Truman vs Twain ???

[MJO21]

I have only fished for crappie one time successfully and it was on Truman. I have friends that are setting up a camping crappie trip to Twain in the near future. I told them about my experience on Truman and their first comment was to forget everything that I know about Truman because fishing Twain is totally different. Now I know they have successful fishing trips but I am not totally sure of their overall knowledge. I asked about the lake. Does it have standing timber? yes. So how could it be that much different than fishing Truman. they said you have to fish the banks...I am assuming that this would be during the spawn. They mentioned you have to fish brush piles...ok. I asked again about the standing timber...they claimed they never see people fishing the timber, always the bank or brush piles?

What say you? Is the standing timber that different at Twain that you can not fish it like Truman? Are there so many more brush piles that fish will stay away from the timber because of a better option?

What is your opinions of the differences in fishing these two lakes?


thanks,
Mike

[vic n]

First Mike, welcome to the forum...glad to have you! In any lake there will be crappies at different locations...ledges, brush, timber, banks. So don't go with a firm plan in mind, go and let the crappies tell you how to fish. Electronics and local knowledge are the best tools for fishing a new lake. Sounds like your friends have some prior experience at Twain, so try their plan first. The closest marina or bait shop will add to the plan. Truman and Twain are different lakes, so there may be big differences in the way you fish. Truman has 5 or 6 different arms, and they are all sort of like different lakes. The Grand arm is very stained most of the time and fish will be shallower than a clear arm.

I would just go and have fun with your friends and stay open to any suggestion. Keep an eye on this forum for reports from Twain.

[south point]

the only times I have fished truman were post spawn in mid may and I trolled cranks around creek channels and knocked them dead. in the post spawn at twain and throughout the summer, I can troll crank baits at twain and also do well. I have spider rigged the standing timber at twain and done very well. I have tossed jigs at standing timber at twain and done very good. I have tossed jigs at the laydowns and brushpiles along the banks at twain and caught good fish, caught them shallow on rocky points and rocky banks and deep in the same areas. caught them way up the arms in the brush and down by the dam over open water. moral is that every day at every lake is a different day, but I would think both lakes fish similar because they have similar habitat. the exception is that twain is more prone to water level fluctuations and this tends to change the feeding patterns a little more. but there is for sure plenty of good fishing over deep water and standing timber at twain.
what time of year are you planning your camping trip? a few of us are having a small gathering at twain at the state park campground in the weekend of may 17th, maybe you could make that and pick up a few pointers?

[Route U]

MJ,

Greg (South Point) and Vic N have provided some good and helpful information...... Myself, I fish Truman 2-3 times a year @ different times but I call Twain my home lake and have been fishing it with my father since it was built in '83 (same year I was born, so give me a few). From general topography, conture and development, yes, Truman and Twain are similar although I believe Truman is 5x or so larger than MTL. After those comparisons, I would say stop......MTL is a finnicky (insert expletive here). As South Point mentioned she is MUCH more vulnerable to water fluctuation due to the huge watershed, not to mention that lake just draws storms...... and good ones.

The same tactics apply regardless if you are fishing LOZ, MTL, Truman, Rend, etc....... adapt and overcome. There have been days where we have spider rigged, single poled, jig 'n corked and pulled crankbaits (effectively) all in the same 6-8 hours, running from way up in the arms to the lower end of the lake. "Fishing the banks" as you put it might be effective during the week or so of spawning activity, but unless you hit it just right, you'd better have alternative methods.

Check out our little gathering during that weekend of May and I'll be over at our cabin the entire week before so shoot me a PM if you'd like. Where are you boys intending on staying?

U