Favorite Mo. lake or river?

steve76 · October 15, 2014, 08:50:47 AM

I love fishing Truman and own a camp site down there. The more I fish Pomme the more I am liking it. Have only bass fished it so I can't compare it to Truman crappie. Table Rock is a good one, caught my PB spot down there this year. What about other lakes?

Donald Garner · October 15, 2014, 09:44:00 AM

I really like fishing(when I lived in Missouri) the Oxbows off the Mississippi River over by Winfield and Foley vic Lock & Dam 25. You ever fish down on Clearwater Lake or Wappapela Lake near Popular Buff? Both of those lake had a strong bass and crappie fishery.

steve76 · October 15, 2014, 11:09:43 AM

I have never been to Clearwater or Wappapela. I have read that the fishing is improving in Clearwater. I would like to get down there sometime. I have lived in Missouri most my life and have never got down around the boot heel.

Siebert Outdoors · October 15, 2014, 12:23:12 PM

Best fishing is probably LOZ. My favorite is Tablerock. I just love the lake.

Donald Garner · October 15, 2014, 05:44:15 PM

Steve you might need a trip down to the Boot Heel Section. There's some pretty good fishing down that way. I've always wanted to fish all those lakes in South Central / West Missouri but never got around to it.

I've had the opportunity a few times to fish Truman Lake during my PCS leaves from Alaska down to Texas. I have a buddy (My Mentor) I was stationed with at Ft. Polk he retired and became a guide there at Bucksaw.

I've caught some really nice hawgs out of Truman back in 94. I got an old faded Polaroid Picture of me holding (4) bass of a 42lb stringer we caught before lunch.

Wizard · October 16, 2014, 06:38:57 AM

Stockton Lake is my favorite. I can catch LM, SM, crappie or Walleye.

steve76 · October 16, 2014, 09:07:32 AM

I have fished Stockton one time and zeroed. Would like to try it again in the spring sometime. LOZ has not been kind to me either. It doesn't help that I am not a very good fisherman. I love being on the water regardless of the lake. Table Rock is the most beautiful like I have been on in our great state.

Wizard · October 18, 2014, 08:53:39 AM

LOZ is a pretty good Walleye lake because no one fishes for them far from Truman dam. They have spread throughout the lake and I catch them around the 13mm on the main point of Water's Edge Condos. I showed them on my electronics to a Walleye guide who was visiting me to fish for bass. He said they were Walleye and showed me how to catch them. Another thing about LOZ. It is a very poor blugill lake. They get eaten so fast that they never reach a decent size.

caddyjoe77 · October 21, 2014, 03:46:23 PM

Clearwater is terrible still, even night fishing after all the boats are gone for the day. Supposedly, wappapello used to be great but has declined. My favorite would have to be Table Rock. I want to fish Pomme soon as well as Stockton.

LOZ I have not fished at much recently. When I was younger my dad and I would go down there in November and slay the white bass along with some spots from time to time. Looking at heading that way soon.

There are quite a few that are in the northern part of the state that I would like to check out as well.

because I dont want to drive 2.5 hours to LOZ, I go to Kinkaid a lot in Illinois and sometimes Egypt. Very nice bass in those lakes IMO.

Wizard · October 25, 2014, 07:46:09 AM

Kinkaid is my favorite Illinois lake. Very pretty with many species. Carlyle lake is only an hour from St. Louis and very under rated as a bass lake. It is a bowl shaped, ugly lake and doesn't get the fishing respect it deserves.
Baldwin lake is great fishing during the winter with LM, SM, and BIG striped bass. It is a 40 hp limit lake bur you can use the main motor on a big bass boat to launch and load. I believe you can idle with a big motor but call there first to make sure.

caddyjoe77 · October 26, 2014, 12:13:39 AM

I always thought baldwin was a 50 hp limit? I have heard of guys getting tickets for idling with bigger than 50 IIRC.

I love kinkaid, in fact I am headed there in the morning. Johnson creek has treated me well almost every time i go there.

Siebert Outdoors · October 27, 2014, 09:28:54 AM

I havent fished kinkaid in years. I need to get back there one of these days.

Rend in IL isnt bad either. Same with Lake Egypt for the colder months.

steve76 · October 29, 2014, 10:57:32 AM

I live close to Kansas city and would have a hard time talking the wife into an Illinois fishing trip. Do you guy's think the lakes mentioned over there are as good as what we have here?

Siebert Outdoors · October 29, 2014, 11:41:36 AM

Yes, Mo lakes are just as good if not better. For some of us on the east side of the state the lakes in IL are closer then the lakes in MO

Smithville in KC is good lake. Last time I fished it around Turkey day we hammered them good on a squarebill.

steve76 · October 30, 2014, 09:03:55 AM

I used to fish a lot of buddy bass tournament's on Smithville back in the 90's. We would tear them up on jigs north of sailboat cove in the spring. Some of my biggest bass ever came out of that lake. I have heard the boat traffic on it now is horrible.

Siebert Outdoors · October 30, 2014, 10:38:11 AM

Quote from: steve76 on October 30, 2014, 09:03:55 AM
I used to fish a lot of buddy bass tournament's on Smithville back in the 90's. We would tear them up on jigs north of sailboat cove in the spring. Some of my biggest bass ever came out of that lake. I have heard the boat traffic on it now is horrible.

I've never fished it from Memorial to Labor day. I bet it would be nutty.