September 1, 2021 Trout Fishing Report for Bennett Spring

 

 How's Fishing?  
If you catch a fish that weighs over two pounds from Bennett Spring or the Niangua River, you can bring it up to Weaver's and you will join the Lunker Club.  Because you are reading this report, you probably already know this.  This week thirty five people brought up fish to Weaver's that weighed two pounds or more..  A couple of people had more than one fish that weighed over two pounds.  And, as far as how big the biggest ones caught were, there was a seven pound fish and six and a half pound fish caught this week. There were also many more fishermen that brought up fish that were very close to being two pounds.    All in all, a very good week to catch a decent sized fish 

Cracklebacks have risen to key player status.  The bennett blue is a great color to use, of course, but also white or olive.  The classic marabou jigs have also been working well. The classic black & yellow and the gingersnap marabou have been the strongest colors to use.
Zone three has been a great spot to fish.  'There has been such a variety of baits to use in zone three, and no one seems to stand out. If I had to name a couple I would suggest the orange peel power bait worm or the classic salmon peach power bait.  Both are very consistent.  
Water Conditions 
Bennett Spring water levels for 8-31-21
Gage House water level is 2.13
Daily Discharge levels:
All discharge numbers are in Cubic Feet per Second
minimum was 67 in 1936
25th percentile is 101
Current level is 198
Median is 120
Mean is 133
75th percentile is 142
Max was 443 in 1994

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=06923500

Niangua River water levels for 8-31-21

Gage House reading (water level) is .98 feet
Discharge levels in cubic feet per second:
Minimum was 17 in 1996
25th percentile is 32
Median is 52
Today's reading is 105
75th percentile is 85
Mean is 143
record high max was 1580 in 1994


Lunker Club
8-20-21
Mark McGrath  from Columbia, MO
2-1/4 pounds on a midge in zone 1
Tom Kinney from Villages, FL
2 pounds on a white mini jig
zone 2
Chet Renfro from Pickering, MO
2 pounds on a minnow
zone 3
Jason Deihl from Buckner, MO
2 pounds on a white and red jig
zone 2
8-21-21
Cooper Webb from New Bloomfield,
2 pounds on a black & yellow marabou
zone1
Tom Emig from Eagleview MO
3 pounds on a night crawler
zone 3
Elijah Carpenter from Waynesville, MO
2 pounds on a nightcrawler
zone 3
Danny Weber from KC, MO
2 pounds on a black & brown marabou
zone 2
Mason Fields from Kearney, MO
2 pounds on an orange marabou
zone 1
John Butler from Quincey, IL
2-1/2 pounds on an olive nymph
zone 2
Holton Gander (age 5) from Hume, MO
3-1/2 pounds on a bumblebee rooster tail
zone 1
Nate Barron from St.. Joe, MO
2 pounds on a white crackleback
zone 1
8-22-21
Kaleb Webb from Columbia, MO
2 pounds on a pink marabou 
zone 1
 
Chuck Johnson 
2 pounds on berkley garlic bait
zone 3
8-23-21
Ken Elledge from Alton, IL
2-3/4 pounds on cream mop fly
zone 1
8-24-21
Ryan Borrini from Grubville, MO
2 pounds on a fly with spinner
zone 1
Chris Waterman from Lebanon, MO
2-3/4 pounds on a brown spinner 
zone 1
Tom Shelley from Hillsboro, MO
2-1/8 pounds on brown and tan jig 
zone 1
Mark Weisbrod from Wentzville, MO
2-5/8 pounds on a white jig
zone 1
Tim Russo from Festus, MO
7 pounds on a brown ghost 
zone 2
8-25-21
Marvin Knapp from Sunrise Beach MO
2-1/4 pounds on a john deere
zone 1
Spencer Kendell from Arnold, MO
2-1/8 pounds on an olive crackleback
zone 1
Shirley Amidei from Macon, MO
2.6 pounds (catch & release) on light orange power bait
zone 3
8-26-21
Mason Berryhill from Lamar, MO
2 pounds on salmon peach power bait
zone 3
Lori Sylvester from Camdenton, MO
2.4 pounds on salmon egg
zone 3
8-27-21
Hadley Jorgensen from Blue Springs, MO
2 pounds on white marabou jig 
zone 2
8-28-21
Cody Myrtle from Butler, MO
6.5 pounds on eric's secret lure
zone 1
8-29-21
Carsel Reminton from Lamar, MO
2-3/4 pounds on brown power bait
zone 3
Kathy Ayers from Topeka, KS
2 pounds on a cream mop fly
zone 1
Scott Nowak from Camdenton, MO x3
2.25 pounds
2.1 pounds
and 2 pounds 
on shad body paddle tail
zone 3
8-30-21
Sarah Kwapiszeski from Overland Park, KS
2-1/8 pounds on white power bait
zone 3
Amy Ward from Wildwood, MO
2.1 pounds on a shrimp in zone 3
Matt Brown from Lawson MO  x2
two 2 pound fish.  One on black &yellow marabou and one on red marabou
zone 2
Mike Banghart from Hardin IL
2-4/10 pounds on an orange plastic worm
zone 3
Judy Keilholz from Imperial MO
3 pounds on a black & yellow marabou.
zone 1
What's working?
From the Fly Case
gray scud
cracklebacks: white, bennett blue, olive,
mop flies : cream, white, pink
midge - zebra
Zone 1 & 2
marabou: red, red & white, gingersnap, black & brown, white, pink, orange
white mini jig
brown ghostie
brown wooly with spinner
white floss jig
john deere mini jig

Zone 3
live worms
power bait: marshmallow white, salmon peach, 
Berkley garlic bait
salmon eggs
orange peel power bait worms
shad body paddle tail
shrimp
salmon


CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Bennett Tradition quilting
In commemoration of the Missouri bicentennial, Bennett Spring State Park will host a monthly program entitled Bennett Traditions. Each program will include a 20-minute presentation about a natural and/or historic topic that pertains to the area. The presentation will be followed by a 20-minute lesson from Karen Jaegers about quilting that relates back to the presentation topic. The event will conclude with a short question-and-answer session led by June Buckles of Buckles, Bobbins and Bolts quilt shop.
Dates, presentation topics, quilt block designs and quilting techniques are as follows:                                                                                                                     
Sept. 23 - Birds; flying geese block; choosing techniques (primitive vs. machine).
Oct. 28 - Trees; maple leaf block; binding techniques.
Registration is required and limited to 10 people. Each program will be recorded and posted online at a future date. To register or for more information, contact the Bennett Spring nature center at 417-532-3925.
PROGRAM TIME: 11 A.M.

THIRD ANNUAL AND MISSOURI BICENTENNIAL PICKING UP PAWPAWS CONTEST
9/15/2021 TO 9/25/2021 | BENNETT SPRING STATE PARK | LEBANON, MO
The pawpaw is our largest edible fruit. It can grow up to 6 inches long and is often compared to a banana with mango flavor. The fruit can be eaten raw or baked. Lewis and Clark were known to eat them on their expedition in 1806, Native Americans wove the inner bark into fibers for cloth, and pioneers used the inner bark for stringing fish. The pawpaw is also Missouri's state fruit tree.
Can you find the biggest pawpaw? Help celebrate this edible part of Missouri's history from Sept. 15 through Sept. 25. We invite you to search your own private pawpaw patch to find the biggest pawpaw you can. Bring it to the nature center at Bennett Spring State Park on the dates and times below to be officially entered into the contest. Peak ripening is in September.
Pawpaws will be weighed at the nature center Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pickers will provide their name and phone number along with the county in Missouri where the pawpaw was harvested. A photo will be taken of each picker with his or her pawpaw.
CONTEST DATES: SEPT. 15-25
WEIGH-IN TIMES: WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY, 10 A.M. TO 3 P.M.

September 25, 2021  Ladies Free Fishing at Bennett Spring State Park
 7:30 AM - 7:15 PM

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/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 throughout the year.

Events for 2022 - save the date.
April 23, 2022~ Veterans Free Fishing Day


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

There are matters beyond the knowledge of non-fisherman... Forests... can insulate you against the woes of the world as completely as the widest water of an ocean voyage. Quick water and dark firs and the campfire's glow at dusk and the good smell of boiling tea at daybreak are inestimable things.
Author:
Federic F. Van de Water

Thanks for reading,
Lucy

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