Evers runs patterns at Lake of the Ozarks
By John Neporadny Jr.

Twelve-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier Edwin Evers has fished five B.A.S.S. tournaments at Lake of the Ozarks so he is familiar with the lake. 

Despite his history on the lake that includes a ninth-place finish in the 1999 Bassmaster Central Invitational, Evers would still do some research on Lake of the Ozarks by surfing the web.  When researching a lake, Evers visits websites in search of tournament results, fishing reports, charts on water temperatures and lake levels and general information on seasonal patterns. 

A website gives Evers a good starting point when he tries to put together patterns on the vast waters of Lake of the Ozarks.  “It is a big lake,” he says. “It is just a lake that I can run a pattern on. It is not a lake where you can sit on one spot all day and win. You can run a pattern and to me those are my favorite lakes.”  Since the lake is so large, Evers notices no one is usually in front of him running the same pattern. 

 “The diversity of the lake is another really awesome thing,” he says. “It has the lower end with boat docks from one end to the other, but then you have the river and creeks and there is clear water that comes in and you can also find stained water. You can pretty much find whatever you want to find on that lake.” 

The Oklahoma pro has caught bass on Lake of the Ozarks flipping jigs along bluffs in the early spring, but he has been most successful running up the Osage River arm and fishing shallow docks in the fall. When the water temperature drops into the 60s, Evers throws a square-bill crankbait or a War Eagle spinnerbait down the sides of the shallow docks.  He has also done well swimming a jig along the docks. 

Finding out how far back in the pockets the bass have moved to and where the fish are positioning on the docks are the keys to success for Evers during autumn. “When I am practicing I will start at the mouth (of the pockets) and work all the way around that,” he says.  “I will do that for two or three coves until I find something that is similar. When I start figuring out where they are in that pocket then I have my pattern established. “ 

Unseasonably warm temperatures for early November made for tough fishing during the 1999 Missouri Central Invitational on Lake of the Ozarks as Randy Jackson won the three-day event with only 34 pounds, 13 ounces. Evers had 25 pounds to finish ninth and caught most of his fish burning a square-bill crankbait around isolated docks 1 to 5 feet deep.  He recalls catching multiple keepers on some of the isolated docks. 

For information on lodging and other facilities at the Lake of the Ozarks or to receive a free vacation guide, call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-FUN-LAKE or visit the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitors Bureau web site at funlake.com. 

Copies of John Neporadny's book, "THE Lake of the Ozarks Fishing Guide" are available by calling 573/365-4296 or visiting the web site www.jnoutdoors.com.

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