Truman Updates or Advice

Alright folks, I get my boat back today and I'm headed out tomorrow. I will be launching out of Starrett Creek Marina. Any suggestion on locations and depths? I heard the females are dissolving their eggs. I also heard fishing depths are all over the place. I don't mind spending all day on the lake, but I wouldn't mind a little help. I was planning on heading south from the Dam towards Sugar Camp Hollow or the Osage bluff. Of course unless I get some input that will save me the trip. I really want to see what the water up near Barbar Hollow looks like. I've only fished it from shore and want to see what the structure looks like. I have a Helix 7 and 5 on my boat, so I can search for structure and fish. I need help, because I'm still learning. If you think I should try another area, I'm open to learning new areas.

It's like Christmas Eve in my brain! I don't want to work and I don't want to be at work. LMBO:biggrin

I took my daughter (age 12) out earlier this week. We were able to catch our limits in 2 hours on Monday and Tuesday afternoons this week. Single pole using jigs. The fishing was very good, we found the fish to be schooled up in very large groups. We found them on structure near the main lake channel. We were fishing in 30 ish foot of water, the fish were 10'-20' deep. We found that they were near cedar tree's in most cases. We were using jigs, and color/size definately made a difference. We had the best luck on Bobby Garland baby shad in a blue/white combo. We had two different variations of this color (monkey milk, and blue medium) that both worked well. We were fishing near Starrett Creek in clean water, fish were not really big, but there were plenty of them. We kept fish that ranged from 10"-12" long. We cleaned 60 fish in two days, and the vast majority were females. I did notice they were full of eggs, and the eggs looked like what you would expect to see in April. I'm not sure what the deal is with that..... Good Luck! Hope you have as much fun as we did.

I was out neat state park marina up to tebo today. Trolled crank baits some boated 4 and added two from my dock. Enough for dinner. Water is very clear. Neighbors had 4 limits dipping minnows in the trees along the bluffs.

Thank you sirs! I'm hoping we can get a few on the deck.

We didn't make it out as early as I'd like and we didn't do very good. We spent more time searching than fishing and fighting the wind. I'm still learning how to ready my fish finder and my youngest is still learning to listen to me when I say "stumps are below us." I spent a lot of time swinging the boat around and either undoing his snags or breaking his line off. LoL I really need to learn patience as does he.

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net...9b&oe=5EF631EC

I caught 3 and one them was pretty nice sized. I really need to learn more to get my youngest on the fish. He's getting to the point where he doesn't want to go because he hasn't caught a fish from the boat. :( I tried to relate patience with "camping" on his video game, he said it's not the same. Well back to the drawing board with that!

I am glad that you got out to try. My kids are growing up and really just want to catch - if I can get them to go now. I should have been more patient and probably waited and taken them crappie fishing during the spring spawn and once I confirmed the fish were hitting. This year was up and down, but I bet a couple of spring evenings just before dark & catching limits will get him hooked. My boys still want to go trotlining though-something about catching some nice catfish is a ton of fun for both big and little boys.

If you never spider rigged, it's nonstop action, maybe just tangles, but never a dull sit a wait moment....might be just the thing to keep a boy occupied.
Maybe it will work out sometime, we'll go find a mess. Plenty other guys on here that find fish easier than finding a partner.

I was out today at Osage Bluff. Got there about 1PM, was told by another guy putting in that both Osage and Fairfield were full at 6AM.

Fishing was tough, I only boated one, had a couple of other hookups but lost them in the brush. The lake was a zoo, boats everywhere. Guess everyone was itching to get out from being cooped up all week.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Atimm693

I was out today at Osage Bluff. Got there about 1PM, was told by another guy putting in that both Osage and Fairfield were full at 6AM.

Fishing was tough, I only boated one, had a couple of other hookups but lost them in the brush. The lake was a zoo, boats everywhere. Guess everyone was itching to get out from being cooped up all week.

---

I'm glad I decided to find more jig heads, clean the boat and fix a couple things around the boat. I'm hoping tomorrow isn't too packed. LoL I don't know how I'm supposed to get my son on the water by 6am. I marked a lot of fish and will visit those spots tomorrow. All I want tomorrow, is that he doesn't skunked tomorrow.

Another tough day on the water yesterday. We did see anything around creek beds, trees, it was rough! On a good note, my son broke his skunk streak with a white bass off the Osage bluffs. That actually made the day for him and I. He was so happy about it, he told his brother first thing when we got home. "Lance told me you got skunked and he caught a white bass." LMBO

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TheRo0sTer

Another tough day on the water yesterday. We did see anything around creek beds, trees, it was rough! On a good note, my son broke his skunk streak with a white bass off the Osage bluffs. That actually made the day for him and I. He was so happy about it, he told his brother first thing when we got home. "Lance told me you got skunked and he caught a white bass." LMBO

---

I was just about to post about the white bass fishing. If you're struggling to put him on some crappie, troll the wier wall in front of the dam for whites. We caught 30+ white bass yesterday morning right there. It would be a ton of fun for your son. The Berkley Flicker Shad were unbeatable. The flats by the state park had plenty of whites biting as well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by treeguy

I was just about to post about the white bass fishing. If you're struggling to put him on some crappie, troll the wier wall in front of the dam for whites. We caught 30+ white bass yesterday morning right there. It would be a ton of fun for your son. The Berkley Flicker Shad were unbeatable. The flats by the state park had plenty of whites biting as well.

---

I've been so focused on searching for Crappie, I didn't think about search out whites. I can only imagine how fun it is, I used to chase striped bass on Lake Mead in the early 90s.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Baitwaster

If you never spider rigged, it's nonstop action, maybe just tangles, but never a dull sit a wait moment....might be just the thing to keep a boy occupied.

---

When Bill and I were down at Truman for "Covid-Camp 2020" we were idling our way out of Jackson and here come this fish-n-ski with two kids up on the deck with a slew of rods out, their dads were standing behind the windshields running the trolling motor and sippin' on barley pops. Watched as the girl reached for a pole and then stopped cuz...it wasn't a bite, but...you could tell this wasn't their first rodeo. And they were watching those rod tips! Just seemed like an awesome way to spend a leisurely time on the boat, y'know?

My 10yr old daughter gets greedy, refuses to quit without her limit. ...when I can get her to go.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Baitwaster

My 10yr old daughter gets greedy, refuses to quit without her limit. ...when I can get her to go.

---

I wish! When I get them to go, they complain we've been out too long. Mind you, when the fish are biting, the complaining stops. We haven't had a biting day on the boat yet, but we did from the shore one day and they were both ALL SMILES and asking when we'll go back.

I always have a couple of sunfish coves in mind when I have youngin's on the boat or shore. need to keep a box of worms for that IF they don't bite the lil jigs which they usually do. Yes you have to get em on fish.

took two young hs girls out earlier this spring and thank God it was the best fishing whole spring. they caught some real nice size and lots of them! They really got hooked.

Hope your surgery went well.

It went as planned. Home this evening is nice. I got to shower for the first time since Tuesday morning.

Lad it went ok. Let me know when you are ready to come down and ride around the lake with me.
Ron

As soon as I can walk without the walker.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Macbow

Lad it went ok. Let me know when you are ready to come down and ride around the lake with me.
Ron

---

I'm on a cane now and managed to launch and recover my boat today. :) I'll be more ready after this week of PT coming up.

I’ll be ready. Fishing has been tough for me lately any day but Wednesday usually working the food pantry then.