This area is climate crazy. Off the water, the humidity is around 60-70%, and yes, we are in the Ozark Mountains; on the water, sometimes it is non-existent, and then, a pocket appears. We do not arise early because the foggy fog (Scooby-Doo days) hovers over the water at least 6 feet high. Fishing really doesn't begin until about 9 a.m., but even then, the fog is present.
The water flows from east to west. Until around 1 p.m., none of the Table Rock Dam floodgates stay closed, which means at times, we are in 20" deep water or shallower. Afterwards, the floodgates make the water flow around 6-7 mph. We used a chain this evening to keep us straight and to slow our float, but at times we were drifting at 5 mph--very difficult fishing. Areas that were ankle-deep this morning, were 16 feet deep this afternoon. Also, the fog starts rolling in ever so slightly, but present nonetheless, around 4:30. The sun shines brightly and heatedly but hit a pocket of misty fog and the temperature easily drops 30 degrees or more. Move out of the fog pocket, and the temps rise immediately back into the low 90s. All the while, the water maintains a trout-happy 49 degrees. Limestone bottomed, the rainbows, browns, and carp are easily visible, so visible that watching the fish move aside to let a fly pass by, then move back in their little niche frustrates fishermen of all types. The title of lake is a misnomer, because this water body looks like a river, moves like a river, and fishes like a river, never wider than 50-60 yards.
We have really enjoyed meeting up with the Fords, my friends from Corsicana High School teaching days. This has been their family vacation spot for over 26 years. They bunk at Lilley's Landing, about four or five boat docks up river from our spot. The area is beautiful with tree-lined, steep cliffs. We did not fish, yesterday, because we hooked up the RV, put the boat in the slip, rigged up our rods, and just settled in the area, Mr. Ford took Bradley, Stephanie, Cody, and I down river 7 miles to the smallest Bass Pro Shop and to the Branson Riverfront Mall. Traveling by boat is much better than traveling by car. Think of the River Styx; Highway 76 is its equivalent. Mr. Ford gave us some backroads, yeah!, to drive around, so we could meet them for lunch, and the backroads are the way to travel in this city. Otherwise, its just one extremely long parking lot.
Fishing the morning hours until early afternoon is going to be the way to catch fish. Then, being tourists in the afternoon and evening is how we can make the most of our stay.
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