Fishing Report 5/12/2021
How's Fishing?
You may be planning a trip to Bennett this weekend. The early weekend promises better fishing weather than Sunday and Monday of this week. There are scattered thunderstorms for both of those days.
I am temporarily in North Carolina so I am relying on you, the people who have been fishing recently at Bennett, to be my eyes and ears. I was told that an olive crackleback fished dry, early in the day, has been a really good choice. If you are putting your fly box together to bring, there have been Caddis and Cahill hatches happening in the evening on the stream. Today I'm passing on a chart that many of you may have, but if you don't, or if you misplaced it, here it is. This research was originally done by Robert McCalmont. It was put together by Ed and Kay Elersic. Our thanks to them for sharing their knowledge of the area.
Here is the chart:
Besides it's natural beauty, one of the best things about Bennett is the willingness of anglers to share. Sharing not only what is working - I've seen an angler cut a lure off of his line and hand it to a neighbor that is struggling to catch a fish - but also sharing the stream. There are exceptions, of course, but generally the people who fish Bennett understand fishing courtesy and extend it to those around them.
Have a great week!
Water Conditions (Comparison)
Bennett Spring
date 5-12-21
Gage house level is 2.59
Daily Discharge levels:
All discharge numbers are in Cubic Feet per Second
minimum was 84 in 1934
25th percentile is 145
Current level is 343
Median is 204
Mean is 238
75th percentile is 300
Max was 512 in 1973
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/
Niangua River
5-12-21
Gage House reading (water level) is 2.70 feet
Discharge levels in cubic feet per second:
Minimum was 92 in1992
25th percentile is 130
Median is 385
Today's reading is 541
75th percentile is 734
Mean is 481
record high max was 1490 in 1996
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/
What's Working?
From the Fly Case
caddis
cahill
olive crackleback (recommended to fish dry)
Zone 1 or 2
Mopflies- white, orange, green or tan
John Deere
Original Tricolor, sunny side up, or chartreuse Glo-balls
Peach Fur Bugs
tinsel jig
orange brassie
Marabou - black and yellow, Shell and white, red and white, brown & yellow, or green & yellow Marabou
Zone 3
Marshmallow White Powerbait
Salmon Peach PowerBait
PowerBait Power Eggs Red, Bubblegum, White, Orange
Bumblebee PowerBait
Weather Forecast
Friday: Partly cloudy. high 69 / low 55, 31% chance of rain.
Saturday: scattered thunderstorms, 70/59 65% chance of rain
Sunday: good chance of thunderstorms, 70/60 82% chance of rain
Monday: good chance of thunderstorms, 70/58 75% chance of rain
Tuesday: occasional thunderstorms, 73/57 51% chance of rain
Wednesday: . occasional thunderstorms, 74/57 53% chance of rain
Windyville MO
37.72°N 92.92°W (Elev. 1024 ft)
Lunker Club
5-7-21
Todd Park from Vandalia, IL
2-1/4 pounds on a chartreuse glo ball
zone 2
5-8-21
Kurt Fansler from AuxVasse, MO
2-1/4 pounds on a black & yellow marabou
zone 2
Calendar of Events
Bennett Spring State Park
May 15, 2021~ All about Birds. Nature Center, 10am.
For info call 417-532-3925
Weed Cutting May 18th and 19th
Free Fishing For Everyone. This event runs two days - the 5th and the 6th of June. Time: 6:30 AM to 8:30 PM
June 19, 2021~ All about Birds. Nature Center, 10am
For info call 417-532-3925
Weed Cutting June 22nd and 23rd
July 3 , 2021~ All about Birds. Nature Center, 10am For info call 417-532-3925
Weed Cutting August 3rd and 4th
August 21, 2021~ All about Birds. Nature Center, 10am For info call 417-532-3925
Weed Cutting September 14th and 15th
September 27, 2021~Ladies Free Fishing Day
Holland Derby
The annual Holland Derby. Fishing derby for fundraising for The American Cancer Society. Derby runs two days - 9th and 10th. Tagged trout are released, they will win prizes if caught.
When: Saturday, October 9, 2021
Time: 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM
For additional information, please call 417-532-4418 or 417-532-7612.
There is a list at https://mostateparks.com/
Events for 2022 - save the date.
April 23, 2022~ Veteran's Free Fishing Day
FISHING HOURS
BEGIN
END
May
6:30 A.M.
8:15 P.M.
June
6:30 A.M.
8:30 P.M.
July
6:30 A.M.
8:30 P.M.
August
7:00 A.M.
8:00 P.M.
September
7:30 A.M.
7:15 P.M.
October
7:30 A.M.
6:30 P.M.
Quote of the Week
When we have good luck, we come home early; otherwise we stay late and fight it out, How often we are defeated! Everything goes against us and we struggle in vain to conquer adverse conditions, but if we do win out, how pleased we are. We really believe that we can fish.
Theodore Gordon (1906)
Thanks for reading,
Thanks for reading,
Lucy