[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.