MOsmallies

After my weekend at the lake and reading all of these reports, I'd say things are really about to bust loose on Lake of the Ozarks. 5-7 lb bass are being caught like crazy it seems like. Some big fish will be weighed in next weekend at the BBB for sure. Got down to the lake (Mid Lake Area) late on Thursday night. Got the boat all prepped and rods rigged up before crashing for the night. Headed out first thing Friday morning. Ran about a mile up lake to a large cove that Smalliebigs and I got into a Wart bite last Spring. Went about 2/3 of the way back in this cove and there was already a BFL boat prefishing the bank I wanted to hit. Saw them chucking A-Rigs so I let them do their thing and I motored to the opposite side while I waited them out. Water temps at 54 so I threw the Wart and Jerkbait intermittently. Nada, so I played around with the Ned Rig and caught a fat 13" Kentucky on my 3rd cast with it. Way to slow of fishing for me especially when I know they should be hitting moving baits. Finally the BFL boat finished their pass, so I motored over to the very beginning of the stretch I wanted to hit. A long chunk rock bank leading into a spawning pocket... 2-10 feet of water... There are three docks at the beginning of this stretch and then no docks for the next 200 yds. Caught a dink in between the first two docks on the Wart and then it happened... I trolled to the far end of the 3rd dock and made a cast with the Wart to the bank before I moved in to parallel the dockless stretch. Immediately felt a fish swipe at it but miss. Cast right back to the same spot, turned the handle twice and my rod just loaded up. The fish felt heavy immediately and I just began praying it wouldn't be a drum. At that moment the fish surfaced and I saw it was a nice bass. The biggest one I had ever hooked. Three jumps and a brief tangle in the motor later, I lipped a beautiful, fat, pre-spawn female. My biggest bass to date. Only 20.5" but 6.39 lbs. Snapped a few pics and then watched her swim away. I'll never forget this fish... View attachment: IMG_3875_opt.jpg View attachment: IMG_3929_opt.jpg View attachment: IMG_3927_opt.jpg Only caught shorts the rest of the weekend... Wiggle Wart, Jerkbait, Mitch Field's Craw. Lost a 3 lber at the boat on a spinnerbait. Water temps mostly 54-57 but I did see 60 way back in a pocket on Friday afternoon. If you put Mitch's craw in front of a fish, they can't help but nail it... And they don't let it go... View attachment: FullSizeRender_opt.jpg View attachment: IMG_3952_opt.jpg Once my father-in-law got down Friday afternoon, we mostly crappie fished the rest of the weekend as he has a tournament coming up this weekend. Probably caught 50 crappie in about 5 hrs of fishing for them this weekend. At least 40 were keepers. None bigger than 12 inches but lot of solid 10.5" to 11.5" fish though. Very few were on the banks yet. Most were in 6 to 12 feet of water and suspended 3-5 feet down. Caught them equally as well on minnows and jigs. 6-8 pm seemed to be the most consistent bite especially on Saturday night. Eggs were getting to be pretty bloody so they should be heading to the banks real soon... View attachment: IMG_3956_opt.jpg Might be back down this weekend to fish my father-in-laws Crappie Tournament or the BBB... Not sure yet. Hope to see the reports and pics keep coming.