Missouri Angler Wednesday Night Tournament 7/27

Thirty-Five teams were met with 103 degree temperatures at the Missouri Angler Wednesday Night Tournament take-off. The only thing that made conditions halfway pleasant was the 10-15 mile an hour breeze, however, if you fished between docks it was like walking into a sauna.  The surface water temperature depending on the area fished ranged between 90 to 94  degrees.

Fishing has slowed down considerably the last couple of weeks since the high temperatures moved in the mid-west and lack of generation by Ameren.  According to most of the anglers, the keeper bass they caught were in brush and were caught on a variety of baits, i.e. plastics, jigs and deep diving crank baits. 

As you can see by the weights brought to the scales fishing is tough, especially for a 3 1/2 hour tournament. 

There were only six bass weighing 4 pounds or better.   Big bass of the night weighed 4.56 pounds and was caught by the team of T.J. Farris and Mike Delmotte.

Free entry for next week tournament was drawn by the team of Dan Bowman and Dirk Sluyter.  Thanks Dirk for saving several bass during weigh-in!

1st Place    Scott Sr. and Scott Jr. Danek          5 Fish      16.85 lbs.
2nd Place   Shawn Kowal and  Mike Hill         5 Fish      15.70 lbs.
3rd Place   Terry Blankenship & Ron Clement   5 Fish    14.53 lbs.
4th Place   Larry McGuire & Steve Swinehart    5 Fish     14.36 lbs.
5th Place   Mitchell Humleck & Pete Bellington   5 Fish   12.31 lbs.

Fishing Report 7/28

The lake level was 659.3 (660 is normal pool level); with minimum generation scheduled the lake should hold there through the weekend. Truman Lake is 1 foot above normal pool. Surface temperature at Bagnell Dam is 90 degrees with upstream temperatures of 88 to 92 degrees depending on location and time of day. A thermocline is setting up 22 to 30 feet deep throughout most of the lake. 

Missouri Angler Wednesday Night Tournament 7/20

Despite the blistering heat and high humidity, thirty-six teams launched out of PB #2 at 6:30 P.M. for the Missouri Angler Wednesday Night Tournament. There is no doubt the "dog days of summer" are here and the bite confirms it. Although the tournament is only 3 1/2 hours most of the anglers reported they had six or eight bites with one or two keeper bass, some anglers had none. There were, however, six teams that brought a five fish limit to the scales.

There were only four bass weighing 4 pounds or better. One weighing 5.59 pounds and one unit tipping the scales at 6.69 pounds for big bass of the tournament caught by the team of Kenny Hunt and Rich Duncan.

The bite continues to be plastics, jigs and deep diving crankbaits worked in or near brush piles.

Free entry for next week's Missouri Angler Wednesday Night Tournament was drawn by the team of Ed Fisher and Don Franks.

1st. Jeff Green & Ed Bick 5 Bass 14.70 lbs.
2nd. Tery Blankenship & Ron Clement 5 Bass 14.52 lbs.
3rd. Shawn Kowal & Mike Hill 5 Bass 14.27 lbs.
4th. Gary Shultz & Scott Melton 5 Bass 13.56 lbs.
5th. Rick Butler & Bruce Lowrance 5 Bass 13.17 lbs.

Fishing Report 7/21

The lake level was 659.6 (660 is normal pool level); with light to medium generation scheduled, the lake should drop to 659.3 by the weekend. Truman Lake is 1 1/2 feet below normal pool. Surface temperature at Bagnell Dam is 86 degrees with upstream temperatures of 85 to 90 degrees depending on location and time of day. A thermocline is setting up 22 to 30 feet deep throughout most of the lake.

BLACK BASS – It took 16.03 pounds to win a recent Wednesday night tourney, Big Bass was 4.88 pounds. Most anglers thought the bite was slow. Best bite is at night and before 9:30 a.m. Lower Osage: Fair on Bullseye jigs and Texas-rigged 10-inch Berkley Power Worms fished around brush. For keeper Kentucky bass, try live crayfish along sea walls and bridge pilings. Glaize Arm: Good on jigs and Norman’s DD22 crankbaits around brush. Try Heddon’s Zara Spooks or buzzbaits early and late. Mid-Lake: Good on crayfish or green pumpkin jigs tipped with Bass Pro Shops’ Speed-O-Craw, also try shad colored crankbaits like Storm’s Wiggle Wart and Norman’s Deep Little N at night. Niangua Arm: Good with red shad or blue-flake Power Worms or HAVOC Craw Fatty fished around brush. Also try vertical jigging with nickel or white Dixie Spoons on points and around marina docks. Gravois Arm: Good on Bullseye jigs and Power Worms. Upper Osage: Good around brush, try jigs and red shad colored Power Worms. Osage 60 MM: Fair, fish are holding around shallow brush, try red shad or blue flake 10-inch Power Worms or other soft plastics in watermelon or similar colors.

CATFISH – The hottest bite on the lake again this year. Bagnell Tailwater: Very good, try cut bait or Sonny’s prepared bait. Lower Osage: Very good on juglines and trotlines baited with traditional catfish baits. Glaize Arm: Very good on nightcrawlers, bluegill or hot dogs (off docks) Also try juglines. Mid-Lake: Very good, try drifting with live shad. Niangua Arm: Excellent off docks in coves with nightcrawlers, cut bait and chicken livers. Also try juglines in 15 to 25 feet of water. Little Niangua River: Very good on all traditional catfish baits. Gravois Arm: Good drifting with chicken livers. Upper Osage: Good on cut shad or shrimp. Osage 60 MM: Excellent on most prepared baits. Truman Tailwater: Fair on cut shad.

CRAPPIE – Bagnell Tailwater: Poor. Lower Osage: Fair, try minnows or jigs 12 to 15-feet deep. Glaize Arm: Fish are suspended; try jigs with blue and white or chartreuse. Mid-Lake: Fair, fish are 12 to 14 feet deep in front of docks. Niangua Arm: Fair on small crankbaits or Blakemore Road Runners fished in front of docks or suspended just off of flats and points. Gravois Arm: Fair on minnows or Road Runners fished 10 to 12 feet deep. Upper Osage: Fair with minnows tipped with Berkley Crappie Nibbles. Osage 60 MM: Poor to fair on tube jigs with some red color fished around dusk. Truman Tailwater: Fair on minnows or Slab Hunter jigs.

WALLEYE – Bagnell Tailwater: Some fish are being caught on Berkley’s Big Gulp Leeches. Glaize Arm: No report, anglers should try glow-in-the-dark jigs tipped with minnows. Mid-Lake: Fair to good, fish are scattered. Try nightcrawlers, leeches or chartreuse colored Cordell Wally Divers or Storm’s pearl white Thunder Crank. Niangua Arm: Fair to poor, try trolling flats and points at night with Norman’s Deep Little N or Cordell’s Wally Diver. Also try vertical jigging points near the old river channel.

WHITE AND HYBRID BASS – Bagnell Tailwater: Very good for hybrids on Worden’s white Rooster Tails. Lower Osage: Fair to good for hybrids on points. Glaize Arm: Good on white jigs fished 12 to 14 inches behind a topwater popper. Mid-Lake: Fair, try trolling points and flats with small crankbaits or 1/4-ounce Road Runners. Gravois Arm: Very good on points and creek mouths, try Road Runners, Rooster Tails or Dixie Jet Spoons. Osage 60 MM: Fair to good on windy points, try trolling with white Rooster Tails. Truman Tailwater: Fair on white bass using Worden’s Rooster Tails, Slab Hunters and Rebel Wee-R’s.

BLUEGILL – Bagnell Tailwater: Excellent for big ‘gills on nightcrawler pieces or wax worms. Lakewide: Try around docks with worm pieces or Berkley’s Gulp Crickets or Nightcrawler pieces.

Compiled by Darrell Taylor

Missouri Angler Wednesday Night Tournament 7/13

Hot weather and hot water temperatures equals one thing for certain, tough fishing and that's what the thirty-four teams experienced last night fishing the Missouri Angler Wednesday Night Tournament.  The bite has slowed down the last couple of weeks since the 90 to 100 degree weather moved in the lake area. 

According to some of the anglers their keepers came out of brush piles and others said brush was not a factor.  Some of the anglers believe the bass are spread out because catching more than two keepers out of one brush pile or off some type of structure is rare, however, the better bite continues to be plastic baits, jigs and deep diving crank baits.

Big bass of the tournament weighed 4.88 pounds and was caught by the team of Rick Butler and Bruce Lowrance.  There were only seven bass 4 pounds or better brought to the scales.  None over 5 pounds.    

Free entry for next week's Missouri Angler Wednesday Night Tournament was drawn by Brad Rozier and Shane Landis.

1st.    Roger Cook  Scott Snelling               4 Bass   16.03 lbs.
2nd.   Terry Blankenship & Ron Clement   5 Bass   15.66 lbs.
3rd.    Kenny Hunt & Rich Duncan             5 Bass   14.63 lbs.
4th.    Donnie Snelling & Dave Wolf          5 Bass   14.45 lbs.

Missouri Angler Wednesday Night Tournament 7/6

Another tough bite for the 39 teams fishing the Missouri Angler Wednesday Night Tournament on Lake of the Ozarks.  The bite was slow just like last Wednesay, but there were several solid 3 to 5 pound bass brought to the scales, just not many limits.  There were only ten, 5 fish limits weighed.

Although the lake has been on a slow rise, Ameren-UE continues to generate, which seems to have kept the bass spread out and not in the brush piles like they should be this time of the year.  These conditions, however, could change over night.  

Most of the anglers said they caught their keeper bass on plastics and deep diving crankbaits from ten to twenty feet.

Free entry for next week's Missouri Angler Wednesday Night Tournament was drawn by Kenny Hunt and Rich Duncan.
1st.    Marcus Sykora & Chuck Knight       5 Bass   17.64 lbs.
2nd.   Terry Blankenship & Ron Clement   5 Bass   16.54 lbs.
3rd.   Marty "Ski" & Al Rudolph                 5 Bass   15.13 lbs.
4th.   Jeff Beachamp & Pug Bledsoe           5 Bass   14.94 lbs.
5th.   Donnie Snelling & Dave Wolf           5 Bass   14.37 lbs.

Big Bass of the tournament weighed in at 5.91 pounds and was caught by the team of Marcus Sykora and Chuck Knight.

Lake Level for 7/7/2011

Lake Level                                          659.8

Water Temp                                       85°

Osage River                                        555.6  

Truman Lake                                      705.1

Fishing report for july 2,2011

Bass;  Starting to catch bass on main lake points, look for the deeper points and do not forget to fish around on the inside of these points. The main tool you should start with is a 10" Berkley power worm (day light  plum and red shad and for night, junebug and bluefleck). If that does not work, try a Crock-o-Gator jig, green pumpkin in color.
When it gets real dark at night put on a 3/4 oz Black single spin spinner bait, add black grub or 7" black blue" power worm with a stinger hook in it. I throw this on a 7' flipping stick. Throw this setup on flat main lake points.

Crappie; 
Around the 5-7 bridge in the Niangua arm, a friend of mine caught three limits on minnows in about two hours. He also said that the big fish was 14 " and all the rest were around 10-11". Not bad for first of July. Now for the Glaze arm of the lake, 16 to18' deep over brush with minnows.    Good luck and have a safe 4th of July.
                                                                                                        Bill Cassidy Owner OBBT.

Missouri Angler Wednesday Night Tournament 6/29

The bite has slowed down considerably since last weekend.  The 51 teams fishing the Missouri Angler

Wednesday Night Tournament all commented about the slow bite, especially the four to five pound bite.  Out of 102 very good anglers there were only six bass 4 pounds or better weighed, which confirms the anglers comments that the bite was super slow. 

Big bass of the tournament weighed in at 5.39 pounds and was caught by the team of Kenny Hunt and Rich Duncan.  This was the only 5 pounder brought to the scales.

According to some anglers, their keeper bass came on jigs, plastics and deep diving crankbaits 8 to 15 feet.

Free entry for next weeks Missouri Angler Wednesday Night Tournament was drawn by the team of Jeff Green and Ed Bick.

1st.    Marty "Ski" & Steve Ruff                     5 Bass   17.89 lbs.
2nd.   Mitchell Hombeck & Pete Bellington   5 Bass   15.68 lbs.
3rd.   Marcus Sykora & Chuck Knight            5 Bass   15.55 lbs.
4th.   Kenny Hunt & Rich Duncan                   5 Bass   15.49 lbs.
5th.   Rick Zeigenbeim & Joe Gan                   5 Bass   14.89 lbs.
6th.   Terry Blankenship & Ron Clement        5 Bass   14.80 lbs.
7th.   Tom Klein & Dennis Pace                      5 Bass   14.23 lbs.