Lake of the Ozarks Fast Lane to Great Fishing

[John Neporadny Jr.]

 

 

    

    While  cursed by many anglers, recreational boat traffic is a blessing
in disguise for bass at the Lake of the Ozarks.

    "Bass don't get any fishing pressure here in the summertime,"  says
 1997 BASS Masters Classic champion and FLW pro Dion Hibdon,  who started guiding
on this central Missouri  lake before he even got his driver's license.
"We get very little fishing pressure even during the spawn because
 most of the bass  spawn in May and a lot of the big boats are already
out by then."

    When  balmy weather  arrives in May, the fleets of cabin cruisers,
off-shore racing boats, pleasure boats, house boats and jet skis churn
the waters and chase bass anglers off the lake. Hibdon believes this
lack of fishing pressure helps bass recuperate from the spawn and
protect their fry, which increases the survival  rate of  young bass.
"The boat traffic then  gives those young bass a good start  and it
shows," the Stover, Mo., angler says. " We have just as good  of a
bass population as any lake in the country."
    Constructed during the Great Depression, 54,000-acre Lake of the
Ozarks was the largest man-made lake when it officially opened May
30, 1931. Fed by the Osage and Niangua rivers, the reservoir can be
divided into three distinct sections. The lower end near Bagnell Dam
 typifies a highland reservoir with its deep, clear water. The mid-lake
section still has steep banks, but the water turns stained. As you
move up the  Osage and Niangua arms, you run into typical river conditions
 of shallow, dirty water and lay-downs scattered along the banks.  

    "The lake  has an extremely good river system   that is  partly current-oriented,"
says Hibdon. Bass can be caught 2 to 3 feet deep year-round in the
riverine sections of the lake.  Bass-holding structure throughout
the lake includes creek and river channel bends, bluffs, points and
flats. Most of the banks consist  of either chunk rock or pea gravel.

    Potential bass cover vanished when developers  removed most of the
timber before the lake was filled. But bass found  new havens when
boat docks spread over the  impoundment. "That's kind of the ultimate
cover," says Hibdon. "You can get a bait  down through grass or brush,
but there is absolutely no way you can fish a boat dock completely.
Docks also have  lots of places for bass  fry to hide behind and get
bigger."

    Docks usually have another piece of man-made cover nearby. "Every
boat dock has a little dab of brush around it," says Hibdon.  Thousands
of docks dot the lake, but certain ones produce more bass.  
    The pre-spawn (March and  April) rates as Hibdon's best time to catch
quality bass and numbers  of fish. The whole lake produces consistent action in the late spring and
throughout the summer, Hibdon says. During  early summer,  the touring pro relies on shad-pattern crankbaits  to catch
bass roaming along  points or 7- and 8-inch plastic worms  for fish
holding in brush less than 10 feet deep.  He prefers a motor oil worm
in the clear water and black or tequila sunrise  worm in the stained
sections of the lake. Later in the summer, Hibdon works a 10-inch
plastic worm or a deep-diving crankbait  through the brush. The boat
traffic drives bass 15 to 20 feet deep on the lower end of the lake.
You can catch bass in shallower brush the farther you move up the
rivers.

    The summer heat and increased boat traffic turn bass into nocturnal
feeders. Night fishing  is excellent on the Lake of the Ozarks from
the end of June through September on the lower end of the lake. A
 five-fish limit weighing more than 20 pounds is sometimes required
to win local weeknight tournaments running 3 1/2 hours.

    A black spinnerbait  worked  through the brush produces
at night through June. Later in the summer, local anglers switch to a 10-inch
plastic worm which they crawl along the rocky bottom or through brush
 on main and secondary points.

    The lake is an ideal spot to combine a fishing trip with a family
vacation. Nestled in the foothills of the Ozarks, the lake's 1,150
miles of shoreline and its surrounding communities draw more than
3 million visitors a year to partake in the area's  limitless recreational
opportunities.  Water sports include swimming at beaches and pools
at the  area resorts, motels or condominiums, waterskiing, parasailing,
and boating. Full-service marinas rent speedboats, houseboats, pontoons,
jet skis, fishing boats, paddleboats  and sailboats. Other  recreation
available in the area includes golf, horseback riding, tennis, hiking,
 bowling and trap shooting.  

    Numerous restaurants, ranging from fast-food to gourmet,  are
scattered throughout the lake area, including several eateries
located on the lake with access by land or water.  Many  lodging
facilities are available ranging from cabins  and condominiums to
hotels, motels and luxury resorts.  The lake also has plenty of public
campgrounds and   tent and trailer campsites in the
Lake of the Ozarks State  Park. The 17,203-acre  park, the largest
in the Missouri park system,  also has two free swimming beaches,
boat launching facilities, boat rentals and hiking trails.  Tourists
also visit Ha Ha Tonka State Park to view  the area's scenic valley,
high bluffs, rocky slopes and the ruins of Ha Ha Tonka castle, a European-style
mansion built in 1922 but gutted 20 years later by a fire.

    Another tourist attraction is the mile-long area near the dam known
as  "The Strip." This area houses boutiques, craft, souvenirs and
T-shirt shops, restaurants,  arcades and amusements for the whole
family. Families can also be entertained at the lake's amusement centers
such as  Big Surf Water Park, Big Shot Fun Park, Miner Mike's  Adventure
Zone and the area's  numerous miniature golf courses and go-kart race
tracks.

    Shoppers can visit the Factory Outlet Village in Osage Beach or other
craft and antique shops around the lake.  The area also hosts a variety
of festivals and special events throughout the year and offers traditional
Ozark-style music shows. Scheduled shows normally run from April through
October with Christmas shows in November and December.

    The Lake of the Ozarks is the only tourist destination in the United
States with four show caves within 30 miles of each other. Guided
tours are available  at Bridal Cave, Jacob's Cave Fantasy World Caverns
 and Ozark  Caverns.   

    There's enough attractions and  recreational activities at the Lake
of the Ozarks  to keep  your whole  family entertained  during a summer
vacation.    The highlight of your trip though will be the early morning
topwater action or  nocturnal thrills of  fighting a hefty bass burrowed
in a brush pile.
For information on lodging and other facilities at the Lake of the Ozarks or to receive a free  vacation guide, call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-FUN-LAKE or visit the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitors Bureau web site at funlake.com.   
Copies of John Neporadny's book, "THE Lake of the Ozarks Fishing Guide" are
available by calling 573/365-4296 or visiting the web site www.jnoutdoors.com.

(Reprinted with permission from Bassmaster Magazine)

[fishinwrench]

Quote

 

    """The lake is an ideal spot to combine a fishing trip with a family
vacation. Nestled in the foothills of the Ozarks, the lake's 1,150
miles of shoreline and its surrounding communities draw more than
3 million visitors a year to partake in the area's  limitless recreational
opportunities.  Water sports include swimming at beaches and pools
at the  area resorts, motels or condominiums, waterskiing, parasailing,
and boating. Full-service marinas rent speedboats, houseboats, pontoons,
jet skis, fishing boats, paddleboats  and sailboats. Other  recreation
available in the area includes golf, horseback riding, tennis, hiking,
 bowling and trap shooting.  

    Numerous restaurants, ranging from fast-food to gourmet,  are
scattered throughout the lake area, including several eateries
located on the lake with access by land or water.  Many  lodging
facilities are available ranging from cabins  and condominiums to
hotels, motels and luxury resorts.  The lake also has plenty of public
campgrounds and   tent and trailer campsites in the
Lake of the Ozarks State  Park. The 17,203-acre  park, the largest
in the Missouri park system,  also has two free swimming beaches,
boat launching facilities, boat rentals and hiking trails.  Tourists
also visit Ha Ha Tonka State Park to view  the area's scenic valley,
high bluffs, rocky slopes and the ruins of Ha Ha Tonka castle, a European-style
mansion built in 1922 but gutted 20 years later by a fire.

    Another tourist attraction is the mile-long area near the dam known
as  "The Strip." This area houses boutiques, craft, souvenirs and
T-shirt shops, restaurants,  arcades and amusements for the whole
family. Families can also be entertained at the lake's amusement centers
such as  Big Surf Water Park, Big Shot Fun Park, Miner Mike's  Adventure
Zone and the area's  numerous miniature golf courses and go-kart race
tracks.

    Shoppers can visit the Factory Outlet Village in Osage Beach or other
craft and antique shops around the lake.  The area also hosts a variety
of festivals and special events throughout the year and offers traditional
Ozark-style music shows. Scheduled shows normally run from April through
October with Christmas shows in November and December.

    The Lake of the Ozarks is the only tourist destination in the United
States with four show caves within 30 miles of each other. Guided
tours are available  at Bridal Cave, Jacob's Cave Fantasy World Caverns
 and Ozark  Caverns.   

    There's enough attractions and  recreational activities at the Lake
of the Ozarks  to keep  your whole  family entertained  during a summer
vacation.    The highlight of your trip though will be the early morning
topwater action or  nocturnal thrills of  fighting a hefty bass burrowed
in a brush pile.
For information on lodging and other facilities at the Lake of the Ozarks or to receive a free  vacation guide, call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-FUN-LAKE or visit the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitors Bureau web site at funlake.com."""

 

Good grief, that's a long commercial !  

[BilletHead]

         Yes it was a long commercial. is this a way to say it is Ok and condone the large pleasure craft?  I don't fish there or have a desire to but it is hard to argue with success on tourney results.  Do fish adapt to their environment like all other animals?  I have fished in places if you make a mistake on a cast of make any sounds that chance at the target is gone. I imagine if a large flotilla of LOZ boats ran around all day and you casted to the same fish that was used to every conceivable sound known to man it may be easier to catch?  What say you LOZ anglers?

   BilletHead 

[nomolites]

They are less sensitive to boats, but fishing docks in rough water can be a losing proposition - for the finish on your boat for sure. That doesn’t mean you can go clanking around and not spook the fish though.  I am no professional biologist but my observation is LOZ is simply more fertile than some others and sustains a larger population of forage and therefore healthy predator fish as well.  I have been on all of the major reservoirs in the Ozarks and the difference there is it is hard to find a place on LOZ without shad, but finding those quality fish is more about locating the RIGHT forage at the right time and place.  They have plenty to eat, catching them is connecting the dots.

Mike

[fishinwrench]

I don't fish the main channel at all.  The areas that I fish aren't pounded with waves and heavy boat traffic, ever.   I can't fish good when my boat is being tossed around, and even if I could I wouldn't enjoy it.   I do have to drive through the washing machine to get to the areas where I do fish though.

[Walleye13]

Interesting take on the big boat effect by Mr Neporadny (thank you John). I think that is certainly accurate to some degree. I think Nomolites & Wrench hit on a couple of key factors as well. This is certainly a fertile fishery, as evidenced by the incredible shad population. Coupled with the infinite number of boat docks, these probably do more to preserve the fishery than anything. The big question for me, as Wrench mentioned, remains the re-location issue  due to the increased tournament pressure on the lower end in recent years. 

[shrapnel]

We can all speculate, and there's no denying thousands of fish are relocated every year but the big bags for the past 2 months have been coming from nowhere really close to "that" or "those" areas.

[96 CHAMP]

These guys over on the Table Rock forum complain greatly about the bigger boats down there in  the summer and I agree. With that I have quietly said to myself, I believe it will benefit the fish as in the above “ commercial “! Lol I sure the hell will not be out there during the day!

[MoCarp]

sometimes I have wished for a big blow on Stockton to run pleasure boat people back to TR 

[conorsixtakc]

On 2/1/2018 at 6:12 PM, MoCarp said:

sometimes I have wished for a big blow on Stockton to run pleasure boat people back to TR 

Stockton's main lake doesn't even compare to the churn of LOZ in the Summer. Stockton gets rough when mother nature decides to blow rollers, LOZ gets rough when 300+ ocean vessels decide to plow to and from every lake front bar on the water.