Missouri Lakes Fishing Report by Steve Wilson

Lake - Lake of The Ozarks 03/15/06:

Big Fish at Lake of the Ozarks! If you haven’t notice this lakes keeps getting better every year.

Lake Level: 655.0 with minimum generation for the next few days. This should hold the lake stable at 655.0

Truman lake level: 706

Garmin water temps: Dam area 46-51 degrees. Gravois 46-53 Glaize 47-56. Nianguas 48-55. Osage 47-54 degrees. Some of these temps are going down in the shallows due to the cold front.

Dam and Gravois area: Clear with stained water in the upper Gravois. This area remains stable. With water temps in the upper 40's the jerkbait bite remains good on main and secondary points. But the wiggle wart has really kicked in. Natural looking crawfish colors work best in this area.

MAO E Store has one called phantom brown crayfish. Check that one out. In the Gravois the point patterns continues in the lower part. But as you go up fish the channel transition banks. Where channel rock (bluff rock0 turns into chunk rock. These areas are prime wiggle wart banks.

Don’t be afraid to use a more colored bait as you go into the stained water of the upper reaches of the Gravois. (Fire Tiger) These same channel banks are also good places to fish finesse jigs. Chompers and 5/16 jigs in natural colors. Fish them in 2-12' from the bank into the creek channel. Beware of floating debris: A tornado cut across the Gravois above Indian Creek. There are houses, trees and docks torn to pieces. So anything can be floating around up there.

Glaize: Clear with stained water coming in the upper Glaize. This are is fishing a lot like the Gravois. It has some upper 40's water where you can catch them on a jerkbait. And there is the warmer stained water up the Glaize where you can catch them on the wiggle wart. The bite is better in the Glaize going toward the 54 Bridge.

I guess this could be because the tournament caught bass migrating out of the Glaize. The jerkbait fish are on the steeper points leading into larger coves with creeks. Pointer 100's in shad colors have been catching the bulk of the fish. Osage Beach Bait & Tackle near Town and Country motel have been selling a truck load of pointers every week.

Chompers grubs in brown and greens fished on secondary points has also been productive. Fish them on 8-10 Seaguar. Use 1/8 to 3/16 jighead and slowly swim them from shallow to deep on the secondaries. Try to keep it close to the bottom and bump the bottom every few feet. This catches numbers and big fish.

Nianguas: Clear with some stained run off. This area is usually a little ahead of the rest of the lake because of the springs. The fish have been traveling up creek channel banks and staging on secondary points in the backs of creeks. Wiggle warts, jigs and jerkbaits have been catching fish. Look for rock transitions. Chunk rock to pea gravel. The Big Niangua has been better than the little for some reason.

Osage River: Stained to Muddy. All the strong down pours have hurt the river. As of Sat the water color change was at the 55 mile marker. Now it has moved down the lake. The water in front of the color change is upper 40's. Above it mid to upper 50's. But it is deceptive warm water. Just the very upper layer is warm. The fish are not doing what they should be doing in mid 50's water.

They are staying back in the channel holes like the water was in the 40's. Maybe that’s because even though the lake is rising they are pulling water also. Once this weather stabilizes this area will be good. Wiggle warts, jigs and spinner baits fished on available cover on the channel banks. With the rising water this fish will be on the move soon.

The water color will allow use of heavier line and bigger tackle. I like 25# mono for my 3/8 Rattleback jigs and 20 for the spinnerbait. I drop to 12-15 for the wart in the colored water. Try 15# Seaguar with those wiggle warts in the river. You will start hooking fish better on the bait.

Another alteration to the wiggle wart that will put more fish in your boat is to change out the hooks. Use a short shank heavier #4 treble. These hooks work good on nasty big fish that you may encounter on this lake. As for as color goes. Match your colors with the conditions. Brighter colors the dirtier the water.

Thanks and Good Luck!

Note: Thanks for all the support for BassFactory Instructional Bass Fishing Trips. I am booking up really fast for this Spring.

Between Osage Beach Bait & Tackle (Located near Town and Country Motel-PB 2 area) and District 78 Tackle Shop (Located in Standing Rock Hollow 32 mile marker of the Osage by water-Red Oak Resort by Land.) You should have all your tackle needs taken care of at Lake of the Ozarks. They both carry premium tackle. The good stuff! 573-348-9333.

So check your calendars, reserve a date and Lets Go Fishing!!!!!!!! To inquire about or book a trip email me at BassFactory@Netzero.Net or call 314-406-3913

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schedule your fully guided dream trip today.