Dog Days Lake Of The Ozarks Crappie Fishing

[Phil Lilley]

When the summer sun scorches the skin and sweat pours from the body, fishing may give way to water skiing and swimming. But driven anglers, disregarding the relentless Missouri heat, still can take plenty of crappie during the steamy days of August on Lake of the Ozarks.

The timber was removed from Lake of the Ozarks before the reservoir was filled. Manmadestructures, such as sunken brush piles and cedar trees, serve as fish attractors in this lake. So anglers need a topographic map and some type of depth finder to locate the hidden fish-holding structures.

The best locations for finding summertime crappie beds include channel bends, creek channels or points.The best bet for someone fishing the lake for the first time is to go into a cove or along the main channel and look for boat docks with lights and rod holders. Those docks usually have

sunken brush piles under them.

The depth of the fish varies depending on water temperature and the amount of sunlight. Usually the fish don't go much deeper than 20 to 25 feet and there are times early and late when they're up as shallow as 4 to 6 feet. Bright, sunny days and climbing water temperatures drive the fish

deeper.

Using your trolling motor, or drifting as slowly as possible, drop a jig straight down into the school of crappie you've located on the depth finder. If that doesn't turn them on for a feeding frenzy, try a jig and a minnow.

The hue of the jig depends on water depth and clairty, but usually fluorescent-colored jigs work well. Fish the jig, or a jig tipped with a minnow, on 4-pound test line with ultralight spinning

tackle. The light line lets the jig drop faster to avoid smaller fish.

If you can tolerate Missouri's sauna-like summers, you can catch enough crappie for a sizzling summertime fish fry.

For information on lodging and other facilities at the Lake of the Ozarks or to receive a free 162-page vacation guide, call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention& Visitors Bureau at 1-800-FUN-LAKE or visit the Lake of the Ozarks Conventionand Visitors Bureau web site at funlake.com.