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September 1, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - Fishing Report from Sterett Creek Marina   9/1/2010 How about this we are finally getting some well needed rain. It's not coming in enough to change the lake but it should sure settle the dust. The weatherman is telling us we are going to has a perfect weekend with cool dry weather so it ought be a super holiday. Now if the fish will cooperate it will be super.                                                                                      
LAKE LEVEL:            706.67
                                                                                    
WATER TEMP:       83 deg.
                                                                                    
WATER CLARITY:  Light stain.
 

BASS: The bass fishing here on Truman is starting to pick up. There are fish on a couple different pattern but the good thing is they are hitting. The COE has slowed our water flow down to about nothing so the wind is getting to be an important item. The wind is moving the baitfish in the coves and across the points so this moves the fish in these areas. In the coves fish are in 7' or less water about 3/4 way back. Big worms and brush hogs are working on the edge of the creek channels. The point fish are just a little deeper on the ends of the flat points about 10'. Rigs are working out here with baby brush hogs and small craws. Might even try a tube. Last nights hawg fights were won by Howard Love and John Pollit with 9.36 lbs. They also had big bass weighing 3.58 lbs. 2nd. place went to Larry Wright and Hap Hartman with 7.71 lbs. Third went to Ernie Cox and Ozzie Wallace with 7.29 lbs.  CRAPPIE: The crappie bite is improving on Truman also. We have been seeing more limits come in everyday. The brush piles have been working well in 20' of water. Tree rows in 10' of water fished 8' down are working in the bigger creeks. The deep tree rows off the bluffs 30' fished 12' to 15' down are also working. You have to work each tree pretty hard but if there are fish there they will bite. Minnows are still the best but I have talked to people using pepper spoons and jigs that are catching fish. Not every tree has fish on it but you can catch numbers off the bigger deep trees. WHITES: With the water slowed down as it is we haven't seen much on whites. Did here of some fish hitting on the wind blown flats. The fish weren't surfacing but dimpling the water in 4' and less. Rooster tails and small Rat L Traps were working on these fish. CATFISH: I weighed a 42 lb. blue last week and he had some other nice fish to go with. Jugs in 30' of water baited with cut shad. Said the fish bit early in the morning. With the water temp slowly dropping I would look for more cats to start hitting. That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina                                                           660-438-2280                                                        critter@dam.netTill next week      Tommy

August 25, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - Fishing Report from Sterett Creek Marina  8/25/10

 
Looks like the weather is going to give us a little break this week. With 56 deg this morning it almost feels like winter. Hope the fish will enjoy it as much as the fishermen are. If the weatherman is right this should hold for the rest of the week making it a great time to hit the lake. The water clarity is good and the water temp has dropped just a little so lets hope the fishing is going to start picking up.
 
                                                                                            LAKE LEVEL:               706.7
                                                                                            WATER TEMP:          85 deg.
                                                                                            WATER CLARITY:     Clear to light stain.
 
BASS: The bass fishing is pretty good here on Truman. Lots of small fish being caught as well as some real good fish. Last nights Hawg fights were won by Larry Wright and Hap Hartman with 8.48 lbs. They also had big bass weighing 5.83 lbs. Fred Baraks and John Krewson came in second with 5.67 lbs. Third was Howard Love and John Pollitt with 3.72 lbs. All the anglers said the same thing that there wasn't really a pattern. The thing that they did have in common was that the fish came shallow out of 7' or less of water. All the fish were holding on timber of some sort and they were all back in the coves. Baits ranged from big worms to tubes to buzz baits. The important thing is that the fish have moved back in the coves and are starting to come shallow.
 
CRAPPIE: The crappie on the other hand have gone a little deeper. Brush piles are by far the biggest producer right now. Piles in 15' to 20' of water are the best. Minnows fished on top of the brush are doing the best. The pepper spoon is also catching some fish. The has been some fish caught off the outside tree rows but this bite has been spotty. You will find some fish on a tree row and go to another one like it and blank so it is a hit and miss deal so keep moving. Most of the fish seem to be coming about a crank up off the bottom.
 
WHITES: We are seeing a few whites come in. They are running just under the surface so small Rat L Traps and rooster tails have been working on these fish. The G 4 area has been a good area and the small Sterett Creek islands has been another. The best bite by far has been in the evening.
 
CATFISH: The cats are still slow around here right now. I saw a couple come in last night off jugs baited with shad. He said they came off the top hook so I think we are still looking at shallow feeding fish in the evenings. Maybe with this cool spell we will start seeing more activity.
 
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                         660-438-2280
                                                      critter@dam.net
Till next week
     Tommy

August 18, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - Fishing Report from Sterett Creek Marina   8/18/10 

What a great week. The temps have dropped along with the humidity to make this a ideal fishing week. Even the fish are starting to cooperate a little better. The water clarity is great and the water temp has dropped a little. We have even had reports of whites on the shallow flats in the evenings.
 
                                                                                   LAKE LEVEL:              706.7
                                                                                   WATER TEMP:         86 deg.
                                                                                   WATER CLARITY:    Light stain.
 
BASS: The bass fishing is starting to pick up on Truman. Last weekend in the Anglers in Action Tournament there were 4 limits weighed in over 18 lbs. That's a good day of fishing in anyone's book. Last night in the Hawg Fights Larry Wright and Hap Hartman were the winners with a 3 fish limit weighing 7.55 lbs. I have to congratulate Larry on a 2nd place finish in the BASS weekender series last weekend. The fish have moved up on the longer shallow points. Baby brush hogs fished on a Carolina rig in 4' to 8' could put a pay check in your pocket.
 
CRAPPIE: The crappie are hanging in the same places they were last week. There are still fish on the bluffs in 30' of water down about 20'. Also there are fish on the tree rows on the flats in 15' to 20' of water down about 8'. If you see a good looking tree row in 10' or less don't hesitate to fish it I have heard of some good fish moving shallow. Minnows are still the best bait but there has been some fish brought in on pepper spoons this week. There has also been some fish caught out of the brush piles in 15' to 20' of water. Right now you have to work for what you get but the quality of fish is really improving. The crappie must be feeding good because they are getting some good shoulders on them.
 
WHITES: As earlier we have had reports of whites moving up on the flats in the evenings. These fish have been as shallow as 2'. Small Rat L Traps and Rooster Tails have been working on these fish. There are also some fish on the humps in 15'  hitting spoons. The KK Island area has been a pretty good spot along with G 10.
 
CATFISH: I haven't heard of anything on catfish this week. If someone has something going on these let me know.
 
If your in the lakes area please drive with care the kids are back in school.
 
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                         660-438-2280
                                                      critter@dam.net
Till next week
     Tommy

August 17, 2010 - Lake of the Ozarks - Submitted by Old Oar House Inn Mile Marker 81 - www.oldoarhouseinn.com

Lake of the Ozark water elevation is 657.85’. Truman lake water elevation is 706.73’. LOZ water temperature is 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Water discharge through Truman Turbines is 250 CFS and over the spillway was 0 CFS. 

Crappie: Slow

Crappie fishing has slowed considerably since the water topped 80 degrees several weeks ago. I was fishing with the grandkids this weekend and little Bruce IV caught a very small crappie on a worm but for the most part they are not biting right now and won’t until the water temps begin to drop.

Catfish: Good

This white cats or blues are off their nests now and they are hungry. I heard some great stories this weekend of some great fish being caught just upstream from the ‘House’. A couple of the fish were over 35# each. Shad bellies did the trick. Speaking of shad I’ve noticed huge schools of fingerling shad feeding on the top of the water right at dusk. You can’t miss them due to their feeding activity. The average school was about 6’ in circumference and they were really churning up the water. A couple of these on your hook will draw just about anything to bite. I watched a guy toss a throw net over a school Saturday night and he hauled in dozens of the fish for his minnow bucket. Be sure to score the side of the shad against the scales to ensure they emanate lots of shad ‘stink’ into the water so the big old cats can find them.

Carp: Good

I talked to a couple of bow fishermen Sunday morning as they filled up their boat w/ fuel. The two had been out all night bow fishing and had a trash can full of grass and buffalo carp to show for their efforts. The said they were cruising in the about 3’ of shallow water in the bigger coves along the grassy shores and they used a 10,000 candle power search light to spot their fish. This implies a 2 man operation but I know they had a ball shooting the carp.

Large Mouth Bass: Good

Bass fishing has slowed but it still remains good. Coves and anywhere with structures are good holding areas for some of the lunker bass in the LOZ. Rubber worms seem to work real good as does a surface jitterbug made by Rapala. I speak from firsthand experience about fishing at night w/ the jitterbug and hearing the water explode in the darkness followed by the heavy tug of a nice fishing setting the hook. Give it a try some night and you won’t be disappointed.

Stripers: Fair

I’ve had two reports of folks witnessing stripers slamming into some of the surface feeding fingerling shad I mentioned earlier. If you witness such a phenomena all you have to do is present any type of floating minnow and you’re guaranteed to catch fish. Make certain your drag is set so you won’t be disappointed this weekend as I was!

Walleye: Great

The King and Queen of walleye fishing, Jo and Kim Gregory reported once again they had found the walleye, go figure! Joe and Kim went out on his birthday and caught these real nice fish. You mean your wife took you fishing on your birthday? What a woman. Actually Kim likes catching walleye more than Joe does sometimes. Joe and Kim continue to fish in about 18’ of water off the drop off of the main channel.  He said he trolled Wiggle Warts and caught these awesome fish. Nice Birthday fish guys!

We endorse trophy fish catch and release!

Remember a bad day fishing is better than a great day at work. 

Bruce

August 15, 2010 - 102 River - River is down  but moving. Blue cats fair on fresh river caught cut bait gar. Fish a 3 way with 5/0 mustad in the deeper holes in the channel along a good bend. I lost a nice 1 last nite short fight then came in like log got it to the bank rolled and spit the hook out. lost 1 other to brush just out of reach. about 10 15 lbs. Didnt have a light on the big 1 buddy was buzy trying to find his way in the dark. landed decent channel and 1 blue about 10 lbs lots of big hits  

Tom

August 11, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - Fishing Report from Sterett Creek Marina     8/11/10

 Last night I got some good news on the angling front. Drake Young from Lincoln MO. finished third in the FLW Junior World Bass Fishing Championship last weekend on Lake Lanier in GA. I've known Drake since he was a little fellar, he has grown to a fine young man and a very good angler. Congrats and we're all proud of you. We have had the hottest week of the year this week but even with that there has been a number of fisherman hitting the lake. Most are hitting it early and quitting  midday. Even with the heat and short hours we are seeing good numbers of fish come in. Remember to take extra water and ice when fishing in the heat. It is a good idea to put frozen ice bottles in the live well to help keep fish in good shape.                                                                                                    LAKE LEVEL:             706.98                                                                                                  WATER TEMP:        86 deg.                                                                                                  WATER CLARITY:   Clear to light stain. BASS: This week the bass fishing got a little tougher. With the heat the fish are holding a little deeper and moving a little slower. I guess that’s why they call it the dog days of summer. The best bite I am hearing of is the breaks along the bluffs. The fish seem to be holding in the 12' of water range. Jigs and shaky head worms seem to be working the best. There are a few suspended fish being caught off the outside tree rows. Deep running crank baits and jigs are the trick in about 15' of water. Last night in the hawg fights Chris Foster and Tom Monsees had the winning string of 4.26 lbs. Second was Doug and Ozzie Wallace with 4.08 lbs. ( And yes Ernie there was a fish by the big rock. ) Third and big bass was 3.36 lbs weighed in by Tom McGovern and Tim Blankenship.  CRAPPIE: There are mixed reports on the crappie fishing. There has been a bite in 10' of water wishing minnows down about 5' in the tree rows. There are also fish being caught off the bluffs out of 30' of water down 15' to 20' on minnows. Yesterday guide Steve Blake and his party brought in 3 limits caught off the brush piles. As you can see they are spread all over the place. The one comment everyone is making is take a lot of minnows because the little guys are feeding hard. WHITES & HYBRIDS: The COE has been running water in the afternoons and this has got the whites hitting. KK Island has been one of the better areas along with the mouth of Pommie. Under water humps and ridges running in 10' to 15' of water fished with spoons has been producing fish. We haven't seen any big hybrids this week but with the weather and water temp I think they should start busting shad on top. We are seeing more big schools of shad working the surface so I would guess that it's going to start real soon. Wouldn't hurt to keep a sassy shad or a blade bait tied on just in case. CATFISH: This week the catfishing has been slow. The best is jugs set about 5' and drifted on the flats. Cut shad is still the best bait.  That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina  660-438-2280  critter@dam.net

Till next week   
Tommy

August 4, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - Fishing Report from Sterett Creek Marina    8/4/10

 
Hot and not just the weather. The white bass fishing has really got going but with temps running in the high 90's  it has been a little tough sitting in one spot. We haven't had any rain this week but it has been humid enough that I don't think we really need any. The lake is getting real close to normal pool but the COE is still running water everyday. The weatherman seems to think that it is going to cool down a little this weekend so it looks like a great weekend to spend at the lake.
 
                                                                                         LAKE LEVEL:            707.11
                                                                                         WATER TEMP:       85 deg.
                                                                                         WATER CLARITY:  Light stain.
 
BASS: The bass fishing has a lot of anglers scratching their heads right now. Top water bites in the middle of the day and deep fish early and late, kind of backwards. Pop R's have been working on the timbered flats in 3' to 6' of water. Jigs and big worms are working in 12'+ of water on the ledges. There needs to be some kind of cover on the ledges. With the heat we are having now it might be a good idea to take and put some frozen bottles of water in your livewells and run them on circulate, might help keep fish in better shape. The Hawg Fights last night went as follows. Marty Watson and Don Miller 7.96 lbs and big bass of 5.51 lbs.  Second was Desman Karl and Paul Curry with 7.15 lbs. Third was Doug and Ozzie Wallace with 7.00 lbs.
 
CRAPPIE: The crappie are hanging on the brush piles in 15' to 20' of water. Minnows have been working the best. There has been a few fish come in off the tree rows on the edge of the flats in 17' to 20' of water, fish seem to be holding in 8' to 10' of depth. The bluff fish have dropped to 20' to 25' in 30' to 40' of water. Minnows are best and it might not hurt to tip the minnow with a piece of crappie nibbles.
 
WHITES & HYBRIDS: With the COE running water the white bass bite this week has been good. These fish are hanging around in most of their old haunts. Spoons have been he best lures. Guide Steve Blake said he has been finding good numbers of whites holding on under water ridges as shallow as 8'. There has been some surface activity in the evenings. Sonar's and blade bates have been a good choice on these fish.
 
CATFISH: About the same as last week. Jugs floated on the flats set about 5' with cut shad has been the best. With the hest we haven't seen many cats come in.
 
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                          660-438-2280
                                                       critter@damnet
Till next week
      Tommy

July 28, 2010 - 102 River - 102 river is still dropping. catfish slow on x-minnows and skippies. deeper water the better . did lose a huge one last night. hit like a flathead in shallow water on baby carp.

July 28, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - Even with the rain we have had the lake is in great shape. Water clarity is good and being a couple of feet high the COE runs a little water in the afternoons to keep the whites and hybrids going. The weather is a little warm but it hasn't bothered the fish yet. The crappie are starting to move around a little and we are starting to see a few more come in.

 
                                                                                         WATER LEVEL:             708.5
                                                                                         WATER TEMP:             84 deg.
                                                                                         WATER CLARITY:        Light stain.
 
BASS: Last nights Hawg Fight kind of sums up the bass fishing, if you can find them they will bite. Don Miller and Marty Watson brought in the winning stringer of 6.36 lbs. Jamie Lehares and Dale Heatherington came in second with 5.95 lbs.
Third and big bass went to Larry Wright with 3.38 lbs. Deep water structure was the best bite. Under water ridges in 20' of water is a good place to look. Jigs and big worms are the best baits. There is also a bite on the main lake points with worms and deep running crank baits. Look for shad balling on the points. There has also been some schooling fish the lipless crank baits are working on these.
 
CRAPPIE: There are some fish moving to the brush piles in 17' to 25' of water. The fish are holding right on top of the brush. Minnows are the best bait. There are also fish on the outside tree rows on the edge of the flats. These fish are holding in water 15' to 20' down 8' to 10'. Here again minnows are the best bait. Look for the trees just coming out or just under the surface.
 
WHITES & HYBRIDS: We have been seeing good numbers or whites come in. These fish are real active when they are running water. There is a lot of surface activity starting now. For the whites the 1/4 oz. spoon works good. The hybrids are hitting the 1/2 to 3/4 oz. sassy shad. KK Island an G 14 have been pretty good here in the last few days. Little Tebo cut has also been a good area for whites.
 
CATFISH: The cat fishing has been a little slow. The best bite has been jugs on the flats. Cut shad set at about 5' with floaters has been producing a few nice blues.
 
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                          660-438-2280
                                                      critter@dam.net
Till next week
      Tommy

July 21, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - The COE is still dropping the lake and we are just about to normal pool (about 2' high) right now. With the heat I guess it worked out for them pretty well generating power. The good thing is that it is keeping the hybrids going a little longer. The lake has cleared up nicely and we are starting to see lots of surface activity. There hasn't been that much rain this week so I'm guessing that by the weekend we should be about normal pool.                                                                                             LAKE LEVEL:            708.3.                                                                                           
WATER TEMP:       81 deg.
                                                                                           
WATER CLARITY:  CLEAR.
 

BASS: The bass are starting to move to their summer pattern. There are fish starting to suspend on the trees in 15' to 20' of water. The fish seem to be holding about 6' to 8'. Jigs and big worms are working the best. There are still fish on the points in 12' to 15' of water, a creek or river channel swing needs to be close by. Big worms are the best bet here. Top water is working early and late. This week I have had a few reports of schooling bass (keeper size), so if you have fish surfacing around you it wouldn't hurt to run a Trap through them it might surprise you with what you catch. This weeks Hawg Fights were the Doug and Ozzie show with a winning stringer of 8.70 lbs and big bass at 4.84 lbs. Second went to Jamie Lehares and Dale Heatherington with 3.31 lbs. Third was Crist Fanning and Terry Close with 2.40 lbs.
 
CRAPPIE: The crappie are still hit and miss. We had a bunch of fish come in off the tree rows on the flats in 17' of water. Fish were down 10' to 12' and minnows were the best bait. With the lake level where it is you can see the tree rows better and with the water clarity see the trees under the water that haven't been fished for a while. The bluffs are also producing a few fish, 30' of water down 15' to 20' on minnows.
 
WHITES & HYBRIDS: There are some whites surfacing all around the lake. 1/4 oz. spoons have been working on these fish. The Shawnee Bend area has been one of the better areas. The hybrids have been doing real well in the KK Island area. 3/4 oz sassy shad has been the best producing bait when counted down. Guide Steve Blake has brought in several nice stringers of fish in the last week.
 
CATFISH: The cat fishing has picked up a little this week on floating jugs. Shad has been the best bait when set at about 5' on the flats. We have seen some nice blues come in his week. The Osage arm seems to be doing as good as any right now.
 
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                         660-438-2280
                                                      critter@dam.net

Till next week

Tommy

July 14, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - Hot pretty well sums it up. You can sure tell it's the middle of July. The storms last weekend missed us but did dump a lot of rain, didn't affect the lake in our area. The COE is pulling a lot of water and this is pulling the mud line down the Osage. It is starting to get dirty around the Berry Bend area. Last weekend there was some good fish come from the Ed's Camp area but with the muddy water that bite will slow down. Our area of the lake looks good and should remain that way for a good while.

 
                                                                             LAKE LEVEL:             712.0
                                                                             WATER TEMP:        82 deg.
                                                                             WATER CLARITY:   Clear to Light Stain.
 
BASS: The bass fishing has slowed down with the hot weather. It's kind of like the dog days of summer have arrived. Last night in the Hawg Fights the team of Barkledge and Barkledge weighed in a 6.02 lb lunker for big bass and took first place with a total weight of 8.82 lbs. Second went to Desman Carl and Paul Cury with 2.93 lbs. Third went to Ernie Cox and Jack Hocket with 2.31 lbs. The bite right now seems to be on the points in 10' to 15' of water. Big worms and Brush Hogs are the best baits. I did hear of a few fish coming off deep running crank baits last weekend, these fish were on the points also.
 
CRAPPIE: With the lake falling the tree rows are starting to pop back out to where they are easier to find. There has been a little bite in the rows in 20' of water on minnows down about 7' to 10'. There is also a bite on the bluff banks in 30' of water down 15' to 20'. Minnows tipped with a crappie nibble are working here.
 
WHITES & HYBRIDS: We have seen some real nice hybrids come in this week. Guide Steve Blake brought in a real good limit the other day. Sassy Shad on a 3/4 oz. head has been working the best. The hybrids seem to be hanging on top of the humps in 20' of water. The whites are doing their normal thing for this time of year and are surfacing here, there and yonder. I had a couple people tell me they were coming up rite at dark. They haven't started the real big schools but the fish are surfacing are saying up for a good while.
 
CATFISH: The catfish have slowed way down. There were lots of lines run this week with not much going on. My guess is they are laying in the holes and with the hot weather aren’t feeding that much or not moving that much to feed.
 
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                          660-438-2280
                                                       critter@dam.net
Till next week
    Tommy

June 30, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - What a beautiful week and the weatherman is calling for the same the rest of the week. Looks like the makings of a perfect holiday weekend. They will be shooting the fireworks off the dam on Saturday night. Even the fish are starting to cooperate this week so it will be a great time to spend the weekend on Truman. The COE is pulling a bunch of water through the dam and the lake is dropping a little over 6" a day.

 
                                                                                               LAKE LEVEL:            718.8.
                                                                                               WATER TEMP:       82 deg.
                                                                                               WATER CLARITY:  Clear to lightly stained.
 
BASS: Last night in the Hawg Fights Desmin Karl brought his good luck charm Jenny and took 1st place with 7.65 lbs. They also had big bass which weighed 3.83 lbs. 2nd went to Tom Monsess and Chris Foster with 5.11 lbs. 3 rd went to Kevin and Parker Love with 4.27 lbs. The bass were holding on the breaks between 12' and 25'. Small worms are working well in the deeper water. There is a buzz bait bite early and late on the flat points that have deep water close by. With the amount of water the COE is running the secondary points should start producing some good fish off the original bank line. Pay attention Mike.
 
CRAPPIE: The crappie are still holding in about 25' of water and suspending at about 12'. Minnows are the best bait going right now. The under water tree rows are the best places to look now. Seems like cedars are working better than hardwoods. We did hear of a few fish being caught trolling this week. Seems kind of early in the season for this to be starting but with the high water I guess anything is possible.
 
WHITES & HYBRIDS: Everything is right for the whites and hybrids and we have seen several nice hybrids come in this week. Most of the fish are coming off of  jigging spoons and sassy shad. Pearl truce has been the best color. Point 0-3 and KK Island are the better areas now. 25' of water seems to be the right depth.
 
CATFISH: The cat fishing is spotty right now. There are a few fish coming off trot lines and jugs. The mouths of the coves has been producing some blues. Perch seem to be the best bait. Jugs fished on the flats baited with cut shad or leeches are catching channels. Set jugs 6' to 10' deep.
 
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                            660-438-2280
                                                         critter@dam.net
Till next week
      Tommy

June 23, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - No rain so far this week something must be wrong. The lake is still on a slow rise but everything is operational. We still haven't heard when the COE is going to start releasing water. It seems that every afternoon they run a little for about two hours. In checking today's generation schedule they are going to three hours so maybe things are looking better down below and they will start by the weekend. The fishing has been good but would be great if they would start dumping water. The lake is in good shape color wise and we are seeing very little drift. The upper arms are dirty but the closer you get to the dam the better the water color is.                                                                                               LAKE LEVEL:                720.33                                                                                            
WATER TEMP:           81 deg.
                                                                                            
WATER CLARITY:      Light stain.
 

BASS: There is a buzz bait bite on the flat points early and late right now. 4' to 6' of water has working in the timber. With the rising water points seem to be the answer. Main lake and secondary points are both working as long as there is deep water or a good break right there. Big worms and big brush hogs have been the top producing baits when fished in 15' to 20' of water. I did hear of a few fish in the deeper willows 8' to 10' deep. These were off the secondary points.
 
CRAPPIE: We have seen some good crappie come in this week. There has been two patterns going. Fish the underwater tree rows in 25' of water with minnows 10' to 12' down. The easy way to do these are to graph the tree row and drop a marker on one end and go to the other end and fish to your marker. The other pattern is to fish the isolated trees on the flats. Four or five trees in a area will produce fish. Here again minnows are best. Might not heart to put a crappie nibble on with the minnow.
 
WHITES & HYBRIDS: With the lack of water flow these fish have slowed up. here was a few fish being caught in the KK Island area. Sassy shad is the best bait. There has been a little top water action starting but it's hit and miss right now. With the COE running a little water in the late afternoons I would be in the dam area if I were looking for whites. Jigging spoons and sassy shad would be my first choice.
 
CATFISH: The cat fishing has slowed down around here. I really can't figure out why. With the lake on a rise floating sets on the flats next to creek channels or ditches normally produce some good fish. My cat fishing buddies are coming in this week so hopefully I will have a better report next week. I would try some limb lines in the willows baited with perch on the flats next to deeper water.
 
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                          660-438-2280
                                                      critter@dam.net
Till next week
       Tommy

June 16, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - Yes the water is up but everything is open and operational. The lake is in real good shape and we are not seeing any drift.We are starting to see some good crappie come in. With the lake level like it is the there will be more water to run through the dam which should keep the whites and hybrids going. Looks like we are in for some good fishing for some time to come.                                                                                        

LAKE LEVEL:                  716.5                                                                                       
WATER TEMP:             81 deg.
                                                                                        
WATER CLARITY:        Light stain to stained.
 

BASS: The bass fishing on Truman is good right now. Last nights Hawg Fights netted a winning stringer of 9.37 lbs. This 3 fish limit was caught by Mike and Dave Kephart. This is the second week in a row that this team has won, way to go guys. Second went to Kyle White with 7.73 lbs. Third was Ernie Cox and Jack Hockett with 5.95 lbs. They also had big bass at 5.95 lbs. Main lake points fished with big worms and big brush hogs is the bite now. Fish 10' to 15' of water with deep water close by. There is a buzz bait bite starting on the longer shallow points early and late. 3' to 6' of water is working, look for shad.
 
CRAPPIE: There is a pretty good crappie bite going now. with the high water electronics are playing a big part in finding the hiding places of the crappie. The tree rows are producing good fish but they have 5' to 6' of water over them so you have to find and mark them with a graph. Minnows are by far the top bait. There has been a good bite in the Shawnee Bend area and also in the Berry Bend area.
 
WHITES & HYBRIDS: The COE has the dam shut off right now but there has been a good number of big whites come from the KK Island area. Jigging spoons and sassy shad are the top baits. There has been a little surface activity starting on the lake also.
Little Tebo cut is another area where there has been some fish coming from.
 
CATFISH: There has been a few fish come off trot lines. With the lake on a rise I look for the catfish to start hitting a little better. Leeches have been working on channels on the flats around the willows. Have seen a few blues out of deep water on perch. With the water temps rising you need to run lines early.
 
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                            660-38-2280
                                                        critter@dam.net
Till next week
    

Tommy

June 16, 2010 - Lake of the Ozarks - Submitted by Old Oar House Inn Mile Marker 81 - www.oldoarhouseinn.com

Mile Marker 81

Lake of the Ozark water elevation is 657.46’. Truman lake water elevation is 716.58’. LOZ water temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Water discharge through Truman Turbines is 16,000 CFS and over the spillway was 0 CFS.


Crappie:

Fair

Crappie fishing continues to be fair. I hear mixed reports depending on who you talk to. A lot of good fish are being caught but the bigger fish are typically coming from the deeper water. They are hanging in fairly large schools. Mark the depth of the fish you catch and refine that marker as you zero in on the main school. Minnows and Chartreuse jigs always seem to work well for big crappie.

Catfish:

Excellent

This is the time of the year when the big ole flat heads and blue cats begin their nesting ritual so things slow down a bit but it’s also the best time of the year to run your limb, jug and trot lines. Bait for any of these methods is typically a fresh shad belly which will stay on the hook for the duration or at least until you check your lines no later than 24 hours later as per state law. Remember to pull your lines when you aren’t checking them as beavers and otters can easily get caught on the hooks. I once snagged an otter and I was checking my lines every 24 hours. Unfortunately for me the critter drowned. When you catch one of the monster catfish in the Lake of the Ozarks over 35# I would ask that you seriously consider throwing it back. 35# is my threshold catch and release size for the big cat fish. They aren’t that good eating and it takes many, many years for a fish to grow that size and once they reach that size they really begin to pack on the pounds.


Carp:

No Report

It’s almost time for the Missouri “Bow Benders” to show up for their annual Carp Bow Hunting tournament and I should have a good report from them shortly.



Large Mouth Bass:

Pete Robinson reports he’s still catching some nice largemouth bass. Spinner baits are Pete’s preferred bass weapon. I heard a report from a guy whose name has slipped my mind but stated he was up in Cole Camp Creek way up in the fishing w/ a black jitter bug to match the dark and shadowy water and he said he caught and released a real nice 9# 5oz largemouth bass. I used to do a lot of bass fishing at night and the jitter bug was my favorite lure. There’s nothing more exciting to hear the strike of the bass at night and then to feel the fish on the end of your line. Remember to set your drag!


Stripers:

Joe caught this nice striper while he and Kim were fishing for Walleye. He said he’d also caught it in the main channel in 18’ of water while fishing a Wiggle Wart. Below Truman Dam continues to be the best striper fishing anywhere on the lake anytime. Typically right at dusk you’ll want to present a broke back Rapala minnow into the rapids and once you catch one be assured you’re probably going to limit out so stick with it as they they like to run in huge schools.



Walleye:

Great

Jo and Kim Gregory reported in with their Walleye fishing report. These two are arguably the best Walleye fisherman and woman I know on Lake of the Ozarks. Every week they limit out or come very close to limiting out. They know where to find the Walleye and how to catch them. Check out these two nice fish as well as the stringer of four fish. The big one weighed 7# and was 26” long. Joes said lately he’s been catching them in about 18’ of water off the drop off of the main channel. He said he used Wiggle Warts and that both he and Kim were limited out with 4 fish each within two hours. Nice stringer Joe.


We endorse trophy fish catch and release!

Remember a bad day of fishing is better than a great day at work.


Good fishing!

Bruce

June 9, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - What a great week, the weather is really improving along with the fishing. We are seeing lots of whites and hybrids and the bass have started their post spawn feeding and are moving to their summer pattern. The COE has been running water everyday and the lake is coming down nicely. The water clarity is just about perfect. The humps have the right amount of water on then to make the fishing good. If you are looking for a good fishing trip now would be the time to hit Truman.
 
                                                                                          LAKE LEVEL                714.5.
                                                                                          WATER TEMP:          78 deg.
                                                                                          WATER CLARITY:     Light stain.
 
BASS: The bass fishing is starting to pick up. The fish are moving to their summer pattern. The current breaks off the points are the best pattern going now. Fish small plastics and jigs in 8' to 15' of water. There are also fish on some of the deeper water structure. 20' to 25' brush piles are holding some good fish. Last nights Hawg Fights were won by Mike and Dave Kephart with a 3 fish limit weighing 11.38 lbs. They also had big bass weighing 5.36 lbs. Second went to Jamie Lehares and Dale Heatherington with 7.02 lbs. They had a 5.11 lb. kicker fish. Third went to Eric Ducker and Ken Mason Jr. with 6.53 lbs.
 
CRAPPIE: There has been a few more crappie starting to show up. The tree rows are starting to produce a little. I also saw some fish come off the Shawnee Bend bluffs out of deeper water. Guide Steve Blake had some nice fish off the weir on 1/4 oz
spoons. Minnows have been the best when fished 10' to 12' down for the suspended fish. As the lake continues to drop I look for the crappie fishing to pick up. The tree rows on the edge of the flats still have just a little to much water on them to find. If you can graph them you will find some fish.
 
WHITES & HYBRIDS: There are lots of whites and hybrids coming in now. Spoons on the whites and sassy shad for the hybrids are the best baits. Fish are holding on top of the humps and off the ends of long tapering points. The hybrids are suspending at about 12' to 15' which makes the sassy shad work well. I did have a couple reports of some hybrids surfacing but they did not stay up long. The cemetery, G 4 and the airport are some areas holding fish.
 
CATFISH: For some reason the cat fishing has slowed down a little this week. There has been a few blues come in and lots of little channels. Trot lines on the flats baited with leeches is the top producer for channels. Vertical trot lines baited with perch have been picking up a few blues. Tree rows next to the channel swings are the best for blues.
 
That's it for his week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                        660-438-2280
                                                     critter@dam.net
Till next week
      Tommy

June 6, 2010 - Lake of the Ozarks - Submitted by Old Oar House Inn Mile Marker 81 - Lake of the Ozark water elevation is 660.28’. Truman lake water elevation is 715.99’. LOZ water temperature is 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Water discharge through Truman Turbines is 37,600 CFS and over the spillway was 0 CFS.

Crappie:

Excellent

Crappie fishing is excellent right now. Get out on the water and get you some! Waylan Stevenson from Tight Wad, MO stopped by for breakfast this weekend and reported he was doing exceptionally well crappie fishing the past few days. He’s been catching all his fish in 4’ of water on the flats using a Black Chartreuse Jig and live minnows. He said the fish aren’t particularly big but they are plentiful and it’s very easy to limit out right now.

Catfish:

Good

Nate Henson of Blue Springs, MO and Nick Harms of Grain Valley stated the Blue Catfish are biting really well right now. Nate said shad bellies and live shad fished in the deeper pools are producing some really nice fish. I saw two separate photos of 25-30# Blue cats this weekend. One was caught on a limb line and the other off a jug. The fish caught on the jug had run almost a mile downstream before stopping.

White Bass:

Good

I had several reports of really good white bass being caught just before dusk up below the spillway of Truman Dam. Spinner baits were working real well. These fish ranged in the 2-3# range and they were catching a fish on almost every cast once they had found the fish. Apparently there was a feeding frenzy on shad. Find the shad and find the white bass.

Large Mouth Bass:

Excellent

Pete Robinson once again stopped by and reported he’s been really hammering the largemouth bass as you can see in these photos. Pete seems to catch nice bass on just about everything he throws at the fish. His favorites are spinner baits and rubber worms. Typically you’ll find Pete up in one of the coves fishing the feeder streams. Pete said the spawn is just around the corner and he expects to see some really nice fish in the next few weeks. The bigger of these two fish weighed 6 ½# and was caught on a spinner bait up in one of the feeder streams. Eric Strader of Warsaw also stopped by Saturday and said he was recently fishing way, way, way up Turkey Creek this past week and he said he really hit the mother lode. Eric used white spinner baits and caught a 3–5# bass on every consecutive cast. My guess is the bass had cornered a large school of minnows and were feasting on nature’s bounty when Eric found them. This isn’t Eric’s first bass rodeo and if the bass are in there he knows how to catch them. Nice job!

Walleye:

No Report

Kim and Joe Gregory you’re overdue for a Walleye report! Stop in and I’ll buy you a beer next weekend!

We endorse trophy fish catch and release!

Remember a bad day of fishing is better than a great day at work.

Good fishing!

Bruce

May 26, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina -
 
What a holiday !! The weather could not have been any better and the  water conditions were perfect. The fish even cooperated this weekend to make it perfect. I want to thank all the great people that showed up down here, lets do it again on the 4th of July.
 
                                                                                         LAKE LEVEL:                      718.2
                                                                                         WATER TEMP:                 81 deg.
                                                                                         WATER CLARITY:            Stained.
 
BASS: The bass fishing is starting to pick up here on Truman. The top water bite is starting on the flat points. Zara Spooks and Pop R's are working in 4' of water. 8" and 10" worms are working in the pockets in 4' of water fishing the willows. Stay close to the points. Larry Wright and Hap Hartman proved this last night weighing in a 3 fish limit of 9.72 lbs. They also had big bass weighing 4.14 lbs. Second went to Barkledge and Barkledge with 7.61 lbs. Third was Ryder and Kevin Smith with 7.25 lbs. Like I said earlier the bite is really starting to pick up.
 
CRAPPIE: The crappie fishing is starting to improve but still isn't where it should be at this time of the year. We saw some nice fish come in this weekend but you had to work hard for a limit. Minnows were the top producing bait when fishing cedar and hedge trees in 12' to 16' of water. The fish were holding at about 8'. With the water continuing to fall I look for this to get better every week.
 
WHITES & HYBRIDS: The whites and hybrids are still hitting. The COE has been running water everyday and this has kept the bite going. Haven't seen any top water yet but the sassy shad has started producing on the suspended fish. The lower Grand has been the top producer. Spoons are still working on the whites that are right on the bottom. The top of the humps are the best place to look with the water depth in the 16' to 18' range. There has been a few whites coming off the points in shallower water as long as the wind is pushing the shad up.
 
CATFISH: Lots of catfish are coming in. We are seeing real good blues and it looks like the flat heads are just getting ready to start. Perch has been the best bait for these. Lines set in 10' to 15' close to deep water are working the best. The pockets were the top producer last week. Might want to try the flats in front of the pockets in the same depth for fish moving in to spawn. Beings Brady is getting older now Dewayne is trying to retrain him so he can catch a fish or two. Might want to fish a little deeper for spawning fish this year with the high falling water.
 
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                           660-438-2280
                                                        critter@dam.net
Till next week
Tommy

May 26, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - We are not flooded out. Everything is operational.

The lake is about 16' high which is not to bad for this time of year. The COE is running water and the lake is falling nicely.The water in our area is stained but not muddy. It looks real good for fishing, and with the COE running water it should be a good weekend for whites and hybrids. The weather forecast is perfect so this would be a great holiday to spend at Truman.                                                                                 

LAKE LEVEL:                      722.3                                                                                 
WATER TEMP:                 69 deg.
                                                                                 
WATER CLARITY:            Stained.
 BASS:

The bass fishing is still a little slow here on Truman. Last nights Hawg Fights were won by Mike and Dave Kephart with  3.59 lbs. Second went to Howard Love and John Pollit with 3.43 lbs. Third went to Carl Shipman and Charlie Sauer with           2.28 lbs which was also big bass. The were lots of fish caught but most were sub legal. The fish seem to be holding on the shallow points in 4' to 8' of water. The bluegill have started to move up to spawn and the bass are starting to follow them up. It didn't seem to matter on the bait but what ever you were throwing you had to move it slow. This should be a good pattern for a while with the water dropping. 

CRAPPIE: The crappie are still playing hide and seek and winning. Most of the crappie that are coming in are being caught in the white bass areas drifting minnows. There are fish in the tree rows but the rows are just deep enough that they are hard to find. Another few days of running water and the crappie fishing should get better. 

WHITES & HYBRIDS: We are seeing good numbers of whites come in. We also had some good hybrids come in this week. Spoons are the best of the best now. Tebo cut and G 4 have been good producers along with O 3. G 10 has also produced some fish. 20' of water has been the magic number.  

CATFISH: Been seeing lots of nice blues and flats come in. Trot lines are working best on flatheads baited with perch. Seems the niches in the bluffs are good producers. Might start looking 1/2 way back in the coves in the niches for pre spawn fish. Blues are hitting jugs and trot lines on perch and cut bait. Flats next to deep water are a good choice now. That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina                                                         660-438-2280                                                      critter@dam.net

Have a safe holiday    Till next week         

Tommy

May 19, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - With all the rain we have had the lake is still in good shape. We are high but it has not affected anything. Our ramps are fine and we are not seeing much drift on the lake. The COE has been running water the last couple of days and it looks like they are getting close to catching up with the water. One good thing about it is that the white bass are doing great in these water conditions. Hopefully the rain will go away and leave us alone for a while.

                                                                                                                      
LAKE LEVEL:            718.9                                                                                        WATER TEMP:       68 deg.                                                                                        WATER CLARITY:  Dirty in the upper arms. Stained around here. BASS: The bass fishing changes day by day right now. Sunday we had Joe Bass Tournament Trail out and it took 17+ lbs. to win, last night in the Hawg Fights it was a different story. We could of went to a one fish limit instead of three and been fine. Right about take off time last night the COE shut the water off and the fish followed suit. The winning team of Larry Wright and Hap Hartman weighed in a 2.55 lb fish which was also big fish. Second went to Marty Watson with one fish weighing 1.93 lbs. Third was Howard Love and John Pollit with 1.65. Now that was some tough fishing. The best bite now is on the willowed points in 4' to 8' of water. Big worms, brush hogs and beavers are the best baits. When there is current flow the bite picks up.  CRAPPIE: We have been seeing a few limits of crappie come in. The Clear Creek and the Finny Creek areas have been producing the best. The fish seem to be holding in 20' to 25' of water down about 12'. Minnows by far are out producing jigs.  The hard woods have been doing better than the cedars the last couple of days. WHITES & HYBRIDS: The white bass fishing is really starting to heat up. We are seeing fish come in on spoons and also trolling. These fish are in most of the normal areas holding in about 15'. There has been a few hybrids come in and with the conditions we have now I look for these guys to really start going. The 1/2 oz. spoons seem to be working the best. It seems like the smaller crank baits are working better for tolling. CATFISH: Trot lines are doing great when baited with perch. Vertical lines have been producing good blues this week. Last weekend there were a few flat heads brought in. The fish still seem to be located more on main lake than back in the creeks. Leeches have been producing some nice channels in the feeder creeks. Dwayne would you please tell Brady where the fish are. That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina                                                          660-38-2280                                                      critter@dam.netTill next week     Tommy

May 13, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - We had a pretty good storm blow thru Monday night. It dropped about a 1 1/2" of rain on us and with the wind murked the lake up a little. The way it looks it will clear its self out quick. It has the lake on a rise which is good because we will have more water to run thru the dam and keep the whites hitting. All in all the fishing is good with a good bite on whites, bass and catfish. So for some good fishing action come on down to the lake.

                                                                                           LAKE LEVEL:             709.00                                                                                          WATER TEMP:        65 deg.                                                                                          WATER CLARITY:   Stained. 
BASS: The bass bite is still strong here on Truman. Jig and frog and worms are working well on the secondary  points in 2' to 8' of water. Timbered points on the current break side are best. The 45 deg. banks are also working with the same baits. Last night in the Hawg Fights it was the Howard Love and John Pollet show. They weighed in a 3 fish limit of 10.42 lbs. They also  had big bass  weighing 4.36 lbs. Second went to Desmin and Kevin Carl with 8.64 lbs. Third went to Glen Swihart with 8.26 lbs. Not bad for 2 1/2  hours of fishing.
                                                                                                                                                                                                     
CRAPPIE: The crappie fishing has slowed with the fish coming  off the spawn and moving to the summer pattern. We have had a few fish brought in out of 20' of water 10' down on minnows. Look for the outside tree rows next to the channel.
 
WHITES: The whites are on the humps. Spoons are working the best in 15' to 20 feet of water. The weir, KK Island and Point 03 have been producing some fish. The fish I have seen come in are the real nice whites.
 
CATFISH: Saw some nice flat heads last weekend, rumor has it that Duane picked the spot. The fish are starting to move to the back ends of the creeks. Perch were the best  bait  for the flats. There has also been some nice blues come in his week off perch and gold fish. These were at the mouths of the coves. Trot lines are working the best.
 
That’s it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                         660-438-2280
                                                      critter@dam.net
Till next week
     Tommy

 

May 6, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - The weather this week has been perfect. The water around here looks great and the fish are doing their part so pack a bag and head for Truman to enjoy mother nature at her finest.
The white bass have started.
 
                                                                                          LAKE LEVEL:              708.85                                                                                          WATER TEMP:         63 deg.                                                                                          WATER CLARITY:     Light stain.
 
BASS: We are seeing some real good bass fishing this spring. Last night in the Hawg Fights Carl and Carl brought in the winning 3 fish limit of 9.52 lbs. along with big bass weighing 3.76 lbs. Second went to Marty and Trent Watson with 7.33 lbs. Third was Transmission Charlie and Charlie with 3.50 lbs. The jig bite was the best fishing the 45 deg banks in the coves in 6' to 8' of water. There is also a lizard and beaver bite in the same areas. The back sides of points has been working when the COE is running water.
 
CRAPPIE: The crappie are moving to the summer pattern. Minnows are the top producing bait. The fish are holding in 12' to 15' of water. The outside tree rows are starting to work on the edge of the flats. There are also some fish on the bluffs in 25' of water holding about 15'.
 
WHITES & HYBRIDS: The whites have moved to the humps and are hitting jigging spoons. Most of the old haunts are holding fish. The weir, O 3 and KK Island to name a few. These fish have been coming out of 15' to 20' of water. We have been seeing nice sized whites but haven't seen any big hybrids yet.
 
CATFISH: We are hearing of some good flat heads starting. Trot lines baited with perch have been working. Rumor has it that Brady found his lines and even found bait so lets see if he can find jonnie. The blues are still hitting on the flats on cut bait. The channels are working the flats also and leeches are the best bait going. Both jugs and trot lines are working.
 
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                         660-438-2280
                                                       critter@dam.net
Till next week

Tommy

April 28, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - Looks like a typical Missouri spring now. Cool one day warm the next and rain. The lake is on a pretty good rise now. We are up about 4'. The water clarity is still good in our area even with the amount of rain we had. Have had a few reports of shrooms but I think it's getting a little late now. Turkeys are still gobbling but mostly late in the morning, spending to much time with the ladies early in the morning. We have been seeing lots of bass and catfish but the crappie are slowing down, I think they are finishing spawning on our end. It sure was good while they were going.

 
                                                                                     LAKE LEVEL:                       710.12
                                                                                     WATER TEMP:                  61 deg.
                                                                                     WATER CLARITY:             STAINED.
 
BASS: The bass fishing is real good on Truman now. With the water coming up the fish are holding on the original bank line. The 45 deg chunk rock banks are the best producers right now. Jig and frog is probably the best producing bait now. Brush hogs and tubes are also doing good. The fish seem to be holding in 6' to 8' of water. The COE is running water so the current breaks will be holding fish. We had Joe Bass Tournament Trail out last weekend and saw several 17 lb to 18 lb stringers. Last nights hawg fights produced a 8.37 lb winning string caught by Mike and Mike Jr. Kephart. Mike Jr. also had big fish weighing 3.79 lbs. Second went to Fred Baraks and Jon Kruson with 7.91 lbs. Third was Larry Wright and Hap Hartman with 5.41 lbs. These are 3 fish limits and fishing time was 2 1/2 hrs.
 
CRAPPIE: I think the crappie are finishing up spawning now. There are still a few fish on the original bank line ( about 6' ) but I have been hearing of fish moving on the summer pattern. The brush piles in 20' of water have been producing good numbers of fish. Minnows have been the best bait. Late in the afternoon has been the best bite for the shallower fish. Jigs have been working here.
 
WHITES: We have seen a few whites and they have been the small ones. I think with some warm weather they will get going on the humps. The COE is running good water so it's just a matter of time. Check the humps with spoons and the weir in front of the dam.
 
CATFISH: The blues are doing good on trot lines baited with perch. 20' of water is working on the flats. I think with this rise we will start seeing fish go shallow. Mike Kennedy had a 29 lb and a 19 lb  blue yesterday on vertical trot lines. Still haven't seen any flats yet. I think Haggerman lost his trot lines.
 
That's it fir this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                        660-438-2280
                                                     critter@dam.net
Till next week

Tommy

April 22, 2010 - Lake of the Ozarks - Submitted by Old Oar House Inn Mile Marker 81 - www.oldoarhouseinn.com

Mile Marker 81

Lake of the Ozark water elevation is 653.79’. Truman lake water elevation is 704.55. LOZ water temperature is 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Water discharge through Truman Turbines is 8,000 CFS and over the spillway was 0 CFS.

Spoonbill:

Excellent

The spoonbill continue to get bigger every week. First place in the 2010 Snagmasters Tournament was an awesome 98.6# sow caught just south of the Oar House around noon Saturday. Until this fish the biggest fish I’d ever seen were two 94# sows caught several years ago. Just a reminder our tournament is scheduled for this Saturday at 7:00am. I received a phone call earlier in the week from Washington DC and National Geographic is filming a documentary on this 65 million year old fish and they’ll be using the Old Oar House as their base camp. We expect them to start filming Friday night at the bar and they’ll be set up in the restaurant early Saturday morning to film the fishermen as they come in for breakfast and then they’ll follow the contestants out at 7:00am and spend the day on the water and then they’ll be back to our docks around 2:00pm to film the weigh-in at 3:00pm. They’d like to do some group filming of everyone who participated with their fish at 3:00 so regardless of the size of your fish be sure to be at weigh in for a group photo and filming of you and your fish. They intend to interview several of the contestants throughout the day as well as during weigh-in.

Crappie:

Excellent

Crappie fishing is really beginning to peak and continues to improve each week. The big males have moved in to stake out there territory in anticipation of the female’s arrival and they are hitting just about anything thrown their way to protect their future nest sites. Minnows and jigs are always the bait of choice for crappie. Check out these pictures of Kim and Joe Gregory to see a nice mess of fish.

Catfish:

Excellent

I spent last Saturday night fishing by myself at the cleaning station and literally slayed the blue cats. My biggest fish was 15 lbs and his belly was so gorged with spoonbill guts it looked like he’d swallowed a softball. My smallest fish was an easy 10#.

Large Mouth Bass:

Good

I am beginning to hear ever increasing reports that the largemouth bass are finally beginning to bite. Rubber worms in the shallows and along any structure are proving increasingly productive. Additionally I heard that live crawdads are also producing real well anywhere you can find rocky ledge in water between 4’ – 6‘ deep.

Walleye:

Great

Joe Gregory is shown here with a really nice walleye he caught Saturday. Joe said the Walleye are in the main channel and that he’d caught it on a spinner bait in about 10‘ of water. Well done Joe!

We endorse trophy fish catch and release!

Remember a bad day of fishing is better than a great day at work.

Good fishing!

Bruce

April 21, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina -
 
This weeks fishing has been good to say the least. The weather has been even better. The turkeys are gobbling and I am getting a few reports of people finding morals. Now it just doesn't get any better than that. The water here on Truman is at normal pool and the clarity is just perfect for fishing. On Saturday we have the Benton CO. MO Bass Club putting on a open tournament starting at safe light everyone is welcome. On Sunday we have Joe Bass Tournament Trail going out so I am looking to see lots of good fish brought in.
 
                                                                                     LAKE LEVEL:              706.89
                                                                                     WATER TEMP:         66 deg.
                                                                                     WATER CLARITY:    Light stain.
 
BASS: The bass fishing on Truman is good right now. There are several patterns working but the main thing is the fish are holding shallow. 3' to 8' is the best depth. Jigs, lizards and beavers are the best bottom bumpers. Crank baits and Rogues are also still working. Chunk rock pockets on main lake are holding nice fish. The secondary points in the coves are another area that are holding fish. Last nights Hawg Fights with a 3 fish limit netted 8.10 lb winning string caught by Doug and Ozzie Wallace. Second went to Luke Payne and Steve Kleihauer with 7.98. Third went to Larry Wright and Hap Hartman with 6.40 and they also had big bass at 4.57 lbs.
 
CRAPPIE: We are still seeing spawning crappie here on Truman. The cold front last Friday backed them off the bank but last night I had several reports of fish back in 2' to 3' of water. Jigs have been working the best in the backs of the pockets. Fish the trees closest to the bank. I have heard of a few fish coming off the summer pattern. 12' to 15' right off the bottom on minnows. I look for the spawn to go on for about another week.
 
WHITES & HYBRIDS: No report yet but I would sure start checking the humps around O 3 and KK Island.
 
CATFISH: Jugs and trot lines are producing a few fish on cut shad and perch. Lines set in 8' to 10' of water with bait set at about 5' is working. Still haven't seen any flats.
 
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                            660-438-2280
                                                       critter@dam.net
Till next week

Tommy

April 12, 2010 - Stockton - Stockton lake is putting out some good fish, most over a lb.  good fishing in the big sac and little sac.Slow trolling is working the best.  

 
Good luck   See you on the water.

April 5, 2010 - Lake of the Ozarks - Submitted by Old Oar House Inn Mile Marker 81 - Fishing Report 4 April 2010 - www.oldoarhouseinn.com

Lake of the Ozark water elevation is 657.57’. Truman lake water elevation is 708.25’. LOZ water temperature is 52 degrees Fahrenheit. Water discharge through Truman Turbines is 34,000 CFS and over the spillway was 0 CFS.

Spoonbill:

Good

I saw some really nice fish weighed in for our tournament yesterday as evidenced this great group photo of the winners. 1st place and $586 went to Derek Havens of Freeburg, MO for his really nice 74# sow he brought in with about an hour left in the tournament. I predicted a 70# fish would take the tournament and Derek helped prove me right with the biggest fish I’d seen for the season, thanks buddy! 2nd place and $419 went to Marshall, MO’s Jeremy Marks for his 66.6# boar he caught roughly 10 minutes into the contest. It was the biggest male I’d ever seen and was solid muscle. I knew when I saw it that it was a money fish. 3rd place and $335 went to good friend Jim Bowen of the Little Mexico gang. Jim’s sow tipped the scales at 61.7# and he also caught it first thing in the morning. Ron Kempker of Bonnots Mill, MO caught his 4th place 60.6# sow at roughly 1000 in the morning and the fish landed him $168. 5th place and $117 went to Doug Petree of Holt, MO for his 58.2# sow he caught with only 5 minutes left in the contest. He came blasting into the docks in a no wake zone in order to make time and as soon as I calmed down and saw his fish I knew it was a money fish. Runner up from Humansville, MO went to Stone Spencer for his very respectable 57.7# sow that netted him a $50 bill and paid for his gas for the day. It was a beautiful day and a great time was had by all.

With the water temperature above 50 degrees the results were immediate and I’ve been seeing some really nice sows weighed in off our docks. Grandson Austin Smith is shown here with his first fish. A nice 44# male he caught with our resident guide Bryan Heinen from Gretna, NE. Don’t forget the best and biggest “Snagmasters” spoonbill tournament scheduled for the 17th and our “Last Snag” tournament scheduled for the 24th of this month.

A special thanks to Ft. Leonard Wood’s Chapter 140, Military Order of the Purple Heart Society who helped us out as judges for the tournament. Specifically I’d like to recognize good friend Dan O’Brien whom I worked with here on the fort for the past 5 years and a special thanks to the Paul Zeigler and his lovely wife RaeLeen and daughter and son Victoria and Lucas who all assisted during the weigh-in.

Crappie:

Fair

Crappie fishing continues to improve each week. The trick is to find the warmer water which is typically still back in the coves and which is subject to the sun’s rays most of the day. Chris and Dan Tally reported they did real well last weekend and actually caught one nice pie plate crappie and dozens of smaller fish using jigs and minnows.

Catfish:

Excellent

Bruce and Lisa of the Little Mexico gang cracked the code on white cats early Friday evening. Their group of a half dozen anglers all fishing down off the end of the docks near the cleaning station showed me a cooler that was chocked full of cats Friday night. Bruce said the current is running pretty swift so you need a fairly heavy sinker; say 8 oz and he said chicken livers and worms did the trick for them. Two of the cats I saw were close to if not over 10# each.

White Bass:

Good

I had two reports of some nice wipers being caught on Saturday including 5 really nice keepers. I was told to fish the main channel and deep structure with a depth of at least 12’ or deeper use crank baits, twister tails and imitation shad for best results. Also got a report that up in Cole Camp Creek in the deeper channels there were some real nice fish caught that were chasing the schools of bunched up shad. They said find the shad on your fish finders and more than likely you’d catch some nice bass.

Large Mouth Bass:

Good buddy Pete Robinson stopped in for a beer and a burger and reported that he and his cousin, Wayne Robinson also from KC, MO had landed a couple nice largemouth bass this weekend. They reported they lost what was at least an 8# fish after it jumped out of the water several times and was able to shake the crank bait from its mouth. Wayne said Crank baits and spinner baits worked well for them both.

Walleye:

Slow

Pete also reported he caught a couple small walleyes this weekend. He said to fish the feeder streams as far up as you can go in your boats and he said to use crawdad imitators and split tail grubs. He reported catching a half dozen small fish on Saturday way up in Cole Camp Creek.

We endorse trophy fish catch and release!

Remember a bad day of fishing is better than a great day at work.

Good fishing!

Bruce

April 7, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - Spring must be here the carp came back yesterday, either that of with all the rain and wind we have had they got washed up out of the deep water. The fishing is starting to improve and I have been hearing of some red shrooms being found. We saw some good spoonbill come in from Lake O last weekend, around the 63 mile marker. The turkeys are gobbling so the kids should have a good youth hunt this weekend so all in all life is good in the lakes area.

LAKE LEVEL:           707.7

WATER TEMP:       52 deg. At the dam.

WATER CLARITY:   Stained.

 
BASS: The bass fishing here on Truman is starting to pick up. We have seen several fish come in. Scott Olson weighed in a 6.1 lb. on Sunday and Nay Allen had a 7.4 lb lunker on Monday. There has also been some good solid keeper fish caught. Most of the fish are still point fish, main lake and secondary points are working. Points close to channel swings are the best. Look for chunk rock and the wind has to be hitting the point. Fish have been holding in 3' to 6' of water. Crank baits and rogues are the are the best baits right now. The water temp at the dam is about 52 but I have heard 57 back in the creeks. With the weather pattern we are in I look for the water to keep warming and these fish should really get going.
 
CRAPPIE: I have heard rumors that there are a few fish starting to move towards the bank up Little Tebo. No big numbers yet but there were a few shallow fish up there. The wind has been so bad that we just haven't had many people out chasing them yet. But here again if this weather will hold I think next week we will be seeing lots of fish come shallow.
 
WHITES & HYBRIDS: No Report.
 
CATFISH: Jug lines are working just like last week. Fish the flats in 10' to 20' of water with baits set 5' to 10'. Little smokies have been working well. Cut shad will also work right now. Most of the fish coming in are blues, haven't seen any flats yet.
 
We will be starting the Hawg Fights next Tuesday night. Take off will be 5:30 pm. Anyone can fish and everyone is welcome.
 
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                       660-438-2280
                                                    critter@dam.net
Till next week

Tommy

March 31, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - Looks like the weather is going to give us a  break this week. The temps are great in the 70's but the winds are pretty tough. One good thing is the wind is starting to dry things out. The lake is still on a rise but the COE has been running water everyday so we are in good shape. The water temp should start coming up and I am looking for the fish to start here real quick. I did have one report of a few red mushrooms being found sounds a little early but anything can happen. With the weather we are having it wouldn't surprise me to have them up by the weekend. Have to get to them before the Easter bunny. WATER LEVEL:           710.83                                                                                                                                  WATER TEMP:           48 deg.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  WATER CLARITY:       Stained. BASS: The bass fishing is on a slow start here on Truman. There was a tournament out Sunday and it took about 8 lbs. to win. The wind sure didn't help. The fish are hitting jigs in 8' to 12' of water off the main and first secondary points. If you can get it in front of them it's a good bite but right now it’s a lot of casts to get the bite. Rogues will still work but you have to fish them real slow fish the same areas as with the jig. Need the water to warm just a little more. CRAPPIE: We did have a report earlier this week of crappie being caught in the creek channels. The fish were 1/2 to 3/4 of the way back in in 8' to 12' of water and right off the bottom. They were holding right in the middle of the channel. Jigs and minnows were working. The report I got was that they were using a spider rig, so if that's the case you can do the same with a long pole. The big thing will be to get the wind to slow down enough to fish them without getting blown all over. WHITES & HYBRIDS: Had a fellow tell me he caught some small whites way up Little Tebo. Said he caught them throwing a crappie jig at the bank. They were in about 2' of water. This would be a good time and place to start looking for them. CATFISH: Jug lines are still producing  good catfish. Little smokies are doing as good as anything for bait. They have been setting jugs on the flats in 10' to 20' of water with bait set from 5' to 10'. We haven't seen any flats yet but there have been some good blues come in.  That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina                                                     660-438-2280                                                   critter@dam.netSo till next week HAPPY EASTER           

Tommy

March 29, 2010 - Lake of the Ozarks - Submitted by Old Oar House Inn Mile Marker 81 -Lake of the Ozark water elevation is 656.86’. Truman lake water elevation is 709.56’. LOZ water temperature is 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Water discharge through Truman Turbines is 24,000 CFS and over the spillway was 0 CFS.

lake of ozark spoonbillSpoonbill:

Good

Spoonbill fishing is getting better every day. Biggest fish so far of the season was a 72# sow I saw yesterday. Our spoonbill season resident guide, Bryan Heinan who is here from Gretna, NE showed me 4 great males he caught early this morning. Bryan was guiding a couple guys from Texas and had both of them limited out before I even woke up this morning. Here’s a picture of the fish he caught. Because they were all males it tells me the sows are on their way. Bryan said they caught the fish up near the surface under the power lines upstream. He believes we are still catching the resident fish and it will be another week or so before the water hits the magic mark of 50 degrees and the spawning starts. Bryan rigs his poles w/ a couple of 10 ‘ott’ treble hooks about 3’ apart and a 20 oz sinker at the bottom of his 100# test Dacron braided line. We sell everything you’ll need right behind the bar to include poles, hooks, line and sinkers and our prices are the cheapest anywhere in Missouri. Remember it is illegal to keep the roe from your spoonbills and it must be dumped into the water. Don’t forget about our first of two tournaments scheduled for next weekend the 3rd of April. You must be signed up by the start time of 0700 AM. We’ll open the restaurant for our “World Famous” Hillbilly Breakfast Buffet starting at 0600 AM. Stop in for some Hog Biscuits and Gravy and sign up for the tournament when you do. National Geographic will be at our place filming a Spoonbill special on this 65 Million year old fish during our second spoonbill tournament which we’ll hold the last Saturday of the season and our resident guide, Bryan will be filmed for two days of spoonbill fishing by the Sportsman’s show on the 21st and 22nd of April. The spoonbill fishing here is probably the best in the entire United States.

Crappie:

Fair

Kim and Joe Gregory stopped by this weekend for lunch and Kim reported last week they’d found some 50 degree water in one of the shallower back coves and caught over 100 crappies. The used chartreuse jigs and minnows. Most of the fish were too small but she said they’d caught one real nice 11 ½” fish. With a warmer week projected try finding a shallow cove with a good southern exposure and you may be able to replicate Kim’s good luck.

Catfish:

Good

Saw a couple 1 lb blue cats caught from down near the cleaning station. If you’re coming our way to go spoonbill fishing make sure you bring your light tackle as well. Chicken livers and worms always work well down there which I’ll be happy to sell you. You’ll need at least an 8 oz. sinker due to the current. A word of caution on fishing for the blue cats, make sure you know your limits. I heard of an angler who got busted this weekend for having too many blue cats on her stringer and for using spoonbill liver as bait. We sell licenses at the “House” so make a fishing license your first order of business upon arrival.

Largemouth Bass:

Slow

Largemouth bass fishing is still slow. I believe the crappy weather this past week as the snow melted and subsequently clouded the water had an impact on the bass fishing. I heard of only a couple small fish that were incidentally caught on crappie jigs.

Walleye:

Slow

Joe Gregory reports the walleye fishing is still very slow. He’d heard that a couple of the Walleye guru’s who were fishing up below Truman dam caught a few small ones but he stated the cold water temp is having a negative effect on the walleyes. He anticipates the spawning run will start as soon as we have a couple consecutive weeks of nice, warm weather and fishing will improve drastically.

We endorse trophy fish catch and release!

Remember a bad day of fishing is better than a great day at work.

Good fishing!

Bruce

March 24, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - What a change in the weather, a snow storm on Sat. and back in the 70's on Tuesday. Maybe that will be our last shot of winter and we can get on to more important stuff like getting the fish biting and the mushrooms growing. The turkeys have been gobbling and I did notice a few of the oak trees are starting to bud. The water temp has fallen off a little with the snow melt but with the warm weather we are having and a chance of a warm rain tomorrow I would think that it will come right back. The upper arms of the lake have dirtied up but the water in our area looks good.
 
LAKE LEVEL:            708.25
WATER TEMP:        46 deg.
WATER CLARITY:    Stained to dirty in the upper arms.
 
BASS: Not much of a report on the bass this week with the weather last weekend. If it were me I would rogue the main lake points in 10' to 15' of water. Work on the cedars. I would also work the roadbeds that lead from deep water toward the banks with a jig. Look for hedge and water oaks in 8' to 12' of water. Lets hope that the bass will get a little more energetic. 
 
CRAPPIE: We had a report last week of crappie coming out of a foot of water but that has sure gone by the wayside. If the weather we are having now will hang around we may see it again real soon but right now they have backed off. Talked to Steve Blake this morning and he said they found some fish yesterday in 25' of water right off the bottom. He said they were fishing the breaks where it went from 25' to deep water. Jigs were the best of the best. Look for brush. Lets hope this warm weather will hold and get these fish moving up again.
 
WHITES & HYBRIDS: No Report.
 
CATFISH: We are still seeing some nice blues come in off jugs. The weather hasn't changed their pattern. They are on the flats in 10' to 20' of water. Jugs baited with little smokies set 5' to 8' has been producing. Make your sets close to deeper water.
 
That's it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                                     660-438-2280
                                                   critter@dam.net
Till next week

Tommy

March 11, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina - Looks like another good week of weather. This week we have missed allot of the rain and the temps have been nice for this time of the year. The water temp is starting to rise a little and we have been seeing some nice crappie come in. The water clarity in our area is good. They are calling for a few storms to push through our area tonight so lets hope they get on down the road so we can get dried out. Talked to a buddy of mine the other day and he said he heard a couple of turkeys gobbling, lets hope they know what their doing.

 
                            LAKE LEVEL:               707.53
                            WATER TEMP:             38 deg.
                            WATER CLARITY:        Stained.
 
BASS: No Report.
 
CRAPPIE: We have been seeing a good number of crappie come in. These fish are on the brush piles in 20' to 25' of water laying right on top of the brush on sunny days. There has been fish taken off the bluffs where they roll around going behind main lake points. These have been in 25' to 30' of water. They are holding on brush or in underwater trees as shallow as 10'. The jig is by far the best bait. One thing to remember is fish slow and keep moving. If you find fish on a brush pile there is usually a good number there. I have heard of some 40 + degree water in the backs of the creeks so it might be time to check the trees along the channels in the 1/2 way backs.
 
WHITES: No Report.
 
CATFISH: We are starting to see cats come in off jugs. Little smokies set at 5' over 10' to 20' on the flats has been working well this week. Dick Caton had one close to 20 lbs. last night.
 
 That it for this week from Sterett Creek Marina
                                            660-438-2280
                                           critter@dam.net
Till next week
  

Tommy

March 7, 2010 - Niangua River and Bennet Springs - Submitted by Southern Streams Fishing Guide ServiceThe Niangua River in Mo. is running at normal levels and is warming up. Some small mouth are starting to move around they are moving slow though. Bennett Springs is up and running full force there were lines for licenses to fish in the park and about five feet between fisher. The first or second cast brought back a fish. The trout are really loving the cold water

I have not been on other streams in the last two week so I will let you know when I hit the other rivers soon. Good fishing to all. Hope to see you on the water.

March 4, 2010 - Truman - Submitted by Sterett Creek Marina -Welcome to 2010. Yes we are open and ready for another fantastic year of fishing on Truman. Hopefully it will be as good as last year. This weeks report is not much of a fishing report due to the fact that there hasn't been anyone out due to the cold weather, but the good thing is they are calling for temps to be in the mid 50's this weekend so lets hope this will get something started.

         We are open here at Sterett Creek so if your in the area stop by .
 
                             LAKE LEVEL:                 708.
                             WATER TEMP:               36 deg.
                             WATER CLARITY.          Stained.
 
BASS: No report.
 
CRAPPIE: I did have a report that there were a few fish being caught on jigs off the bluff banks. The fish came out of 30' - 35' of water and were holding at about 25'. They were sitting on top of any brush that was present. They were all jig fish and the bite was slow.
 
CATFISH: No report.
 
WHITES & HYBRIDS: No report.
 
Like I said this wasn't much of a report but with the warm temps coming in I look for allot of fisherman this weekend and would hope that next week will be allot better.
 
That's it for this week from Street Creek Marina
                                           660-438-2280
                                         critter@ dam.net
 Till next week
    Tommy

February 25, 2010 - Niangua River - Submitted by Southern Streams Fishing Guide Service

The Niangua is up about two feet and running swift and dark but the fish are still biting around Bennett. The White is up too as they are running 6 to 8 cfs of water through the generators. The shad are starting to come through  and it looks like a good year for the shad kill.

TTH

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