Opening of Spillways and Fishing

[nvrgvup444]

As some of you can probably tell, Smithville fishing is sometimes tough (sometimes very tough) when the spillway is opened up. It seems to scatter the fish throughout the lake and make them hard to locate. I still catch some, but it is slower and I have to hit lots of trees. It becomes tough to pick them off of the main lake brush piles.

My question is does your body of water also change so drastically when the gates open up?

What new tactics do you use and will the fishing stabilize after a few days of 'running' water?

Take care and wear sunscreen

[bugman]

I don't find a real dramatic difference it just seems to move the fish out of the current,they still bite just in different areas.

[cook]

I was at the seminar Gary Burton gave a few weeks ago.I don't know about other lakes,but he and 2 other guides all said the crappie bite shuts down within minutes of the gates opening.

[basscatman]

I mentioned this in a previous post but I believe Gary is spot on when it comes to Smithville. My father was there yesterday and had 13 nice fish in two hours. He then noticed his line starting to drift some so he knew they had just opened the gates. He spent two more hours and did not even have a hit!

However, I don't think it makes a huge difference at Truman or LOZ for whatever reason? At Smithville it has always shocked me what it does to the fish when they open the gates!

[got crappie]

Cook how was snagging

[cook]

Had a bad situation with the guide..am waiting for his response before I say anything...