Trout Fishing Report for Bennett Spring
Brought to you by
Weaver's Tackle Store
July 24, 2014

How's Fishing?

This summer sounds like a broken record - but one that we all like to sing along to. The fishing is great, the water is clear and slow, and summer has arrived.

For the fly rod angler, the black zebra midge, the dark green RGN, and the crane fly have been tops.

Those who like to fish with a spin rod have a lot of choices - john deere is leading the pack, but anything from a brown rooster tail to a white grub to brown woolys with spinners are great choices.

Zone three has a group of classics working as well. Salmon Peach power bait, hatchery brown gulp nuggets, and orange and white worms are all good.

The fishing is consistently good. Nice sized fish and plenty of them.

There are still those who are struggling. In general the size of line - remember that the water is gin clear - matters. It needs to be two pound line, three at the most. That's a good first step to increasing your numbers. There are lines that say they are clear ( not fluorocarbon) but are often more visible in the water at Bennett than some with blue/yellow/green coloring to them. Fluorocarbon is invisible in water and that makes it a dandy tippet material, but it has a drawback in that it doesn't cast well, so it's not great for the entire reel. A tippet can also be used on a spin rod with good success and is a way to adapt a rod that you typically use for larger fish good for trout.

What's Working?

Fly Box

zebra midge
red or blue holographic Crackleback,
pale evening dun
tan caddis
crane fly


Zones 1 & 2

Marabou -salmon & brown, moss, white. black & yellow
rooster tail: brown sparkle body, brown tail
super duper, gold with red tip
tinsel jig
Brown woolie
white grub, white jig
brassie - red, army green
gray deere or john deere
green & white mini marabou

Zone 3

power bait - salmon peach
hatchery brown gulp nuggets
gulp florescent minnow grub

Water Conditions

Bennett Spring

July 22, 2014
minimum was 78 in 1940
Today's output is 93 cubic feet per second
25th percentile is 111
Median is 137
Mean is 143
75th percentile is 159
Max was 273 in 1994
Gage house level is 1.90 feet

Niangua River

July 22, 2014
Gage House reading is 1.54
minimum was 17 in 2012
25th percentile is 45
Today's (July22) reading is 46
Median is 82
Mean is 94
75th percentile is 122
Max was 276 in 2013

Lunker Club

7-16-14

Geno Cearlock from Vandalia IL
2-1/4 pounds on a carcass fly in zone 1

7-17-14

Cindy Wallcut from Deepwater MO
2 pounds on a red thread jig in zone 2

Brandon Beard (age 13) from Union City, TN
2 pounds on a white marabou in zone 1

Tammy Tate from Durham, MO
2 pounds 12 ounces on yellow cheese in zone 3

Calendar of Events

July 22 - fly tying group at Weaver's Tackle Store. They will be typing a Disco Midge and a Mayfly Emerger.

July 29-30 moss cutting

July 29 - Fly tying group at Weaver's Tackle Store. Learn to tie a scud and Baler boy.

August 9th
Kansas City Chapter of the Missouri Trout Fisherman's Association will be hosting a Derby
Entry fee is a donation that will be used to help support Project Healing Waters, and Casting for a Cure
Registration is at the Park Store beginning 7pm Friday evening - August 8.

August 19-20 moss cutting

September 16-17 moss cutting

October 14-15 moss cutting
October 31 - last day of regular trout season

November 14 first day of Catch & Release Season

February 9, 2015 - Catch and Release season ends

Weather Forecast

Clear and hot. Summer has arrived.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. East wind around 8 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.

Saturday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 94.

Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 84.

Quote of the Week

I used to like fishing because I thought it had some larger significance. Now I like fishing because it's the one thing I can think of that probably doesn't.
Author: John Gierach

Thanks for reading!
Lucy

Contact Information for Bennett Spring Area http://mostateparks.com/content/trout-cam  - trout camera
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?06923500  - real time water levels and cubic feet per second as well as historical data
http://www.mo.gov/Recreation/Outdoors/Fishing/  - official Spring site
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Weavers-Tackle-Store/371940309303 - Weaver's Tackle Store Facebook Page

Phone numbers for Park Agents:

Dallas County: Matt Hitchings 417-733-3876 or Jarrad Jewell 417-733-0286
Laclede County: Walt Hutton 417-718-1111 or Jarad Millican 417-288-8744

OUR PREVIOUS REPORT:

Trout Fishing Report for Bennett Spring
Brought to you by
Weaver's Tackle Store
July 17, 2014

How's Fishing?

For those of you that haven't been watching the report the last couple of months, I want to assure you that, in spite of the rain that most areas have been experiencing, Bennett Spring is still running low, slow and clear.

Here's the story for the week:

We knew fishing was good, everything is working and everyone seems to be catching fish. (Check the number of Lunkers later in this report), The high point of our day came when a customer of ours told us that he was actually tired of catching fish. He and his friends were counting their catch and release numbers and stopped when they each hit 100. I know that when I was taking pictures in the middle of the day there were still many fish being brought in. Fishing, by it's nature, will always present challenges, but all in all the fishing experience continues to be great.

What's Working?

Fly Box

red or blue holographic Crackleback,
pale evening dun
tan caddis
blue wing olive dun


Zones 1 & 2

Marabou -salmon & brown, moss, yellow and orange, white. black & yellow, black & white
rooster tail: brown sparkle body, brown tail, snow
tinsel jig
Brown woolie
flame glo ball
white grub, white jig
brassie - gold, red, or green with bead
john deere
moss green mini marabou jig (ghost)

Zone 3

power bait - salmon peach, white glitter
Gulp florescent white salmon eggs
white Zeke's power bait

Water Conditions

Bennett Spring

July 15, 2014
minimum was 78 in 1934
Today's output is 101 cubic feet per second
25th percentile is 116
Median is 141
Mean is 153
75th percentile is 175
Max was 295 in 1994
Gage house level is 1.96 feet

Niangua River

July 15, 2014
Gage House reading is 1.88
minimum was 6.5 in 1997 - can that be right?!
25th percentile is 100
Today's (July 15) reading is 153
Median is 193
Mean is 195
75th percentile is 292
Max was 390 in 2006

Lunker Club

July 8

Buddy Eberhart from St. Charles, MO
2-3/4 pounds on a white jig in zone 2


July 10

Kay White from Alton, IL
2-3/4 pounds on a black & yellow marabou in zone 1

Neil Schultz from Herculaneum, MO
3 pounds, 4 ounces on a brown woolie worm in zone 2

Wyatt Kelley from Freeburg, IL
2 pounds, 2 ounces on a black & yellow marabou in zone 2

Shirley Amidei from Macon MO
2 pounds on white glitter power bait in zone 3

Dave Alley from Winfield, MO
2 pounds on a black & white marabou in zone
and same day, same person
2-1/4 pounds on a pink & white marabou in zone 1

Tyler Sanders from Glasglo, MO
2-3/4 pounds on a tri-color glo ball, #1 in zone 1


July 11, 2014

Mike Kneemiller from St Charles, MO
2-1/2 pounds on salmon peach power bait

Ken Atchison from Woodson, Terrace MO
2-1/2 pounds on a yellow & red glo ball in zone 1

Tyler Rothermich from Troy MO
2-1/2 pounds on a orange and yellow puff ball


7-13-14

Eric Bean from Wentzville, MO
2.5 pounds on a pink & white marabou in zone 2


7-14-14

Levi Beard from Union City TN
2-1/2 pounds on a white marabou in zone 1


7-15-14

Spencer Mertens from Jefferson City, MO
2 pounds on a secret bait in zone 3

Jamie Estes from Parkville, IL
4-1/2 pounds in the Niangua River on Zekes white power bait
Happy Birthday Jamie!

Calendar of Events

July 22 - fly tying group at Weaver's Tackle Store. They will be typing a Disco Midge and a Mayfly Emerger.

July 29-30 moss cutting

July 29 - Fly tying group at Weaver's Tackle Store. Learn to tie a scud and Baler boy.

August 9th
Kansas City Chapter of the Missouri Trout Fisherman's Association will be hosting a Derby
Entry fee is a donation that will be used to help support Project Healing Waters, and Casting for a Cure
Registration is at the Park Store beginning 7pm Friday evening - August 8.

August 19-20 moss cutting

September 16-17 moss cutting

October 14-15 moss cutting

October 31 - last day of regular trout season

November 14 first day of Catch & Release Season

February 9, 2015 - Catch and Release season ends

Weather Forecast

Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. South wind 3 to 8 mph.

Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Southeast wind around 6 mph.

Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. Southeast wind 6 to 9 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 71.

Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.

Quote of the Week

There he stands, draped in more equipment than a telephone lineman, trying to outwit an organism with a brain no bigger than a breadcrumb, and getting licked in the process.

Author: Paul O'Neil

Thanks for reading!
Lucy

Contact Information for Bennett Spring Area http://mostateparks.com/content/trout-cam  - trout camera
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?06923500  - real time water levels and cubic feet per second as well as historical data
http://www.mo.gov/Recreation/Outdoors/Fishing/  - official Spring site
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Weavers-Tackle-Store/371940309303 - Weaver's Tackle Store Facebook Page

Phone numbers for Park Agents:

Dallas County: Matt Hitchings 417-733-3876 or Jarrad Jewell 417-733-0286
Laclede County: Walt Hutton 417-718-1111 or Jarad Millican 417-288-8744