Big Truman Dam Blues - The Bite Is ON!

[NoCat2Big]

Hey folks.

I've been fishing at Truman Dam the last several days and the bigger blues
are starting to bite regularly. I've caught several from 18 lbs to 35lbs and
have seen a few in the 50 lbs range get caught too.

They've been starting to bite at about dusk or when they slow the output
from the dam and continue well after midnight.

Bait is the normal story, freshly caught shad heads.

If you want to hook up and go fishing leave me a PM, I go almost every night.
Remember to bring extra lead and hooks, you'll need them here!

[NoCat2Big]

Just as a follow up, shortly after I made the previous post today I received the statewide fishing report from the MDC that I got a chuckle out of...

Truman Tailwaters: 80 degrees, dingy; all species slow. (Report made on 8/17/2005)


I wonder where they are getting their information at.. LOL.
Good thing I don't live by life by their fishing reports!

[diodeman]

I fish the TD tailrace regularly myself. This year I have concentrated on the Grand River on Truman, and the Osage River which flows by my front door. Biggest fish this year, 78 lb. blue from Truman Lake. Biggest fish this year below TD, 56lb flathead. The MDC is wonderfull!!!!!!!! As long as they keep putting out those ridiculously poor forecasts I do not have to put up with the crowds.

I love to eat catfish.

[spoonfish]

Looks like us local benton county boys know better than watchin the fishin forecasts LOL. Nice fish dioedman! Nice fish Chris! Haven't been to the dam 4 about a week, looks like the weather may be getting them going again. I have been doing good on LOZ and the upper Osage. Give me a holler guys, well go give em a try. :0a23:

[GaryF]

"Remember to bring extra lead and hooks, you'll need them here!"

Lol, I know that's right. Sounds like a great time to fish below Truman. What side do you fish on down there? I only get down there a few times a year, and I usually fish the right bank (right bank if you are facing downstream), as close to the dam as allowed. I've hooked into a couple of good fish there, but always snagged up in the rocks and lost them.

[spoonfish]

Ya Gary, the west bledso ferry side is where I fish also. As close to the fence as possible down to the walk way seems to be where I have had the most luck. I use a 3 way swivel rig and put a lighter line on the weight leader. If you do snag you can usally keep the hook that way and get the fish in. As chris said, after they shut the turbins down at nite there is less current and less chances of getting hung up so bad.

[crazy]

You guy's do any good from a boat? I always hated walking on rocks that are slippery.

[GaryF]

Josh, there is a pretty big section below Truman Dam closed to boats. It's bank fishing only through there.

[NoCat2Big]

Went to the dam again this morning (8/19) and caught a 13#, a couple 2#ers, and had another nice one get off.
Was there from about 9AM-11AM (2 hours). Was getting steady bites the entire time.

The Hybrids were boiling the water pretty good too. Caught several 2-3#ers.
Probably going to go again this evening when it cools off. It got HOT in a hurry out there today.

[diodeman]

At 3:45 this morning at G16 on Truman we might have set a new state record for bluecats. My partner hooked an 88.5lb blue on an 8 foot Ugly Stick rigged with an Abu-Garcia 7000C3 loaded with 150lb. test. Bait was an alive bluegill allowed to swim free with no weights.

We pulled up anchor and let it pull us for almost 1/2 hour befoe we got it to the boat. It was an enormous old bull.

My fishing partner and I throw back anything under 20lbs. and do not keep anything over 50lbs. just so we can help keep the breeding stock of Truman Lake going.

Truman Lake has monsters in it and they only come out at night!

Bluegill are catfish candy.

[NoCat2Big]

Get a picture of it before you released it???

Heading back out to the dam now..
Hopefully all the city folk haven't crowded the banks yet.

[Mr. President]

What is the best bait for the spillway there at Truman..............shad? :what-big:

[crazy]

Here most people throw back fish anything over 20# do to the fact that thats your major breeding stock. I would say 20# to 50 pounds. The older fish are just like all animals. There over the hill and past prime. Oh well though. :)

[spoonfish]

Shad is the prefered bait there Pres. You can usally catch them there at the dam with a cast net. Just don't let it sink too far or you will be wadeing out to retrieve it.

[NoCat2Big]

Fishing was spotty at best last night at the dam. Fished from about 7PM till about 11PM.

Spoonfish showed up about dark. He caught a pan sized cat (bait for the bigguns).
We got alot of bites, but it was mostly the little ones. They'd hit my bait a few times and then drag it under the rocks, end of that story. I got tired of rigging up my rods so I sat there and watch spoonfish fish.

There weren't many there last night, guess everyone was at the state fair.

Going to try again tonight.

Mr. President,
as Spoony says shad is the best bait in my experience, at the dam or otherwise. They are normally plentiful on days they have been running alot of water. If you can't get them there you can sometimes get them in the harbor or down the river a couple miles in the White Branch cove.

[Mr. President]

Thanks Spoonfish and NoCat2Big. Fished down there this spring with shad but was'nt sure if you where getting all those hits on something different.

[NoCat2Big]

Went drift fishing last night. Started at the no boating zone buoys at the dam and floated down just past the 65 bridge. Current was almost non-existant but it was a nice peaceful ride.

Only caught one cat. A little over 5 lbs and was almost totally white. Not an albino tho, was the slightest bit dark on the top side. It's a good thing they weren't biting too well, I was only able to get a couple shad.

[diodeman]

The MDC website stating that "All species poor," is comical. The person who wrote that is woefully mis-informed. Flatheads and blues are plentifull, we have been throwing back dozens each night because they are under 20lbs., usually in the 5 to 15lb. range. We have been bringing in big ones (over 40lbs.) with occasional 50lb.+, some over 70lb. We don't kep anything under 20 or over 50lbs. The biggest cats are the blues. The hybrids, stripers, whites, and largemouth are following patterns and easily found. Crappie are the only ones that are being finicky right now or maybe that is just because we are catching so many other fish we are not beating the brushpiles to find the crappies.

Nightime is the best for the big cats, they prefer bluegill but bite freely on shad. The catfishing is excellent right now because they are in a pattern following the baitfish!

We are eating grilled, hickory smoked catfish fillets for breakfast. Baked hybrids, whites, or stripers, for lunch, napping, then snacking on catfish fillets deep fried in peanut oil, then hitting the water after dark.

They are out there in droves right now guys, just follow the baitfish, that's right, think like a shad and you'll find the big cats.

R. Harms

[spoonfish]

Sounds like youv'e got a good pattern on em Diodeman. Your makeing me hungry there. I need to get back up on Truman, weve been catchin a few down on LOZ, but nothing really big. Iv'e got my poles rigged up for bear so I'm ready to get some of them 50+ pounders on.

[spoonfish]

They said 7.5"
My rain gauage said 5 but thats all it will hold LOL. We had more last nite and earlier today. Sure nice to see some again, I hope it helps the bite a little.

[spoonfish]

Trumans up to 707.9 and LOZ is at 658.21. I don't usally run trout lines but your right those flat heads should be running in the back waters now. I plan on getting out the 1st of the week, I try to avoid the week ends if possible LOL. Maybe the lake will be settled by then and there won't be as much junk floating. I saw a guy who caught a 50 lb. blue on a trout line about a week ago on LOZ. We were up to the dam at the observation point to feed the fish a couple of weeks ago and there were 100s of blue cats stacked in there all in the 40 lb. plus range and bigger,it was quite a site.

[fishingbuddy4]

Was drifting the flats down by bucksaw yesterday the fish where crazy no big ones but over 30 blues 1 to5 lbs hardly had a chance to rest it was great

[Mr.T]

What kind of area are you guys fishing in on Truman? How deep and where at?

Went out Saturday night with my dad and brother near G16 on the north side, using shad heads and Bee-Jay but hardly had any bites at all. Fishing from the bank in about 8 to 12 feet of water so I guess that's not the right place...

We'll be down camping at the State Park all weekend and would *really* like to get into some nice blues - we've been out about a dozen times this year, both in the boat and from the shore, and probably don't have 10 fish to show for it...

We usually fish off the bottom, with shad or whatever. Should we be suspending up from the bottom a bit? We've never drift fished either - is it's as simple as it sounds? Just hang a line over the edge and go along for the ride?

Any clues would be appreciated!

[spoonfish]

Hey Mr.T, welcome aboard!
My favorite drift method is to run floating Jugs. I like to find a flat aprox. 10-15 ft. deep. I then set each jug with aprox. 6 to 8 feet of line. 1 hook per jug, I use 2 kinds of bait, cured turkey livers and fresh cut shad. I usally run 66 of them, 1/2 with liver and 1/2 with shad. the liver jugs are set with treble hooks and the shad jugs with kahle hooks all tied on the bottom of the lines. Tie a 2 way swivel up from the hooks aprox. 1 and 1/2 ft. then place a split shot weight above the swivel. I just got in and had 20 fish within a few hours this morning. It will take a bit to get use to setting them and retriveing them but it is really fun way to fish when you have several of them going under all at the same time.Hope this helps!

[diodeman]

Whether it's the Grand, Osage, Big or Little Pomme De Terre, the largest cats hold near the bottoms of drop-off underwater ridges. Not at the bottom, but about 10 feet up the slope from the botom; in off current areas-depressions-behind rocks-anything that makes the current easier to suspend in. The big cats suspend in these slack or slower water areas during their resting periods. They come out of these slack water areas to hunt bait fish that are in normal bait fish habitat and pattern areas.
Buy topography maps that show underwater structure and land mass. The bigger cats will hide or rest in slack areas, then move out of these areas to ambush bait fish. A 50lb.+ fish can't persue bait fish like a striper and outrun them. The big cats ambush bait like a largemouth bass and use the underwater land mass and structures to their advantage.
Any ambush spot that allows a big cat to hide from too much activity from; humans-lanterns-lights-boat noise-human noise, etc., and lay in wait for food is perfect. The big cats move out of these resting zones and ambush their prey.
I fish near the dropp-offs, hiding holes, and slack water areas. Sit where the bait and its scent will drift towards the lair of your prey. Get the maps and study them. A catfish will not work any harder than it has to when hunting, as any predator does. My favorite cat bait is a slightly wounded lively bluegill, hooked through the tail below spinal column so it nerves and bones are not severed. A lively swimming, slightly wounded baitfish will bring in the monsters. But are you ready! Is your equipment ready?

Last night we put back in the water, blues all weighing around 30-40lbs. Our best blue was 53lbs., he went back in the water. We caught and released 14 fish last night weighing between 20 -40lbs., plus the 51lber. Our last two we finally caught were two 40lb. bluecats at 4:17a.m. this morning fishing the G-14 bend drop-off. We took those two cats home and enjoyed their presence at our dinner table.
Use fresh, lively bait, heavy rigs, and remember the monsters only come out at night. Good luck.

[safetybass]

T:
Diode and Wolfie both gave you great advice. Wolf_man was pointing you toward actively feeding fish in drifting across flats. Drifting is simply allowing your bait to be presented to fish in a larger area, in a natural manner with water conditions. Current or wind causes bait to drift naturally and cats either roam or wait for the food to drift in front of them. Some guys keep their rigs close to the boat, others let them out 50 - 75 yards.

And Wolfie: I took shad dog fishing yesterday, in case it would be her last opportunity. However, I think she is getting better. Mrs. Safetybass is very disappointed. She hates my dog. My dog doesn't care, and Mrs. Safetybass will get over it. And I found several schools of shad in the 2 - 5 inch range. They are about 4 miles from that flat where you want a rematch with Moby. You gonna be ready to try again soon? I got my boat problems fixed. Nothing a lot of money couldn't solve. :thumbsup:

[Bigmagic]

Wow where did all the Benton county guys come from? I didn't see any of you guys at our catfish tourneys. Diodeman glad to see you posting on the new site. I haven't been out as much this year due to poor health. If any of you guys are out and see my boat give me a shout.

[spoonfish]

Didn't know about any trnys. in benton co. Big, in the BOC. Sorry I missed them, all though im fairly new to the site I guess. I would love to have a get together or trny. if theres gonna be one. I know Chris has been talkin about haveing a trny. Hopefully he will get 1 going. I think I know your rig Big, it looks like Anthonys seaark with the shack on it? I will stop and say hey!!! Hope to sea ya on the water.....

[Mr.T]

Thanks for all the advice. We'll give it a shot in the next few weeks - think the biggest obstacle will be overcoming my dad's resistance to moving around -- once we get settled in a place, he wants to stay there till we're ready to go home, whether they're biting or not; me, if we don't get a bite in a few minutes, we must not be in the right place so I'm ready to move. Unfortunately, I don't control the ignition switch when we're out on the water...

We also need to learn how to use the fish finder - about all I know so far is that it shows how deep the water is; haven't figured out how to analyze it beyond that just yet. I'm sure it'll show where the shad are once I figure out what they look like.

I did buy a lake map with topographic info on it last week - so it shows more or less where the flats and dropoffs are, which ought to make it a little less of a crapshoot when we pick a place to fish.

Funny, but G14 is right behind where I grew up -- those houses up on the bluff to the east there are in a subdivision called Sky Village; I lived there in the early 70's and remember when the lake first came in. Never knew there were big cats right in my own back yard...

One thing - for those of you use live bluegill, how and where are you catching them? I'd guess they're in the "usual" places and a hunk of nighcrawler under a bobber is the way to get them. But seems like a lot of work to get them one at a time like that.

[diodeman]

I live fairly close to you and have seen your rig on the water. Most people do not see me because I fish after dark and usually alone unless one of my neighbors goes with me. I only take him because he has experienced hunting with me, at night, in Cambodia during the 70's.

Most guys get scared of the water at dark and need lights. I use no lights, period, and only turn on my red headlamp when it's time to hoist a monster into my little boat, or re-rig something.

I like the water in the dark. Hunting monsters in the dark means you must have no fear of the water, be an excellent swimmer because I have had my ass dragged over the side more than once by large catfish which decide to wrestle.

I got used to hunting in the dark in S.E. Asia during the 70's when there were scarier things out there than the giant fish of Truman Lake. I love it.

Nothing beats the thrill of being on the mile wide Osage at 3:00am., and you have to put a bouy on your anchor rope and let it go to come back and get it later, why? Because the fish on the end of my line is pulling my little 12 foot aluminum v-bottom for a ride in the dark while I hang on!

Knowing that you may spend up to an hour fighting a fish. Earlier this year I hooked a fish at 10:35pm. and did not get it to the side of my boat till 11:48pm. I weighed it from an oak tree on shore, it was a healthy 70+lb bluecat and it was damn glad to be set free.

There are monsters out there and men who hunt them. Perhaps we will meet sometime in the dark at 3:00am. out on Truman Lake.

[diodeman]

There is a new trend of nut case thrill seekers out there Wolfman. Jet ski's at night with large headlights on them. Last night I was damned tempted to throw out an 8 ounce weight with alot of line and clothesline the S.O.B.'s right off their machines. They kept going around my boat in circles like a bunch of crazed Indians hopped up on peyote mushrooms. I did what any self respecting cathunter would do and started firing 12 gauge flares at them, they left, and I did to. I do not usually behave in this manner and I have not lost my temper since 1971 in S.E. Asia.

Jet Ski's at night, these jackasses obviously have never seen the large deadfall trees that sometimes float down the river, or old derelict docks.

I am not promoting shooting flares at idiots but last night was the first time I had seen this type of behavior.

[spoonfish]

Watch out for this wk. end doide LOL. I get them all the time going thru my lines and jugs, but I get boats that do it too. I just keep thinking those hooks are not going to feel good wraped around where ever they sink in. Any one that runs the river and lake around here at that speed at night are sure to meet mister log or something else sooner or later. I could go off about the pwc people but there are many in boats as well that do the same. So what to do I'm not sure, but you better re-load some more flares just in case!!!

[spoonfish]

I'm begining to think me have strayed a bit from this thread. So with that being said, I plan on going up to the Sac-Osage this fri. and sat. to give em a try. I plan on dockin at the Sac ramp on 82 highway. Any brothers that may be in the area stop and say hey!

[diodeman]

Carrying worms can be a hassle, keeping them cool, alive, and moist. So for small fish there is a perfact solution which I have used for years. Sold in Wal-Mart and all other places. Berkley makes a product; does not require refrigeration, will fit in your pocket, comes in very small jar, easy to handle,they have an odor of soybeans because that is what they are made of, leave no oily residue on the hands, and best of all stay on the hook really well. Maggots, that's right, they are called maggots. They look like small white maggots. These things are perfect for kids because there are no harmfull chemicals in them and they are easy to handle. Bluegill and crappie love them.
Try them you will be surprised. They are inexpensive and you will stop buying worms.

[primitivefrn]

Spoon you can, dock at osecola, in town , cove their has shad, in it, hickory
and thin fins, about the same distance, to mouth of sac. River will probley be falling some ,has crested at, Schell City. I usually fish, below13 hwy bridge. horseshoe bend. mouth of sac looks good, right now, probley go to night , for a while, If you see a River Pro boat,( jet) wave.

[spoonfish]

Hey Primitivefrn,
I have seen a river pro up from roscoe during spoonbill season this year, was that you? They sure are nice looking boats, I have looked into them some. Hope to sea you on the water!

[Mr.T]

Thanks for the tip on the Berkley maggots - we'll give it a shot this weekend. I'm in favor of anything that stays on the hook long enough for me to actually sit down and watch the kids fish -- the normal routine is to run continuously from one to the other, either taking a fish off the hook or putting another worm on...

I think we're going to try to fish just above the dam at the weir on Saturday evening - sort of depends on how much boat traffic is around though. If they're running water, I suspect I should get a pretty decent bite fishing off the shallow flats right in front of the dam.

If there's too much boating, we'll find a quieter place and do some jug fishing instead.

[Mr.T]

Came up dry last weekend - spent several hours Saturday evening, tried using some jug lines but it was a disaster. There was a gust front coming through just as we started out, and the wind blew them all back deep into a cove. Then we managed to get them all tangled up when we went to grab them and move back out into the flats. We did have one jug with a fish on, but the hook wasn't set in his mouth I guess because he wiggled off as soon as we grabbed the jug to pull it in.

We also pole fished with shad and bluegill heads on the bottom and never got so much as a bite in 4 hours. Once the wind died down, it was beautiful - clear, calm and cool - so that made the lack of fish a bit more tolerable.

BTW - tried the Berkley "maggots" and it was a flop - we fished from the dock at the State Park Marina and I could watch the bluegill come up to the Berkley bait and then back off without biting. Switched to nightcrawlers and pulled about 15 of them out in less than 10 minutes - had to make the kids stop fishing because we had too many and I couldn't keep up with taking them off their lines!

Hoping to go out again this weekend with some new jug lines (this time with reflective tape so we can see them!) - maybe it'll work out better.

[spoonfish]

Don't sound like you had very good luck Mr.T
On the floater jugs I would just run them in the day time. I do have reflective tape on all off mine, but the floaters are hard to watch after dark. Also on the floaters if the wind is strong it's hard to tell when you have bites. Try experimenting with a couple 1st to determine how they are going to drift before throwing them all out. I like to switch to permanent jugs after dark. On my permenent jugs I place a 2 lb. weight attached to the bottom and than place a hook with a 1 foot leader every 4 feet up attached to a 3 way swivel. Depending on how deep the water is where your fishing run your hooks up to the top of the hole. Drop your line to the bottom and stop , place a rubber band around your line on the jug to hold it at that depth. I usally place all my permanent jugs in the deepest holes I can find, usally I put 50 feet of line on each 1 and it will be plenty. Good Luck!

[NoCat2Big]

Hey Spoonie,
No I didn't fall off the face of the earth, just haven't been on the site in a few days. Had folks in town for the holiday and all that.

Fished a little lately but came up empty. Little ones under 5# or none at all drifting from the dam down and around the 65 bridge.
I've got my jugs ready and am geared to go fishing just about any time in the evenings during the week and all day on most weekends.

As for the Tournament I'm going to post a thread and see if we can get enough people to participate.. If so we will prolly have the weigh in at the White Branch Marina on LOZ side of the dam. (be able to fish Truman and LOZ)

[Boogan1]

Hi guys,
Thought I would jump in this thread, we got a place at warsaw in late july, have our camper set up at pecan grove. Nocat2big, how's it going Chris? Haven't played poker the last few times we have been in town so haven't seen you. Let me know how to contact you when I am down there and we can hook up. Bigmagic, I think my wife and I saw you on the water a couple of weeks ago, fishing below drake harbor. I have a red metal flake 89 bass tracker 1800TF with a 110 evinrude on it. Let me know how to contact you also. We made it down for part of the holiday weekend, did real well on the catfish sunday nite. 18#, 10#, two 5# and several 2-3#. Real good eatin. We were fishing a drop off just up from shawnee bend access. Since we are so new we are still learning the area and how to fish for everything that's available. Wife still likes the catfishing best. I hear the best fishing is yet to come this year. Hope to wrestle some of those big fall blue cats. Take care everyone! Boog

[spoonfish]

Welcome aboard Boogan1, hope you can make it to our Truman get together in oct.

[Burwell40]

Well, I've made my reservations to come down to Truman in December. I've heard that's the best time to catch big ones, though it sounds like some folks are doing pretty good right now. Just wondering, are shad easy to get in December?