Fishing Report For Week Ending January 3, 2014
Friday, January 3, 2014
Winter Fishing on Lake of the Ozarks Has Arrived
With water temperatures dropping steadily on Lake of the Ozarks, winter time style fishing is here. Water temperatures this past week has ranged from a low of 39 degrees in the mid/upper lake areas to 45-47 degrees on the lower area and Gravois. As Ameren has not yet started the winter draw down, the fish continue to be a bit scattered and not yet completely bunched up on points and secondary points yet as they will soon when the water begins to lower. Quality bass are being caught on many different patterns, including small jigs (5/16, 3/8 and1/2 oz) on creekbank channels and inside of points and deep brush piles, the Crock-o-Gator jigs continue to dominate as the jig of choice for most anglers on Lake of the Ozarks. Darker colors like Black/Blue and Ozark Craw are working the best on overcast days and for deeper fish while the PBJ and Texas Craw colors seem to working best on sunny days and shallower bank fishing. Crock-o-Gator Ring Craw and other small cray fish looking trailers have been working the best. Success with the jig has been by dragging or slightly hopping the jig slowly on the bottom, feeling for brush and small to medium rocks The jerk bait bite is also on, the key to success for large bass is to fish the jerkbait very slow with a count down from 12-30 seconds over the top of brush, on secondary points and main lake points. Bait fish and structure of some type are key to find to catch good numbers of bass. Bass are being caught in 4'-12' of water on 30 degree to 45 degree banks with chunck rock. The Alabama Rig is always a good choice this time of the year to catch numbers and quality bass. The A-Rig and other umbrella rigs are working the best on windy days, casting the rig onto steep banks with wind either directly hitting the bank or hitting the bank at an angle. This week there were several sunny clear and calm days, the best bite these days came working the jerkbait in shade or working the jig on the bottom. This week it is possible that Ameren will begin drawing the lake down. Monitor Bassing Bob Audio Reports for updates regarding Ameren's generation plans this week. As the water begins to be drawn down, the bass should become less scattered and will start bunching up on points and secondary points as well as off 45 degree banks close to deep water. Bait fish will also begin to bunch up and be sucked out to the points and creek channels deeper in the water column. Winter fishing is on at Lake of the Ozarks, it is time to fish very slowly, watch your graph for bait fish, brush piles, ledges and structure in 8' – 15', also look for channel swings and creek channel ends and montior the dam generation report for the beginning of the winter draw down.