Outdoor Revelations
March Bass at Lake of the Ozarks
Bill Cooper for 3/16/16
Three time Bassmaster Classic qualifier Chad Brauer, from Camdenton, looked forward to a day of bass fishing after a long week of teaching school.
A 65-degree, blustery day welcomed Brauer and his son Colby as they launched their Legend SS boat at the Larry R. Gale access on the Niangua arm of Lake of the Ozarks.
Brauer had fished the Glaize arm of the lake the previous day without much success. “The water was very dirty,” Brauer said. “Visibility was abut 6-inches deep and fishing was very slow. We really had to work hard for the few bass we caught.”
Brauer grew up on Lake of the Ozarks fishing under the tutelage of his father, Denny Brauer, one of the most successful pro bass fishermen of all time.
“I definitely wanted to fish clearer water on Sunday,” Brauer stated. The Niangua area of the lake provided what I was looking for.”
I followed the Brauers in my boat in order to film for an episode of “Outside gain Adventures TV - Online.”
The Brauer duo headed straight for boat docks, the proverbial hiding places of untold numbers of lake of the Ozarks bass. Chad tossed a favorite jig, while Colby rigged a Shaky Head worm. Chad laughed at Colby’s choice of baits.
Colby ‘s bass fishing experience is considerable as well. He is a member of the Mizzou Collegiate Fishing Team and looked forward to a productive day on the water.
“I chose a Shaky Head worm, because I know I can catch fish on it,” the younger Brauer said. “They may not be the biggest bass in the lake, but I will catch fish.”
Colby had fished several days over the last month with very little success. “The bite has been tough,” he explained. “I simply need to catch some fish to raise my confidence level. I have a tournament next weekend on Kentucky Lake. I like to approach a tournament with a little success behind me.”
Within minutes of approaching a boat dock, Colby leaned back hard on his rod. he had managed to entice the first strike of the day. He missed the hookup.
Chad stepped on the trolling motor control and eased the sleek Legend SS around the corner of the boat dock. Along, sloping, rocky bank stretched out for 50 yards or more.
“This time of year, dark rock banks like this is what you want to look for,” Chad said. “The days are gradually getting longer and these dark rocks soak up the heat of the sun. The rocks transfer heat into the water and a couple of degrees difference in water temperature is all it takes for bass to seek the area out.”
The elder Brauer had no more completed his explanation when he and Colby simultaneously set their hooks hard on fish. Colby swung a chunky 14-incher into the boat. The arc in Chad’s rod indicated he had something much bigger on the business end of his line.
Colby lipped his dad’s fish and swung it into the boat. “Now, that’s a good early spring bass,” Chad chuckled.
He went directly into another bass fishing tip. “When fishing with a partner, it is wise to fish different lures,” Chad explained. “A fish may pass on my jig and then nab Colby’s Shaky Head right behind me. You never know on any given day what the fish will want.”
“This is a solid four and a half pound bass,” Brauer said. “ I love tho catch these guys on tournament days. They help insure a check for sure.”
Chad moved on down the bank to the next boat dock. With a couple of fish in the boat already, the Brauers fished with obvious anticipation.
I heard the swish of a rod as Colby whipped his rod hard once again. “He had it in his mouth,” he said. As so often happens, the fish had spit the worm a milli-second prior to the hook set attempt.
On his first cast along the next boat dock, Colby nailed another small bass. He repeated the process a couple more ties over the next 15 minutes.
“That tis exactly why I don’t like using a Shaky Head worm,” Chad stated. “You can catch lots of bass on them, but they tend to be small. I have caught thousands of those in my lifetime and I prefer to catch larger fish. That’s why I stick to my jig.”
Chad pulled up the trolling motor and prepared to make a move. “I want to move about half way back into the cove to see if fish have moved towards the backs of the coves yet,” he said. “They should be starting to move in preparation for the upcoming spawn.”
“I like the looks of this area,” Chad explained. “There is a bluff line just outside the cove. As you enter the cove, the water begins to get more shallow as you move towards the back of the cove. Bass cruise these cove shorelines looking for little pockets or indentations to use as spawning beds. It’s just like a highway from the deep winter bluffs to the backs of the coves.”
Seventy-five yards down the cove shoreline, Chad set the hook on a hefty three pounder.
Chad’s explanation proved right on as he moved from one cove to another to search for bass. “They have started the move, but don’t appear to be here in large numbers yet. But, fishing will only get better over the next few weeks as water temperatures rise and the fish move to the far backs of these coves to spawn.”
“That is when the real fun begins,” Brauer explained. “There is nothing quite like sight fishing for the big females sitting on the nest. It’s all coming very soon.”
Chad Brauer is a pro-staffer for Cowtown USA and Legend SS boats in Cuba. His fishing excursions may be viewed on www.Facebook.com/CowtownUSAinc and www.Facebook.com/Outsidealways.
Outdoor Revelations
March Bass at Lake of the Ozarks
Bill Cooper for 3/16/16
Three time Bassmaster Classic qualifier Chad Brauer, from Camdenton, looked forward to a day of bass fishing after a long week of teaching school.
A 65-degree, blustery day welcomed Brauer and his son Colby as they launched their Legend SS boat at the Larry R. Gale access on the Niangua arm of Lake of the Ozarks.
Brauer had fished the Glaize arm of the lake the previous day without much success. “The water was very dirty,” Brauer said. “Visibility was abut 6-inches deep and fishing was very slow. We really had to work hard for the few bass we caught.”
Brauer grew up on Lake of the Ozarks fishing under the tutelage of his father, Denny Brauer, one of the most successful pro bass fishermen of all time.
“I definitely wanted to fish clearer water on Sunday,” Brauer stated. The Niangua area of the lake provided what I was looking for.”
I followed the Brauers in my boat in order to film for an episode of “Outside gain Adventures TV - Online.”
The Brauer duo headed straight for boat docks, the proverbial hiding places of untold numbers of lake of the Ozarks bass. Chad tossed a favorite jig, while Colby rigged a Shaky Head worm. Chad laughed at Colby’s choice of baits.
Colby ‘s bass fishing experience is considerable as well. He is a member of the Mizzou Collegiate Fishing Team and looked forward to a productive day on the water.
“I chose a Shaky Head worm, because I know I can catch fish on it,” the younger Brauer said. “They may not be the biggest bass in the lake, but I will catch fish.”
Colby had fished several days over the last month with very little success. “The bite has been tough,” he explained. “I simply need to catch some fish to raise my confidence level. I have a tournament next weekend on Kentucky Lake. I like to approach a tournament with a little success behind me.”
Within minutes of approaching a boat dock, Colby leaned back hard on his rod. he had managed to entice the first strike of the day. He missed the hookup.
Chad stepped on the trolling motor control and eased the sleek Legend SS around the corner of the boat dock. Along, sloping, rocky bank stretched out for 50 yards or more.
“This time of year, dark rock banks like this is what you want to look for,” Chad said. “The days are gradually getting longer and these dark rocks soak up the heat of the sun. The rocks transfer heat into the water and a couple of degrees difference in water temperature is all it takes for bass to seek the area out.”
The elder Brauer had no more completed his explanation when he and Colby simultaneously set their hooks hard on fish. Colby swung a chunky 14-incher into the boat. The arc in Chad’s rod indicated he had something much bigger on the business end of his line.
Colby lipped his dad’s fish and swung it into the boat. “Now, that’s a good early spring bass,” Chad chuckled.
He went directly into another bass fishing tip. “When fishing with a partner, it is wise to fish different lures,” Chad explained. “A fish may pass on my jig and then nab Colby’s Shaky Head right behind me. You never know on any given day what the fish will want.”
“This is a solid four and a half pound bass,” Brauer said. “ I love tho catch these guys on tournament days. They help insure a check for sure.”
Chad moved on down the bank to the next boat dock. With a couple of fish in the boat already, the Brauers fished with obvious anticipation.
I heard the swish of a rod as Colby whipped his rod hard once again. “He had it in his mouth,” he said. As so often happens, the fish had spit the worm a milli-second prior to the hook set attempt.
On his first cast along the next boat dock, Colby nailed another small bass. He repeated the process a couple more ties over the next 15 minutes.
“That tis exactly why I don’t like using a Shaky Head worm,” Chad stated. “You can catch lots of bass on them, but they tend to be small. I have caught thousands of those in my lifetime and I prefer to catch larger fish. That’s why I stick to my jig.”
Chad pulled up the trolling motor and prepared to make a move. “I want to move about half way back into the cove to see if fish have moved towards the backs of the coves yet,” he said. “They should be starting to move in preparation for the upcoming spawn.”
“I like the looks of this area,” Chad explained. “There is a bluff line just outside the cove. As you enter the cove, the water begins to get more shallow as you move towards the back of the cove. Bass cruise these cove shorelines looking for little pockets or indentations to use as spawning beds. It’s just like a highway from the deep winter bluffs to the backs of the coves.”
Seventy-five yards down the cove shoreline, Chad set the hook on a hefty three pounder.
Chad’s explanation proved right on as he moved from one cove to another to search for bass. “They have started the move, but don’t appear to be here in large numbers yet. But, fishing will only get better over the next few weeks as water temperatures rise and the fish move to the far backs of these coves to spawn.”
“That is when the real fun begins,” Brauer explained. “There is nothing quite like sight fishing for the big females sitting on the nest. It’s all coming very soon.”
Chad Brauer is a pro-staffer for Cowtown USA and Legend SS boats in Cuba. His fishing excursions may be viewed on www.Facebook.com/CowtownUSAinc and www.Facebook.com/Outsidealways.
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