Summer bass fishing is just around the corner but so is the peak watersports season on Missouri’s streams and reservoirs. Competition for fishing space can’t be avoided so it’s wise to have inside information on where to fish and what lures to use.
It would be a mistake to assume anglers only fish Lake of the Ozarks so we’ve also included advice for Truman and Table Rock Lakes.
Lake of the Ozarks
Meandering through the Ozark hills, Missouri’s oldest reservoir produces bass year after year, in spite of 700 plus tournaments annually and a dose of largemouth bass virus a few years ago. All timber was cut before the lake began to fill but the lake’s 15,000 docks provide cover for bass and their forage, especially those docks with crappie brush.
By late June the water temperature reaches 80-degrees at the 20 or 25-foot depths causing bass hold in brush around those levels. Some great lures for fishing deep brush are Texas-rigged Berkley Power Worms, Zoom’s Brush Hog and Eakins’ jigs.
Anglers seem to prefer watermelon red-flake, grape, tequila sunrise and blue or black as colors for their soft plastic offerings. For Texas-rigs, red Daiichi or Gamakatsu Wide Gap 5/0 or 4/0 Offset Worm hooks often get the nod. Line choices include P-Line and Berkley’s Fireline or fluorocarbon.
Conventional wisdom is to let the worm fall to the submerged brush alongside docks and when it contacts a limb, pull it slowly forward until it falls to the next limb. Then, repeat this process each time the bait contacts a limb.
At night, anglers should fish around large, well lit, community docks, especially those with submerged brush.
Table Rock Lake
Surrounded by majestic oak and cedar trees, Table Rock Lake is blessed with some standing timber for fish habitat. Largemouth, spotted (Kentucky) and smallmouth bass cohabit so well they sometimes crossbreed.
Nitro tournament pro, Tim Sainato, offers this advice for summer black bass fishing.
“Key on deep trees, especially those on points or channel swings because trees hold fish better than a bare point. Start the morning with a topwater like Heddon’s Zara Spook,” said Sainato.
When the morning topwater bite is over he switches to a Lucky Strike, 4-inch smoke-pepper colored grub. Using a weedless model Bass Pro Shops Roundball 1/4-ounce jighead on 10-pound test line, he swims the grub through tree limbs.
When this pattern fails, Sainato fishes main lake points that are next to deep water with a Carolina-rig tipped with a green-pumpkin, 4-inch Luck “E” Strike Enforcer French Fry. He uses a 3/8-ounce bullet or Mo-Jo weight most of the time.
Truman Lake
Built for flood control, power generation and recreation, Truman is surrounded by 100,000 acres of rugged hills, scenic bluffs and hardwood forests. Approximately 8,800 acres of timber were left standing in the lake.
Guide Steve Blake shares his 20 years of experience at fishing for summer bass. “I like to start the morning with a Heddon Zara Spook or Rebel’s Pop-R around main lake points adjacent to channel drops. It’s critical for the channel swing to be nearby,” he said.
During the day, Blake sees the fish drop to the 20- to 25-foot depths around the thermocline, imitating their Table Rock brethren by suspending in flooded timber.
“Nothing works better for suspended and deep bass than a red shad colored Berkley 10-inch Power Worm. I work it very slowly using a 5/16-ounce bullet weight for deep bass. I use the same 10-inch Power Worm for suspended bass but with a lighter 1/8-ounce bullet weight,” said Blake.
On sunny days he likes to pitch a worm into the shady side of submerged cedars or hedge trees. He lets the bait fall slowly across and through the limbs, pulling it slowly off each limb the worm crosses.
“My advice for summer fishing is; when you think you’re fishing slowly enough, slow down twice as much! I may take two minutes to retrieve a worm,” advised Blake.
Follow the advice of Sainato and Blake and you will surely catch more bass this summer.
Kids and Fishing
Here’s a thought to ponder – far sooner than we might like, the stewardship of our nation’s public land, water and wildlife will be in the hands of our children. Parents committed to exposing their youngsters to the “wonders of the outdoor world” are already aware of this.
Fishing is one of the most accessible and enjoyable outdoor activities but sadly, according to national studies our youth find indoor activities more attractive.
The fact is youngsters are learning techie activities instead of fishing. Children whose parents aren’t anglers need ‘foster mentoring’ to develop their interest and fortunately opportunities exist to expose youngsters to the joys of angling. Many programs are sponsored by Chambers of Commerce, fishing clubs, fraternal organizations, private industry and the Department of Conservation.
Good sources of information about kids fishing programs are newspaper announcements, radio, television and unfortunately, the Internet.
Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. —
