Ohio'ans Fishing Lake of the Ozarks for the First Time

[Old plug]

WEEKEND WARRIOR  this has been a very strange year so far for me.  I do not know what it is but thngs just or not what and where they should be. It is either the fish, me or Wrench doing something nasty in the lake and it is washing down to my area. 

I have caught several  spawning size keepers this year but only one had a bloody tail a 5lb 4oz one I caught behind a neighbors dock about 8 ft of water. Wrench also reported 7 keepers with no banged up tail this week.  The crappie spawn at my dock has always been a sure thing. This year it never materialized. There have been very very few bass including dinks that have paid attention to a wacky worm. That is something I miss. 

Now today is a good example of strange doings. I caught  2 keepers first was was  15 " right where you would expect it to be. That was the only one. The other keeper was a 4lb 5oz female I caught on a brush top in  a least 15,ft of water. It was a big bellied female with no beat up tail and no spawn color. I just before dark I was fishing a  deep steep ledgy area by casting a drop shot up near the bank and bouncijg it from ledge to ledge. I have caught several nice bass doing that. Well I caught  today was dink after dink at 20 ft and or better on a giant trick worm. Craziest year I have ever had in the mid Gravois.

[WeekendWarrior]

Yep, strange year it is. I had probably at least 7 beds I could see behind and around my dock before the rains, some where there for awhile, 2 beds were Kentucky bass so I am thinking they all got wiped out. I am quessing there are plenty still spawning now.

[fishinwrench]

In all actuality the water temps are just now getting to the prime temps for egg laying.   

Right about 72° is when it always happens for LM.  

[Old plug]

I agree woth you on that Wrench. LOZ has temperatire influenced by the shade of thousands and thousands of docks and these big boat do a pretty good job of mixing things as well. Never have really bought into the stuff about surface temperature being a real big controlling factor. To me it is only a tiny piece of the pattern puzzle. THat said it still seems weird down here. 

[BoroBuckeye]

Well guys, we had a blast!  Out of the 4 of us, big fish was 4lb 7oz.  We also had a 4lb 2oz, and a 4lb.  I honestly was hoping for a little better with respect to big fish, but overall, I cannot complain.  From there, we probably had 5-10 in the 3lb range and 25-40 in the 2lb range with many many more smaller fish.  Depth ranged from 2'-20' with lots of fish in 3-6'.  Lures were mainly crank baits and soft plastics although it seemed like almost everything caught fish decently.

I will also tell you, it seems like Ozark bass fight way harder than Ohio bass!  There were numerous times I thought a fish would be over 3lbs and it would be 2 lbs and change once it was actually landed.  I now know why when MLF was at Lake of the Ozarks last year, they kept saying "big one" and then it would turn out not so big.

All fished were released safe and sound back in the lake.

We did get stopped by conversation officers and they checked our fishing license (which we obviously had)... I'm glad to see they were out.

Overall, great time, awesome lake, and pretty good weather.  Thanks for all the advice!

[BoroBuckeye]

And btw, all the fish we caught appeared to be post spawn.

[Ketchup]

Glad you Buckeye guys had fun, and didnt get to much rain. Another storm brewing now outside. 

[Krazo]

Glad you fellas had a great trip!  

[BoroBuckeye]

We're going back this year... 5/22-5/24!  What's the spawn status right now?  Thoughts for about a month from now?  I am virtually incapably of catching fish during the spawn so I am kind of nervous about that!

[nomolites]

They are on the beds now ....