By Steve Weisman

Although we anglers enjoy fishing our home waters, there is always the lure of fishing trip destinations. From my northwest Iowa home base, it might be a day trip to Clear Lake in northcentral Iowa or Lake Rathbun in southern Iowa. Then, of course, there are the larger trip destinations across the Midwest.

One destination that has appealed to me before and one that I definitely recommend is Lake Taneycomo in Branson, MO. Yes, it is over nine hours away, but the fact that it is known for its world-class rainbow and brown trout fishing that makes it a must-go-to fishing destination.

It flows right through the heart of Branson, and when Table Rock Dam was completed back in the late ‘50s, the water coming into Lake Taneycomo which is from the bottom, coldest part of Lake Table Rock, has since made Taneycomo a prime candidate as one of the greatest trout fisheries in the country.

So, this past week, when my wife and I, along with two other couples spent a week experiencing Branson and its early Christmas season, Bill, John and I spent a day fishing Lake Taneycomo, while the gals headed to the Grand Village and then on to Branson Landing with its many specialty shops.

We’ve done this before fishing on our own with a friend who lived in Branson at the time, but since our friend has now moved, we felt the need to hire an experienced guide. Guiding ourselves on a lake that relies on current coming out of Table Rock (which can be on or off) to trigger active trout simply was not a good option.

Reaching out to longtime outdoor writer Larry Whiteley, he suggested Bryan Wilson, who owns Stained Water Bowfishing (https://www.stainedwaterbowfishingcharters.com) and guides it all: bowfishing, gigging and snagging on many Ozark lakes and rivers, along with trout on Lake Taneycomo. Named Missouri Charter of the Year for the past two year, Wilson and his deckhand Daren Orr were a great choice to help us overcome a very difficult time on the water.

No current

Arriving at the boat ramp, we knew it was going to be tough. There was no wind, and it was flat calm. There was no current at all, and the falling leaves rested idly on the water. We knew the trout were going to be neutral, and over the first three hours, we saw very few trout rises. They were not surface feeding, so flies were out and even jigs under a bobber tipped with plastic brought no bites.

To address this challenge, Wilson had us adjust and go to bottom fishing, using a 1/8-ounce slip sinker above a 3-4’ leader and a small plain hook tipped with a couple of colored (green, pink, white) Berkley Power Trout eggs with just the tip of the hook exposed.

Presentation

In a way, it was similar to fishing for walleyes with a slip sinker and plain hook, casting out away from the boat, letting the bait sink to the bottom, letting it sit and then just giving little jigs…then let it sit…then jig and reel…then let it sit… It definitely took patience, but it was what the trout wanted.

However, a bite did not mean set the hook. No, it took patience to feel 3-4 pecks before you set the hook. In other word, they were mouthing it and not “chomping” it!

On the move

That was the key. We had to keep moving to find the fish. We started downstream at the Branson Landing and eventually ended up the lake 3-4 miles getting close to the Trophy (artificial) Area. About noon, as we got closer to the dam, we suddenly saw the leaves begin to move downstream, ever so slowly! It wasn’t immediate, and it wasn’t fast, but the bites picked up. Yes, we missed a lot of hits, trying to figure out which peck to set the hook, but we ended up catch 15 rainbows between 10-14 inches in length.

More than the catching

I think it always is. Whenever we go out fishing, to me, it’s the entire experience. On Lake Taneycomo, it’s about taking it all in: the sheer, steep banks covered with oak, maple and fir trees blanketed that day in full sunlight that brought us a myriad of breathtaking colors. Add in the quaint trout resorts with their slips and dock spaces, and then on the hilltops the houses with beautiful panoramic views. Taking all of this in, it was easy to just daydream only to be brought back to reality with a tick, tick, tick from a trout.

Was it worth it? Oh, most definitely! We will be back. The whole experience is worth it. Add in the shows and eateries and scenery…Yup, we will be back!

The three old cronies at Lake Taneycomo.

The fall beauty of Lake Taneycomo.

The author with a good rainbow trout.

John Amick (from Oelwein) with a nice rainbow trout.

Guide Bryan Wilson with his multi-purpose jon boat.