Truman, Fairfield area 9/28-9/30

My uncle & I will be putting in at Fairfield. Chasing crappie mainly, maybe some jug fishing for cats & I'd love to stumble into some white bass in their topwater frenzy.

Any pointers? Likely general areas? Any baits that they're liking right now? We've done poorly all summer- & hoping it's cooling down enough to get bit. I know we could tie off on the 83 bridge & maybe pull a few out. Wouldn't mind running up the Big Pomme arm a ways if the water's high enough & I've heard you can run into whites & hybrids around the islands (doubt we'll run down as far as KK island. Not expecting honey holes or secrets, but this newb/re-entry angler would greatly appreciate any tips.

Wish I could help but I'm sure someone on here will know that area. Good luck!

Sorry Carl, I coulda given you some bad advice but I didn't see your post. How did you do?

We didn't get skunked, but just. Went out 3 times Wed & Thur, fished shallow & deep, off points, bluffs & bridge pilings, even ran a couple miles of the Big Pomme arm, fishing that timber. Threw everything in the tacklebox at 'em & ended up with two 12" drum, two 12-15" channel cats & a 10" crappie between us.

Even stopped by Cody's & he said no one's getting bit & those that were were working all day for 5 keepers. I've been on Truman a dozen times this summer & Pomme about half that & have caught exactly 3 fish. I'm apparently a victim of weather & bad timing, 'cos no one else was catching either, but it's about enough to give a fella a complex. I did better on LOZ back in May, day drinking with my aunt & pitching jigs off her dock. Frustrating.

I'm gonna try to get back out on Truman at least once, both this week & next & see if I have better luck. Be nice to get lucky, partake of the bite & at least bring home supper for once.

Beats getting skunked. Thanks for the report

The crappie have been turning back on. I brought home 7 last week from Tebo.
I scooted up the creek way too shallow for a deck boat and found a pocket. Caught about 10 in an hour 5 keepers. I was in the creek channel about 17fow the bite was about 10-12ft down.
First time I was able to both mark fish and catch ‘em at the same time.

I Hear they should be making their way back into the creeks but it’s staying pretty warm here and they haven’t run and water for quite some time. Seems like an unusual fall.

I've only been fishing Fairfield because my uncle has a place there & as a total boat newb, it's the nearest launch to me with a dock (I'm in Osceola). I think I'm about ready to launch without a dock & once that happens, I doubt I'll get much further downstream than Talley Bend for the foreseeable future.

I'm also a newb/re-entry angler with no idea what I'm doing, past what I can read online, so I'm sure I'm doing a lot of flailing around aimlessly. And with no fish finder, I have no idea whether they're not hungry or just not home. I try to read up on what the fish are wanting currently & am always on the lookout for tips/advice, but about all I've done since May is burn gas & daylight.

Even with a fish finder you can’t tell if they’re at home or not hungry…at least I can’t.

But I got a fish finder for ya. Nothing fancy but it works. I’m near Clinton.

That's when paying a guide on a lake is well worth it. Went on Truman once and got skunked. Then buddy took me there with Richard bowling and we had limit of big ones and he hit dozen places and really educated us on that lake. We went out next day and killed them.

Go9d luck figuring things out.

Sent from my SM-A515U using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Jeff faulkenberry? Is another good one. If u go on G3 Sportsman videos scott is w him on Truman for crappie a d big catfish.

Sent from my SM-A515U using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

We fished out of Fairfield last Thursday through Saturday, 29-Oct 1. Between 3 of us we had 7 Thursday, 10 Friday and 7 Saturday. Fish were at 15’ on brush in the deeper parts of the cove near the mouth. Fishing double minnow rigs watching them on the Active Target actually swimming up to the minnow then turning away. Probably caught a couple dozen short fish, one 13-1/2” but the rest were 10-11”. We could see them holding at 15-20’ maybe 1 or 2 on a tree. We cooked what we caught but had nothing for the freezer.

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Originally Posted by Baitwaster

Even with a fish finder you can’t tell if they’re at home or not hungry…at least I can’t.

But I got a fish finder for ya. Nothing fancy but it works. I’m near Clinton.

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I appreciate that & thank you for the kind offer. A more accurate statement from myself however, would have been that I don't have a fish finder mounted. I've got a Garmin Echomap UHD 73SV waiting to be mounted, but I've been putting off upgrading to a good deep cycle battery to run the trolling motor & Garmin. That & I had my brain & hands full trying to learn to fish & run a boat & didn't want to add another distraction quite yet. I'm trying to figure out the optimal mounting location & method for my jumped up little jon boat.

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My uncle & I have talked about going in together on a couple guided fishing trips, specifically to learn the hows & wheres of catching certain species. Crappie, naturally & I'd love to learn whites & wipers as well.

Like I said, I know it's been weather & timing, coupled with inexperience, that have been keeping the fish away in droves, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating.

Good lookin Lowe. That should get some feesh.

I was thinking about docks so I took a drive tonight.

I was SHOCKED! Deep water/ cooper creek has a dock but it’s blocking the ramp because the ramp is dry. The lake isn’t that low.
Anyway Tally Bend did have a dock and Brush Creek there in Osceola had one too. Is that ramp still open?

Launching without a dock is a no big deal assuming your still a little nimble. Just tie a 25’ bow line to the front of the trailer. Back down till she floats and pull up gently until the trailer is dry. Pull the rope up to the bank and tie off while you park. But here’s the hard part. Make it a ritual tying the rope and triple checking it.

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Originally Posted by Baitwaster

Good lookin Lowe. That should get some feesh.

I was thinking about docks so I took a drive tonight.

I was SHOCKED! Deep water/ cooper creek has a dock but it’s blocking the ramp because the ramp is dry. The lake isn’t that low.
Anyway Tally Bend did have a dock and Brush Creek there in Osceola had one too. Is that ramp still open?

Launching without a dock is a no big deal assuming your still a little nimble. Just tie a 25’ bow line to the front of the trailer. Back down till she floats and pull up gently until the trailer is dry. Pull the rope up to the bank and tie off while you park. But here’s the hard part. Make it a ritual tying the rope and triple checking it.

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Thank you. It's actually a fun little boat. I'd found some deals on some fancier/bigger boats, but I wanted something better suited for the rivers & skinny water around here. Also left room in the budget for decent electronics, which I am itching to try. Fish finders weren't a thing last time I fished as a kid, so modern fish finders/GPS plotters are mind blowing to me. I know they're not a guarantee of anything, but will hopefully give me useful information to work with.

Corps took the dock & vault toilet outta Talley Bend sometime late last year or early this year. I heard due to low use? Brush Creek is closed. A culvert across the road on the way in is collapsed/washed out & the Corps won't fix it or let anyone else fix it.

I heard they took the dock from Talley up to Shawnee Bend. No idea. I do know there is not a single Corps dock in St. Clair county. Crowe's Crossing's ramp is useless- it's dry at normal pool. I'm less than 2 miles from the ramp in town & a hair over 4 from the Sac access on 82, so they'll likely become my go-to spots to put in.

Neighbor/friend's been here almost 60 years & said there was bad blood between Osceola (& possibly the county) & the Corps over the lake since the Kaysinger Bluff Dam and Reservoir was authorized. Seems odd there would still be any animosity after all this time, yet here we are.

Wow all that water and such poor access.
Hard to believe Tally bend was underutilized. People were parking in the grass every time I've been.

Maybe you should set up for walleye. The Sac is supposed to be premier `eye fishin.

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Originally Posted by Baitwaster

Wow all that water and such poor access.
Hard to believe Tally bend was underutilized. People were parking in the grass every time I've been.

Maybe you should set up for walleye. The Sac is supposed to be premier `eye fishin.

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That is what I’ve heard & it is definitely on my list. I hear it’s a pretty good all arounder for crappie, whites & cats as well. I want to explore the Sac & Osage both. It’d be fun to see just how far upstream I can motor.

I dunno. I think living here has awakened my inner Huck Finn, ‘cos I used to be freaked out by water & now I’ve got a little fishing boat & am itching to go explore the rivers.

back when I was young I had a big 4WD I used to fish a private lake with no ramp, I had to back in at almost a right angle because there was a cliff close to the bank. the shore was really steep also, so the trailer just kinda dropped off, I always had it in 4 low with my door opwn and window down, did it all by myself......not anymore LOL

My impeccable timing continues unabated. Missus & I rode up to Fairfield today, but no bueno. Had hoped to go up the Little Pommy some & the west side of Indian Island, but it was really windy & water way too rough. Backed the boat in & floated it & it was bouncing around & splashing water over the transom. Yeah, nope. My little boat rides way too low for that kinda water & my carcass all the way aft would not have helped that situation at all.


6 or 7 rigs in the parking lot when we put in around 1:30, so I'm guessing it was worthwhile to be on the water, but judging by the size of the trailers, they were in much bigger boats than mine. Could've just lit a $20 bill on fire & saved myself an hour & a half's worth of aggravation. Told the wife on the way home that with what we paid for the boat, every fish we've caught in it has cost us about $1000 apiece so far.

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Originally Posted by Crazy Carl

My impeccable timing continues unabated. Missus & I rode up to Fairfield today, but no bueno. Had hoped to go up the Little Pommy some & the west side of Indian Island, but it was really windy & water way too rough. Backed the boat in & floated it & it was bouncing around & splashing water over the transom. Yeah, nope. My little boat rides way too low for that kinda water & my carcass all the way aft would not have helped that situation at all.


6 or 7 rigs in the parking lot when we put in around 1:30, so I'm guessing it was worthwhile to be on the water, but judging by the size of the trailers, they were in much bigger boats than mine. Could've just lit a $20 bill on fire & saved myself an hour & a half's worth of aggravation. Told the wife on the way home that with what we paid for the boat, every fish we've caught in it has cost us about $1000 apiece so far.

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Not sure how you posted that in white font.... but it's alway a nice drive to the lake.

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Originally Posted by Baitwaster

Not sure how you posted that in white font.... but it's alway a nice drive to the lake.

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Some weirdness with my chromebook display. I was using the forum skin & for some reason, the colors have gone screwy on me today.