Trout Fishing Report for Bennett Spring 8-18-21
Trout Fishing Report for Bennett Spring
8-19-21
How's Fishing?
The time of wonderful week-long crazy family visits to Bennett is transitioning to the more staid (usually) older crowd. This process happens quickly as kids are focused on school, sports, and what groups they will be joining for the school year.
Here at Bennett, life goes on. During the week, the long slow casts over the water become the norm. Fishing the ripples with a humble soft hackle is a great distraction. This is the time when there is more elbow room and you have a chance to try that new lure or improve your skill set. Smaller flys are the norm. Scuds and San Juan Worms are also a good choice. Enjoy your time!
Of Interest - from last week's report, but wanted to make sure everyone knows they are welcome.
There is a fly tying group that is meeting once a week at the old Bennett Hatchery. They meet every Wednesday morning from 9 to 11 to tie flies, talk about fishing and enjoy each other's company. You don't need to tie flies to join or even know how to tie, You are free to join just for the camaraderie . If you would like to work on your projects there, bring your vice and materials. The person to contact for more information about this is John Walther. His phone is 573-680-2286.
Bennett Spring water levels for 8-18-21
Gage House water level is 2.18
Daily Discharge levels:
All discharge numbers are in Cubic Feet per Second
minimum was 75 in 1941
25th percentile is 101
Current level is 212
Median is 130
Mean is 141
75th percentile is 168
Max was 410 in 1940
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=06923500
Niangua River water levels for 8-18-21
Gage House reading (water level) is .90 feet
Discharge levels in cubic feet per second:
Minimum was 14.4 in 2012
25th percentile is 33
Median is 48
Today's reading is 95
75th percentile is 103
Mean is 90
record high max was 475 in 2017
Lunker Club
8-10-21
Paul Lipcamon from Nebo, IL
2-3/8 pounds on a pink marabou
zone 1
8-11-21
Amanda Belew Hartsburg, MO
2-1/4 pounds on orange and yellow trout magnet
zone 3
8-13-21
John Owens from Chesterfield, MO
2 pounds on black & yellow marabou
zone 2
Darrell Cotlrell from LaGrange, MO
2-1/2 pounds on a blue fox spinner
zone 2
Steve Mino from Lebanon, MO
2-3/4 pounds on a red & white marabou
zone 2
Cody Myrtle from Butler, MO
2-1/4 pounds on Erics Secret Lure
zone 1
8-14-21
Trevor Watson from Kirksville, MO
2 pounds on a Skunk Rooster Tail
zone 1
Jonathon Eagan from Palmyra, MO
2 pounds on a white nymph
zone 1
Cody Myrtle from Butler, MO
2 pounds on Eric's secret lure
zone 4 (I just report it, I don't make it up)
8-15-21
Bruce Sharp from Peculiar, MO
2-1/2 pounds on pheasant tail nymph
zone 2
8-16-21
Bob Marquart from Cromwell, Iowa
2-1/8 pounds on an ORiley special (family lure)
zone 2
8-19-21
Bryson Morrison from Hume, MO
2 pounds on a bumble bee rooster tail
zone 1
What's Working?
From the Fly Case
black crackleback
scuds, gray or tan
grey, olive or or tan scud
renegades size 18 or 20
olive john (copper john tie)
pheasant tail nymph
white nymph
Zone 1 & 2
marabou - gingersnap, red and white , or john deere marabou
mop fly, white or white with peach ruff
white floss jig
john deere mini jig
unweighted white
Zone 3
live worms
marshmallow white power bait
orange peel power bait worms
trout magnet, orange and white
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:
Aug. 26 - Snakes; snake block; batting choices and the process.
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.
Aug. 21 - Songbirds
Bennett Spring State Park will be hosting monthly birding activities geared toward youth but open to all ages. Each month will highlight a different species or category of bird. Programs will start at 10 a.m. with a hike to see the birds' preferred habitat and to try to locate the featured species. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a related activity designed in a come-and-go format at the nature center.
. For more information, call 417-532-3925.
PROGRAM TIMES: 10 A.M. - 2 P.M.
Nature Center | 417-532-4338
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
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
It is just as well to remember that angling is only a recreation, not a profession. We usually find that men of the greatest experience are the most liberal and least dogmatic.
Author:
Theodore Gordon
Thanks for reading,
Lucy