We’ll start out this fishing report with a question to those of you who begin loading their boats on the ramp with fishing equipment, coolers, snacks, etc. when countless other people are waiting to launch their boats: When you go on a trip, do you begin packing your bags when you are waiting in line at the ticket counter in the airport?

Generally, I get the inspiration for my columns from my most recent fishing trip. This one is a bit different in that I got the idea for this column at the barber shop. I was getting a little shaggy and my wife Lori suggested it was time to get a haircut. I went to my barber, Kelly Kyle and she was pretty busy. There were four guys ahead of me. Like any barber shop worth its salt Kelly’s has a huge selection of magazines mostly about hunting and fishing.

We have had no rain and unseasonably hot weather (high nineties). Most of the lakes on the White river system have fallen. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell eight tenths of a foot to rest at fifteen and six tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is twenty five and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake rose one tenth of a foot to rest at one and six tenths feet above power pool or fourteen and four tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell four tenths of a foot to rest at eight and one tenth feet above power pool or one and five tenths feet below the top of flood pool.

Not much change in the fishing, catching and fishing conditions on Lake Taneycomo this week. Generation, if anything, has lessened in the past few days. Water has been off most mornings and staying off into the afternoon. They've been bumping the flow up to 2-3 units by 4 or 5 pm but dropping it in late evening and off by dark. This is a surprise to me really... unseasonable hot temperatures I would think force the Corp to run lots of water to meet an increase of power demand but they evidently have other sources of power they are drawing on, ie. coal burning plants. We'll see if this generation pattern continues.