Missouri Lakes Fishing Report by Steve Wilson

Lake - Lake of The Ozarks 04/05/06:

Bass are really turning on at Lake of the Ozarks!

Lake Level: 654.14 with minimum generation scheduled for the next few days. Lake levels should remain steady at 654.2 Truman lake level: 706.71

Garmin water temps: Dam area 47-52 degrees. Gravois 48-58 Glaize 48-58. Nianguas 50-59. Osage 48-59 degrees.

Dam and Gravois area: Clear with stained water in the upper Gravois. The jerkbait bite remains good on main and secondary points. With the warmer temps the wiggle wart and spinnerbait fished along rock transitions has been taking some good fish.

The most dependable lure is the finesse jig and chompers grub-1/4 head. Fish the jigs around brush and behind docks on the same transition banks as you would the wiggle wart. Sunny calm days this patterns prevails. Windy cloudy days start casting reaction baits. Like the two mention above.

Glaize: Clear with stained water coming in the upper Glaize. The water around the bridge is 48 degrees if you go all the way up to PB 1 you will find some stained warmer water. (Upper 50's) The bite is very different in the two areas. In the 48 degree water the jerkbait and jig prevail. As you head up river towards PB 1 the crankbait and spinnerbait are best.

Also main lake points and secondary points are good in the 48 degree water and transition banks leading to pea gravel work best in the warmer water. This pattern is holding true all over the lake. As a matter of fact you can go by this rock transition pattern in any Ozarks lake.

Nianguas: Clear with stained water in the upper sections. The fish are starting to get a little funky in the Nianguas. The water is a little warmer here. Upper 50's in the upper regions. These fish are starting to think more about spawning then eating. If the water stays warm there will be a major move to the beds next week.

Full moon is mid next week and they like to spawn around 63 degrees. It wouldn’t take much more warming to get them to go. This tells me that I need to order some Crock-O-Gator Tues form the Mid-America Outdoors E-Store. Right now the fish are right in front of the pea gravel on the first break. The falling lake is also keeping them from going to the pea gravel. But they want on there bad. Till next week the patterns mention in the other sections will work in the Nianguas with the wiggle wart and spinnerbait being the best options. Cover water and hit a lot of points in front of pea gravel pockets.

Osage River: Clear, stained to dingy. The bass are changing as quickly as the weather in the Osage. Remember if they aren’t biting in the Osage. It isn’t because they aren’t biting it’s you haven’t figured them out yet. The Osage is full of wild bass. (Not release fish) Some days I can’t figure them out and it’s 100% my fault. Tuesday we struggled for hours with two keepers a 4 ½ #er and a 2#er. Then I figured out they moved on me. Switched to the spot that I usually catch them in later in the spring and they were there.

We caught 16-17#’s after the change was made. Not that is what fishing is all about. Making adaptions to the changing conditions based on water temps, weather and other factors. And catching a good stringer of wild fish. We could of did better. But we lost 3 or 4 keepers and that would of help our total. Never the less, was a lot of fun. The fish up here have made that transition to pea gravel. But that is just the smaller males.

The females are a step away from the pea gravel holding on the first available cover. They are waiting on the males to get in there and make nests. Everything has progressed so fast in the shallows this week with the warming trend. It will be interesting to see how fast the males will set up shop. Are will the cold front during the week end run them off. And they better hope them females don’t run out of shad to eat. And that brings us to the baits to fish up in the river.

The males are positioned close to the banks and are eating crawfish. I can tell this by the antennas of the crawfish hanging out of their mouths. And sometimes whole live crawfish coming out of there mouths. The females are eating shad. Tails sticking out of big fish mouths. Pick your baits based on that. And what size fish you want to catch!

Thanks and Good Luck!

Note: 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!

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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