Located 500 yards east of Missouri's Bennett Spring State Park
Fishing report for Bennett Spring State Park, brought to you by Weaver's Tackle Store
Vintage art print
"Lady Fishing"
Sunday,
May
11, 2008
Hello again, and
Happy Mother's Day! Your latest "trip" to Bennett Spring is about to
begin.
Welcome new readers!
Welcome back "frequent flyers" (pardon the play on words). Thanks for
including us in your week.
May
Menu
. May
fishing hours: 6:30 a.m. - 8:15 p.m.
. The
hatchery was still uncertain when we talked with them on Friday as to
whether or not the moss cutting that was scheduled for Tuesday, May 13
would still take place (due to the recent heavy rains we have had),
but it probably will be rescheduled.
.
Next weekend (May 17 & 18) is the Missouri Trout Fishermen's
Association Annual Spring Derby, featuring tagged fish and
prizes. Click on:
for more information.
. The Bennett Spring
Church of God, located next to the dining lodge in the Park, hosts its
annual Men's Retreat on Friday and Saturday (May 16 &
17). It includes meals, worship services, a fishing tournament and
more. Pastor T. J. Brown is the contact at 417-532-7531.
.
Memorial Day weekend is just two weeks away, and Charlie Reading will be
hosting his 4th Annual Fly Fishing Expo that weekend on
May 24 & 25. Call Charlie at 417-588-4334 for more info on all the
special lessons, demonstrations, forums, etc. that he has scheduled for
that day.
.
On your way to or from the Expo on Saturday, May 24, stop by
MacCreed's Art Gallery & Gifts on Highway 64 and enjoy the
"Meet the Artist" event that's scheduled from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. Featured
artist is water colorist Pam Brant, who was the winner of the winter
greeting card contest for the American Cancer Society. Call owner Sandy
McCormack at 417-588-7993 FFI.
.
We will have visiting family from out of state this upcoming week, so we
will dispense with our usual Wednesday night report. Our next
online fishing report will be posted on Sunday, May 18.
Stream Conditions
We had another inch
of rain on Saturday but, thankfully, missed the severe and damaging
storms that hit some parts of the Ozarks. The rainfall had no further
adverse effect on the stream. Actually, it's not in bad shape,
considering all the rain we've had the last few days (6" since Wed.
night).
The water has dropped
about a foot since Thursday morning and is clearing slowly. It is still
running very fast. Both the Whistle Bridge and the Wooden Bridge have
re-opened, after being closed on Thursday and Friday.
As of Sunday
afternoon, the stream is up about 10", is off-color and swift,
but it is very fishable. Read on for the good-news details
about fishing!
Between now and our
next report, you can keep track of the highs and lows of the stream at:
Or, feel free to call
us at 417-532-4618 and/or e-mail us at
weavers@missouritrout.com.
Weather
"Too wet to plow, too
windy to stack BBs," is an old farmer's saying that accurately describes
today's weather. But, we're hoping for a return to short sleeves and
abundant sunshine by tomorrow.
Here's the latest
forecast:
Monday:
Sunny, with a high near 75°; low 53°.
Tuesday:
Cloudy and windy with chances for rain. High in the mid-70s
and lows in the lower 50s.
Wednesday-Friday: Mostly cloudy, with highs near 70° and lows
in the upper 40s.
Saturday:
Mostly sunny with a high near 70°.
Weekend Recap
Who
Was Here?
Mother's Day weekend
at Bennett Spring was primarily an all-in-the-family affair. A number
of families, as well as many couples, spent the weekend here fishing,
feasting and relaxing, many at Mom's personal request.
In much smaller
numbers were groups of fishing buddies and father-son teams. Among this
segment of the weekend stream population, there was a noticeable exodus
late Saturday and early Sunday morning, because -- as we heard it --
their presence was required at home on Sunday (we're sure you can read
between the lines here).
Friday and Saturday
were pretty busy on and along the stream, but by Sunday afternoon, there
were much fewer people. That's typical, though. Mother's Day,
graduations, proms and other end-of-school and family-related activities
often keep weekend anglers out of pocket this time of year. We
anticipate a quiet next few days. Come on down!
How's
Fishing?
Weekend report card:
E . . .for
Excellent!
While some were
apprehensive when they first arrived about being able to catch fish in
the higher-than-normal water, it turned out to be a very productive
weekend for the majority of anglers we talked to. Most of the griping
we heard was about the climate, not the catching.
The minimum
number of fish we heard being caught was in double digits. Best catch
that got back to us was 65. That fisherman said his previous personal
best had been 64 fish in one day. On Friday, he held on 'til he'd
counted 65!
"Caught a bunch," was
a representative remark. "Caught fish all day long," was another. One
fisherman who was joining many in making the best of the wet weather,
said, "I like it! Best fishing is when it's raining." Many folks were
quite pleased with having limited out early, and that applied to Friday,
Saturday and Sunday.
What must happen,
though, before enjoying success like this is that you fish deep and stay
out of the fast-moving water, the same sermon we've been preaching the
last few weeks.
A former hatchery
manager once told us that ,"Trout are energy-conservation machines," and
that rather than fight a swift current, they'll go right to the bottom
of the stream and hold up there. And that's right where you'll find 'em
now, plenty of 'em!
What's Working
Best?
Some things old, some
things new, some things shifting positions.
Here's the weekend's
cream of the crop:
Jigs: Black
& Yellow; Orange; Orange & Black.
Mini jigs:
"John Deere"; White Floss; Original Peach Bug.
Glo balls:
Any bright 3-color; Chartreuse w/Flame dot; Peppermint.
Other:
Kapok; Rooster Tails (assorted colors, ranging from the
dullest browns to the brightest metallics); Hot Pink brassies.
Dry flies &
nymphs: No activity. Water is too fast.
Zone 3:
Yellow Power Bait; White Power Bait; Minnows.
Lunkers
Ed Lewis,
a Bennett Spring resident, joined the Weaver's
Lunker Club this week, when he caught a 2¾# trout in
Zone 3.
He was using
White Power Bait when he landed the lunker.
Good work, Ed!
Welcome to the wall of fame!
~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~
And that's all she
wrote for this time. One last reminder that it's Mother's Day. . .call
home!
As mentioned earlier,
there will be no Wednesday report this week, but check
back with us next Sunday for the latest local lowdown from beautiful
Bennett Spring.
Thanks for visiting.
Y'all come back now, hear?
'til next time,
Jerry & Brenda Miller
Weaver's Tackle Store
Weaver's Tackle Store
11388 Highway 64
Lebanon, MO 65536
Phone: 417-532-4618
e-mail: weavers@missouritrout.com
The word on the trout stream is:
"WEAVER'S has the BEST prices!"
Come in and compare.
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