| The BaitWrx Big Bass Bash returns to Lake Of The Ozarks October 5-6 with over $325,000 worth of payouts up for grabs. Bassmaster EQ angler Mike McClelland has won his fair share of money on LOZ and has offered up a detailed breakdown on how he thinks this event could play out. Bass at Lake Of The Ozarks likely will be transitioning into their fall patterns during the event and will be looking for the baitfish to put on the feedbag. Depending on which section of the lake you are planning on fishing will dictate the approach you might choose, and McClelland has an answer for every inch of Lake Of The Ozarks. “October at Lake Of The Ozarks can be a fun time to fish and catch a lot of numbers, but in this event anglers will need to tailor their techniques for those bigger bites. I believe the winning fish can come from anywhere on the lake, however if I was fishing this event I would be on the hunt for the big gizzard shad and the areas they are currently utilizing.” said McClelland.
McClelland breaks Lake Of The Ozarks down into 3 sections, all of which can be extremely productive.
Lower End = Expect there to be the cleanest water on the lake and this is definitely where some of the biggest bass tend to live. If you get some cloudy, windy conditions during the event this end of the lake could be a major player. Typically you aren’t going to get as many bites in this area from my experience, but they are usually the right ones.
Mid Lake Area (Hurricane Deck Bridge To The Toll Bridge) = Expect the water to definitely have more color in this area of the lake. The Grand Glaze arm has the majority of release fish from local tournaments and usually produces a better average. This section is probably as good of section of the lake as any other and offers a great variety of opportunities and cover.
Upper Section (Hurricane Deck Bridge And Up) = This section is always the wildcard in my opinion. The water color should allow you to fish shallower than in any other section of the lake, and there is an abundance of cover to target. This area can be one of the better sections to target boat docks in the fall as well.
Baits and Techniques:
“In an event like the Big Bass Bash I am going to lean towards power fishing, however finesse tactics could play, especially if the conditions are tough.” McClelland continued. “Topwater offerings are certainly going to be on the deck when I fish LOZ in the fall. A few of my top choices would be a Big Bite Baits Tour Buzz Toad, SPRO Walking Haint, and some style of plopper bait all fished on Sunline 60lb AMZ braided line.” If the topwater bite isn’t the ticket then McClelland is leaning towards two particular baits to target the lower half of the water column. “I’m a big fan of the Gamakatsu Hybrid Swing Head in the fall. I will rig a Big Bite Baits Magnum Finesse Worm, Battle Bug or Kamakaze Craw on my Gamakatsu Hybrid Worm Hook and use this setup to target rock transition areas throughout the lake. Of course you can never go wrong with a jig on Lake Of The Ozarks, so you will definitely want a few different styles ready to go. I’ve been having success on the new SPRO CJ Swim Jig in shad and bream patterns, and would utilize that to target laydowns and boat docks in search of that bigger bite.” said McClelland. “Finally I would have a big SPRO Chad Shad swimbait tied on with 25lb Sunline Shooter. Grand Shad or Bone would be great colors in that bait depending on whether it was sunny or cloudy.” McClelland concluded. |
