Branson, boogie, and bass equal great trip

Another thing I like as good as fishing is country music especially that from the late 70s to the late 90s. My wife Billie Jo joined me again for a road trip this time to Branson, MO. When I planned this trip I was happy to see that the Mickey Gilley Theatre featured none other than Mickey Gilley himself along with the Urban Cowboy Band and Johnny Lee. Separately both of us had seen this same bunch in Texarkana 35 years before and before we knew each other. That fact brings a meaning to the “Looking For Love” mega-hit of Johnny’s. Although we seen five or six shows while in Branson this was the highlight of the music entertainment. The fact I can’t remember the names of the other shows, shows how C and W rooted I am. I love country music.

I have been a fan of Mickey Gilley and Johnny Lee since first watching the Urban Cowboy movie in 1980. Careful kids about following those Hollywood heroes. Sometimes in real life the good guys get beat up a lot worse than Bud did. Watch out in them bars. You can still find that “One In A Million” like Johnny’s other hit in places that won’t get you beat up. And I found the one that wanted to Stand By Me like in one of my all-time favorite C and W songs on her front porch in Queen City on February 4th, 1983.

Back to Branson. Johnny Lee was really good, the Urban Cowboy Band was great and Mickey Gilley was just absolutely awesome. I don’t mean by running around on stage and trying to be like other young entertainers.

I have been to many concerts and music shows but I enjoyed this one more than any. Mickey was so gracious to his band members allowing them each to have their highlights of the show letting them occasionally take the lead.

What I enjoyed more than anything else was how this 81-year-old guy presented each song. With every song he stopped and told the story(s) behind it along with much of his life story. I don’t know when he will retire but when he does I think he will be remembered mostly for that one-of-a-kind sound. He is traditional but with a voice that is so distinctly his alone. It is a statement, when at his age, that he delivered a show that was just as enjoyable to me as the one in 1982. We loved it.

Okay I’ll go to my main theme of fishing. My Missouri fishing guide Buster Loving picked me up at my hotel saving me from fighting the city traffic. Thanks Buster. He is an easy going guy and easy to make friends with.

We fished Tablerock Lake on the first day that was bright with sunshine where I got a limit of Spotted Bass pretty consistent in size where we guessed them at three to four pounds. Like the ones at home they were good fighters and fun to catch. Buster told me about guiding in all three of the local lakes that are all impounded on the White River in which he has done a lot of, making it a pleasure to visit with him on that beautiful day on the beautiful, famous and large Tablerock Lake.

On our second day, Buster picked me up just before daylight in the pouring rain and then drove me and introduced me to Lake Taneycomo, never leaving the town where we launched. Taneycomo, named after Taney County, Mo., is unique - it runs through Branson and connects Tablerock and Bull Shoals reservoirs. The facts of this narrow 23-mile-long reservoir, from it’s damming at the power-site in 1913 to what caused it to change from a warm water lake to a cold water lake in 1959, are interesting to observe.

We fished the open water of this river-shaped lake targeting and catching the limit on Rainbow Trout where I also got one Brown Trout. This was my first time to catch Rainbows where Buster introduced me to a drifting technique on this cloudy day that required the constant “mending of the line.” We changed once and got near a culvert discharging into the lake where the stirred water seemed to have them attracted catching almost as many there. The rain was off and on all morning. When it rained we took refuge under highway overpasses and kept fishing. Rain or shine, Buster, I enjoyed both days fishing with you.

Many of my friends travel to Branson every year for that good C and W entertainment. Anyone interested in adding a fishing trip while there can find Buster on Facebook. Sooner or later the hankering for another C and W concert and a taste for fresh Walleye will lure me back to Branson and Bull Shoals Lake to complete the trifecta of the water bodies. I traditionally fried the spotted bass and they were good as always. I grilled the Rainbow Trout first batch with lemon pepper marinade and butter, and the second with Tony’s seasoning and butter. They were good both ways. The Brown Trout I caught was too small to keep, but this small lake, barely over 2000 acre,s has the state record at over 40 pounds. I had another great time here Fishing America.

STATE # 6 - MISSOURI NOVEMBER 2017 - TABLEROCK LAKE - LAKE TANEYCOMO