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Pitch A Jig Around
Docks For Lake of the Ozarks Bass
by John Neporadny Jr.
A newcomer to the Lake of the Ozarks can
count on finding some bass residing at one particular type of shelter. "This
lake probably has more boat docks than any other lake in the country," says
professional bass angler Denny Brauer of Camdenton, MO. "On this lake, docks are
the primary cover." Since the floating
structures are so plentiful, docks attract a majority of the fish throughout
most of the year. By varying techniques from spring through fall, you can
consistently catch more bass from docks than any other
form of cover in the lake.
Pinpointing which docks to fish from the thousands dotting
the lake can be a problem for a newcomer. "It's a matter of dropping the
trolling motor and fishing down through them," says Brauer. "I usually fish down
a row of docks and if I contact bass, then a lot of times every dock in that
line is going to have some fish. " The pro angler suggests developing a pattern
by paying attention to where you catch bass and then duplicating the pattern in
other areas. For example, if you fish a row of docks and start catching bass
along the piers on secondary points, you should then concentrate strictly on
docks along secondary points.
"Naturally, certain docks are going to be more productive,
because of the amount of stuff under them or their position on structure," says
Brauer. The pro angler suggests looking for docks owned by fishermen. "There are
a lot of telltale signs that indicate that these docks are fished from and the
owner has put brush around them." Some of the signs to look for on docks include
rod holders, lights hanging over the water and fish-cleaning tables. Brauer also
considers older docks better fish-attractors because of the debris, such as
sunken boats, chairs, etc., that have accumulated under them throughout the
years.
New docks also produce bass in certain situations. "I've
caught some good fish off docks I knew hadn't been in the water for more than
two weeks," Brauer admits. "The new dock becomes the primary piece of cover for
bass to utilize because of its location or because it might be the only dock
there."
During the spring, bass seek the protected areas behind docks to spawn. "Just
find an area where you feel bass should move into spawn and key on docks in that
area," advises Brauer. The flattest gravel banks in the back of a protected cove
or pocket is the ideal spawning area for Lake of the Ozarks bass. Some fish will
spawn 1 to 4 feet deep but others in clear-water sections build their nests 7 to
8 feet deep.
The Grand Glaize, Gravois and Niangua arms warm up quicker
and produce the earliest dock-fishing action in the spring. But Brauer notices
there is only a five degree difference in the water temperature from one area to
the next, so the other sections of the lake turn on about a week later. "The
whole lake offers good fishing," says Brauer. "We are lucky that our lake
doesn't have any real bad arms." Certain sections of docks hold bass at
different times in the spring. "Fish all of the boat dock until you determine
what the fish are doing," says Brauer. Pay attention to where you catch bass to
determine if the fish are suspending next to ladders, hanging in the brush along
the side of docks or building nests under the walkways. "Once a pattern comes
together it saves you time, because you can go from one dock to the next and
fish the key part of the dock."
Pitching a jig is Brauer's favorite dock technique from
spring through fall. He favors a 3/8-ounce jig and Strike King 3X Denny Brauer
Chunk plastic trailer. In most water conditions, Brauer selects jigs in brown,
pumpkin-green or black-and-blue combination, but if the water turns dirty, he
switches to a black-and-chartreuse combination. He pitches his jigs on 20-pound
test line throughout the year. Once Brauer determines the best spot on a dock,
he pitches his jig to the target and lets it fall to the bottom. Since bass
usually relate to the lake's floor during this time, Brauer keeps his jig in
contact with the bottom while occasionally lifting and shaking his lure.
The pro angler rates summer as the best season for pitching a
jig to docks. The summer sun and heat forces bass that were relating to gravel
and rocks in the spring to move into the brush piles and shady areas underneath
the docks. "So much of the forage system is also relating to the boat docks,"
Brauer advises. "The whole food
chain is there."
The best docks to try now are those on 45-degree shorelines
or bluff-type banks of the Osage arm or at the mouths of the major tributaries.
Most of the fish will be lying in brush piles 15 to 30 feet deep. While bass
mainly feed on crayfish and shad in the spring, they have another treat swimming
around the docks in the summertime. "A tremendous amount of the forage consumed
by a bass during the summertime are sunfish or bluegills because they are
underneath those docks in great numbers," says Brauer, who selects a
pumpkin-green flake jig because this color combination best emulates bluegill
hues. He favors a 1/2-ounce jig with a rattle and a plastic crawfish trailer for
probing the deeper brush piles under the docks.
Positioning his boat in front of a dock, Brauer pitches his
lure parallel to one side of the floating structure. After allowing the lure to
sink into the brush, Brauer lets the jig sit in the cover for a while and then
shakes it. The rattling noise produced by the jig attracts the attention of any
bass lurking in the brush and eventually
triggers a strike. Keying on docks along flat banks works best in the fall.
While bass prefer the backs of coves in the springtime, their favorite shallow
docks in the fall are on main lake flats. "Massive schools of shad are moving in
on the flats as the water cools down in the fall," says Brauer. The fish that
were lying in the deep brush piles throughout the summer, rise out of the cover
and suspend under the dock's foam to ambush shad. "Swimming a jig and frog is
very effective especially in areas of the lake that are getting a lot of
pressure from spinnerbait fishermen," says Brauer, who uses a 1/4- to 3/8-ounce
jig and plastic chunk in autumn.
Moving his boat to the front of a dock, Brauer pitches a
couple of feet past the back corner of the pier and swims the lure along the
foam. "I try to keep it within a foot below the foam as I work it back," he
advises, The pro angler notices he gets several strikes near the end of the
dock,. He believes bass follow the lure and when
it clears the end of the foam, the fish sense its prey is escaping and pounce on
the bait.
The technique may vary slightly throughout the seasons, but
pitching a jig to docks consistently catches bass at the Lake of the Ozarks.
For information on lodging and other
facilities at the Lake of the Ozarks or to receive a free 152-page 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.
[ Up ] [ Lake of the Ozarks’ Tournament Strategies Part 2 ] [ Winter's Best Bass Fishing at Lake of the Ozarks ] [ Prespawn/Spawn Tricks for Lake of the Ozarks Crappie ] [ Go With The Flow For Spawning Lake of the Ozarks White Bass ] [ Pitch A Jig Around Docks For Lake of the Ozarks Bass ] [ Lake of the Ozarks Ideal For Vacations And Bass Fishing ] [ Dog Days Lake of the Ozarks Crappie Fishing ] [ Lake of the Ozarks Bassin’ . . . Away From The Crowds ] [ Falling for Lake of the Ozarks Crappie ] [ Lake of the Ozarks Docks Are Bass Magnets In the Fall ] [ Gravois Creeks Turn On In Late Fall ] [ Bass Fishing on Lake of the Ozarks’ North Shore ]
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