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.

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- - - - 11 NF
14 3 1 - - LS
75 2 - - - LS
15 9 1 1 1 BS
19 2 - - - BS
123 16 2 1 12
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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.