Trout Fishing Taneycomo - Part III of the Missouri Trout Fishing Series

Trout Fishing Lake Taneycomo

In Part I of this series we first made the case that Missouri has some pretty great fishing trout fishing options and outlined the categories and briefly introduced a few of them.  In Part II, we went to the Current River for some trout fishing in the heart of Missouri’s Ozarks.  Now we will take a peak at the pre-eminent option for lake trout fishing in Missouri – Taneycomo.

The fishing at Lake Taneycomo has become world famous for one primary reason, enormous brown trout.  But that should not be the only reason the trout angler should be interested in Taneycomo.  This lake is absolutely loaded with rainbow trout too.  So, this is one of those places where you can catch fish in big numbers and a few big fish as well.  It really is the best of both worlds.

At Taneycomo, there are also a couple of different basic approaches which we will delve into as we go. But first, a basic understanding of the structure and history of Taneycomo is in order. A basic understanding of some of its features will help you better understand how to catch fish using the method of you’re choosing.

First of all, Taneycomo has been around a relatively long time – but for much of that time was not amenable to hosting a trout population.  You see, trout need cold water and Missouri only naturally produces that when streams are spring-fed in a few locations.  The original Taneycomo did not have these features.  The lake was completed in 1913, and until 1958 was just a “regular” Missouri reservoir in most respects.  Taneycomo is a confinement of the White River which has several bottom-fed dams.

The effect of a bottom-fed dam is that the water released is from the depths of the impounded reservoir, and the water that comes out is cold.  Some of the cold water fisheries below these bottom fed dams along the White are riverine fisheries – case-in-point, the great stretch right below Bull Shoals in Arkansas.  Before 1958, there was no bottom-fed dam emptying water into Taneycomo, but that all changed with the completion of Table Rock Reservoir.  Suddenly, millions of gallons of pure fresh water were pouring into Taneycomo, changing radically the fishery.  The Missouri Department of Conservation saw an opportunity, and constructed the Shepherd of the Hills hatchery, and trout fishing changed in Missouri.

Wade-Fishing Taneycomo

Fishing Taneycomo in the tailwater of Table Rock does in fact share some similarities with basic trout park fishing in the fly areas.  In the portion of Taneycomo just below Table Rock, artificials are the only methods permitted.  There is one other extremely important aspect of fishing this portion that should be known.  When the sirens indicate a release from the dam extreme caution should be taken.  Namely, when you hear the siren, it is time to quit fishing and get out of the water. 

For fly fishermen interested in hatches that occur on Taneycomo, there is one word to know – midges.  That’s about it, but they are present just about every day of the year.  Long leaders are a must, and you are presenting right to rising fish.  Sizes 14-18 are about right and a variety of colors are effective.  Try red, yellow, gray, orange, olive, or black.  You might have to try a variety of presentations to find what is working in a particular stretch at a particular time.  Other favorites are woolies in black and olive as well as egg patterns.  One tactic that should not be overlooked is night fishing.  This is when many of the larger browns are caught. 

Boat Fishing for Trout

For boat fishermen on the lower stretches of the lake, a variety of baits and lures are effective.  These include Power Bait, corn, air-injected night crawlers, Rapala Floating F07 in gold/black and silver/black, Little Cleos, and micro-jigs in pink and/or white fished under an indicator.

A couple of other good resources for more in-depth information on trout fishing Taneycomo are at the Family-Outdoor Taneycomo page and landingbigfish.com.  Finally, don’t shoot down the idea of taking a trip or two with a guide from the area.  There are a lot of subtleties that a trip or two with a guide can help you figure out a lot quicker…things that reading about them on a webpage just cannot convey.  There are a bunch of good guides in the area. Check with one of the area tackle shops or fly shops.

Yes, Missouri does have some great places for trout fishermen, and Taneycomo is one of them.  It is certainly a different experience – near Branson and certainly a place filled with much more activity than other Missouri trout fisheries.  It is also a place where it is not out of the realm of possibility that the next world record brown could be caught.  

Related articles

• Trout Fishing on Missouri's Current River (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Missouri Trout Fishing has a lot to Offer (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)

Porous-soled waders banned in Missouri trout waters

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New MDC regulation takes effect March 1 to help keep Missouri a great place to fish.

JEFFERSON CITY Mo – With catch-and-keep trout season opening March 1, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds trout anglers to help prevent the spread of a new threat to Missouri’s cold-water streams and rivers. Called “didymo” (Didymosphenia geminata) or “rock snot,” this invasive alga forms large, thick mats on the bottoms of cold-water streams and rivers, reducing the quality and quantity of food vital to fish such as trout. Didymo also clogs water intakes and boat motors. It interferes with fishing gear and eventually makes fishing nearly impossible, with devastating economic and environmental consequences. While it has not been found in Missouri, rock snot has been found just south of the Missouri-Arkansas border in the White River.

According to MDC Fisheries Biologist Mark VanPatten, recreational equipment such as boats, lifejackets and fishing gear, particularly porous-soled waders, are the most likely ways for didymo to spread into Missouri. 

“Porous-soled waders and wading boots, worn by many trout anglers, appear to be a likely pathway for the spread of didymo,” VanPatten explains. “The soles hold moisture for days and can harbor cells of this alga. Individual cells cannot be seen with the naked eye and only a single cell is needed to establish a stream-killing colony. Anglers who visit waters with didymo can, unknowingly, transfer these cells to the next stream they visit.”

The Missouri Conservation Commission approved a regulation change in August 2011 that bans the use of porous-soled waders or footwear incorporating or having attached a porous sole of felted, matted, or woven fibrous material when fishing in trout parks and other specific trout waters. The new regulation will go into effect March 1.

“Conservation makes Missouri a great place to fish so preventing the spread of this invasive species into Missouri is critical,” VanPatten warns. “There is no way to control or eradicate didymo once it gets established in the state.”

Didymo is kept in check naturally in other parts of the country and world by lower pH, or acidity, levels in the water. Missouri’s wealth of limestone creates higher pH levels in Show-Me waters. These higher pH levels can allow didymo to spread unchecked. 

To help reduce the spread of didymo, MDC encourages anglers to remember: Check, then Clean or Dry.

·        Check all gear and equipment and remove any visible algae. Dispose of algae by placing it in the trash, not by putting it down a drain or into bodies of water.

·        Then Clean all gear and equipment with a solution of 2-percent bleach, 5-percent saltwater, or dishwashing detergent. Allow all equipment to stay in contact with the solution for at least three minutes. Soak all soft items, such as felt-soled waders and wader boot cuffs, neoprene waders and life jackets, in the solution for at least 20 minutes.

·        Or then Dry all gear and equipment for at least 48 hours by exposing it to sunlight.

To help anglers clean their waders before entering Missouri trout streams, MDC has installed wader wash stations at Missouri’s five cold-water trout hatcheries: Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon, Montauk State Park near Salem, Roaring River State Park near Cassville, Maramec Spring Park near St. James and Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery by the upper portion of Lake Taneycomo near Branson.

All anglers are encouraged to replace their porous-soled waders with ones that have non-porous rubber or synthetic soles.

Anglers can adapt felt-soled and other porous-soled waders to comply with the new regulation by sealing the soles with solutions of contact cement or marine rubber cement. VanPatten notes the cement may need to be reapplied after each use. MDC offers an instructional video for sealing waders at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_udcfZqA_w

“Adapting waders is not a cure,” VanPatten cautions. “It is just one step in prevention. It is still vital to check and clean or dry all waders and all other gear that have had contact with the water.”

For more information, visit www.mdc.mo.gov and search “didymo.”

Related articles

• Wildlife restoration, unusual animal sightings top 2011 conservation news (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Winter Fishing the Missouri Trout Parks (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Get Those Felt-Soled Waders Legal (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Conservation Action January 2012 (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lists the Ozark Hellbender as Endangered

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Hellbenders are among the world’s largest salamanders

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today designated the Ozark hellbender as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and also finalized its decision to list the Ozark and eastern hellbender in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).  In combination, these listings will provide significant protection to hellbenders, both domestically and internationally. 

Under the ESA, an endangered species is any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.  The Ozark hellbender, which grows to lengths up to 2 feet, inhabits the White River system in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.  Ozark hellbender populations have declined an estimated 75 percent since the 1980s, with only about 590 individuals remaining in the wild.  It is believed numbers have dropped because of degraded water quality, habitat loss resulting from impoundments, ore and gravel mining, sedimentation , and collection for the pet trade. 

Also threatening the Ozark hellbender is a fungal disease, chytridiomycosis (chytrid), and severe physical abnormalities (e.g., lesions, digit and appendage loss, epidermal sloughing) which most Ozark hellbenders exhibit.

In addition, the average age of Ozark hellbender populations is increasing and few young are being found, indicating problems with reproduction or juvenile survival.  This, and the multiple threats from disease and habitat degradation, could lead to extinction of the Ozark hellbender within 20 years.

“The Ozark hellbender faces extinction without the protection afforded by the Endangered Species Act,” said Tom Melius, the Service’s Midwest Regional Director.  “Listing provides tools and an infrastructure within which partners can pool resources and expertise to help save this species.”

The Service determined that designating critical habitat under the ESA for the Ozark hellbender is not prudent because the designation would require publication of detailed descriptions of hellbender locations and habitat, making illegal collection for the pet trade more likely.

To better control and monitor the international trade of hellbenders, the Service has included both the Ozark and eastern hellbender in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES or Convention).  CITES is an international agreement between governments designed to prevent species from becoming endangered or extinct as a result of international trade.  Collection within the United States and international trade of hellbenders is of growing concern, particularly as they become rarer and, consequently, more valuable.  Listing hellbenders in Appendix III of CITES would aid in curbing unauthorized international trade, not only by controlling exports from the United States but by enlisting the assistance of 174 other countries that are CITES Parties in controlling trade in the species.

Currently, two subspecies of hellbenders are recognized, the Ozark hellbender and the eastern hellbender.  The Ozark hellbender only occurs in Missouri and Arkansas, whereas the eastern hellbender range includes portions of the following 16 States: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. 

Hellbenders are salamanders with large tails and tiny eyes. Adult Ozark hellbenders may reach lengths up to 2 feet, and their flattened bodies enable them to move in the fast-flowing streams they inhabit.  Hellbenders are habitat specialists that depend on constant levels of dissolved oxygen, temperature, and flow in their aquatic environment.  Even minor alterations to stream habitat are likely detrimental to hellbender populations. 

The Endangered Species Act makes it illegal to kill, harm or otherwise "take" a listed species.  The ESA also requires all federal agencies to ensure actions they authorize, fund, or undertake do not jeopardize the existence of listed species, and directs the Service to work with federal agencies and other partners to develop and carry out recovery efforts for those species. Listing also focuses attention on the needs of the species, encouraging conservation efforts by other agencies (federal, state and local), conservation groups, and other organizations and individuals.

The Service’s final rules to list the Ozark hellbender as an endangered species and to include hellbenders in Appendix III of CITES appear in the October 6, 2011, Federal Register. 

The Ozark hellbender final rule is also available on the Service’s Midwest Region website atwww.fws.gov/midwest/endangered, and the final rule to include hellbenders in Appendix III of CITES is also available on the Service’s International Affairs website at www.fws.gov/international.  

The listing of the Ozark hellbender under the ESA will take effect 30 days after publication of the final rule, whereas the listing of hellbenders in CITES Appendix III will take effect 180 days after publication of the final rule.  This additional time is necessary so that the Service can submit required documentation to the CITES Secretariat, which will then notify all CITES Parties of this action taken by the United States. 

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

MISSOURI OUTDOOR INFORMATION

Ozark Area Trout Fishing

If you think great trout fishing can only be found in the Rocky Mountain West or the East, think again. More specifically, some of the very best trout fishing in the United States has developed in the Ozark Mountain Region of the Midwest. Nestled in an area mostly contained in Southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas, some outstanding fishing opportunities are out there for rainbow trout and brown trout, even a few spots where brook trout and cutthroat trout can be had.

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Essentially, these regions can be subdivided into four categories. Thinking of the fishing opportunities in this way can help you zero in on the kind of fishing you are after. There really is, as you will see for yourself, a little bit for every kind of fisherman out there. As a bit of an aside, many of these streams and rivers also offer outstanding smallmouth bass fishing opportunities as well.

The first of these types of fisheries is the Missouri Trout Parks. There are four trout parks in Missouri, all in or bordering on the Ozark Mountain Region. These parks are managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation and are stocked for the most part with rainbow trout, but also have some brown trout as well. These parks are heavily stocked during the catch-and-keep season. During the catch-and-release season, the parks are less heavily stocked but there are still very nice populations, the fish are larger in general, and a fisherman has a bit of elbow room to him- or herself. If this is not your thing, perhaps one of the Ozark Region's tailwater fisheries might be more to your liking.

Perhaps the most famous of these is the White River below Bull Shoals Dam in Northern Arkansas. However, if maybe less famous, there are also awesome fishing opportunities on the Norfork Tailwater, the Greer Ferry Tailwater (Little Red River), as well as Lake Taneycomo. These fisheries are interspersed throughout the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks. Popualtions and size of fish are world class in these fisheries. Browns over 20 lbs are not unheard of and until recently, the World Record Brown Trout was from the Little Red.

There are a few freestone rivers that give trout and smallmouth fishermen some outstanding waters to both float and wade fish. Perhaps the most famous of these is the Current River. It can be a bit (okay a lot!) of a party river, but this is only in the warm weather months. Additionally, for more solitude, try the Eleven Point River, barely a stone's throw away from the Current and with a small fraction the traffic. World class smallmouth fishing and some very nice rainbow fishing can be found on this river as it winds through the Irish Wilderness and then meanders down to the Arkansas border. The Meramec River and especially the North Fork of the White River should also be considered.

Finally, tucked into the rolling region can be found some smaller fishing gems that can be classified as smaller streams. With a bit of research, these streams can yield a very nice experience to the fisherman looking for wild trout fishing opportunities as well as a place to himself. These streams are beautiful and so are the fish taken (an hopefully released).

To continue researching these areas and for more specifics, go to Ozark Trout Fishing.