This Is NOT a Fishin' Report

[D.W. Verts]

Because I know where the fishing reports go. That's one reason.

The other is that I can't give a good report. Period. I've been fishing Lake of the Ozarks the last few weeks, and have brought in a total of FOUR bass in two tournaments. Yep. Ouch.

Since I'm so new to this tournament fishing thing I reckon it's to be expected. But then there's the fact that LOZ is lower than I have ever seen it this time of year. And our continuing drought has the lake very clear throughout, plus the water temps have been in the lower 70's into the upper 60's. Shallow shad are almost nonexistent. A few weeks ago they were everywhere, but they have now left the building.

So, "go deep" you say. Been there, tried that. I've fished out to over twenty-five feet of water (and that HURTS this time of year). I have had ZERO jig or creature bait bites in the last three weeks, whether shallow, or deep. None at ALL. Crankbaits (both squarebill and deeper-running baits) have been about the most consistent. I've had a very few strikes on topwaters though, which boggles the mind. My puny mind, anyway. Oh, and the swim jig is working. Sort of.

And it's hard to shoot YouTube video when you can't get bit.

Now, this struggle is not my own. In the "old farts" tourney two weeks ago I weighed in one 2-3/4 pounder for a sixth place finish. Four boats out of eleven zeroed. This past Tuesday eleven out of twenty-two boats didn't weigh any fish. So I haven't finished last anyway. You take the small wins. Thirteen pounds is a winning string of late, unless it takes nine or eleven.


Eighty to ninety degree days and warm water lead me to think of a night-time bite, but the smaller keepers I've caught are also kind of scrawny. Weird for this time of year.

Wizard chewed on me a little the other day and reminded me of where some catchable bass are. Thanks Mal.

It's all a moot deal now, anyway. The temps have dropped over twenty degrees since this mornings' high of 72. Yep, and this is the warmest it's going to be for several days. In fact, there's talk of nights in the TEENS early next week. The next tournament, another "old farts" deal, is Tuesday, with a forecasted high of 42 degrees. Yummy. And of course, I'll be there. I have the clothes. What I don't have is my MoJo, and I intend to get it back. You bet. This is a challenge that I'm enjoying, although not as much as if I was winning (or even catching strings at all).

By the way, just so you know (and to make me feel better). These Tuesday tournaments are STICK-heavy. There were five wrapped rigs in Tuesdays deal. Now that might not mean much, except that second place went to Casey Scanlon. Third went to a young man named Peydon Hibdon. I'm  not sure what Dion had, but he was there. Heck, I may have beat him.

Probably not.

So there's my fishin' report that's not a report. Not really. Because a REAL fishin' report will tell you how the bass are actually caught, and that's something I'm not getting done. Sigh.

Tuesday will be a post cold front day with million-mile high skies, winds out of the North/Northwest, and it will be in the 20's early. Maybe 42 by weigh-in time. The biggest bonus is that while this is the first major front of the season, the water temps will still be relatively warm. The surface will drop, but that shouldn't matter much. It may be a great day, and my twenty-pound bag may just blow every one away.

Yeah. Right.



Dale

[Mike Cork]

Hard to get a mojo back when the fish aren't playing... Maybe this cold snap will start things rolling. We are hitting highs of 45 all the way down here...

It's always within a day or two of Halloween... Fall bite hear we go...

Thanks for the NOT report 

[J.W.]

October can be a tough month unless the fall feed starts early. Don't feel bad, it won't be long and you'll see those shad getting corralled up and skipping on top of the water and it'll turn around.

[apenland01]

My home lake has the opposite problem, high water.  The fish have scattered.  It's been tough fishing for months now.  Hopefully, things will pick up for you!

[Donald Garner]

Dale, tks for sharing the outings with us.  This happens during this time of the year sometimes.  I was glad to hear that you managed to put a few in the boat.  That's a nice fish you're holding in that picture by the way 

[Oldfart9999]

Sorry to hear that Dale, had some late season days like that. The only thing to do is to keep chasing, eventually you'll get it figured out.
Rodney

Sent from my SM-X200 using Tapatalk

[Princeton_Man]

The bite has been tough all over and at least for the size has been down as well. Glad you're gettin' some fish on your hands!!

[Wizard]

Dale is up against some serious dudes. You gotta have huge balls to play in the same sandbox with those men. The weather change to cold, bluebird days means it's buzz bait and woodchopper time in the Ozarks.

I'm not kidding. The conditions of very warm water, a cool rain and changing barometer following a long drought, will get bass moving and feeding.

Wizard

[Bigbass201]

Peaks and valleys always seem to go with fishing.  Lakes also go through these stages.  The conditions will be good for fishing, and then you experience a drought or something that changes the equation.  California I've heard has been experiencing this for past decade.  The rains they had this past spring I'm betting are going to swing the pendulum in a big way to the positive side for that state in the next few years.  This gives you just a couple options.  Possibly go outside the normal lakes you fish to find one that is fishing a little better while your normal lakes cycle back into a better bite when the lake conditions change.  Keep plowing forward.

[D.W. Verts]

The bottom line here is, to me, that I can't catch them, no matter HOW tough it is. That's my signature, my MOVE if you will. Catching them when it's tough. Or at least it used to be my move.

We did it again yesterday, with twelve guys total in the "Old Farts" derby. The temps were 30 degrees at take off, with north- northwest winds at a constant 20-30 mph all day as the first major front of the season blew through. Tough stuff, and pretty cold.

I ain't the man I used to be.

I've got good clothes though, and the only real issue was my left hand. Sometimes it actually hurt pretty bad. It was a chilly deal.

I zeroed again. I also didn't practice Monday because I figured it might not help much. I am not complaining- I fish decent and with a good game plan. My execution was good and I never lost anything that mattered. I did scare them at the weigh-in with a 19" walleye. In the bag it looked like a four pound bass. Fun.

Two full time guides and one semi-"pro" fished yesterday (he won and a guide was second) with 12 anglers total and as usual all these guys fish here regularly. THREE keepers were brought in- two for 3.11 lbs. with the "big bass" of 2.20 pounds. That means they also had a 12" Kentucky to weigh in. Second place was one of the guides with a toad weighing 1.82. Gee wiz.

So, I'm not complaining. More zeros than heroes. Some guys never got bit and I had 'em fairly regular. I am enjoying the challenge. Mostly.

Two weeks we do it again with another "open" tourney, then one more old farts, then a final event the last of November. I simply need to spend more time on the water, not so much to "find" fish, but more to get the Mojo working again.

And Wizard, sir- I spent some time looking for the shad we talked about. The ones I found didn't have any fish around them, not even whites. Weird, huh?

And finally, speaking of weird- I caught that walleye about 1:30 yesterday, on a squarebill in a FOOT of water. It makes little sense- walleye are particularly photo-sensitive. What he was doing in that shallow water- (well, he was there eatin' baitfish for sure) it makes no sense that the bass aren't doing the same thing. Just weird.

Not giving up. Discouraged that I suck so bad, but it ain't over yet. Peace.

Dale

[Wizard]

Dale, I only have one more idea. In mid-winter and mid-summer, when the sun is at its brightest, shad may move to the large commercial docks just inside a cove. Changing climate may be changing the timing of bass movement or even the movement itself. You said the water is very clear, which is unusual for early November. Instead of moving vertically, shad may be moving horizontally to the docks to avoid the sun. The docks will still be holding biologicals for shad to feed on and bass will follow the shad. A normal shad movement moved forward in time by 6-8 weeks.
Remember when a B.A.S.S. Top 50 was won in early November, 33 degrees air temp, in the snow on a freaking BUZZ BAIT. I believe it was won by Kentucky Dan (Blankenship?).

Wizard

[D.W. Verts]

Oh I know Wiz- I won a tourney once on Dec. 3rd- 53-55 degree water temps, and all the better bass came on a buzz bait. And zero on the big docks too- just 8-10" Kentuckies so far...

That was Dan Morehead I think. Oh, the memories.

Dale

[D.W. Verts]

The bite is still very tough on LOZ. However, for the first time since I started fishing tourneys again this spring, I had a day today like I need to have. I blew some, for ignorant STUPID reasons, but did have the big bass with a five pounder.

Again, these Tuesday derbies are STACKEDS (second place today was Casey Scanlon and some dude named "James W.W. Watson"), whoever the heck that is. They did finish second, so he must be somebody.

The rest of the "pro" (Hibdons, etc.) were playing GOLF. It's am annual deal here for the big hitters.

Casey and W.W. don't play golf. They might just be okay folks after all.



Dale