Missouri Lakes Fishing Report by Steve Wilson

Lake - Lake of The Ozarks 03/29/06:

The fishing has been a little tougher with the colder water temps and falling water levels this week.

Lake Level: 654.6 with light generation for the next few days. Lake levels are predicted to be 654.5, 654.7 and 654.3 the next few days.

Garmin water temps: Dam area 43-45 degrees. Gravois 44-48 Glaize 44-49. Nianguas 44-52. Osage 44-48 degrees. Hopefully we get some warm rain Thursday. Warmer water temps and some color in the water will really help the fishing.

Dam and Gravois area: Clear with stained water in the upper Gravois. The jerkbait bite remains good with the Dam generating on main and secondary points. With the cold temps everything is going back to winter style patterns. Normally the water temps are in the 50's now.

Chompers and finesse jigs are also taking fish from creek channel banks. The fish are from the mouths to halfway back into the creeks. They are on rock transition banks. Bluff to chunk rock. And secondary points.

Natural greens and browns fished on lite fluorocarbon line catch these fish that are holding on the rocks. In the back of the larger creeks where there is a little off color. Try fishing a wiggle wart along the creek channel banks. Try MAO E-Store colors 37, 62 and 63.

Glaize: Clear with stained water coming in the upper Glaize. The water is pretty cold in the Glaize. Around 44 -45 at the bridge. 48-49 in the very upper Glaize. Wiggle warts on transition banks. But the best bite here is on finesse jigs. Fish them along creek channel banks.

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 jig head 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 slightly stained water. The fish are in transition from winter holes to chunk rock here. Don’t forget the secondary points. Again the finesse jig and chompers grubs are taking the bulk of the fish. The wiggle wart also is good and should be the bait of choice this weekend when the water warms up.

Fish these transitions slowly working your lures from the bank down the rocks into the creek channel. The Nianguas are pretty clear and really could use some rain. If the water would dirty up a little there is plenty of cover in the water to hold fish in this area.

Osage River: Clear, stained to dingy. I have been having a hard time this spring staying on fish up here with the up and more down water temps. I caught a big stringer the other day on the lower end around 21-23#’s Almost made me a clear water fisherman. Not! The last couple of years the fishing has been really good on the lower end. But I will always spend the majority of my time in the Osage and Niangua rivers.

This is home to me and my kind of water. The Osage has three different water colors. The clearer water down by Hurricane bridge still has a jerkbait bite on the deeper banks and secondary points. The stained water up around Bollinger and Cartwright work better for wiggle warts and finesse jigs fished along creek channels. The dingy water up above the 55 mile marker is best suited for heavy line, long rods and big jigs.

I fish a blk/blue or blk/brn Rattleback. And in the really dirty water I like the Triple Rattleback. Like we might have this weekend if Thursdays storm adds up to anything. Though the bite has been a little funky in the river. This area will turn on strong when it warms back up again. After all it is spring time in the Ozarks. And this lake is full of big bass.

Thanks and Good Luck!

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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