Mark Twain Sunday

[RB]

Fishin and I went to Twain Sunday and the fish where we were are still fairly deep and off the bank 20ft or so. We caught a lot of shorts and kept enough for a couple of dinners, if you don't eat much. LR is off to Mexico for a week. Adios mutha forkers.

[fishin]

LR, pretty much nailed it. We did OK but didn't slay them by any means.

[TwoTigers]

That's interesting. I went up Saturday and got my limit of 10" or betters. I started out in Sandy and caught three in about 8 feet of water by brush (then it got too crowded), went up lake and caught 4 big white females off a deep tree about 6 feet down and then finished my limit flipping a jig next to the bank in 3-4 feet of water up lake even further. I probably caught about as many short fish as keeper fish. I was bass fishing by 12:30 after my crappie was in the well. But, I didn't talk to anyone else Saturday who limited out, so it seems adjusting to the water temp/color is the key. I didn't tie up to any trees, either- stick and move, stick and move.

[Duck Me Runnin]

2T,

We found pretty much the same thing on Sat. Pull up on a spot, and immediately catch 3 or 4. We'd keep at it, thinkin' we found " the spot ". It never happened that way.

We caught quite a few fish in upper Little Indian, but it was a few here, and a few there, just like you said.

[TwoTigers]

I've kind of quit altogether tieng up to trees and waiting them out. If crappie are going to bite- they will bite quickly. There isn't much "waiting them out" for me like I do for catfish. I fish for crappie sort of like bass fishing- I like to change my scenery fairly quickly if they aren't cooperation.

Were the Indians crowded? I thought about running down lake, but things were working out okay for me mid-lake, so I concentrated on things there. The water color in Twain was just the way I like it.

Too bad the lake is so far away, gas is so expensive and work keeps me too busy. I keep telling myself to pack a sleeping bag and sleep in my truck from Saturday-Sunday to get my money's worth with 2 days of fishing. I'll be headed to Truman this weekend and Mon-Wed next week- probably right after the spawn is finishing up. The last several years we were too early, so we moved our trip back a week- then the crappie decide to move up their spawn a week earlier- grrr! Can't win.

[Duck Me Runnin]

2T,

We only fished Little Indian. ( after dickin' around in the Lick Cr. arm ) There were some folks up there, but not as many as we had expected.

The whole lake seemed that way. I sure figured to see a lot more paople that we actually did see.

[JimDog]

I took my 5 year old down to Truman Saturday afternoon. On his first cast - you would have thought his bobber was made out of lead - it went straight under. That is always a good sign. But not in this case. We fished for 4 hours, and only managed a dozen between the two of us, and every last one was a male. We caught them all about 8 - 10 feet off the bank on minnows. I tried fishing further out and closer in - but nothing. I am not sure that the spawn will be over by this weekend - at least no on the osage arm where we were fishing...

[Warmouth]

I don't know where you were on Truman, but it's winding down on the Grand arm. We did catch a few on the banks though.

I also had a 16-17" female on that was a hog. I actually thought I'd hooked a carp it was so heavy. The dam thing got off at the bank. I cried like a baby with a dirty diaper.

I've caught a 17"er before, so I know what one looks like, and this one was right in that range.

The fish we caught averaged almost 12" though.

[Tigerhaze]

Truman is pretty cornfusing this year....I never really heard the spawn was on. Yet the Station's report says that the spawn isn't on yet in the main lake. Most years it is easy to tell when the spawn is on (or at least know that the crappie were pushed off the banks by a cold front), but not this year. I'm almost looking forward to the summer pattern this year...at least it's predictable.

The water temps in the Deepwater Arm are definitely warm...I was able to wade out in a cove there comfortably yesterday evening. MDC's report is stating water temp is 62 degrees, and I believe it for the upper lake.

[RB]

Was at Truman on the 14th and 15th. The eggs were still hard but the fish were staging in three feet of water, pea gravel banks about eight feet out. The average fish was twelve inches and all caught on jigs under a float. Best was on flatter banks with no timber.

[Warmouth]

Spring came early, and I'm convinced that the water was warm and ready before the crappies were ready. Ususally this is the week that it is red hot, but they've been on the banks for 2-3 weeks. Some of the eggs still don't look fully done.

The lake never got as cold as normal this winter, and the warm spring jumped the temps in the cove up really fast. I've had worse spawn fishing at Truman though.

[ML1]

I fished the upper Grand last Thursday (at Truman) and caught 11 males. Fished the lower Osage on Friday and caught 12, half male and half females (none had red fins and the females still had firm eggs). Fished the big Tebo on Saturday and only caught 5 a couple of them still had eggs.

I don't think they have spawned, after this cool front it should be great. ML