LOZ Post Spawn/ Shad Spawn OH MY!

[Bill Babler]

6-28-22

Had to run up to the farm at Climax Springs Sunday evening. In route got a call from Ed Franko wondering if I could spend the morning with him on Monday. He had a last minute cancellation. Answer was Heck Ya. 

Becky was with me so we just stayed at their B&B and ran up to the farm today to pick up my trailer. Nice to not be on a schedule 😀😀

Ed and I left his dock for the pre-breakfast run at 5:30, had to be back for breakfast at 9am.  

Fished for 3 hours and had 111 all top water fish. Yes you read it right, 111.  How do we know the correct number you ask. Ed is working with a fish charting research group, keeping track of his guide fish on Lake O. this year. They are paying him well for the record keeping and he has a clicker. 

They want water conditions with times and weather data also. He is making really good money doing this on top of guiding. None of the reporting makes a difference if he or his clients catch 1 or 100. Just pure research. 

I counted my own, and I know I had 61 top water fish. Friggin Unreal. 
 

He is on just a killer pattern, totally unreal. If the MLF guys were here now with a 2 lb. minimum they would break every record they have set to this point. 
Wheeler would have 100 pounds a day and not bat an eyelash. 

Probably would take 350 pounds to get a check. These guys would figure this out immediately.  I had it figured by our second stop. 

Total Table Rock pattern only the numbers on LOZ are staggering with the amount of fish on each location. 

Fish are grouped and suspended. They wanted a walking bait not a prop bait. Ed gave me a Sammy and he started with a Whopper Pooper. I had him buried in 20 minutes till he switched to a spook. Said they had been on the WP really good, but not yesterday.  They just crushed the spook or Sammy. Lots of them caught it, as it hit the water and at least 3 times I had doubles on that I did not get to the boat.  Don’t ya just hate that!!!!

There is just millions upon millions of Gizzard fry, right on the surface in huge schools and if there is any deep structure the bass are in the shade or using depth for shade and blowing up thru them. It was crazy. 

Whites, Hybreds, LM and a few K’s.  The LM were long and lean typical post spawn. They won’t be for long the way they were going at those Shad. 

One of the best mornings I’ve had in years.  We went in for breakfast that was simply delish and returned to fish till Noon. 

Breakfast at Bass and Baskets

Ended the morning with 129 total Black Bass, not counting the other including the whites and hybreds. 
Water temp at 81/83. 4-6 foot visibility so you know where we were fishing with deep clear water. 


This thumb says the entire story.  When you reeled one in, a 1/2 dozen would be under it following. 

I’m guessing forty 15 plus and up inch keepers in 5 hours of fishing.  Biggest fish was a shade under 4 pounds. On a 5 fish derby I’m guessing 16/17 pounds.

On an MLF BP DERBY catch weigh release easy 100 pounds. 

Ed has no idea how long it will last, but he thinks the generation is the key in his area and really just massive numbers of LM and forage.  He told me his clients in June had caught and released well over 1000 LM.  

Man what a trip, and the weather was beautiful. Who says you can’t go home, I love the Lake of the Ozarks and always will. 
 

Good Luck









 

[Seth]

Impossible! @fishinwrench has confirmed that relocating all those poor bass during tournaments is destroying the fishery!

That sounds like one epic trip!

[MOPanfisher]

I noticed a tremendous shad hatch on Pomme as well.  Saw 3 dirrerent year classes of shad, the new fry, some about a inch to 1.5 inches on and another school of 2 inch plus shad.   Fish shouldn't go hungry this fall for sure.  Sadly I wasn't fishing but sure sounds like a blast, and yep the thumb supplies proof as well.

[Bill Babler]

36 minutes ago, Seth said:

Impossible! @fishinwrench has confirmed that relocating all those poor bass during tournaments is destroying the fishery!

That sounds like one epic trip!

I too hate to see them dragged all over out there with surface temps this warm. There is a better way as MLF and the Kayak tournaments have shown. 

I was also fishing with a seasoned guide that spends 300 days a year on the water. When he is not guiding, he is fishing. Simply ate up with it. 

He just had to show me what he was doing and it fit the way I fish Table Rock in June. 

99.9% of guys fishing Lake O. Are not fishing deep suspended post spawn fish.  Just not done a whole bunch up there. 

Said he has pretty much had it to himself for a month. 



 

[Bill Babler]

8 minutes ago, MOPanfisher said:

I noticed a tremendous shad hatch on Pomme as well.  Saw 3 dirrerent year classes of shad, the new fry, some about a inch to 1.5 inches on and another school of 2 inch plus shad.   Fish shouldn't go hungry this fall for sure.  Sadly I wasn't fishing but sure sounds like a blast, and yep the thumb supplies proof as well.

I can’t even bend it today or it cracks open. I’m soaking in in Bag Baum. 🤪🤪🤪

[MOPanfisher]

5 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

I can’t even bend it today or it cracks open. I’m soaking in in Bag Baum. 🤪🤪🤪

An excellent problem to have!

[fishinwrench]

6 hours ago, Seth said:

Impossible! @fishinwrench has confirmed that relocating all those poor bass during tournaments is destroying the fishery!

Not the entire fishery, but certainly large portions of it.   

You don't see the high river, or the Niangua's shine much these days, do ya?   Nearly all of the winning limits come from the Glaize,  from Alhonna to the dam. or the mouth of the Gravois within sight of Coffman access.

Why is that, do ya suppose?

[Seth]

8 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Not the entire fishery, but certainly large portions of it.   

You don't see the high river, or the Niangua's shine much these days, do ya?   Nearly all of the winning limits come from the Glaize,  from Alhonna to the dam. or the mouth of the Gravois within sight of Coffman access.

Why is that, do ya suppose?

Isn't that the area where most of the tournaments are held anyways? If the best fishing is in the area where the majority of tourneys are held, wouldn't they just be recyling the same retreads and leaving the upper 70 miles of the lake untouched for the most part? I think the Glaize arm meets the main channel at the 20mm or somewhere around there.

[Ryan Miloshewski]

Big Ed is the man! Earlier this year John Neporadny and I got him to take his jet boat down to Taney. He's addicted.

Well, I guess he's more like Medium-sized Ed nowadays. What an incredible trip!

[fishinwrench]

5 hours ago, Seth said:

Isn't that the area where most of the tournaments are held anyways? If the best fishing is in the area where the majority of tourneys are held, wouldn't they just be recyling the same retreads and leaving the upper 70 miles of the lake untouched for the most part? I think the Glaize arm meets the main channel at the 20mm or somewhere around there.

Oh no, everyone has a 20+' boat with a 225+ outboard.   If you think they can go a single day without going for a long boat ride you're mistaken.   They have 8 hours to kill.....and if they are any good at this game then they know the bite window of recycled fish doesn't last all day long.    They'll typically catch several elsewhere, then cull out 3-4 of them closer to the scales.  

Guys that haven't figured out the game yet (the majority) will run far and haul fish just so they can hear their name called and make an appearance.