhouse and low water, the lake level was at 652 feet. The one and only advantage was a strong breeze from the west blowing over the dam chopping the water surface. Sean and I walked out to the gravel bar and threw across and caught nine walleye that afternoon, three of them save for the icebox.
I hooked a 24-inch carp that was released after a picture, a large-mouth bass was released.


Sean picked up a rainbow trout and several white bass. Dave Cook and Darrell from the Kansas City MTFA came over before sunset and fished with us. They came down from KC to fish the weekend for White Bass and night fish Taneycomo for trout. They were very satisfied with the number of trout caught at Taneycomo Friday night and again Saturday morning. Dave caught a few fish with Darrell having a time fighting and releasing a large drum. One never knows what can be found at the end of a line in the Pothole.

We caught several white bass over sixteen inches with the largest measuring 19-inches. We took a limit of white bass that were filleted and saved for the club fish fry in June. It was an unexpected good day to catch walleye and large white bass. We left the water at 9:30 PM


April 10: This is my fifth and final day for the long weekend of fishing. I picked up Rod at 1:30 PM. We decided to return to the Pothole and fish it into dark. The sky was overcast with threats of severe weather after 10 PM. This day had fewer people on the banks of the pothole with a few boats drifting close us as we fished. We found white bass and walleye in the same area as the day before. Rod landed a 19.5-inch walleye before sunset; this was his first walleye on a fly.

We picked up white bass throughout the evening and into dark. The horn blew at 6 PM and the water can up six inches. We marked the shore to monitor the lake level and continued to fish, finding a few white bass in the pocket water behind the gravel bar. It was a good night of fishing and a great five days of fishing. Warm water fishing can be quite productive, catching many different species of fish. I am very fond of walleye and learning more each time I fish for them.

wb we lm c t
- - - - 11 NF
14 3 1 - - LS
75 2 - - - LS
15 9 1 1 1 BS
19 2 - - - BS
123 16 2 1 12
30 7

April 14: There was time to fish before the MSU class. The closest water for white bass is the little Sac River. I packed the kayak and left Springfield before 11 AM. I paddled my way up stream to familiar and productive waters from recent trips. There were a few small male fish and I took a limit within a few hours. There was time to walk the stream banks and found a few moral mushrooms; sautéed mushrooms with fish. It does not get any better.

I left a little later than planned and had fish to clean. Back in Springfield, finished filleting the fish and made it to MSU on time. I did not have time to change clothes or clean up, the smell of fish was not over powering (for me) but a few comments were made of my presents.

April 19: Rod Pennington and I planned to fish the Little Sac. We watched the weather throughout the day. There were storms lining up in Kansas and Oklahoma with some severe weather forecasted to pass through the Ozarks in the afternoon. We decided to wait until evening and fish the Pothole instead. Rod, his son (Keith) and I left after 6 PM and slipped behind a 40,000 ft thunderhead making its way east along the Arkansas – Missouri border the pavement was wet and the backside of the storm was in view after sun set. There were tornado warnings given for Arkansas on our drive to Forsyth and later a warning for Tecumseh Mo. Our evening was calm with a few distant rumblings of thunder. The lake level was up a few feet when we arrived, there were 15-20 fishermen lining the banks and considerable signs of fish in the water. We fished the north side and caught a few white bass. It was not the number of fish we hoped for but it was a good night of fishing. We stayed until 9 PM and left to clean our fish.

4/28/2011: The MSU class went to Mountain spring near Highlandville for an evening of catching trout. The MSU class is an ongoing activity of the MTFA Springfield club. We have taught a PED 135 class for the past six years. It was suggested by past students that we teach landing big fish. Larry made the arrangements for us to meet at the pay-to-fish facility. The trout were large and gullible with many of the students hooking, landing trophy trout and getting a picture before releasing them back to the water.  It proved to be a success evening for the students.

4/30/2011: MSU class traveled to Roaring River state park. There was a significant rain a few days before the outing with the water up a foot and dirty. Earlier in the week there was some flooding in the camp areas with some areas still closed. Fishing was difficult due to high and dirty water. Both of the students fishing with me did find a few trout. A dry fly worked in shallow water and a wooly bugger worked in deep pools. It was a success day of fishing with catching somewhat challenging.

April Chasing White Bass

April is without a doubt the best month of the year to catch fish. Paul Henry taught me how and when to look for white bass in April. These days are usually warm and pleasant to be out on the water looking for fish. Paul and I would fish Bull Shoals Lake, Stockton Lake and the steams flowing into these reservoirs lakes. The white bass run is predictable in the spring, if you know the ideal conditions. The conditions include temperature, water level, fishing pressure and a few more variables to add to the confusion.

I was able to get out for ten outings with my cousin Mel and Sean, my son for the month. Mel is from Kalamazoo, Michigan; he drove down to fish with me for the week in early April. This was Mel’s third trip in the past five years. The past trips he made in early April were cold and it was difficult to find white bass. A number of cold fronts did move through again, but for the most part the weather was good. Sean drove down from St. Louis for a four-day weekend to fish for white bass towards the end of the month. 
We were successful finding fish with the trips rated from good to a few excellent outings.

4/6/10: For our first trip, Mel and I left Springfield in the afternoon and drove to Galena to fish the James River, accessing Blunk public access and paddling up stream to Taylor Shoal. We took the canoe with the oars and a kayak. The James was up several feet according to USGS Real-Time Water Data for Missouri. There was a 20 to 30-mpr wind blowing down stream. I took the kayak and met Joe Simecek and Norm Collison half way to Taylor Shoal. Joe was having trouble with his boat and not able to get the gearshift into neutral. After some shaking and tapping on the cable, Joe had the boat underway and took it up stream. They had already caught a few small white bass. Norm’s brothers came in another boat an hour later with everyone catching fish. The white were small one-year-old fish with excitement by all hooking and landing white bass. Mel and I went up stream a little farther ad around the bend. We managed two limits of white bass, which were released. ***




4/7/10: The next day our next destination was the Little Sac. The water gauge was at 3.5 ft. Mel and I left after lunch and headed for the Little Sac River near Morrisville. This was my first trip to this water for the year. The conditions were normal water flow with the water cloudy from silt erosion. There was little flow at Taylor Bridge indicating a trip up stream would be necessary to find fish. Jim Ludden drove in, as Mel and I were about to get in our watercraft to go upstream. We invited Jim to fish with us. We stopped at the first shoal and found a few white bass right off. Jim wore hip waders and had a difficult time wading deep enough to find fish. We fished near the power line hole and had moderate success catching twenty plus white bass and keeping a limit for Jim. ***



4/8/10: Day three with Mel, I decided to show him The Pot Hole filled with water. The lake level was at 662.0 and starting to drop. It would still be too deep to wade and we took the canoe and kayak. Mel started right off catching white bass
 from the kayak and discovered how uncomfortable casting from a sitting position can be. We stayed in the three-tree area covering waters near the edge. It was after eight PM, when we found two walleye catch five minutes apart. We stayed until 9 PM before calling it a night. ***


Mel showing off a pair of walleye



4/9/10: This was Mel’s last day to fish. He made the decision and we returned to the Little Sac. The water level continued to drop and was at 3.3 ft. Charlie Erickson asked to join us and sat in the canoe as I rowed it up stream. Mel took the kayak and had a good time setting the pace. Charlie and I fished below the power line hole. Mel went upstream around the bend and out of sight. Charlie found white bass and caught ten for the day; in addition Charlie released one small mouth and a bluegill. I managed nine white bass. Mel had left us and was upstream of the power line hole. The sun had set and it was dusk, Mel finally came down stream to report having just caught and released 2 walleye with one over twenty inches and eight white bass He released the walleye remembering the 6 p.m. curfew on the Little Sac. In addition, Mel met and fished near John and Dorothy Prugger for a short time. Charlie kept his white bass for a future fish fry, Mel and I released ours back to the river. ***



Charlie Erickson showing how to catch white bass in the Little Sac River



4/10/10: The lake level (661.2 ft) at the Pot Hole continues to drop but remains too deep to wade. Mel left this morning and started his return to Michigan. I decided to fish the Pot Hole hoping to find a walleye after dark. Since it was Saturday, figured there would be a fair number of fishermen in boats populating the lake. I arrived and started fishing at 3 p.m. There were plenty of fishermen with a number of the boats near the dam. At dusk, the serious walleye fishermen came in their slow boats with poles angled off the stern, trolling for their catch. I positioned myself on my knees inside the canoe casting buck-tail streamers to the trees. One of the boaters asked if I was fishing for trout, and I replied fishing for walleye. Needless to say I finally caught a walleye in the night after nine p.m., a boat passed by moments later asking if it was a keeper; they’re watching the crazy guy with a fly rod. I had been fishing on my knees for six hours and the knees were stiff, the back had an ache and I was worn out; another successful night at the Pot Hole. **

4/11/10: My last day of a six day vacation and I decided to finish on the Little Sac River. The gauge was at 3.2 ft with Stockton Lake dropping its level, so the set up will be downstream from the power line hole. There were many canoes and kayaks passing through this evening some had fish on their stringers and others were still looking to catch a fish. I managed a limit of small white bass, which were released back to the river. **

4/17/10: I spent the morning and early afternoon at the Tri-lake Fly Fishers expo in Brighton, MO helping as a casting coach. I took my kayak with me and planned to drive another fifteen minutes to Morrisville to get in some evening fishing. That evening, there was not much of a crowd at Taylor Bridge; the stream level is lower than last week. I decided to go back to where I had some success on previous trips. Again, I found a few white bass catching and releasing a dozen. **

4/23/10: Sean drove down from St. Louis and we decided to dine for lunch at Pizza House. After lunch, we packed up and drove to Little Sac River. There was a forecast of rain when we left Springfield and we did break out the raincoats for several rounds of rain showers while we fished. We went above the power line hole and fished through the bend and below wading gingerly between large rocks and tricky currents swirling around those large rocks. Before the first round of rain, I found some medium size sows along the opposite edge. After the showers, fishing was more difficult. We managed 22 white bass and one carp. ***



4/24/10: It rained over night and the gauge reading from the Internet indicated the Little Sac was on the rise. It was less than a foot, but the gauge was pointing up. So, we changed plans and fished the Pot Hole. It rain and several thunder storms moved in on us throughout the afternoon. Bull Shoals Lake continues to drop (558 ft) and we were able to wade and pick up a few fish. We caught 13 white bass of size with 12 sows ready to drop eggs. We released the fish back to the lake. **

4/25/10: The Little Sac River water level peaked at nine inches and was beginning to fall, it was dirty but fishable. It was my feeling with this slight rise; another run of white bass should have arrived to spawn. We were a little disappointed not finding a bunch of white bass. We did managed nine females white bass with eggs were released. **



4/26/10: This was Sean’s last day to fish this spring for white bass. He wanted to go back to the Little Sac River; it had dropped six inches from the previous day. Since it was Monday, only two trucks were parked at Taylor Bridge. We found out later, they took a powerboat and went upstream of the power lines. We rowed back to the same area, parked the canoe on a gravel bar. Sean decided to hike above the power line hole. I started at the first broken water and fished upstream. It did not take long and I found a bunch of large white bass. I caught twenty white bass after three p.m. in an hour. The powerboat came zipping by me with no regard to me standing in the water. I had a fish on at the time and left the rod under the water so they would not see I had a fish on. They went down stream of me but within sight, I was still hooking and catching fish after their passing with the water settling down. After a short time they left. I went up stream to find Sean, hoping he found fish. He was around the bend and caught a few. I decided to go up to the fast water and make a quick run. After an hour, I returned to Sean and we went to the area were I found fish earlier. Sean hooked up within a few minutes and he continued to hook one after another. Charlie Erickson was concern earlier in the month, if there would be fish for the club outing June 26th and I told him not to worry. I had a cooler with ice and we each took a limit of white bass, several over sixteen inches with most in the lengths 13-15 inch range. We kept two limits but probably caught over fifty whites for the afternoon. It was a good day of fishing with a task to clean fish, with enough filets for the club outing. If you get out enough, you will get a few days like this, which will motive you to return to the water with a fly rod in hand.






One of many hatches seen in the evening on the Little Sac River