Lake Of The Ozarks Better Than Table Rock (For Bass)?

[Quillback]

Bassmaster magazine has come out with their 2013 100 best bass lakes. LOZ is ranked 31, Table Rock ranked 39. Is LOZ a better bass lake than TR? If so, I must be pretty darned good. I've never fished LOZ myself, but might be worth a trip someday if it's that good.

[Bill Babler]

I'm pretty much in agreement with the magizine. It is a totally different fishery however. One thing that I really like about the Rock is the varity of cover and the 3 different Black Bass Varities we offer. Yes LOZ has some K's, but they are pretty common in size and really like to hang out on the outer edges of the docks. You will on a very limited ammount catch a Jaw or two up the niangua or the gravois, but the Kentucky and SM fishery here is a fishery, just not an unusual catch.

For numbers of Largemouth and also quality of LM it will beat us most all the time. I have been up there in October and early November when 100 plus fish days are the norm rather than the exception. Lots of young, but there are some brusiers also.

That bass fishery is more of a traditional bass pond. Buzzbaits, Crankbaits, Jigs, and Spinnerbaits, fished hard and fast in water under 10 ft. deep. Structure fishing and dock fishing. There is also a good what they would call deep bite out to maybe 30 ft. at times on jigs shaky heads and swimbaits, with some C-Rig fish.

It is a place that have you not been there and are going for the first time, you can without much help catch some bass, at any season except extreme winter when at times it freezes.

Unlike here for the newby's, that can come here and earn a zero for their hard work. On Table Rock seasonal patterns are much more in effect and our bass at times much harder to catch. I think they also have larger numbers per acre than we do, but have not seen a MDC survey of LOZ.

Using those factors alone, it probably gets us if you are poling the Pro's.

[brianetz1]

I will come at this from a casual fishermen's angle.

For 5 straight years we went down to the Rock near shell knob in late april/early may and had OK fishing. We hit it once where we caught about 20 fish in a day with 2 or 3 keeps mixed in.

Last year, we decided to try LOTO for our yearly trip just for something different and were catching 20 fish a day minimum with 5+ keeps depending on the weather.

It was just easier to fish for the causal fishermen.

I know for you guys that are down there or close enough where you fish it often can figure out the patterns based on tree leaf color and the size of the shadow of the Oak on Big Bertha's creek, but for those who don't have that intimate knowledge of that lake it can be pretty finicky

The one nice thing about the Rock is that is you never have to be worried about the big boats swamping you while fishing down where we were, but we really have to watch out for that at LOTO.

[countryred]

The water has more color in LOZ than the Rock, making it easier to fish. LOZ always seems to have a dock bite with jigs, with many other patterns mixed in.

The Rock does have better sized Kentuckies, on average, than LOZ,and they can really stack up at times and the smallmouth fishing is pretty good too.

If its pure numbers of bites per day, I might go with the Rock, but for average size,,,the LOZ.

[motoman]

I agree with the above statements; and for one.....like it that way. LOZ can be challenging; but day in and day out, The Rock is definitely more of a challenge. And I hope it stays that way.

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If only the rock was closer; Id fish it more often. But LOZ is half the drive from the St.Louis area, so I tend to hit LOZ a bit more throughout the year!:-(

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But the challenge of the rock keeps ME coming back; and many others at bay.(from what I hear:-)

[fishinwrench]

Fishing LO forces you to keep the bill of your hat pulled down low and concentrate on the water because the scenery is butt ugly. If you're not catching fish here you just wanna go home.

TR is pretty, and just makes you glad to be out there.

Hard to say which makes for a "better" lake.

[Jozark]

I have fished both Table Rock and Lake of the Ozarks, and both are great lakes. I would stay away from Lake of the Ozarks during the summer season unless you are planning on night fishing. I believe at one time Lake of the Ozarks was ranked as the second deadliest body of water in the world. I agree with some of the posts above that LOZ has a little stain to it and the fish there tend to relate to shallower cover better, docks, brushpiles, rocks walls, etc. I have not fished LOZ in quite sometime, but fish Table Rock now several times a year when I can get back from New York. I love Table Rock Lake!

Table Rock is a much clearer lake than LOZ which I believe makes the fish relate to deeper structure, and makes it harder to fish for the casual angler. I have figured fish out on Table Rock when the weather is bad or when the wind blows, but I still can be humbled on clear bluebird days there. I guess I should take Bill out for a day, so I can learn a few tricks.

At the end of the day both lakes are ranked in the Top 50 lakes in the country and they are both in the great state of Missouri. That is pretty sweet!

[Wayne SW/MO]

I think once a lake, any lake, gets past its youth it is really hard to place them on a numerical list, IMO. I doubt there is a bass fisherman alive that hasn't had bad days on their favorite and even guides have to "look" at times. It is true that some lakes fit a persons likes and skills better than others and no doubt that will influence a choice.

In my time I've seen so many lakes evolve and change that I can't see how one person could have enough experience to rank them.

It's kind of like the coaches football poll, does anyone really think a coach has the time between Saturdays game and the polls release to know jack about many other teams?

[buckcreekmike]

I fish LOZ a lot more than TR because my folks have a place there. I love it, but I like TR more. Maybe because it is a bit of a treat to go there because I can go to LOZ whenever. I personally think TR may be easier because LOZ is so pressured. If it isn't summertime, there are bass boats everywhere and it just gets pounded. I think the reason it stays pretty good is because you can't really fish in the summer during the daytime hours so the fish get a bit of a break. I seem to catch more and better fish at TR. I think the crappie on LOZ is phenomenal though.

[Bill Babler]

I can vouch for that statement about guides having to look some days. The last two not counting today were both challanging for me. Low numbers of fish and small keepers were my clain to fame. That Kimberling City to Baxter run that had been so good for me went North to the Winter with dropping water temps and high cloudless skys.

Dam bite picked up, but hard to be everywhere at once. If I had to do it again I'd fish the dam, as I will this week, but education is a hard taskmaster. Slow, slow, slow right now with this weather. If you can move a bait without moving it that is the deal.

Tomorrow again right after this weather event might be nails. Hope not, I could not stand 3 rough days.