45-48mm of the Osage, 45 degree banks and long rocky points, working the Chigger Craw on the bottom hopping and dragging slowly in shallow water.

Today I finally got my first big bite of the spring, a 6.1 pounder. I fished today in coves and bluff cuts from the 45mm – 48mm. I was hoping to find warmer water and to fish something different than the mid lake area and Niangua, which I have fished quite a bit the last two weeks. The water temps were not any warmer than the mid lake area, 43-48 degrees, with the warmer water being towards the very backs of the coves. The 6.1 pounder came on a rocky 45 degree bank, which I was targeting most of the day in about 3 feet of water, very close to the bank. The other two keepers, 3.5 pounder and I am guessing a 3+ pounder (that one came off as I was trying to swing it into the boat, so I did not weigh it), also came in shallow water 3-5 feet deep on long shallow secondary points with a combination of pea gravel and softball sized rock. I think that these kind of banks could also produce with a wiggle wart or spinner bait too with the strong winds today, but I stuck with the large profile Crazy Legs Chigger Craw in the stained water.