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.

March madness for Walleye

March is the month for anticipation; the signs of spring with warmer temperatures producing crocus, jonquils and swollen buds on the trees waiting for the right time to flower. On a warm March day, the peepers can be heard announcing their time to reproduce and the arrival of spring. The fish become more active with a feeding frenzy before their spawn. I have for several years looked for walleye in the tail waters of Bull shoals or known as “The Pot Hole” in March. My late friend and fishing buddy Paul Henry taught me how and when to fish this water. He had more of a passion for white bass but was more than satisfied to find a walleye at the end of his tippet. Walleye are a predatory fish with well-developed eyes. They have the ability to readjust their vision quicker after dark and see movement in the water at night. There are only a few months out of the year to catch these fish on a fly rod with March and April my time to target these fish.



3/9/10: Jim Ludden picked me up at noon and we drove to Ozark to commute with Russ Doughtry. This was my first trip with Russ, who is a member of both fly fishing clubs in Springfield , a Vietnam Veteran and a proud Grandfather. This was Russ’s second trip to the Pot Hole and he was willing to hang out with Jim and me to fish. We spent the first hour talking and practicing with a spey rod. The wind was out of the south with a strong breeze going down stream. This particular wind direction allowed us only to practice the double spey cast on the right bank. Russ was happy to get some hands on practice with the spey rod. He hopes to find a blank to build his own rod some time soon.



Rain with possible thunder storms was predicted for this day, it turned out to be comfortable with mostly cloudy skies. We fished the right bank for several hours with a five blue-gills released. We made a move and fished near Swan Creek where Jim caught a rainbow. Later, that evening we moved to the left bank below the dam. There was some generation from the power house with some eddy currents flowing towards the rock pile. We managed to hook and landed a 24-inch walleye after sunset. It was quickly dispatched, filleted and served as dinner that night.



The Pot hole has not changed much over the year; it is my intention to fish there this weekend hoping to find another walleye.

March 14: Sunday was the first day of daylight savings time with spring one week away. I returned to the Bull Shoals fishing the Pot Hole area hoping to find some cooperative fish. It was late afternoon, an overcast day with some water coming through the powerhouse. The water was cool and for the most part clear. I started on the right bank. My first catch of the day was a 12-inch trout on a bunny strip. It was quickly returned to the water. There seem to be a number of trout working the surface; I am not sure why there are so many trout? Maybe with the high water of the past two years have pushed the trout over the dam? The MDC does not routinely stock the Pot Hole, and they have repeated this statement when asked. Due impart the tail water of Bull Shoals experiences extreme high water temperatures in the summer. It is considered a waste to stock the Pot Hole area, but over the years we usually find a few trout taking our flies.

It was dusk; I had changed my fly to a buck-tail streamer targeting walleye. Near the three trees, a walleye of eighteen inches was hooked, dispatched and placed in a cooler. I continued to work the same area without any other strikes. It was after dusk and decided to move to the left bank. On my drive to the other side, saw ten deer in the road and on the edge of the road near Silver Creek. I moved to the left bank above the walleye hole. I managed a sucker that caught a hook in his left fin. He was returned to the water. I fished unto the night and called it at 9 PM. My casting started to deteriorate; the break offs were more frequent and I decided it was enough. It was satisfying to have another walleye for a meal.



March 18 (Thursday): There was a break in the weather. The sky was clear, temperatures in the sixties. There was some cold and clear water coming through the powerhouse. A number of bank fishermen on both sides of the Pot Hole. (Possible clue fishing had been good). I did not see any one with a fish on while I sat for the first hour on the tailgate of my truck watching the water, the activities of birds and movement of cars coming and going. It was almost 4:30 PM; I took the kayak off the rack and placed it near the water’s edge. I considered hitting a few areas down current. With my waders on, I walked straight out into the area above the three trees. After navigating some deep troughs found a strip a wash that allowed for knee deep wading that was mid-lake and fifty yards in length. At the end of the run found some nice trout one over sixteen inches and well feed. It was good to tag a few trout even with a #4 streamer.



Many of the fishermen left the area near the dam, so I fished the edge from the power house back to the area above the three trees were I found a few more trout. As evening approached, I changed flies for walleye; large buck-tail streamers. I fished the basins and a few slow eddies. I did not find a walleye this evening. It had been dark for a few hours, without a strike, broke off to a snag, back stiff and decided to called it a night. The clock in the truck said it was after 10 PM, not great catching but the fishing was good.



March 26 (Friday): There has been about five inches of precipitation in the past week with numerous flooding warnings issued for southwest Missouri the past two days. The streams were too high for me to fish so I packed the kayak and looked at the Pot Hole. The lake level last week, the last time I fished was 452 ft, about normal with clear water. Today, the lake level was 458 ft with water flowing over Power Site Dam.

Here is a video of Power Site Dam:



There is too much water to wade, so the kayak came in handy. I paddle to several areas and fished in spots that were successful for Sean and me last year. I did catch a few white bass all over 14-inches and one walleye measuring 21-inches. I fished until 9 PM. On my way home I drove through Shadow Rock Park and saw several fishing carrying large stringers of fish out of Swan Creek. I may consider fishing Swan Creek tomorrow night.

March 27 (Saturday): The weatherman predicted possible thunderstorms later in the day. I left Springfield at 2 PM with a bright sun and a few clouds in the sky. There were a few boats in Swan Creek and numerous cars parked in Shadow Rock Park when I passed by on my way to the right bank. The water level in Bull Shoals remained high and at the same level as the previous day. I talked with a fellow walking back from the powerhouse before getting into the water. He had to walk the high bank to keep his feet dry. He was throwing spinners and roster tails with little success. He showed interest to fly-fishing and mentioned he had seen me fishing on several occasions and was curious. I showed him my flies and gave him several to try. I took the kayak off the truck and pulled on my waders. The sky was getting overcastted with a threat of rain to the south and west. The wind was blowing 20-30 MPR from the south. The skies darken and a few cloud to cloud lightening streaks, indicating my time on the water near trees was probably a bad idea. I banked the kayak and walked back to the truck. The wind started to blow forty MPR plus blowing limbs down and the rain started. I sat in the truck for thirty minutes waiting the storm out. The storm moved on and I walked back to the kayak.



I started at over the area fished earlier and found a few white bass, at sunset, hooked and saved a 21-inch walleye. I continued to find white bass. I caught and released twenty-one, all over fourteen inches and most were sows. It was near 8 PM, a boat had just passed by and I hooked another walleye measuring 23-inches and decided to call it a night.



Several hours sitting in the kayak can be tiresome. All of the fish were caught on one single fly without a change or breaking off. I consider this day of fishing an A+ outing.

April fishing in Southwest Missouri

April fishing trips in southwest Missouri

I took a week off from work (April 6-12) to fish with Sean (son) and Mel (cousin) from Kalamazoo Michigan. Mel traveled to the Ozarks a few years ago to fish with me for white bass. He missed the white bass run due to being too early and low water conditions. We were all hoping for a better week of fishing for white bass.

A few days before Mel’s departure from Michigan, I called to warn him of a cold weather front predicted for the time he was to stay in Missouri. I was not worried if we would get out to fish but if the white bass were ready to bite.

April 6: We did not get out to fish. We stayed inside since it was too cold to fish for white bass, so we tied flies and caught up on family gossip.

April 7: It was a sunny cool day and comfortable in the afternoon. We drove to Bull Shoals to fish the Pot Hole. The water had been running through Table Rock Dam consistently for the past several days. The water was flowing over Power Site Dam. We started on the river run side of the Pot Hole, fishing up to the dam. One sixteen-inch smallmouth bass was taken, three white bass and a large-mouth bass. Mel caught two trout and a large-mouth bass. The osprey was out and about with several vultures catching the up drafts.

April 8: We returned to the Bull Shoals to fish the Pot Hole. A walleye on caught on the first cast of the day; a large mouth bass was released later in the day. We caught and returned five white bass.

April 9: There was threat of thunderstorms and it rain sporadically throughout the day. Mel, Sean and I started the day at Beaver Creek. The stream was silt choked from last year floods and severe erosion of the banks. We managed eleven blue gills, two white bass from the creek, and then the rain came in. We left the creek near the maiden hole slipping and sliding from the greasy mud and we were fortunate to get out without getting stuck. We returned to the pothole were we picked up a large mouth bass and two walleye with the largest measuring 24 inches. We finished the day at mouth of swan creek were we pick up another walleye and several white bass.

April 10: We fished the pothole in the afternoon; there were several fishermen on banks with boats moving about. We picked up two small-mouth bass (one was 16 inches), one large-mouth and two white bass. We moved back to the section above swan creek. Mel picked up a 24 inch walleye and I picked up four more white bass with one measuring seventeen inches.

April 12: Mel left on Saturday and we had a family get together that afternoon. So, we passed up fishing on Saturday. Sean and I returned Sunday afternoon; it had rain most of the afternoon. We caught seven walleye with the keepers being 22, 21, 20 inches. We caught seven white bass with a size range of 14-17 inches. Two 16-inch smallmouth bass and seven smaller ones released in addition to several small large mouth bass returned to the water. It was a cool and drizzle day with very few people fishing.

April 16: Sean and I returned to Bull shoals. The water was overflowing the dam with a good current in the Pothole. The lake level has been on the rise. We fished at different locations and picked up four walleye, four white bass, a crappie, a trout, and a large-mouth bass. We left Forsyth at 5 PM, there was a MSU class at evening and we had to leave before class started at 6 PM. I did make it in time for class with two minutes to spare.

I am finishing up this fishing log 4/19/2009. It should be noted the Springfield area had a 1.5-inch rainfall, which will raise the streams and promote the fish to run. Below are some links I use to monitor the lakes and rivers levels.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mo/nwis/rt

http://www.swl-wc.usace.army.mil/reservoirs-o%20graph.htm

Bull Shoals Lake levels (4/07 653.2 ft) and rising (4/14 654.2 ft) and rising (4/19 655.6 ft)

April 21, 2009: Ralph Eichholz, Sean and I drove to Beaver Creek and started at Kissee Mill Park on Hwy 160. We fished above the bridge and found a few small white bass, small-mouth bass, quillback carp sucker and bluegill.

We picked up white bass from the 160 Bridge at the park to the Big Rock Hole. The lake level in Bull shoals (656.4 ft) continue to raise. With the recent rains, the rivers and creeks had a small rise and now falling; Beaver creek was at 4.2ft. This small rise will facilitate the spring run of fish.

I saw an osprey make several trips with fish in its clutches. On one of these trips, I saw an eagle dive bomb the osprey, leaving the osprey its only option; drop the fish. The fish fell to the water; the eagle swooped to the water to retrieve the fish making for an easy meal with the osprey flying off in a panic. I did see the osprey later that evening clasping another fish.

April 23: Sean and I left Springfield at 7 AM and drove to Morrisville to fish the Little Sac River. There were a dozen or more fishermen on the banks and several boats motoring upstream to the area near the power-line hole. We found white bass at the first stop and continued to hook up fish while we worked our way up stream. The place Paul use to call the Walleye Hole had several fishermen it fishing and picking up fish. We managed a limit of white bass fishing in three hours of fishing before leaving Taylor Bridge; I had to be at work that afternoon.

Stockton Lake level 869.79 ft (4/23)

Little Sac level decreasing 3.9 ft (4/23) from (5.5ft 4/20)

April 25: I picked up Charlie Erickson Saturday morning at 6:30 AM. We drove to Bennett Spring State Park to help with the MSU class. There was plenty of help, so Charlie and I left Bennett Spring at 1:30 PM and took Hwy 32 to Bolivar and then Hwy 13 to Morrisville to fish the Little Sac. Sean was driving from Springfield and met us in Morrisville before taking to the stream to fish into dark. I parked at Taylor Bridge and rowed a canoe upstream to the Power line Hole. The Mount family was fishing from their kayaks moving upstream to the S curve. They found several spots were they caught white bass. I walked upstream from the barn to check out the stream, to see what has changed since last years flood. Some of the stretches were too deep to wade. Later, I found out my son tried to wade through one stretch and took water over his waders and he had to climb out on a steep, slippery bank as scrambling to higher ground to bypass the deep water. Later that evening, we saw the Collison brothers (Bill and Frank) fishing the Power line hole catching one white bass after another. We slipped around them and fished downstream. We caught two limits of white bass for the day. We had the opportunity to watch people do stupid things with their boats, like running over submerged rocks, hitting the prop and disabling the engine; then powering the boat back to Taylor Bridge with the electric motor.

Stockton Lake level 869.69 ft

Little Sac level 3.5 ft

April 26, 2009: Sean and I returned to the Little Sac River. We saw Terry Tanner, Charlie and Connie Erickson. Sean started below the power lines to fish the fast water and broke the tip off from his TF rod to a tree trying to retrieve a fly. He came back down stream to tell me the news and was ready to walk back to Taylor Bridge to get another rod from the truck. I switched rods with him and used the nine-foot rod minus eight inches. The rod was very stiff but able to deliver the fly with a little help from a double haul. We caught three limits of white bass and kept two limits for the up coming MTFA State derby. We hooked three carp, a largemouth bass, a small-mouth bass, and several bluegills. We left at 8 PM with clouds moving in that looked like a storm was moving in.

April 28, 2009: Charlie and Connie Erickson picked me up at 7:30 AM. We figured the Little Sac would be the best place to fish. The storms had moved through during the night with less than an inch of rainfall. The Little Sac did not get any run of and the level remained at 3.5 ft. We started below the Power line hole and had very little action. I did see an owl fly overhead with a rodent held tightly. It appeared to have a nest across the stream. I did see a pair at one time. Connie and Charlie walked the bank upstream to fish the walleye hole with several other fishermen. I walked upstream to the next gravel bar. I made a discovery. I left the fly in the water with 30 ft of line out. The rod was pointing down stream, under my arm as I walked upstream. I managed to pick up two white bass by leaving my fly in the water. I stopped fishing at 11:30 AM with seven white bass and one carp. I had to get back to Springfield before 1 PM to get in another day of work.

I am finish writing up these reports (4/28/09), knowing there is a significant rainfall predicted before Saturday, maybe three inches. This will change the streams with the quick rise of water; the fish will head to the banks, run upstream and all will change again. This will probably be the last trip for white bass for this spring. In May, I have trips lined up for the Red River in Arkansas, Roaring River State Park and the Gulf Coast conclave at lake Charles, Louisiana. I will get back to the blog next month with updates

Kim Schultz

kim_schultz@sbcglobal.net

417 883-5234