October 4, 2012 -Truman - Osage Bluff Marina - Fishing Report from Osage Bluff Marina 10/4/12

Well as the old saying goes all good things must come to an end. This
is going to be the last fishing report of the year, (maybe). If
something really good gets going I will update and let you know whats
going on. As I look back over the year it has really been awesome. The
fishing has been great all year with probably some of the best crappie
fishing I have seen in several years. The whites and hybrids were also
good and still are. And the spring turkey season a bumper crop along
with mushroom season has to remind us what a great area we have here.
And to all our customers a big thank you for giving us another
wonderful year. Also the 4th of July celebration and the 30th
anniversary ceremony WHAT A SUPER YEAR.

Now for this week it looks like the weatherman is going to give us our
first real taste of fall. It looks like this cool front should drop
the water temp enough to get these fish feeding for winter and moving
to the creeks. For the leaf lookers I am seeing some good color start
on the bluffs and with this cool front should get things going.

LAKE LEVEL: 704.83
WATER TEMP: 70 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Clear to lightly stained.

BASS: Spinner baits. 1/2 to 3/4 of the way back in the creeks. Look
where the edge of the flat falls off into the creek channel. Look for
6' of water falling to 12'. The top water bite is starting to last
longer everyday. Black buzz baits are one of the better choices right
now. Look on the flat points in the creeks with bait fish working.
During the day you can get some jig and frog action fishing the cedars
in the creeks in 6' to 10' of water. Be ready for a suspended bite.

CRAPPIE: There have been mixed reports on crappie this week, but the
good thing is that there have been reports of fish being caught. There
are some fish in the hardwoods on the flats in 15' to 20' of water.
Minnows are working the best here. There has also been some fish
caught off the bluffs in 25' to 30' of water. In both cases the fish
are right off the bottom. The bluff bite is kind of a winter pattern
maybe these fish are trying to tell us something.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: It is the time of the year to catch whites and
hybrids. The humps are holding fish in 10' to 20' of water. Spoons are
working the best. When you break the school up work the area with a
Rooster Tail or a Vibrex spinner for more fish. The windy points are
also working. Fish a Rooster Tail right on the bank for some fast
action on windy days.

CATFISH: Jugs are still working on the channels with cut shad. Set
baits 12' to 15'. Haven't heard of any fish working in the back end of
the creeks yet but with the weather we have coming in it can't be to
far away.

WALLEYE: We have seen a bunch of walleye come in. Check the humps in
the KK Island area 10' to 15' with spoons. These have been some real
nice fish.

That's it from Osage Bluff Marina 660-438-2939 or at
www.osagebluff.com. You can also find us on face book at Osage Bluff
Marina.

Till next spring
Tommy

September 27, 2012 -Truman - Osage Bluff Marina - Fishing Report from Osage Bluff Marina 9/27/12

What a wonderful rain this week, I had a little over 2". The lake did
a little rise ( not nearly enough ) but we will take what ever we get.
The water clarity stayed the same which is perfect for fishing. This
time of the year is always tough but in no time flat the bite will go
nuts for the fall feed up. For the leaf watchers I am starting to see
a little color along the bluffs on the Pommie River. These last few
rains have brought a little life back in the trees. It will be
interesting to see how the fall colors go with the drought. Will keep
you posted.

LAKE LEVEL: 704.73
WATER TEMP: 71 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Clear to lightly stained.

BASS: The bass fishing is holding steady on our end of the lake.
Spinner baits are the best of the best right now. Look 1/2 way back in
the creeks along the outer edge of the close to the creek channel.
Look for 4' to 8' of water on the tree rows. A shallow running crank
bait has also been working. The top water bite is still working on the
secondary points. Black buzz baits are the best when fished early or
on overcast days. I look for these fish to really get going in the
next week or so.

CRAPPIE: I looked back at the fishing report from a year ago now and
the crappie were slow like they are now. I think these fish are just
strung out all over. I have talked to different people and it seems
they are all catching a few fish but they are all doing something
different. The problem is no one is really catching allot of crappie
now. The two best patterns I have heard are the bridge pillars and the
main lake points. In both areas the fish seem to be holding in 20' to
25' of water. Here again another week will make all the difference in
the world.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: Now if you want to catch fish these guys are biting.
Windy days look on the shallow main lake points. Rooster tails and
small Rat L Traps are the best baits. You may have to do a little
point hopping but when you find the right one hold on. On the calm
days the fish are hanging on the humps in about 15' to 20' of water.
Spoons are the best here. Don't be afraid to throw a sassy shad at the
fish on the humps as there have been some nice hybrids hanging with
the whites.

CATFISH: Jugs are still working on the flats. Set them at about 10'
and fish 12' and deeper. Drift them out over the channel. Cut shad has
been the best bait. I look for trot lines in the channels to start
real soon. With the water temp falling slowly these fish should start
feeding up for winter.

That's it for this week from Osage Bluff Marina, 660-438-2939 or on
the web at www.osagebluff.com. Don't forget to check us out on face
book at Osage Bluff Marina.

Till next week
Tommy

September 20, 2012 -Truman - Osage Bluff Marina - Fishing Report from Osage Bluff Marina 9/20/12

I don't think mother nature looked at the calender, fall is supposed
to start Saturday but the way it has felt all week I think she has
already started it. These cool mornings make you think about putting
the rod and reel up and grabbing the stick and string. Now I know
there is allot of good fishing to come yet this fall but I have been
seeing lots of deer and turkey. This year I am really excited about
hunting season because my son who is in the military is going to be
home to hunt with me. He hasn't got to go the last couple of years due
to overseas commitments so we will make the most of it. Enough of my
ramblings lets get on with the report.

LAKE LEVEL: 704.54
WATER TEMP: 74 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Clear to light stained.

BASS: The bass are liking the cool down. Spinner baits are starting to
pick up some good fish. Some fish are starting to move back in the
creeks. Fish the edge of the flats where they fall off in the channel.
Look for the area where the water depth breaks from 8' to 15'. The top
water bite is still going on early and late like it has been. The flat
points seem to be the best and the secondary points with 3' to 6' of
water are the ones you don't want to pass up. If its a cloudy day the
buzz bait bite will go all day. Would not hurt to throw a shallow
running crank bait on these points like a Lucky 13 or similar. Look
for the bass fishing to really start picking up with the cooler temps.

Crappie: The crappie fishing is about the same as it was last week.
The points are about the best right now. Look for 25' to 30' of water
and look for fish right up off the bottom. There has been some fish
caught off the bluffs. What they are doing is drifting the bluffs and
looking for the brush piles or tree tops laying on the bottom..
Minnows have been the best bait. The crappie should be getting ready
to move with the cooling water temp.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: It seems funny when one spices of fish slows down
another one picks up and that is what is happening. We saw lots of
nice whites and hybrids come in. They are on a couple of different
patterns. On windy days look on the flat main lake points. The fish
will be up in 1' to 3' of water. Use an in line spinner like a Rooster
Tail or a Zing Tail. There are also fish on the humps in 15' to 20' of
water. Use a 1/2 oz jigging spoon on the humps. There has been some
nice hybrids running with the whites.

CATFISH: The cat fishing here on Truman remains good. Both jugs and
trot lines are producing nice blues. Fish the flats where they fall
off in the channels in 15'+ of water. There are also fish starting to
hang around the creek channel points. Trot lines have been working
well here. Cut shad is the best bait.

That's it for this week from Osage Bluff Marina, 660-438-2939 or visit
us on the web at www.osagebluff.com. Check us out on face book at
Osage Bluff Marina.,

Till next week
Tommy

September 13, 2012 -Truman - Osage Bluff Marina - Fishing Report from Osage Bluff Marina 9/13/12

Looking at the weather forecast for the weekend you would think fall
is here. Highs in the 70's and lows in the 50's doesn't get much
better than that. Now if we could get the fish to hold still for a
little bit it would be a perfect world. With the water temp bouncing
around the fish are a little confused or than again maybe I'm a little
confused. This was a good week to eliminate water, and I did well. As
far as catching not so well. This summer the bite has been so good
this angler got spoiled and now that it's normal I think I had a bad
day. But that's what keeps you coming back.

LAKE LEVEL: 704.52
WATER TEMP: 77 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Clear to light stain.

BASS: The bass fishing is starting to pick up a little. With the
cooler temps we are having the top water bite lasts a little longer.
The main lake and secondary points are still producing some fish. Big
worms or a tube fished slow during the day in 8' to 10' of water on
the channel swing points will work. Top water on the flat points early
and late. Zara Spooks and buzz baits are working. These fish are going
to start heading back in the creeks if these weather patterns keep
going and with the number of shad in the creeks now It looks like it
could be sooner than later.

CRAPPIE: The crappie fishing is a little slow right now. The best bite
I have heard of is the brush piles in the dam area. 20' deep and right
on top of the brush. Jigs tipped with minnows are working the best.
There are a few fish coming off main lake points in 30' of water down
about 25'. It's kind of a hunt and peck right now. I think the crappie
are like the bass and are getting ready to start moving in the creeks.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: The humps are still the place to be. !5' to 20' of
water fished with a medium spoon. The flat wind blown points in the
evenings are producing some fish on top water. Rat L Traps and small
spoons are working. Watch the gulls for surfacing fish.

CATFISH: The cat fishing is still good. Jugs are the best of the best
right now. Cut shad is the best bait when fished on the edge of the
flats and drifted out in the channel. Look for 10' + of water and set
baits at 8' to 10'. This fishing should do nothing but get better with
the cats feeding up for winter.

That's it for this week from Osage Bluff Marina, 660-438-2939 or you
can find us on the web at www.osagebluff.com. We are also on face book
at Osage Bluff Marina.

Till next week
Tommy

September 6, 2012 -Truman - Osage Bluff Marina - Fishing Report from Osage Bluff Marina 9/6/12

How about that some well needed rain and more on the way. We had about
3" over the holiday and only lost one day of fishing. The weatherman
is calling for some more tonight and a little more tomorrow but the
weekend is looking good. Temps in the 70's and no rain, perfect time
to come to Truman and work on some whites and hybrids. The rain last
week must of generated a bunch of oxygen in the water and got the
whites all stirred up. But no matter what you are fishing for this
sounds like a great weekend to be on the water.

LAKE LEVEL: 704.51
WATER TEMP: 78 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Clear to lightly stained.

BASS: The bass are starting to get a little more active with the cool
weather. Seems that the shallow water bite is getting a little
stronger. Tree rows in 3' to 5' of water fished with spinner baits and
buzz baits has been working on the flats. The points are working with
big worms on the channel swings in 10' to 15' of water. The top water
bite is still holding in there early in the morning. Buzz baits and
Pop R's on the flat points in 3' to 6' of water. Look for the points
with shad working on them.

CRAPPIE: The crappie fishing has slowed a little but the quality has
increased. The best bite is still drifting the creek channels in 25'
to 30' of water an floating a minnow at about 20'. The early mornings
are the best of the best. It seems that during the middle of the day
the fish seem to hibernate. I did talk to some fellows that caught
some fish off the bridge pillars, these fish were down about 20'.
There has still been some main lake point fish but they seem to come
and go more than last week. They might be staging up for their fall
feeding run in the creeks.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: The whites are stacking on the humps in big numbers.
A friend of mine was down last weekend and did awesome on both whites
and hybrids. The 1/2 oz spoon is the best size and bait right now.
Look in 15' to 25' of water during the day. They are also working the
points in the evenings. Look for the points with the wind blowing in
on them. Small Rat L Traps and the 1/4 oz. spoon are the best here.
These fish will do nothing but get better. Usually the last week in
Sept. is when the whites and hybrids really det going.

CATFISH: Same as last week. We are seeing lots of nice blues come in.
Cut shad is still the best bait. Jugs fished on the flats set about
10' has been working well. Set the jugs on the flats and let them
drift over the channels. Its pretty easy fishing and lots of fun.

Thats it for this week from Osage Bluff Marina, 660-438-2939 or you
can find us on the web at www.osagebluff.com and face book at Osage
Bluff Marina.

Till next week
Tommy

August 30, 2012 -Truman - Osage Bluff Marina - Fishing Report from Osage Bluff Marina 8/30/12

It doesn't seem possible that its Labor Day weekend already. The
weatherman is telling us we may get some very needed rain on Friday
and then it should be clearing out for the rest of the weekend. It
sure would be nice to get some water in the lake and get us back to
normal pool. After fishing Truman for 29 years I do have to admit that
with the low water I did learn allot this year. Found tree rows that I
didn't know were there and undercut banks that will be fantastic when
the lake is normal. Marked isolated trees that are under water that I
will fish again. And then the weeds have grown closer to the waters
edge so when we get a rise the ducks should have good feed on Truman.
Looks like it is going to be a good fall.

LAKE LEVEL: 704.37
WATER TEMP: 78 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Clear to lightly stained.

BASS: The bass fishing is about the same as it was last week. The top
water bite is working early and late on the flats with buzz baits
being the best bait. Fish seem to be holding in 3' to 5' of water. The
shallow tree rows are working when fished with big worms. Here again
3' to 5' of water seems to be the best. I did hear of some suspended
fish along the creek channels. 20' of water down about 6' on big
tubes. My guess is that if the water would cool some more that top
water bite would get going over the deeper trees along the channels.

CRAPPIE: Right now the crappie are kind of hit or miss. There has been
a bite in the creeks the last few days. Drift down the center of the
creek in 20' to 30' of water with minnows at about 15'. Watch your rod
tip real close. There are also some fish on the points in 20' to 30'
down 10' to 15'. Here again minnows are the best bait. The isolated
trees have been working the best for me.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: Trolling the humps is still the best bet for whites.
Shad colored crank baits that run 12'+ are working. If there is any
wind the flat points will produce some shallow fish on Rooster Tails
or small Rat L Traps. Look for the shad flipping on the points. There
is still a little top water action going on in the evenings just
before dark.

CATFISH: The cat fishing is still good on jugs. I watched an old boy
yesterday catch some nice blues. He was using cut bait on the edge of
the flats and letting his jugs drift over the channel. He had the
hooks set at 10'. I think you could probably do the same with a rod
and reel but there's something about chasing jugs. Its just fun.

Well this is the last big holiday weekend of the year so you need to
get out and come see us. The water is still warm enough for skiing and
tubing and the fish are always biteing somewhere. So come on down and
enjoy.

That's it for this week from Osage Bluff Marina, 660-438-2939. You can
also find us on the web at www.osagebluff.com or on face book at Osage
Bluff Marina.

Till next week
Tommy

August 23, 2012 -Truman - Osage Bluff Marina - Fishing Report from Osage Bluff Marina 8/23/12

This is kind of a tough week to get a fishing report up, I got stuck
in the hunting mode. The son came in from Fort Knox this week so
instead of my usual fishing days we did food plots and sighted in
guns. I know that sounds strange but when you think about it archery
season opens in 38 days. I just can't believe how fast the summer has
gone by. And to add to that how good the fishing has been all year.
The water is starting to cool down a little so lets hope it will carry
on all fall. The lake is still about 1 1/2' low but the weatherman is
calling for a little rain this weekend so lets hope we get a little
rise.

LAKE LEVEL: 704.4
WATER TEMP: 79 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Clear to light stain.

BASS: Haven't figured this one out yet but those old green fish went
shallow. Tree rows in 2' to 4' of water are holding some fish. Big
worms seem to be working the best. There are also some fish on the
brush along the old road beds. Look in 8' to 10' of water and here
again big worms are the best. The top water bite on the timbered flats
is still going. Buzz baits are working the best. Look for the shad.

CRAPPIE: The crappie fishing has slowed just a little. Maybe I should
reword that. The crappie fishing has gone to the normal for this time
of the year on Truman. We have had such good fishing this summer that
I think we have gotten a little spoiled. When you go and get a limit
by 9 am that is some awesome fishing. You can still get your limit now
but you just have to work a little harder. There are still some fish
on the edge of the flats in 15' to 18' of water, and they are still a
little deeper than they were. Fish a minnow down about 12' to 15'.
Have had a couple reports of fish starting on the main lake points on
the isolated big trees. This is a fall pattern here on Truman so I
wonder if the fish are trying to tell us something. they have been
holding about 15' and here again minnows are best.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: With the cooler water temps there has been a a
little more surface activity on the whites. They are doing that yo yo
thing of up and down. The best bite is still in the late evening right
before dark on top. Look for flat wind blown points with shad on them.
1/4 oz spoons or small Rat L Traps are working the best. There are
also a few fish being caught trolling off the humps. Shad colored
crank baits are working the best in about 15' of water.

CATFISH: The blues are still good. Jugs baited with cut shad and
worked along the edge of the flats into the channels this a good bite
now. Set bait at about 8'.
There are also some fish coming off the humps on jugs. Here again cut
bait, 8' on humps with 15' to 20' of water on them.

That's it for this week from Osage Bluff Marina, 660-438-2939. Or on
the web at www.osagebluff.com and face book at Osage Bluff Marina.

Till next week
Tommy

August 13, 2012 - Lake of the Ozarks - Submitted by Old Oar House Inn Mile Marker 81 - www.oldoarhouseinn.com
Lake of the Ozark water elevation is 657.22’. Truman lake water elevation is 705.14’ LOZ water temperature is 76 degrees Fahrenheit and rising.  Water discharge through Truman Turbine is 100 CFS and over the spillway was 0 CFS. 
Catfish: Excellent
Cat fishing is excellent right now.  Check out these nice cats caught last weekend from just across the lake from the Old Oar House.  Just when I thought things were slowing down I’m getting some amazing reports on catfish.  These fish were caught on fresh shad bellies using ‘vertical’ jug lines in 15’-20’ feet of water at the transition area between the flats and main channel. The shad were prepared from a live well only moments before the hooks were baited.  The big blue in this picture weighed 43#s and was caught just across the lake from us.  Another great spot to catch nice cats is barely a mile upstream from us around mm82 where the river bends north, for some reason that area always seems to hold tremendous fish numbers and sizes. These fishermen recommended staying out of any water deeper than 20’ as the oxygen levels tend to nosedive as summer temperatures warm the lake.
Largemouth Bass: Good
Pete stopped in Saturday to report the bass are also on the move.  He caught two keepers, a 31/2 & 5 lb largemouth bass early Saturday morning from the same brush pile. Pete prefers a pumpkin colored Senko spinner bait using a fairly quick retrieve and he emphasized downed timber is always a good place to start.  Judging by the two nice fish he caught and released I’d say he’s on to something.  I suspect the downed timber is holding the forage fish which the bass are feeding on as well as providing cover for them as required.
Crappie: Excellent
I’m also getting surprisingly great reports on crappie. Several groups stopped by the “House” for gas this weekend that had been crappie fishing and they all had the same report.  Big crappies are biting well and they’re hitting the chartreuse jig.  One of the boats we filled up had been using minnows and were on their way home as all three occupants had limited out. 
Walleye: Good
Walleye fishing on Lake of the Ozarks has a mystique that surrounds it like no other fishing here.  People get real squirrely and tight lipped when the Walleye are biting and this appears to be one of those times.  I’m hearing the walleye fishing is very good right now and crank baits employed just on the edge of the flats where it drops off to deeper water are catching some nice fish.  The biggest fish I’d heard of this weekend but did not see was a 3 lb fish caught up near Truman dam with two other smaller 1 lb fish.
Kim and Joe:  You owe me a Walleye fishing report please!  I know for sure you two are catching them.
Carp:
No report
Stripers:
No Report  
For up to date water temperatures and elevations for LOZ and Truman call Truman Dam Water Report at (660) 438-7317 and mash #2 once the recording starts.
We endorse trophy fish catch and release!
Remember a bad day fishing is better than a great day at work. 
www.oldoarhouseinn.com
Bruce

Till’ next time, Good Fishin’
Jamie

May 31, 2012 -Truman - Fishing Report from Osage Bluff Marina 5/31/12

Looks like the weatherman is going to be kind to us again this week.
Just a little rain and some cooler temps sure sound good to me. The
lake is in great shape now even though it's a little low. The good
thing about low is you can fish trees that you normally don't see. The
fishing here on Truman is about as good as I have seen it in a good
while. The COE has been running a little water in the afternoons but I
don't look for that to last much longer with the lake level where its
at.

LAKE LEVEL: 705.94
WATER TEMP: 76 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Light stain.

BASS: The bass fishing remains the same as last week. Points are the
best pattern working right now. Big worms and jigs fished in 8' to 15'
of water has been producing some good fish. Look for points with a
channel swing close by. Top water is also working early and late. Buzz
baits and Pop R's are doing a good job on the secondary points. Fish
the points with shad on them.

CRAPPIE: With the water clearing up and being a little low the crappie
bite has really picked up' There are lots of nice fish coming off the
Osage. Jigs or minnows are working. Tree rows in 15' or less are a
good bet. Seems the fish are holding in the hard woods, last week you
couldn't find a fish around a hard wood. If you are looking for some
good crappie action now is the time to be on Truman.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: We saw lots of whites and some good hybrids come in
this week. Trolling has been working the best in our area. KK Island
has been producing fish in the evenings Along with the Pommie flats.
Spoons are working on the humps when they are running water. With the
number of shad on the surface the top water action should bust loose
any time.

CATFISH: The cat fishing remains good. Jugs and trot lines in 10' or
less of water in the coves has been producing. With the bluegill
spawning the flathead numbers have gone up. Lets hope this bite keeps
going for a little longer. Perch and gold fish have been the best
baits.

That's it for this week from Osage Bluff Marina, 660-438-2939 or osage
bluff.com. You can also check us out on face book.

Till next week
Tommy

May 29, 2012 - Lake of the Ozarks - Submitted by Old Oar House Inn Mile Marker 81 - www.oldoarhouseinn.com - Lake of the Ozark water elevation is 658.57’. Truman lake water elevation is 706.12’ LOZ water temperature is 77 degrees Fahrenheit and rising.  Water discharge through Truman Turbine is 0 CFS and over the spillway was 0 CFS. 

Spoonbill:  Closed
Well, as usual I’m late on the fishing report as I was out of the country the last week of April but I wanted to give the Spoonies the closure they deserve as this was the best year of spring fishing I’ve ever seen in the 10 years we’ve owned “The “House”.  The sheer numbers and size of fish that were weighed off our docks are testimony to the amazing spring it’s been.  Until this year the biggest spoonbill I’d ever seen all year weighed right around 94-5#s and typically I’d see at least one each year.  This past season during the last week of spoonbill season the unofficial LOZ state record spoonie was caught only 2 miles from the Oar House.  The giant sow weighed in at 113.6# on our digital scale and allegedly beat the state record that I found on Google by over 2 ½ pounds.  However…… I don’t believe the fish was ever weighed on certified scales so the existing 111# LOZ state record spoonie still stands as the largest spoonbill ever caught in LOZ Missouri.  The state record fish I believe was caught in the Missouri River and weighed around 131#s.  More on State Record Fish in the Carp section below.

Largemouth Bass: Excellent
Bass fishing was excellent this past Memorial Day weekend.  Grampa Gene Carnahan of Richmond Mo and Grandson, Jacob Petree 17 of Holt Mo stopped in for a cold soda and lunch this weekend and reported they’d done real well fishing for “Bucket Mouths” this past weekend in the local coves.  Jacob used crank bait exclusively in a baby bass pattern with orange belly. He caught and released over a dozen bass in the 15 to 17 inch class. Most of their fish came from the Cole Camp Creek arm where they targeted woody structure and pea gravel banks. Carnie chose the Texas rigged worm in ‘electric blue’ and ‘watermelon pepper’ manufactured by “Net Baits” which produced their larger fish in the 4# plus range as seen in this great photo. Carnie reported he fished the day before in the 90mm to 91mm area and used the same presentation and caught several nice fish while working floating structure over 14ft to 18ft of water. The grandpa, grandson duet also had a Bald Eagle buzz the boat in Cole Camp Creek which they said was really cool on Memorial Day !

Carp: Outstanding
Another Missouri State Carp record was shattered this past weekend at the Old Oar House Inn as long as Cody and brother Brady Chaney from Belton Missouri and Grandpa Bill Hill from Raymore, MO follow up with the Conservation Department and get their 5.8# Quillback Carp weighed on certified scales and validated by the MO Department of Conservation Tuesday.  The trio were bow fishing all night Friday and Cody shot this Carp right around midnight near the Oar House w/ his Alpine Bow drawing 45#’s and using Muzzy Fish Points.  They stopped in for breakfast this morning and I personally weighed Cody’s fish on our digital scale.  Check out this nice photo of the new unofficial state record Quillback Carp Cody is holding. Note the quills Cody is showing. Personally I’d never heard of a Quillback Carp until this weekend but a short internet search showed me that yes indeed Cody had shattered the state record which until this weekend had stood at 2#-12oz and was also taken w/ a bow from the North Fabius River in MO.  There is a great teaching point here and that is to know your quarry and if you’re going to do anything in life then do it right.  Teenager Cody is about to launch his name into the Missouri State record books probably for life and he did it w/ a bow!  You’re a stud dude and I envision great things out of you in the future.  Well done and I know both your brother and Grandpa are extremely proud of you.  (As I am!)

Walleye: Excellent!
Joe and Kim Gregory, the official King and Queen of LOZ Walleye fishing stopped in this weekend for a burger and cold brew for lunch and Kim reported that Walleye fishing is as good as it gets right now.  Kim said they did very well using a “Cotton Candy Colored Crank Bait” w/ a laser eye which can be purchased at Bass Pro Shops.  Joe said to fish the flats and the transition zones to the main channel in the deepest water you can find.  He recommends at least 20’ of water where you can find it.  I saw a gorgeous 28” Walleye in their live well and Kim showed me a picture of a nice 20” fish they’d caught Friday.  This couple consistently catches really nice Walleye from the LOZ and as I’ve mentioned numerous times in the past the new state record fish will come from this amazing fishery called the Lake of the Ozarks.  Quite frankly I wouldn’t be surprised if either Kim or Joe are the ones who catch it.  Well done guys and thanks for stopping in this weekend!

Catfish: Good
Cat fishing remains good but all indications are the catfish are preparing to spawn which will significantly slow things down.  Joe did report a 10# flat head he’d netted and released while trolling a Wiggle Wart for Walleye in the deeper water.  I’ll bet he was sure he had the new state record Walleye while reeling that beast in.  Flatheads and Blue Cats are at the top of the food chain in LOZ and if they can get their mouth around it they are going to try to eat it. The ‘Blues’ I’m told have started nesting from now until mid June when the Flatheads start their nesting pattern.  Any type of Shad belly presentation is going to work and for the truly huge 100# pluscatfish like you saw in the last fishing report use a whole live shad where bigger is always better. I’m often asked if I have any reports on ‘Noodling’ and if I know of any noodling guides and I don’t. One such request came in from Connecticut this spring and they were willing to pay big money as part of a bachelor party to come out here and noodle.  If you know someone who noodles then please put me in contact w/ them and I’ll explain there’s a market for hand fishing here in Missouri that I’d like to exploit with them. Contact me at “The House” or at brucearchambault@juno.com

Crappie: Good
Crappie fishing continues to be fair.  Kim and Joe Gregory said the fish are now well into their summer patterns and Kim said use live minnows and try fishing in 12’ – 40’ of water until you find the right depth and then mark your line.  Any type of submerged structure within that range is producing good crappie but expect to only catch one or two keepers for every half dozen fish brought into the boat.

Stripers: Fair
I heard one report of stripers being caught this weekend and they were caught incidentally while fishing for Walleye. That does tell me the stripers are hungry right now and find that moving top water such as below the dam or near rapids and surface fish there in the evenings and you should do real well. 

For up to date water temperatures and elevations for LOZ and Truman call Truman Dam Water Report at (660) 438-7317 and mash #2 once the recording starts.
We endorse trophy fish catch and release!
Remember a bad day fishing is better than a great day at work. 
www.oldoarhouseinn.com
Bruce

May 25, 2012 -Truman -Fishing Report from Osage Bluff Marina 5/24/12

With the holiday weekend approaching and the weatherman forecasting a
perfect weekend what better time to come to Truman Lake and spend the
weekend fishing and boating. The lake is real close to normal level
and the fish are starting to cooperate. If you are in the lakes area
this weekend, on or off the water, please slow down and drive with
extra caution.

LAKE LEVEL: 706.6
WATER TEMP: 75 deg.
WATER CLARITY: STAINED.

BASS: The bass fishing is still good here at Truman. Main lake points
are working well. Big worms in 6' to 12' of water is a good bite along
with crankbaits. Have had a few walleye come off the points also. Best
points seem to be channel swings with deep water close by, Top water
is also working early and late. Buzz baits and Pop R's
are the best right now.

CRAPPIE: The crappie fishing is starting to pick up on the Osage arm.
The water is still stained but the fish have started hitting allot
better. Cedars seem to be the best cover in the Smiths bend area.
Pommie is also producing good fish in the bridge area. Minnows are
still best or a jig tipped with a minnow. Look for fish on the edge of
the flats in 15' to 20' of water down 7' to 10'. With the weather they
are calling for I look for the crappie fishing to do nothing but get
better.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: With the COE slowing the water flow down the white
bass fishing has slowed up a little. There has been a few fish come in
in the evenings off the humps. We have also had some hybrids caught on
sassy shad on the wind blown points.

CATFISH: Seems that this is the time of the year that the big cats are
hitting. Perch and goldfish are the best baits. The flatheads seem to
be feeding up before the spawn. 1/2 way back in the coves off the
points has been a good place for trot lines. Limb lines are also
starting to produce. Best water depth has been 8' to 10'. I think the
flatheads are starting to move on the flats looking foe bedding blue
gill.

Well that's it for this week from Osage Bluff Marina 660-438-2939
www.osagebluff.com.

Have a HAPPY HOLIDAY
Tommy

May 18, 2012 -Truman - Fishing Report from Osage Bluff Marina 5/17/12

I think this week has been some of the best weather of the year. Nice
and cool in the mornings and heating up to the 80's in the afternoon.
There has been enough breeze that it is just perfect fishing weather,
and the fish are even cooperating. If you are looking for the right
time of the year to take the kids out its here.

LAKE LEVEL: 708.18
WATER TEMP: 74 deg,
WATER CLARITY: Stained.

BASS: The bass fishing remains good here on Truman. The main lake
points are holding fish along with the secondaries. 4' to 8" of water
has been working early and as the day warms up down to 12'. Top water
has been productive early and late with buzz baits leading the way.
The 10" worm is starting to pick up the deeper fish and if all else
fails go to the old black and blue jig. The main thing is that as long
as the COE is running water the fish should hang around the points.

CRAPPIE: The crappie are settling in on the summer pattern now. I have
had several reports on good fish being caught off the tree rows. !7'
to 20' has been the best depth with the fish holding at 7' to 10'.
Minnows have been by far the best bait. Had a report from up Pommie
this morning that they caught a couple of limits yesterday with fish
holding at 5'. The fish seem to be in both the hard woods and cedars.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: As long as the COE is running water the whites and
hybrids seem to be holding on the humps. Jigging spoons in 15' of
water has been a good bite. In the evenings a 4" sassy shad has been
working on the hybrids. Haven't heard of any top water working yet.
With the lake getting close to normal now might be the time to chase
whites before they turn the water off.

CATFISH: We have seen good catfish come in the last week. The blues
and flatheads have been hitting jugs. Perch have been the best for
flats and cut shad have been working on the blues. Floating jugs on
the edge of the flats in 20' has been working on the blues. The flats
have been coming off the bluffs on stationary jugs set about 10'.

That's it for this week from Osage Bluff Marina. 660-438 -2939.
www.osagebluff.com. If you need a boat stall for Memorial Day weekend
call quick we only have a few stalls left.

Till next week
Tommy

May 11, 2012 -Truman - Fishing Report from Osage Bluff Marina 5/10/12

What a beautiful week this week has been and more to come. The
weatherman is being very kind to us hope he hasn't got any surprises
in store. The fishing has been pretty good this week with lots of
catfish coming in. The crappie have started to get on the summer
pattern so all is good. Turkey season ended Sunday and the good news
is that the harvest was up 6% over last year. That's really good
considering you couldn't see 20' in the woods but the last week the
birds answer the call a little better. Oh well back to fishing. The
COE is running water about every day so I an looking for a good run on
the whites.

LAKE LEVEL: 710.94
WATER TEMP: 70 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Stained.

BASS: Early and late top water in the back of the creeks. Buzz baits
have been working in 3' to 5' of water on the flats next to the creek
channels. There is also a worm bite on the points in 8' to 15' of
water. You need to move the worn slow on the points. It helps if there
is a channel swing close to the point. There is a crank bait bite off
the points also. Deep runners bouncing on the bottom are working and
you might even pick up a walleye.

CRAPPIE: The crappie are working the summer pattern right now. The
Osage has allot of color but Pommie is just right. Tree rows in 17' to
20' of water fished with minnows down 6' to 10' is working. There is a
bite starting on the bluffs in 25' to 30' with the fish holding in the
15' range. Minnows by far are the best bait. I am still hearing of
crappie coming off the weir in front of the dam

Whites & Hybrids: With the COE running water the whites and hybrids
are starting to work the humps.15' to 20' of water with spoons is the
best choice. Late evening a 3/4 oz chartreuse sassy shad would be a
good to pick up a hybrid. Here again the humps would be a good area.
Look for shad.

CATFISH: The cat fishing remains good. Jugs seem to be out fishing
trot lines now. Blues are hitting cit shad on the flats in 10' to 15'
of water. Flatheads are doing better on perch in 15' to 20' of water
off the end of the bluffs. We have had allot of cats come in this
week. The channels are working trot lines baited with leeches on the
flats.

That's it for this week from Osage Bluff Marina. 660-438 2939 or at
osageblufff.com. We have several used boat lifts for sale here at the
marina starting at about $1500.00. Contact us at the marina for
details.

Till next week
Tommy

May 9, 2012 -Table Rock Submitted by Jamie Kowalsky - Table Rock Lake level is 914.67, just a few inches below power pool. The water temperature is 72 degrees around the Indian Point area. The fishing remains very good. Largemouth, Smallmouth and Kentucky Spotted Bass are all being caught. If you get out early you can find a topwater bite but it doesn’t last long. As soon as the sun gets on the water the topwater bite slows down. Fish are being caught on just about anything you throw. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs, carolina rigs, split shot rigs, shakeyheads and texas rigged worms are all catching fish right now. You can find the fish from ultra shallow water down to 35 feet. You just need to keep experimenting with the depth until you find where they are holding in that area. The fish are holding on the points, the flats, and in the coves. Now is a good time to get out on Table Rock and enjoy some good fishing. Give me a call to set up a fun filled day on the lake.

Till next time Good Fishin’
Jamie

May 4, 2012 -Truman - Fishing Report from Osage Bluff MarinaFishing report from Osage Bluff Marina 5/3/12

Looks like we are in for a little high water again. This is a perfect
time for a rise with most of the fish finishing up bedding. That means
that the COE will go to running water and get the whites and hybrids
all stirred up. As for right now the catfishing is about as good as I
have seen it this year. The bass fishing is real good with the water
on the rise also. The water is stained but very fishable. The weather
is good so come on down to Truman.

LAKE LEVEL: 711.62
WATER TEMP: 67 deg.
WATER CLARITY: Stained

BASS: The bass are strung out all over. The nitches are still a good
bet when fished with sinko's. 3' to 5' of water is best. There are
fish staring to pull under the saw dust already. !/2 oz. jigs are
working here. On the flats in the willows big worms are working in the
flooded bushes. As I said these fish are strung out all over.

CRAPPIE: Right now most of the fish are coming out of 8' to 10' of
water. Minnows seem to be out fishing jigs by a little.For the best
results fish the summer pattern.
17' to 20' of water seems to be working the best. There has been a lot
of crappie come off the weir in front of the dam drifting minnows in
20' of water..

WHITES & HYBRIDS: Had a few fish come off KK Island on spoons this
week. Also had a report of some fish surfacing on shad in the back of
a creek so keep your eyes open. With the rise in the lake the COE will
crank the dam up and get these fish going.

CATFISH: If you are looking for catfish now is the time to be at
Truman. Jugs and trot lines fished in 15' to 20' of water on the flats
is a good bite. Perch and cut shad are te best baits.On the bluffs
fish the laydowns in 20' with perch for flats. I have had a couple of
reports out of the backends of the coves on blues.

That's it for this week from Osage Bluff Marina, 660-438-2939 0r
www.osagebluff.com. We would like to thank the groups of guys from
Indiana, Illinois and Iowa for visiting us, it was a lot of fun. Don't
wait till next year to come back.

Till next week
Tommy

April 28, 2012 - Lake of the Ozarks - Submitted by Old Oar House Inn Mile Marker 81 -April 27th Fishing Report
Mile Marker 81
Lake of the Ozark water elevation is 656.12’. Truman lake water elevation is 709.94’ LOZ water temperature is 64 degrees Fahrenheit and has held stable for the entire week.  Water discharge through Truman Turbine is 400 CFS and over the spillway was 0 CFS. 

Spoonbill:  Excellent!
Another gorgeous spring day and another great spoonbill fishing weekend here at the Oar House.  It seemed hit or miss with some of the boats but I those who had fish had really nice fish.  When you do get into the fish make sure you do several runs through the same hole.  Jeremy and Shauna Bexton are shown here w/ a nice 94# Sow they caught down near the dome hole.  Jeremy was using Shauna’s pole and she drove him right to the fish within the first four minutes of fishing.  I was talking with Randy Ellis from Olathe KS, and his bud James Worley from Bonner Springs, KS. Who were chowing down on a chicken fried steak and chicken basket for dinner.  Randy said he caught two nice spoonies late afternoon from near the dome hole.  The dome hole has been hot as you’ll read in a minute.

Crappie: Fair
The crappie fishing continues to be fair.  The females are down around fourteen feet and I’m told the males are up around four feet.  Best crappie fishing remains up near Truman Dam.  Tommy Dees local crappie legend reports that after this latest wave of cold fronts and rain the crappie span has stalled and quite frankly he’s not sure what they’re doing.  Decent numbers of fish are being caught but in his opinion the crappie run never fully materialized and he said he was going to wait until water temperatures begin warming back up before he can get a good read on them.

Largemouth Bass: Good
Bass expert Pete Robinson has already reported in that he’s slaying the bass again this year and showed me an awesome 11# 5 oz beast he caught and released in the small cove right there at the end of our parking lot. Almost identical to last year’s last report Pete said the bass were hitting a senko soft plastic lure the best. However he caught the ‘Hog’ on a Texas light brown rigged lizard with a 1/4oz split shot weight. I’ve always liked that small cove especially when they are running water as it allows the fish to get out of the main current and rest. Check out this lunker bass that was caught earlier this spring somewhere down in Oklahoma.  As the story goes it weighed 17# 14oz and was released unharmed. 

Catfish: Excellent
Cat fishing down near the cleaning station remains very good.  Wendell Lopez from Portland IN is shown here w/ a perfect 5# eating blue caught he caught in chicken livers.

The catfish of the day was a 107# blue cat Jason Brown from Mexico Missouri caught out of you guessed it the dome hole.  Jason caught the monster on a 1# shad he said he hooked under the dorsal fin.  The fish was 52” long and took two guys to lift it for the picture. He threw it back to grow another day.  Jason said “Be Good to the River and it Will Be Good to You”.  He’s not kidding.  Great call, a fish this big isn’t going to taste very good and it’s around fish like this which our great fishery here is built upon.    

Walleye: No Report
Joe and Kim how are the walleye doing? Looking forward to hearing from you!

Carp: Good
Bryan Heinen said there’s a massive Carp population spawning up in Cole Camp Creek.  There’s a number of ways to get them but certainly the most fun is with either your bow fishing set-up or your winter Gigging outfit consisting of a 14’ lightweight fiberglass pole and tempered steel pronged spear set-up. I’ve begun feeding the carp around our docks floating fish food around the ramp in the floating white PVC pipes and I’m seeing really good numbers of big carp to include one huge gold fish or coy that has to weigh at least 10 #s.      

Stripers: No Report
For up to date water temperatures and elevations for LOZ and Truman call Truman Dam Water Report at (660) 438-7317 and mash #2 once the recording starts.

We endorse trophy fish catch and release!
Catch and release, it will grow on you and remember a bad day fishing is
better than a great day at work. 
Bruce

April 26, 2012 -Truman - The weather this week has been perfect with the exception of a really
hard wind yesterday that made fishing about impossible. Now it's going
to settle down and be nice the rest of the week. We have seen lots of
nice fish this week so it might be the time to hit Truman The turkeys
are still gobblin but sure are hard to see in the woods, really green
already.

LAKE LEVEL: 707.45
WATER TEMP: 65 deg.
WATER CLARITY: STAINED.

BASS: If you want bass go crappie fishing. The nitches are producing
if they have deeper water close by. 3' to 5' has been a good depth.
Beavers and lizards are the top producers there. There are some fish
on main lake points in 5' to 10' of water on worms. Have to move
everything real slow. Still not hearing much on top water.

CRAPPIE: Have had all kinds of reports on crappie. Had fish on the
banks in the Berry Bend area last weekend. 2' to 5' of water. Minnows
or jigs fished under a bobber and worked slow was working. There were
also some fish on the outside tree rows in 20' of water down 8' to 10'
on minnows. Right now it seems as though the crappie are strung out
all over.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: The COE is still running water but the white and
hybrid fishing has slowed. There are a few coming off the humps but
not as good as last week. Talked to a buddy and he said the weir has
slowed also.

CATFISH: The catfish bite is on. Jugs or trot lines are working. We
saw several nice flatheads this week. Best bait is perch. Steep banks
with laydowns.in about 20' of water. Blues are on the edge of the
flats on cut bait. If you are looking for cats now is the time.

That's it for this week from Osage Bluff Marina. 660-438-2939 or
www.osagebluff.com.

Till next week
Tommy

April 21, 2012 - Lake of the Ozarks - Submitted by Old Oar House Inn Mile Marker 81 -April 21st Fishing Report
Mile Marker 81
Lake of the Ozark water elevation is 644.46’. Truman lake water elevation is 711.23’. LOZ water temperature is 556 degrees Fahrenheit. Water discharge through Truman Turbines is 2,400 CFS and over the spillway was 250 CFS. 

I know…..  I’ve been seriously delinquent this year w/ my fishing report and you’ve rightly let me know.  The three of us are burning the candle on both ends and we’ve barely had time to breath. ‘Nuff snivlin’ here’s the latest:

Spoonbill: Excellent!
Spoonbill continues to be real good.  Man what a year.  The World Class and Mother of all Spoonbill Tournaments; “Snag masters” was held this past weekend and I understand it went very well. I think I heard the top fish was in the mid 80s and paid out close to a couple thousand. Uncle John, his son-in-law Joker and Joker’s brother Lou  fishing with “Catch n One” guide Brian Heinen did exceptionally well and all limited out.  Lou’s 87# sow would have easily taken first place in Snagmasters had he caught it two hours earlier.  Well done guys. 

Crappie: Good
Crappie fishing has continued to improve, especially after the rains we had this weekend.  I’m hearing good reports of lots of nice mails as well as a few decent females as they start moving in to the nesting areas to mate with the males.

I’m not hearing of too many people limiting out but a lot of nice fish are being caught along south facing bluffs.  Pick your bait; either minnows or chartreuse jigs and you’ll do very well.

Catfish: Excellent!
I’ve never seen so many and such large cats caught down at the cleaning station in the 10 years we’ve owned this place.  I know I sound like a broken record but chicken livers fished along the bluff on the right side of the cleaning station is second to none for catching any size cat.  SET YOUR DRAG and ensure you have an extremely large net.  37#s is still the season’s biggest catfish pulled out of there.  It’s belly was absolutely gorged with ‘leavins’ from the butchering going on directly above them.  Ronnie Ryce from Rolla reported last weekend that his boat caught 45 cats Saturday afternoon weighing well over 100#s. They anchored against the bluff about 15 yards below the cleaning station and clobbered them.

Bass: Slow
Pete Robinson stopped by for a burger and a beer and reported that bass fishing had tapered off the past week.  He had a couple strikes and managed to land one small 2# fish all weekend. I’m guessing all the cold rain may have slowed things down.   

We wholeheartedly endorse trophy fish catch and release!
Remember a bad day fishing is better than a great day at work. 
Bruce

December 7, 2011 -Table Rock - The fishing on Table Rock Lake is good one day and tough the next. Usually this time of year the crank bait bite is hot. Not so much this year. We have been catching a few on wiggle warts but it’s not as consistent as it should be. It seems that the flooding we had earlier in the year has just thrown the typical patterns off this season. The water temps are in the mid 50s and this should make the crank bait the go to bait but not this year. We are also catching some nice fish on a spinner bait but then again it’s not consistent. The best bite I have found has been the deep bite. This time of year the shad will go deep and the fish will follow them. We’ve been finding the shad in 70-80 feet of water in this one valley. The days that they get pushed up into the 50 foot range we have just loaded the boat with Smallmouth and Kentucky Spotted Bass. We had one day where we caught around 60 fish with all but 4 of them being Smallmouth's. It was just amazing how many fish were in one small area. The best way to find these areas that are holding deep bass is to start graphing the coves from the mouth of the cove all the way to the back ends to around 35 feet of water. You want to try and follow the channel the whole way as a lot of times you’ll find these schools of shad laying right on the bottom in the channels. If you find the shad but don’t see any fish hanging around them, you can drop a spoon through the shad all the way to the bottom and start hopping it off the bottom. Sometimes the fish will feed on the shad from underneath the school. Even if you find the shad in 70 feet of water you can still catch fish off the bottom. If you spend enough time looking you can have some of the best fishing of the year with these deep Bass.

Till’ next time ‘good fishin’
Jamie

Http://tablerockfishingpro.com