Big Bass Bite Is On!

The Big Bass Bite is On Bill Cooper 4/5/16 As water temperatures warm in early spring, largemouth bass begin to make a move towards shallow water areas to spawn. The spawn offers anglers one of their best opportunities of the year to catch a really big bass. That time has arrived. The big bass bite is on. A few big bass have been caught over the last few weeks, but last week kicked the bite into high gear. Alhonna Resort and Marina, at Lake Ozark mile marker 8, held a tournament over the weekend The big bass weighed in at 7.88 pounds. I was on the lake with Chad Brauer two weeks ago and he found several bass in the 4-to-6 pound range half back in the coves. Water temperatures had climbed enough that the annual migration for the spawn had begun. Last Thursday I met Cowtown USA pro staffer John Hewkin, from Sullivan, at public beach #2 on Lake of the Ozarks to film as he pre-fished in preparation fro an upcoming tournament. John began his bass search for big largemouths half way back in the coves, as that had been the location of the bruisers for several days. He quickly became worried when he failed to turn a strike on his War Eagle spinner bait coupled with a white Strike King trailer with the two tails dyed chartreuse. John hit every corner of each boat dock he encountered, plus rocky banks in between the docks without a single strike over a period of an hour. Rather than beat a dead horse, Hewkin made a move. Water temperatures had cooled over several days. Hewkin’s experience told him that the fish had more than likely moved back out to deeper water. John quickly brought his Ranger 521 up on plane and arrived within minutes at a main lake point being pounded by strong wind and waves. “Hopefully we will find a big one here,” he said. Less than a dozen casts later, Hewkin leaned back hard on his rod. He’d struck gold. “Oooh, my gosh,” he quipped. “This is a really big fish. Look at that,” he barked as a broad, dark fish rolled on the surface. ‘It’s a monster.” Monster indeed. John beamed as he discovered just how big the sow weighed, 8.4 pounds. “That is the biggest bass I have ever caught in a tournament or tournament pre-fish day,” he said. John allowed me to take a couple of quick photos and gently returned the big momma bass to the lake so that she could complete the annual spawning cycle that Mother Nature had set into motion. “She’s been busy,” John said. “The whole underneath potion of her tail had been worn off from fanning a nest location.” Hewkin mumbled about his big catch as he trolled on down the bank. I’d like to find her again during the tournament. Wonder if I’ll find more like that one?” He answered his own question a few minutes later. Another big female inhaled the big chartreuse spinnerbait. John had discovered a pattern. That one went perhaps four pounds. I oohed and awed at the brilliant purple colors of a clump of redbud trees that dotted ten banks of a small cove we were about to enter. True to the emerging pattern John had discovered, he whipped his rod backwards again, setting the hook on another, obviously big bass. “It’s another monster,” Hewkin yelled to me as I filmed the entire battle from the rocky bank. A broad shouldered bass rolled up next to John’s Ranger boat. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts to lip the thrashing fish, John connected and swung the hefty bass aboard. “Woo-whoooo,” he yelled in triumph. Euphoria had set in. Every bass angler dreams or such days on the water. John released the six pound brute and quickly continued the search for the next fish. Near the back of a small cove, off the main lake, he connected with another fish, this one a bit smaller. The three pound largemouth carried a large crappie jig in the corner of it’s mouth. John chucked at the fact that a crappie fish more than likely suspicioned they had lost a monster crappie. He quickly removed both his spinnerbait and the crappie jig from the fish and returned it to the lake. The sun began to peak from behind the clouds and soon brightened the otherwise overcast sky. Almost immediately the big fish bite slowed as quickly as it had begun. “The big girls are probably moving deeper or to cover to get out of the light,” John explained. His next few fish were small males. “These little guys are encouraging, too,” he said. “The males are moving up shallow too, to get ready for the spawn and to guard the nests. Fishing should only get better over the next few weeks” John rounded out the day with thanks to his sponsors and supporters, Cowtown USA, Lew’s Reels and Pitt’s Fishing. Anglers may pick up further bass fishing tips from John Hewkin by checking www.Facebook.com/cowtownUSAinc, or www.Facebook.com/Outsidealways.