Fishing Report 9/23/2020
How's Fishing?
Fishing has been good and a bit slower than the "norm," but this can be attributed to the tropical storms and change in the weather. I have tried a multitude of flies. I have had the best luck with olive or black holographic Cracklebacks' in various sizes. Spinning rod I have used ginger marabou and olive or ginger wooly buggers in 1/16 ounce.
It boils down to you really don't know if it will work until you try. I like to cast a single fly at least eight times before I change, but I also like to count how many fish I miss. There are so many options on how and what to fish it becomes difficult to decide. I still get as excited as a four year old catching their first fish when I get the slightest bump on a new pattern I tied. Every time I am on the stream it is a fresh, new adventure. Same place, new people, same rush of adrenaline, since the tug is my drug!
See you on the stream!
Water Conditions
Bennett Spring
September 23, 2020
Gage house level is 2.04 feet
Daily Discharge levels:
All discharge numbers are in Cubic Feet per Second
minimum was 66.0 in 1937
25th percentile is 96
Current level is 154
Median is 109
Mean is 131
75th percentile is 144
Max was 570 in 1970
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=06923500
Niangua River
September 23, 2020
Gage House reading (water level) is 0.78 feet.
Discharge levels in cubic feet per second:
Minimum was 20.0 in 1996
25th percentile is 40
Median is 52
Today's reading is 115
75th percentile is 128
Mean is 232
record high max was 2500 in 1993
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=06923250
What's Working?
From the Fly Case
Crane Flies
Double Trouble
Griffith's Gnats
Mosquitoes
Rusty Dun
Rusty Spinner
Pale Evening Dun
Light Cahill
Black Caddis
Bennett Blue Cracklebacks
Olive Cracklebacks
Copper and brown or olive zebra midges
Wooly Buggers- olive, black, white
Zone 1 or 2
Mopflies- cream, olive, chartreuse, orange
Megaworms-white, pink, red
Bedspread jig
Opossum Hair Roaches~brown, white
Green Goblins
Peacock Jigs
Original Tricolor Glo-balls
John Deere with Yellowtail
John Deere
Cream Delight Fur Bugs
Sunshine Fur Bugs
Grape Glo-balls
Popsicle Glo-Balls
Jimi Hendrix Glo-Balls
Light Roe Glo-Balls
Tricolor Sockeye Glo-Balls
Camo Glo-Balls
Egg Glo-Balls
Marabou - black and yellow, gingersnap, black, Shell and white, white, Pink Lemonade, salmon and brown, John Deere (Moss and Yellow), Black and White, Olive and Black, olive and yellow, moss, ginger, yellow, red and white, ginger, black, pink and white
Rooster Tails
Zone 3
Lucky Lady worms- orange, black and yellow, Banana, yellow, pink, pink and yellow, mint
Hatchery Pellet PowerBait
Salmon Peach PowerBait
PowerBait Power Eggs Red, Bubblegum, White, Orange
Bumblebee PowerBait
Fluoroscent Orange Powerbait Nuggets
Yellow Powerbait Nuggets
Salmon Eggs
Minnows
Worms
PowerBait Nymphs
Weather Forecast
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 70. Light south wind.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Light south wind.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 82.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 83.
Sunday: A chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 76.
Windyville MO
37.72°N 92.92°W (Elev. 1024 ft)
Lunker Club
9/9/2020
Dustin Gibbons from Lake Ozark,MO 7 1/2 pounds in zone 3 on a Bobby Garland Minnow
9/11/2020
Don Erhardt from Chesterfield, MO 2 pounds in zone 3 on Yellow Powerbait
Josh Hamann from Washington, MO 6 1/2 pounds in zone 1 on a white thread jig
9/12/2020
Dwayne Whaley from Clark, MO 3 pounds in zone 1 on a marabou jig
Chris Ellis from Richmond, MO 2 1/2 pounds in zone 2 on a Holy Moly
9/13/2020
Jamie Gutierrez from St. Louis, MO 2 pounds in zone 1 on a white roostertail
9/16/2020
Chase Litton from Booneville, MO 2 pounds 11 ounces in zone 2 on an olive dry fly
9/19/2020
Dan Slama from St. Louis, MO 2 1/4 pounds in zone 1 on a Jimi Hendrix Glo-ball
Wayne Bennett from Buffalo, MO 2 3/8 pounds in zone 2 on a green grub fly
Gerald Wallut from Deepwater, MO 2 1/4 pounds in zone 2 on black brassie
9/20/2020
Jason Dane from Park Hills, MO 2 pounds in zone 2 on a Jimbo
Calendar of Events
There will be monthly Mayfly Project fly tying nights in the Bennett Spring Church of God Annex, located across from the park office. Supplies and instruction on tying a basic fishing fly will be given. This activity will allow people to enjoy the art of fly tying and learn from experienced Bennett Spring fishermen and women.
All supplies will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own. A $5 donation for the "Fly of the Night" supplies is suggested. Donations will go to provide supplies and support for Kid's Free Fishing Day. Everyone's first six flies will be donated to The Mayfly Project, which mentors foster children through fly fishing.
This event is sponsored by Missouri State Parks, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Mayfly Project. More information is available at http://www.themayflyproject.com .
Additional Mayfly Project program dates: Oct. 2
PROGRAM TIME: 6 P.M. - 9 P.M.
26250 Hwy 64A, Lebanon, MO | (417) 532-4338
Women's Free Fishing Day~Bennett Spring State Park~Saturday September 26th~7:30 A.M. to 7:15 P.M. Pick up a FREE ticket for a custom built flyrod raffle at Weaver's Tackle Store or Larry's Orvis Shop
Holland Derby 10/10/2020 TO 10/11/2020
| BENNETT SPRING STATE PARK | LEBANON, MO
This memorial fishing derby begins on Saturday and ends on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Mr. Holland was a previous hatchery superintendent at the park who died from cancer in 1977. For a small donation, participants can enter the derby. All donations will go to the American Cancer Society. Registration is open to the public.
Prizes for tagged fish will be awarded on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at the historic CCC dining lodge. Drawings for additional prizes will also occur at that time.
EVENT TIMES: 7:30 A.M. - 10:30 A.M.
26250 Hwy 64A, Lebanon, MO | (417) 532-4338
For additional information or questions please contact the Nature Center at 417-532-3925.
There is a list at https://mostateparks.com/events/park/bennett-spring-state-park that gives all the details of other activities, such as hikes that are going on at Bennett Spring State Park through out the year.
FISHING HOURS
BEGIN
END
SEPTEMBER
7:30 A.M.
7:15 P.M.
OCTOBER
7:30 A.M.
6:30 P.M.
Quote of the Week
Trout aren't stupid. They might be brainless and lack creativity (a lot like the creators of Gilligan's Island), but they're survivors. And they didn't get that way by offering themselves up as a meal for every predator that wanders by. Which, if you stop to watch most fly fishers on the water, begs the obvious question; Why don't more fly fishers act like predators?
Author:
Tom Chandler
Published:
Trout Underground web-site
Thanks for reading,
Devin