John’s services are hard to put into words except for the fact that the man can deliver. He helped us catch some beauties in less than 30 minutes!!!!! If you’re going to Branson and want a trophy trout, you MUST call John for success!
We booked our trip with John, for a full day of trout fishing for 2 men and our wives—-and were totally impressed!! This is the best “show” in Branson! John has everything covered, from the boat,the rigged rods, to netting the fish, and untangling the lines, when we screwed up. John is knowledgeable on the waters, the fish, and the local wildlife. He is very helpful, in every aspect of the trip,–we are very experienced walleye , and panfish anglers from the Dakota’s, and thought we knew how to fish—ha—not trout! I guided upland and waterfowl hunters for 30 years, and thought I was extremely good at my job—John is a TEN as a fishing guide—and I do not say that lightly! I recommend this fishing trip to any one who wants to experience a unbelievable trout fishing experience! He guides out of Cooper Creek campground—trust me – if you have a camper, or want to stay in a cabin—Fritz at Cooper Creek will fill all your needs! This is a “bucket list” you will want to do every year!! RC
Back for more! We used John for a trip to Taneycomo a few years ago, and did not hesitate to contact him again for our fishing trip this year. He is exceptional! We were consistently on the fish, and if a spot went cold, he was working to move us to a better location, changing our flies or using different… More
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Reviewed August 12, 2013
Nassau Bay, Texas
John took 2 novice people fishing and brought us back as experienced trout fisher people. I never thought I would catch anything. We caught a lot of really nice trout. Highly recommend John to anyone who wants a true professional to help you catch Great fish.
How many people can say that? What does it take to become your best fishin day ever. Well obviously the beauty of the area and the gorgeous day are a factor. The experience would not have been possible without our fishing guide John Sappington. This guy is MR. FISH. My wife and I caught 51 fish on our trip. That’s… More
Chanhassen, Minnesota
I was on vacation from Minnesota and I wanted my 6 year old to catch some fish. I had never fished for trout before because I thought you had to know how to use a fly fishing rod, but John told us it wasn’t necessary. My son and I must have caught over 20 fish between the 2 of us,… More
I just got back from a fishing trip with John Sappington & it was one of my best fishing trips ever, he’s a great guy & he taught me alot, I will be back, I’d give him 6 stars !
Saint Louis, Missouri
My family and I take a yearly trout-fishing trip to Taneycomo. With the water being so high, fishing from the dock has been extremely difficult this year. My husband and I spent a morning with John and it was night and day different. No more lines tangled with seaweed. Instead we had caught and released dozens of trophy trout, then… More
John Sappington is the most talented, entertaining, and experienced guide that I have ever used. The successful fishing was great, but being with John was the most memorable. I recommend spending time on the river with John if you want a most pleasurable time in Branson.
We caught a lot of trout and the kids had a blast. I came along (Dad/Coach) but did not really need to be there with 12/13 year olds. The boys would have had more fun with John if I was not there. Great Guy.
On a recent anniversary trip to the Branson area, we fished with John on the Taneycomo. Absolutely the best fishing guide we have ever had! John’s expertise led us to great catches all morning. He is knowledgable and a wonderful teacher. We highly recommend him and will definitely use him again!
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Our second trip with John fishing. He puts you on the fish. He is so kind, funny, and patience. One of the best river guides I have used.
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Reviewed August 23, 2014
I fished with John today and had a fantastic time. He was patient and super helpful. When certain things weren’t working we tried until we found what worked. It was really fun catching a mess of fish around some other boats that weren’t catching a single fish. John is encouraging and will make you feel super comfortable right away. Besides… More
We booked with John since we were visiting from Louisiana, and it was the highlight of our trip. He is clearly an expert in fishing the lake and he took care of everything from rigging to netting to releasing and even pointed out natural landmarks and wildlife to include blue herons and a bald eagle! We caught 40+ fish (closer… More
I’ve been fly fishing a long time and have had dozens of guides over the years, but John is certainly one of the best. He knows the water (been on Taneycomo 30 yrs) and knows what flies will catch fish. My friend and I have fished with John 3 different times (6 days). We’ve averaged 50 fish for the boat… More
Several of us booked a full day with John on 10/18/2015 at the Trophy Area on Lake Taneycomo. His high accolades by others are on target as I have booked guides in many USA locations and I can tell you 1st hand John knows what he is doing. Moreover, he enjoys teaching his skills and sharing his boat. You know… More
I recently spent a half day fishing with John and had a blast! My wife and I took the fishing trip as part of our honeymoon. John was extremely knowledgeable about getting trout in the boat, and did a great job with my wife seeing how she had been fishing one time before in her life. The trip overall was… More
Booked John Sappington for a half day of trout fishing for our family of four, including boys ages 11 and 14. We don’t have an opportunity to do much fishing where we live, so our experience level is fairly low. John did an excellent job in every respect and everybody had a great time. We caught close to 50 trout… More
John took us to the trout and kept us on them. We caught quite a few fish and several were pretty nice. He was entertaining I would definitely recommend him to anyone wanting to try trout fishing.
John was outstanding. He was very patient with my in laws from India. We caught a lot of fish and he made all of us laugh. He made my daughter (2 1/2) laugh and kept her entertained through the the afternoon. I will use him again in a heartbeat.
Branson, Missouri
You will not be disappointed on your experience using Fishing Guide Branson. He will show you where the best fishing areas are to fulfill your fishing enjoyment.
“”Touchdown””
Along with my brother in-law we contacted John about rainbow trout fishing on January 3, 2014. He commented about the frigid 30 degree temperature and we told him we would be there with “Bells On”. When we arrived at Cooper Creek the boat was in the water, all necessary equipment loaded, and he was ready to go. After a few simple instructions about how to mend the line and which direction to set the hook, etc. we constantly caught trout non-stop for four hours. The final total was 52 nice rainbow trout and that didn’t count the ones that got away, or as John would say, “thanks for taking it easy on me”. Upon returning to the dock John showed us a slick trout cleaning method and shared his personal recipe. It was an unforgettable experience and provided a lifetime of some great memories. I’d highly recommend John Sappington and Cooper Creek Resort.
We enjoyed our time with you and want to schedule 3 more days fishing with you in October. We will look forward to another time fishing in the fall.
Don & Polly
John , You guided me to both, my largest Spotted bass and Small mouth Bass in the same day!
I had a wonderful day with a great man who believes in Christ, Family, and taking care of others. You blessed me today. Thank you for that.
Pastor John…
We have tried other guides in the area and really like your style…
-Don Heur
John, Thank you so much for another great day of fishing. You have guided for me three times and each time was simply amazing. You are professional, respectful, and patient which I appreciate greatly. Your willingness to teach me as we caught fish after fish has helped me to be a better fisherman back home. I look forward to fishing with you again and know that I will have more wonderful tales to tell.
GOD FIRST…PEOPLE ALWAYS
John M. Stepp
Chaplain (MAJ) United States Army (ret.)
John, Thank you once again for a wonderful fishing experience. You were the first guide I ever used and it was well worth it. Thanks for being so great with Nick and Maddie. Just seeing their face when they hauled in a trout was priceless! The Callier clan will be back for more fishing fun!
Jason Callier
My thanks to you again for a great trip. I have enclosed some photos. With your dedication and great personality, I know you will be a success at your guiding business.
Tom Brant
On behalf of my son and I, we highly recommend John Sappington to be your fishing guide. He is a truly great, person, guide, coach, and fisherman. As I told my son this was first class so when you are choosing your guide choose John…these are memories my son and I will never forget! Thank you John for a great, fun, fish catching trip! I have not caught this many fish since I was kid!
Darren
John:
Just wanted to let you know how much Logan and I enjoyed our fishing trip on Lake Taneycomo on Tuesday. You were a very gracious host, and the entire experience is one we will never forget. You will be our first and only stop the next time we take a fishing trip to Branson!
In the meantime, I will work on getting you some good mulie and whitetail hunting lined up!!
Junior Long
My husband and I had been on guided trips on the White River, but never at Branson/Lake Taneycomo. We looked online for a guide and found John. We did not know him, nor anyone who had ever used him. We can say that he is definitely the real deal. We caught over 60 trout and had four great hours of fun fishing! John is a friendly guy with a great personality. Being a FLW Champion, he knows how to catch the trout and does not disappoint! Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned fisherman, you will enjoy fishing with John.
Visited November 2013
If you want to catch trout, call John. My son and I wanted to catch rainbow trout and be sure to have enough for supper–we succeeded on both points. John knows Lake Taneycomo. He said that the water level was down because the dam turned the water off unexpectedly. That resulted in fewer of the really big trout they’d been catching earlier in the week. But we probably caught over two dozen trout in our four hour trip and were able to keep half of them. The others were over the maximum length size. He is a patient and knowledgeable guide. We really enjoyed our trip. I’d recommend him without any reservation.
Visited October 2013
awesome guy to fish with we’ve been fishing Branson for years and he still showed us so much about catching the fish there. it was awesome and cant wait to fish with him again
First time trout fishing. Landed over 40 fish on a four hour trip! GREAT guide with good equipment. Very knowledgeable and patient in correcting technique errors. Would Highly recommend and plan to use his services in the future.
Visited August 2013
While we were catching multiple trout as we floated down the river, I wasn’t seeing the other boats reeling in any! John knows Lake Taneycomo and what works to get the trout. We landed 60+ during our half-day and brought home six (6). John even gave us the recipe to cook them on the grill (now wishing that we had brought home double the number of fish)! John’s kindness and patience made the day one to remember for me, my daughter (22) and my son (16) for the rest of our lives!!!
THANKS AGAIN JOHN!
We had a GREAT weekend of fishing on Taneycomo! The area was under an extra 4ft of water, but we still caught trout one after another. John was professional, courteous and fun. He was easy to talk to and took time to explain the techniques we were using & was very patient (even after a hook went into his finger). Our 2nd day of fishing was delayed by rain, and the fish took a little time to bite that morning, but John was constantly changing lures, locations and techniques to keep us on the fish. On the boat ride to our fishing spot he even took the time to point out eagles, foxes, waterfalls and tell stories about the area that we wouldn’t have known, that really enhanced our trip. We will DEFINITELY use John again! Five Stars! Two thumbs up!
Visited August 2013
Rick, my Father-Law and I would just like to thing you one of the most memorably times we have had together, not only did we catch a lot of trout but we had the time of our life’s doing so, again thank you for the excellent job you did. We were catching fish all day from the time we started fishing until the time we had to leave. GREAT trip would tell anyone if they have not gone…GO, and if you have gone….GO again we plan to do so. Thanks so much for a GREAT day!
Billy Thompson
Visited July 2013
John was most gracious even after my father in law stepped on one of his poles. Had complete control over the River as the dam changed he had rods ready as the current changed. Great Great Great so ready to do it again very much worth the money
Visited July 2013
John took three of us fishing in the morning of July 14. It was beautiful on the lake. Even though it was July it was cold on the water at 7 am. John had jackets for us. John was fun to be with, had a good sense of humor, and taught us how to catch trout. I learned a lot from John and can’t wait to take what I learned out on my own. We caught lots of fish (one was a monster 21″ trout) and John knew just where to go and how to set us up. It was a fantastic time. I can’t wait to share the experience with John with my family so am hoping to schedule another trip with him in a couple of months. HE IS THE BEST!!!!!
Book early because he’s very busy.
Visited July 2013
My family of 5 had a great afternoon trout fishing with Captain John. He was in control of it all…..we didn’t have to worry about a thing. He taught us what to do, helped get our lines out, netted fish, all the while keeping the boat drifting in the right direction and away from other boats. He knew right where to go to catch trout. Often 3 of us had fish at the sametime! We couldnt have asked for a better trout fishing experience! Thanks Captain John!
Visited July 2013
My two sons and I are very inexperienced fishermen, so I wanted to get a guide to take us out on Taneycomo. John was great. We caught a ton of fish, even though conditions were pretty tough. It was very hot and the dam was releasing a lot of water. But John knew exactly where the fish were and what to catch them on. He turned my sons into successful fishermen in less than 4 hours. Highly recommend John at Fishing Guide Branson. (He also cleaned our fish for us and we enjoyed them for dinner that night.)
Had a great time with Captain John. Caught the limit plus….! Even non experienced fisherman will catch all the trout you want. John taught us all about trout fishing on Taneycomo as well as beautiful scenic places up and down the river. You will not be disappointed!
Visited May 2013
I have enjoyed guided fishing for many years and my recent fishing with John was one I would highly reccomend to anyone. While we started the day slow due to a sudden cold front and the easy excuse would be to blame the weather. But John experience and persistance eventullay put us on seveal sweet spots for exciting Small and Large Mouth bass fights. If you what to hire a proffessional guide that whats you to catch fish as much as he want to earns his money than Johns your guy. He’ll teach you a lot as well to impove your fishing skills.
My wife and I wanted take our college age son fishing on his spring break. She found John Sappington through the Internet, so we went to Branson. The weather has been very cold recently. It snowed here a week ago. It was supposed to thunderstorm all afternoon, but John said it would be fine. We dressed for the worst and went out. Not only was there no thunderstorm, it got sunny and warm! In four hours we caught over 70 trout, threw most back, and kept our legal limits. John took care of everything. We didn’t have to bring any gear at all. He cleaned the fish for us, and he entertained us all afternoon. We want to fish for bass tomorrow. John told us that the weather hasn’t been warm enough yet for good bass fishing. Rather than take our money for a bad day of bass fishing, he gave us the name of another guide who has a spot where he has been hitting them pretty good. You do not have to be an experienced fisherman to catch a lot of fish with John. He knows where they are and how to get them.
My son and I were very inexperienced fishing, so I decided to hire a fishing guide while vacationing in Branson. An avid fisherman in the Dallas area highly recommended Captain John to be our fishing guide. We weren’t disappointed! We caught too many trout to count and we had an amazing time doing it! Captain John was very patient and great with my 6 1/2 year old. In fact, he kept asking when we were going fishing again with Captain John after our trip. It was the highlight of our trip and money well spent!
My Son-in-Law and I hired John as a guide for a recent (3-5-2013) trout fishing trip to Lake Taneycomo, Branson, MO. It was a great decision!! Not only did we catch trout but we also learned how to fish for trout, I can’t believe there is anyone better than this guy.
We spent a half day, Mon Oct 15th with John on the White River catching Trout and more Trout. For over 4 hrs we had one or more on the line. A great guide with patience and good fishing instructions. No matter what you want to fish for – Bass or Trout – John Sappington is the guide to book. Great boat that can safely and comfortably handle 4 fishing. Launches from a handicapped landing with easy ingress for the mobility impaired. Handicaped accessable bathroom located at State Park launch site which also has a free for use fishing pier.
Professor Joe
I chose John Sappington as the guide for my grand-daughter’s first fishing experience because I knew he would make the experience great for her. And he certainly did. He knows lake Taneycomo like the back of his hand and put us on good trout fishing immediately. He was patient and very helpful. His fishing boat and equipment were clean and first rate. You couldn’t ask for more in a guide as he made my grand-daughter’s first trout fishing experience a wonderful adventure. Like most of John’s clients I am looking forward to more trout fishing on Taneycomo and bass fishing on Table Rock. I would recommend John to anyone who wants the best, whether they are beginners or experienced anglers.
I just want to say how great of a time my dad, brother, and i had fishing with Mr. John.
He was great to get along with, quick to help, and each one of us bagged our full quota of fish!I
It was the best fishing trip we ever had and i look forward to doing it again in the future.
I would advise anyone reading this comment to do the same!
Thanks a ton,
JC B
My son Clayton and I spend Labor day with John catching over 40 trout. What a great day. Even though we were not the most experienced fly fishermen John was patient and taught us what to do to catch fish. I would highly recommend a trip with John. (Can’t wait to come back and fish for the big Browns)
John Sappington is the guide you want on Taneycomo Lake. We started slow due to the learning curve, but were soon bringing in trout on almost every cast. Ton of fun and learned a lot. A years worth of fishig in a half day trip, definitely money well spent! Can’t wait to book him for bass fishing on Table Rock.
Lake Taneycomo below Table Rock Dam is famous for it trout fishing so naturally when we had our SEOPA conference in Branson I knew we had to go fishing there. Since I don’t own a jet boat or appropriate trout fishing gear we decided to hire a guide. We went with Captain John Sappington on a half day trip. The weather was perfect and Captain John Sappington was a great guide, his equipment was in excellent condition and even taught my wife how to catch trout on a fly rod.
I can say that we saw numerous large trout swimming around and even caught one. The action was almost non-stop. I wish we would have had more time to fish and my wife loved it.
