April: Time for white bass

April 5, 2015 Sunday: I did have a long weekend but with a 2.5 inch rain days before, the water was running high in most streams and Taneycomo continues to run four generators with the lake up ten feet. Bull Shoals is now at 666.5 feet and the water’s edge is almost over the new road to the Power house at Power site dam.  Even with the water coming over the dam, the water currents are not as swift. The kayak easy moves about. I figured the three trees are thirteen feet to the bottom. I move up and down the east side; still no bait fish. There were a few splashes heard, possibly trout. I did see Jim Stauffer ease a boat in on the west side near the walleye hole. He fish near the dam, probably targeting strippers. I did talk with two fellows from Ava, they were looking for strippers and used six to eight inch soft plastic floppers. They reported the water temperature to be 43 degrees and reported the day before some white caught out of Swan Creek. I finished fishing at 9 PM with one trout released.

April 9, 2015 Thursday: The storms went north of Springfield overnight, with very little rain in the area. I checked the USGA report for the Little Sac River and the gauge was at 3.5 feet with a discharge of 290 cfs. I called Ralph to let him know I planned to fish and may not be back to Springfield for the MSU class. I drove to Morrisville and unloaded the kayak at Taylor Bridge. I paddled up stream and fished just below the power lines. I found white bass in the seams using a purple and orange Clouser minnow. I had fourteen fish in the cooler in short time and went a little farther upstream to fish that water. There I found a few more white bass and made several passes through that stretch of water. It was after 2 PM and I figured one more fish and head back to Springfield to clean fish with plenty of time to attend the MSU class. I was back in Springfield before 4 PM and had a limit of white bass cleaned and ready for a club fish fry.

April 10, 2015 Friday: I returned to the Little Sac early in the morning, awake at 6 AM and at the bridge before 8 AM. There were few locals fishing near and around the bridge. I paddled upstream to the same waters as the day before and found fish along the banks in eddy water. I had a limit before 9:30 AM and returned to Springfield to clean fish. There were eight fly fishing fellows that came in behind me, walking in from the road. The white bass are starting to spawn, thus the start of the spawn and hope it will last a few weeks.

April 16, 2015 Thursday: I drove to Michigan earlier in the week to help my parents with their computer, set up a new printer and checking on their welfare. My brother and I made plans to fish the Pere Marquette River. He had fished it several times this year with moderate success taking several steelhead trout. My last trip to this wild and scenic river was late last November, taking a few brown trout and small trout. I missed out hooking into a steelhead.

Water near hangman cabin Pere Marquette River

I woke at 3:10 AM and was at my brother’s house at 4 AM. From there we drove three hours to Walhalla, met the river at the Maple Leaf access. We walked the path to the river by 7:30 AM and saw a couple of fishermen already fishing. The river was up a foot with stained water to eighteen inches. Many of the places to cross the river would not be accessible. We made our way upstream to the boundary water to start our day. It rained most of the morning with the air temperature in the high forties. I made several passes through this stretch of water without any takes before moving down stream. There was some activity with heads and tails seen along river left, it’s a place where I taken fish in the past. Again, no takes in familiar water. Moving on downstream, I fished a stretch where I took several small trout and an eighteen inch brown last fall. My phone went off at 11:30 AM and took a call from my brother. He reported, one 12 lb steelhead landed and five lost. He caught a dozen browns in slack water and a few small trout. I decided to move to the area, we call the hangman. I could not find a spot down river to cross, so I retreat were I crossed earlier this day. As I stepped out of the water, Kirk met me on the path. He said the hangman had plenty of fish. So, I walked downstream for 20 minutes to finish my day near the waters familiar to me for many years. There were eight steelhead trout seen when I approached the waters, and several smaller trout scurrying about. Within the first 15 minutes I caught two small steelies, one was twenty inches and the other 22 inches, both were returned quickly to the water. I finally, hooked a larger fish and it took me down stream, after a five minute tussle it shook off and it was free. Finally after some coaxing, I hooked into a larger fish which took me down stream and had an opportunity to get a photo before releasing it. 

It was estimated to be twenty-six inches and probably weighed six pounds. I had a few more quick hits, which the hook point missed its mark but all was good. Kirk met me at the hangman at 3:30 PM; he released a few more browns. We stayed until 4:30 PM and returned to Grand Rapids were we met our sister for dinner. It was good to hook up and see a few steelhead trout. Hope to return in the fall.

Taylor Bridge on the Little Sac River near Morrisville

April 20, 2015 Monday: I returned to Springfield from Michigan Saturday night. Sunday I spent the day mowing the lawn and duties around the house. Monday, I took the day off to go fish. I returned to the Little Sac River before 10 AM. There were a few cars in the parking lot and a few fishermen fishing from the banks. The river was up a little with Stockton Lake on the rise. The stream gauge indicated 3.2 feet with the lake at 869.2 feet. It was sunny and I had to slip on some sunglasses. I met three boats going up stream; all were throwing hardware with a spinning outfit. I found a place where no one was around and started to pick up small males and quickly released five white bass. Working the streamer downstream, found some eddy water and found larger fish with half of them being female. Over the next two hours, kept a limit of white bass and returning another limit. It was afternoon and I took to the woods to find a dozen morel mushrooms; which is all a delight to find these taste treats. I left the water at 3 PM and returned to Springfield to clean fifteen white bass. I hope to return to fish on Thursday.

Connie figures out the fly rods were left in Springfield

April 23, 2015 (Thursday): There are days when one fishes; that it is about the adventure, not the number of fish caught. I picked up Rod at his office at 9 AM. We were off to the Little Sac River. Charlie and Connie Erickson were to meet us at the bridge. When Rod and I pulled up to the bridge access, we saw Dan Ditzler walking to the water. 

Dan asking who forgot their fly rods?

We stopped and talked with him briefly and he mentioned Bill Blondeau was with him fishing below the bridge. Connie and Charlie were setting up their canoe getting ready to launch, then Connie asked” where are the fly rods”. To every one’s dismay, Charlie said he left them in Springfield, but he did bring the golf clubs. We scrambled to find extra rods, and Dan and Bill came through with their spare rods. Rod, Charlie and Connie took off for power line hole. I waited for Bill; he wanted to fish up stream. So, I gave him lift. Dan declined to go, as he was about to leave for the day. I took Bill in the canoe and we made it without incident, but he did about fall into the water head first getting into the canoe. I was on the other side and was able to keep him in the canoe. 

Bill and Rod getting ready to make the trip back to the bridge

Rod and I had a short window to fish as he had a client to meet in Springfield at 2 PM. So, we fished until 12:30 PM and left each catching a limit. 

Rod caught a limit of white bass with ten on a stringer

Rod kept ten and I kept eight for a total of eighteen for the freezer. Bill returned with us, when we pulled up below the bridge, I told Bill to hold on to the canoe as I slipped out from the rear into that water to help him get out. Unfortunately, we lean to same way and Bill almost went into the water headfirst. Rod helped to stabilize the canoe and I caught Bill as he got his right shoulder wet. Bill was fine with the adventure and hopefully had a good time. So, the time period to fish was short but a fun day of fishing for all.

April 24, 2015 (Friday): And on some days fishing and catching can be great… the threat of thunderstorms must have kept most people at home. When I pulled in at Taylor Bridge at 5 PM on the Little Sac River, there was one boat pulling out and no one else seen for the rest of the day. I paddled up stream in my kayak to fish the same area as past days. The lake (869.5 ft.) had come up another 3 inches with the stream down a bit (2.95 ft.). I found some small white bass below the submerged tree to the end of the point. I found four white bass of size below the point. It was tough finding fish for the first hour or two as I covered most of the fished water from days past to find the elusive white bass, but had some trouble getting them to bit or maybe the fish moved with the rising lake. I was able to take a few small white bass here and there and as the sun was settling the western sky. 

First walleye of the year

I finally caught my first walleye of the year. It was under a foot and was quickly released. The sun was on the horizon with the glorious colors of visible light reflecting off of nature scenery. I enjoy evening fishing just before dark. 

I was not happy with the number and size of fish and was deciding where to finish this night of fishing. I decided to go up stream and found a pod of large white bass below the power lines. I was able to take one fish after another and in a short time had a stringer of fish 14-16 inches. 

I figured with this limit and releasing 25 smaller white bass that I caught forty white bass; In addition to the white bass, a line bass was released, and snagged a six-inch shad was returned to the water. I left the power line hole at 8 PM and returned to Taylor Bridge, it was almost 9:30 PM when I was home and had some supper. It was a good day of fishing and catching.

April 28, 2015 (Tuesday): Bob Randall and I met at Lowe’s near the intersection of Hwy 13 and I-44.  From there, we traveled in different vehicles to Morrisville and on to Taylor Bridge to fish the Little Sac River. We had our kayaks in the water by 9:30 AM and moving upstream to the power line hole.  There were a few white bass caught in the current of the power line hole, but we moved up into the waters of the S-curve. There were two other fishermen in separate boats moving up stream. Bob and I fished the S-curve for a few hours finding a few fish. One of the fellows that went upstream came back through, he said the waters near the old barn had many fish and it did not take him long to limit out. Bob and I moved up and fished the water near the old barn and did find more fish willing to take a fly.  

Bob and I each limited out on white bass and returned to Taylor Bridge and on the road back to our homes by 4 PM.

April 30, 2015 (Thursday): I met Rod Pennington at Taylor Bridge a few minutes after 10AM. Rod had planned to fish a half day and I made plans to fish with Jenn and Des late afternoon. Rod and I each took a boat upstream. Rod took my kayak and I went upstream with the 14-foot canoe with oars. There were a number (eight) of fly fishermen at the power line hole and above.  Rod and I moved on past them and went up to the area near the old barn. There we caught a few white bass, several measured at 16.5 inches.  We continued to fish upstream and went another quarter mile. We found fish in the shadows along steep banks. I did hook and release a 14.5-inch walleye that appeared to still have an egg belly. Rod and I fished until 3 PM and returned to Taylor Bridge with each having a limit of white bass. Rod left to meet some friends and I stayed until Jenn and Des showed up.

Jenn and Des arrived at 4 PM. The boats were already in the water and we paddled and rowed our way upstream. I decided to fish the area below the Power line hole. 

Jenn and Des did not were not wearing waders and had sandals for wading.  So, we fished in an area easy to wade. Des was not happy with the mud on his feet and felt more comfortable standing in the water with his mother. Jenn caught a white bass within the first thirty minutes and then hooked into a larger fish. She and Des had a good time landing a twenty-inch carp. 

Jenn did not want to get a photo with it, so Des and I showed off her catch. We stayed for more than an hour and then Des announced it was time to leave and we did. We finished the evening by dining at Pizza House on Commercial Street. We all had good time fishing on the Little Sac River.

March: Winter to Spring

A cloudy rainy day at Bennett Spring State Park

March 3, 2015 (Tuesday): There was a small window of opportunity to fish on Tuesday with melting snow and temperatures in the mid-forties. I drove to Bennett Spring State Park for an afternoon of fishing. It was cloudy most of the day with a light rain on and off for short periods. The wind was out of the south with several switches throughout the afternoon. There was a forecast of freezing rain, sleet and snow later that evening.

I had hoped to be able to fish with snow on the ground; by the time I started to wet a line, most of the snow had melted. There were a few people fishing in zone one, I fished the area between the dam and the island. There was a hatch of mayflies and the air temperature was warm enough for them to get off the water. There was some interest from the trout and was prudent to fish dries throughout the afternoon. It took nearly an hour before the first trout was hooked and released. 

The fishermen using sink tips and short strips seem to be faring better catching trout. It was the last hour of fishing, when I tried a soft hackle and took a few more trout on the strip. I finished the day with fifteen trout with four trout coming back to Springfield. I did see eagles, deer feeding on grass and turkeys; all getting in a meal before the next winter storm.

The dam lights are on, time for a bite

March 8, 2015 Sunday: I returned to Bull Shoals Lake to fish for walleye after dark. The generation through Powersite dam was turned off just before I entered the water. The water felt cold, even with neoprene waders. The water was clear with the lake level 653.7 ft. It was an hour after dark I saw a wake thirty feet in front of me. It could have been a goose or beaver, I was not sure. I fished until 8 PM and called it a night… no bites.

March 9, 2015 Monday: This day was cloudy with sporadic rain showers. I started my afternoon/evening trip driving along Swan creek to look at the water from the rock bluff. There was a significant run off from snowmelt and rain with Swan Creek up a foot or two. I would bet the walleye are moving up into Swan for their spring spawn. I looked at the mouth of Swan and was tempted to fish this area for the evening, but decided to try the west bank across from Silver Creek instead, with successful fishing in years past walking the shore line throwing a Clouser minnow downstream at a 45 degree angle to the shore line and slow retrieve. I did manage one trout with no other bites. I finished the evening at the Pot Hole, there was no generation from the powerhouse and the winds were calm. I did have the light from the dam to my advantage and was able to identify two beavers moving up the lake and swam around me. Probably the same creatures I saw the night before. I stayed until 8:30 PM and called it a night. I thought about going to look at Beaver creek but data from the USGA, indicated the river was two feet high. Early spring fishing can be tough, but I did hear the frogs. The peepers are a good sign of spring and warmer days.

Lake level on the rise, 657.6 ft

March 16, 2015 (Monday): The recent rains and high water in the rivers has brought up Bull Shoals Lake 3.5 feet and was 657.2 feet. I saw this the day checking out the USGA web site for Missouri streams and decided to pack the kayak for the night. The conditions looked favorable; generation from the powerhouse, the water was colored (probably too dirty) and the water temperature was in the low fifties. I fished the edges, fished the drops spots in the Pot Hole. Again, I was not able to get a bite. The MDC had three boats in the water and electro-shocking for walleye this evening. They were taking eggs from ripe females and mixing sperm from several males. I was told they took 79 males out of swan and 17 females out of the lake. The largest walleye was 34 inches in length and had already spawned out. I will call Andy Turner in a few days to get his report of the evening and his impression to the fishery below the dam. I packed the kayak on the rack of my truck at 9:30 PM and before I left the water saw a large streak across the sky of a burning meteorite that did burn out near the horizon in the western sky. Venus was very bright and fell behind the hill at 9:30 PM. My guess is fishing can only get better.

March 22, 2015 Sunday: I had another opportunity to return to the Pot Hole. The lake level has risen to 659 feet; the water was clear with a 45°F water temperature. There was with some generation from the power house. The afternoon was sunny with a clear sky sunset followed by a new moon and Venus settling in the western sky.

I had to use the kayak since the water is getting too high to wade. I took the kayak and fished the west bank (river right). I followed the water currents and looked for eddies along the edges. Again, the bait fish are absent, no fish seen at dusk on top.  I finished the evening near the three trees and saw a bright meteorite at 9 PM.

Lake level 666.5 feet

March 26, 2015 Thursday: I returned to the Pot Hole, there was a significant rain days earlier and Taneycomo has been running four generators for several days. The water was pouring over Power site dam and the lake has risen two feet; it is now at 661 ft. I did not have much time to look around. Swan creek was high and dirty. I pulled up data for Beaver creek and it was up five feet. I decided to fish the same waters and it proved to be consistent. No fish to be found. My guess the fish went up stream due to high and warmer water.  I have no prove, but the white bass is near and the walleye are probably getting close to the end of their spawn. I did see two falling meteorites this evening.

February: Bull Shoals Lake and the Pot Hole

The wading is good with lake level at 653.4 ft

February 13, 2015 Friday: My first trip to the Pot Hole since last spring.  The water level was 653.4 feet, which is low enough to wade; the three trees are at the waters edge. The water was clear and cold; the temperature was 42 degrees. A road project on river run extended a new road access to the powerhouse higher along the hill with a gate across stating road was closed. 

The new road to the powerhouse can be seen in this photo

I started fishing at 5 PM and the sun was down behind the hill by 6 PM. There was little wind or water moving from the powerhouse. Just before dark, the trout were taking midges off the top, with feeding rings seen in all directions. I had a few tugs on the Clouser minnow pattern from curious trout with no steel to the lips. At 7 PM, the horn sounded and water came through the wheels. I stayed until 7:30 PM. After a fly broke off, my hands were cold and I needed to take a leak. I took these signs to call it quits for the night. This will be my destination for the next month and hoping for a walleye on my next trip.

January 2015: New Year at the Bennett Spring State Park

A view of the stone bridge from the base of the dam

January 5, 2015: It has been difficult finding a day to fish the state parks, with Christmas and getting to spend family time; Ann had a total knee operation at the end of the year and is recuperating. So, Monday there was an opportunity to get out. I had not been to Bennett Spring State Park for more than a month and decided to return to familiar water.  The day was cold with a light wind and very bright skies. The area above dam had very little fish activity with two fishermen at the end of the point catching a few trout. I decided to fish near the stone bridge and wade up stream to the dam. The fishing was a bit slow until the fly could get near the water below the dam. This water had a broken surface and the trout were eager to take a fly. I was on river left and as I approached the dam, made a decision to climb on top of the dam and slowly fish the waters immediately under and below the dam. 

A walk on the dam

The #20 dry fly was fished dry, wet, dabbed and skated across the surface. The trout made many attempts to take, drown and eat the fly. I had three hours of constant action and stop counting released trout after twenty to hand. I was amazed to the number of trout swimming in the seams below the dam; it looked almost like the mass of trout seen in the hatchery.  The footing on the dam was good with solid traction on the concrete surface. It was a good time catching trout and it is always a joy when you get the key to unlock the secrets to catching many trout. Hope to return next weekend.

The footing is better than it looks

January 16, 2015 (Friday): The weather forecast for this past weekend, called for sunny skies and temperatures in the upper fifties. I took Friday and Monday off from work to fish Bennett Spring State Park. On Friday there were fifty to sixty fishermen in zones 1 and 2. I fished in offbeat areas to find some solitude. The water was clear and difficult getting the trout to take a fly. I saw only a few people in view catching a trout here and there throughout the day. I did see a fellow standing on the dam fishing with a fly rod wet wading in his bare feet. Later that day came across a turtle sunning himself on a tree limb in the water. 

I checked the calendar and it is still January. Yep… There’s something strange with the weather; 2014 was recorded as the warmest year on record. Maybe 2015 is on track to top that record. Needless to say to the catching was tough with seven trout released from hand for four hours of fishing. Hope Monday is more productive.

It's too nice to fish

January 19, 2015 (Monday): I went back to Bennett Spring State Park on Monday. The day was warm with temperatures reaching the lower sixties, a bright sky with a variable wind from the south. I stopped in to see Charlie Reading and purchased some barbless hooks (Daiichi #18 and #20 1190). I was in the water before noon and fishing below the whistle bridge in zone 3; I try to fish this water at least once during the catch and release season. There was not much surface activity but managed to take a few with a dry fly. I did try a brown jig and took a few more rainbows. There was a crowd on hand with people dispersed all through zones one and two. There were several people fishing off the dam, so I passed up fishing below the dam. The water just above the dam in zone was vacant so I finished my day fishing along the weed edges hoping to hide my presentation. 

The mayflies made a brief appearance

With the bright sun, the line hitting the water made enough ripple to cast a shadow on the bottom of the creek, spooking most of the fish. It was a disadvantage to throw a long line. I found it somewhat better to slowly walk to places the trout had shelter and lightly land a dry fly along the edge. I managed to release eight from hand with my last cast last fish two minutes before the whistle blew. That was after breaking off two trout with 8x tippet after 3:30 PM. There are only three more weekends left for the catch and release season.

January 25, 2015 Sunday: I met Bill Taylor at six AM and he drove to Montauk State Park us for a day of fishing. The day was cloudy with occasional rain showers, a moderate wind with wind gust to twenty-five knots and the air temperatures in the mid-forties. For me, excellent conditions to fish; a rough water surface and no shadows on the water. There were a few fishermen in the park, but I had very few fishermen in view most of the day. Bill and I started below the dam and fished our way upstream and finished nearly a mile towards the spring at the end of the day. There were a fair number of spawning trout on or near redds. I fished mostly dry flies throughout the day. We released from hand twenty-one trout with Bill catching one rainbow over sixteen inches. There was a small hatch of mayflies and midges swarming on the banks. We finished the day of fishing at 4 PM with the sound of the whistle and left the park. We drove to Rolla to dine at Bandanas BBQ. It was after 9 PM when I returned home. A fifteen hour day of traveling and fishing made for a long day. Montauk is a very enjoyable park to fish and visit, consider the journey for your next destination.

Bob Randall lining his rod getting ready to fish Bennett Spring SP

January 30, 2015 (Friday): Bob Randall and I made our first fishing trip together. Bob is retired federal worker having worked for the US Forestry and National Park Service. We met at the Springfield Nature Center at 9 AM and drove together heading for Bennett Spring SP.  The day was sunny with a light wind and the air temperature in the mid forties. The park had a dozen fishermen above the Holland dam with two fellows above the dam. We started our day to fish by walking the dam. We managed to catch and release a few from hand and fished it until noon. 

Bob fishing from the dam releasing a trout

There was no one fishing near the top of the dam with four fishermen up stream near the access path. The water was clear and the sun was bright. There was a good hatch of pale morning duns and the trout were chasing them down. Getting them to take a dry was difficult at the beginning of the hatch. I fished near the intake for the hatchery and worked around the aquatic plants. I was only able to get a few in the area. Bob walked up to fish in the slough and took a few with a wooly bugger. It was after 2 PM, many of the passing fishermen were voicing frustration with the catching and many left. The dry fly was starting to get the trout’s attention and more came to hand. Bob and I fished to the whistle at 4 PM and returned to Springfield to help with the MDC teen club by teaching the teen club members how to tie a wooly bugger. John Dozier lead the discussion and provided the presentation. Overall, Bob and I had a good day, with 37 trout released from hand. There is one weekend left and I am undecided were my next destination will be.

February 2, 2015 (Monday): My daughter called at 9 AM to let me know it was too cold to fish. We made plans to fish Roaring River SP the week before. So with this news, I decided to fish Bennett Spring SP. There was a light snow flurry when I left Springfield with the air temperature near fifteen degrees. It was forecast to be above freezing by 2 PM. When I entered the park, it was empty; no one fishing and no one parked. There was some sunshine beginning to break through the clouds with a brisk north wind blowing up stream with a wisp of fog dancing above the water surface. It was 11 AM when I started at the dam and fished my way up stream. There were some mayflies on top, with the trout being very selective allowing the insects to float some distance before slurping them down. I used the #20 PMD with a white tail, bright green body and light blue dun wings.  The line was kept tight and short to reduce the ice in the guides. A bald eagle did come into view and perched near the dam in a sycamore tree for a short period. The clouds moved on before noon with the sun coming out, a light tippet was used and several trout brought to hand managed to shake a head and break the tippet taking the # PMD with them, that happened eight times. The cold light tippet (8X) did not have enough elasticity with to cold temperatures. I did manage to bring to hand twenty-two trout for the day. It was a good day to fish with no other fisherman on the water, a serene setting at a Missouri state park.