Photo by Steve Chaconas

Missouri has bass lakes and streams that rival any state in the union -- that's what guides at Lake of the Ozarks and Truman Lake say. Both lakes are in the same river system. And therein lies the key to the great bass fishing.

The two lakes are quite different. Lake of the Ozarks, the oldest, was built in the 1930s to supply electricity to central Missouri. Development around the lake has produced one of the most popular tourist areas in Missouri. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Truman Lake in the 1980s for flood control and electricity. It limited development to select areas, creating a great fishing lake with limited recreational boating.

To learn more about bass fishing on the two lakes, I interviewed guides from each lake.

LAKE OF THE OZARKS
Keith Enlow is an easygoing individual who's spent a lifetime guiding anglers on Lake of the Ozarks. I asked him where he would recommend that anglers fish during the spring spawn, post-spawn, and summer doldrums.

"I like (the) midlake area," said Enlow after a moment's thought. "The midlake runs from about mile 10 to the mile 33. It seems like that is the most productive area."

Enlow recommends that anglers access the lake from PB-2 in the state park or at Shawnee Bend access near mile 10. These accesses provide anglers quick access to the midlake area.

During the spawn, he recommends, fish the backs of coves with pea-gravel bottoms. "Most bass during the spawn are in the backs of the coves on pea-gravel flats. If it should be a late spawn, you can find bass in the transition zone between the pea gravel and tennis-ball-size rocks." Enlow has a certain set of lures he uses during the spawn. "Right now," he offered, "I use nothing but a Chompers Hula grub fished on an 1/8-ounce grubhead or a 4- or 6-inch Zoom Lizard. I like the colors in root beer green, watermelon red, or just plan watermelon. I throw Chompers and lizards religiously, because I catch so many fish on them."

I also talked to Enlow about where he fishes for post spawn bass. "When females finish, they head out to the main lake, stopping on the first large main-lake point, where they really go to feeding," he said. "During this period I like Norman's crankbaits. I use what they call a canary color -- blue and chartreuse with a white belly -- or Norman's pearl and purple, whitish with a pearl tinge. They'll run about 12 feet deep. I like to rake them on the rocks. If I want to go to something with more finesse, I'll go with Chompers.

"Once males get off the nests and leave off guarding fry, I look to the main-lake points -- the deeper main lake points. There I'll jump up to a 7- or 10-inch Berkley Power worm. I like the blue flake, plum worm. In June, there is no mistaking the post-spawn bite. Bass will take the worm and just thump the rod. I mean -- they are hungry."