It happened! Generation at Table Rock Dam on Lake Taneycomo was shut down this morning at midnight and it was left off for 11 hours. That means we had no generation this morning and I found trout fishing pretty good. I believe this is going to be our new generation pattern at least for this week. And as Table Rock and helpfully temperatures drop, this slow down will keep going the right way.
Table Rock is now below 917 feet, only 2 feet above it’s seasonal power pool but Beaver Lake is 4 feet high and it’s dropping very slowly.
I got out and fished early this morning. Boated to the Narrows and found the water level about what it should be with no generation. And there was just a little bit of current, just like I like it. But the trout weren’t too interested in taking much of what I was offering. I did catch a few nice rainbows but nothing like I believe it will be in a day or two.
It usually takes our trout a day or so to get used to a “new normal” in regards to changing generation patterns. They have to find their nitch, and when they do they’ll start feeding normally.
I did catch rainbows on a #14 tan scud (Hunt’s perfect scud) as well as a #16 primrose & pearl (P&P), both under a float about 3-4 feet deep. I saw other guides doing much better than me using a white thread jig under a float. I did throw a jig but had no success.
I visited with someone today who said fishing for his party off the Lazy Valley dock has been exceptional this year, catching quality rainbows on night crawlers. That’s been the best bait by far – worms. And now that the water isn’t running in the mornings, it’s very important to inject a little air in the worm to make them float off the bottom.
Our water is still very clear but I think using 4-pound line for most things is still ok. But later in the fall, we usually start going to lighter line and tippet… just not yet.
I was excited to report dry fly fishing was very good in the mornings with 1-2 units running but that’s changed. I will continues to try different dries and see if I can establish a new pattern. We’ll see.
The rest of my report would only be speculative. I would think fishing a pink worm under a float would work in the mornings but that remains to be seen.