LAKE GIRARDEAU A HOT SPOT

CRUMP -- Lake Girardeau is providing plenty of action for anglers these days.

Eric Abernathy, 9, of Advance, son of Mr. and Mrs. Randy Abernathy, hauled in his limit of bluegill recently,

Ruth Carter, 4, of Scott City, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Myron Carter, recently had some fishing fun, stringing up a nice bunch of panfish.

Jared Jinkerson of Jackson, 6, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mike Jinkerson, had to use both hands to hold up a string of bluegill.

Brad and Pat McClanahan of Pocahontas caught their limits of catfish recently, with the largest weighing 15 pounds.

"Bluegill and catfish are hitting great at Lake Girardeau," said Chris O'Gara, who operates the concessions at the Crump-based lake.

O'Gara said the Abernathys Eric and Arron, their father, Randy, and grandfather, Abe caught 78 bluegill without moving their boat Wednesday.

"The crappie are hitting pretty good, too," said O'Gara. "People are not catching their limits, but they're catching slabs. I've seen several pounders and a few two-pounders."

O'Gara added that the water was clear, and the crappie were hitting baits about the six-feet deep.

The report from Lake Wappapello is "clear and rising, sunfish and crappie good."

Sunfish are providing top actions for anglers using worms and crickets around brush anytime during the day.

Crappie fishing is good, using minnows trolling in two to 14 feet of water, near brush. Bass is fair and catfish poor, with bass running on the small side.

Vegetation in the lake as been moderate around the banks. Some areas area closed Peoples Creek, Barrett's Landing, Rockwoods Point. All are under water.

Duck Creek, located near Puxico, is Clear and normal, with bluegill the best catch, on crickets. However, all other species are good. Duck Creek is about 50 to 60 percent covered with vegetation.

Clearwater Lake near Piedmont, is dingy, and about eight feet above normal. Catfish are hitting good for anglers using worms and liver. Crappie fishing is only fair, and other species are poor.

Black and Castor Rivers are rated from fair to poor.

The Black is reported clear and normal, with goggle-eye fair around structures, and all other species poor.

Castor is reported clear, and bout a foot above normal. Sunfish are reported fair to good and best catch on worms, goggle-eye fair on spinnerbaits and minnows, all other species fair.

Meanwhile, Current River is reported muddy, and four feet above normal, with poor fishing for all species.

The St. Francis is about the same, clearing, high, with sunfish only fair, and listed as best catch. All other species poor.

In other areas, the Missouri Department of Conservation reports on Lake of Ozarks, Mark Twain, Norfork Lake, Lake Taneycomo, and Table Rock:

Lake of the Ozarks (Bagnell Tailwater): Normal, dingy, white bass fair, catfish and various non-game fish fair on natural baits, all other species poor.

Lake of the Ozark (Gravois): Clear, white bass and hybrids good, black bass and catfish fair to good, crappie fair.

Lake of the Ozarks (Niangua): Clear, crappie good on jigs shallow, bass good on jigs and spinnerbaits, all other species fair.

Lake of the Ozarks (Osage): Murky, bluegill and lack bass good, crappie and catfish fair, all other species slow.

Mark Twain: Muddy in upper arms, murky near dam, about a foot high, catfish good on trotlines, limblines, jugs and rod and reel in four to 16 feet depths on sunfish, shad minnows, cut shad and nightcrawlers, crappie fair around brushy areas in six to 12 feet depths on minnows and white crappie jigs, sunfish fair near rocky points and underwater structures in two to 10 feet depths on worms, minnows and fuzzy grubs, bass and walleye poor.

Norfork: Clear, 13 feet above normal, white bass and striper hybrids good using shad, Rapala and large jigs, stripers fair in early morning using large topwater lures and Rapalas, black bass fair in 15 feet depths along shoreline using crankbaits and spinnerbaits, crappie fair along shoreline using jigs and minnows.

Table Rock (Joe Bald, Indian Point): Murky, high, catfish good on trotlines using perch, bluegill good around trees on crickets and small worms, bass fair off the points on nightcrawlers, crappie fair on white jigs and minnows along the bluffs from 10 to 25 feet.

Table Rock (Long Creek): Clear, normal, bass good early morning and late evening on topwater, Salty Craws and lizards, bluegill good on crickets in 10 feet depths, catfish fair on trotlines using goldfish.

Taneycomo: Clear, normal to high depending on power generation.

Truman: Clear, white bass excellent around points on crankbaits, crappie good at 20 feet on minnows and light colored jigs, black bass fair in coves along rocky shorelines on buzzbaits, all other species poor.