Truman Lake, 5-25

[D.W. Verts]

Helped a friend yesterday who is starting to guide on Truman, working with him on finding client fish under some tough conditions.

Lake level is about 715, nine feet over normal pool with pretty heavy generation. Water temps were 75-76 degrees and the water clarity was dingy to fairly clear, about 2' or so. Weather was mostly cloudy with intermittent sun, and some rain and thunderstorms. Wind was 15-20 with gusts to 25 mostly from the South/Southeast.

We fished the lower Tebo arm and up the Grand about halfway to Bucksaw and fishing is plenty tough. We did get on scattered bass that were holding in the brush and flooded trees mostly above the old bank line. We ended up with about 11 keepers, but no big bass (maybe four pounds was the largest) and we only caught ONE short bass in seven hours of fishing. Most of the bass came on flatter banks and secondary points scattered throughout the creeks, with the largest bass coming on a small main-lake point just above the highway 7 bridge.

Squarebill crankbaits in shad and bream patterns worked best for me, and Roger caught about the same on a chrome Rat L Trap, ripping the baits thru the brush tops. A chatterbait drew as many strikes but the bass wouldn't get hooked or stay buttoned up. The bass also were missing a buzzbait, although we had a couple of massive blow-ups on them (hybrids?) If you didn't RIP the baits thru the crud you didn't get bit.

The best bass came on a 7" Powerworm in Red Shad on a Carolina Rig, but we couldn't repeat it.

Dale

[Mike Cork]

Thanks for the report Dale. I used to love going up there back in the late 80's. We always launched at BuckSaw. Back then, big bladed spinnerbaits was the trick. Like #7 willows, almost as bad as throwing a dam A-Rig all day but they would hammer it.

What is it taking to win a tournament on Truman these days?

[D.W. Verts]

Mike I haven't heard. I'm so removed from tourney fishing right now that I don't hear nothing and I barely know anyone any more.

Dale

[Donald Garner]

Dale, tks for sharing the trip with us.  Truman Lake & Bucksaw Marina I've had the pleasure to fish out of there a few times with Marvin Deckard back in the Mid 90's.
Back then the fish were caught on those Big Willowleaf Spinnerbaits and those Big Ribbon Tailed Berkley Power Worms swimming them through the standing timber.