New Post for 2022!

 Another new season here on Lake of the Ozarks. I started working in the fishing business in 97, that's been a while ago now. Crazy how things have changed and how expensive things are now. Used to be just a simple jon boat and I was happy. It's cool though, these new baits and electronics are really helpful. Covid has brought a lot more people into the sport. A lot of people are looking to get out of town and get outdoors. I've spent a bunch of time on the water already this year (and a good chunk of time up a tree stand this past fall!). My busy season starts here in about a month and goes through November.  Crappie fishing is usually good this time of year but this year is going to be a whole new level. We must have had a really good spawn a couple years ago and the lake's population of crappie has just blown up. Bass numbers seem up also but that same year class needs another year before they qualify to be considered a keeper (15 inches). Lots of changes aroung the lake too. Lot more new homes and condos being built because you know, we don't have enough already. I really am concerned in 20 years we won't have any shore line to fish anymore with out docks. I fish a lot more off shore than I used to. With the forward facing sonar like Livescope it really makes it easier. More quality bass and more schools of crappie. We have always had a lot of off shore rock piles, drop offs, and man made brushpiles. Now we can see them easier. Not sure what's going to happen with Margaritaville (TanTarA). The boat ramp sold to a private group and it's being turned into a RV park. So what that means for my guide customers is I might be using the boat ramp at the State Park (pb2) or by Bagnel dam even more often. I will start using the boat ramp in Linn Creek more often too. I really stopped taking 3 person trips a couple years ago mostly because of Covid but also because so many of my customers are not experienced in fishing Lake of the Ozarks. The docks and rocks here get a lot of snags and people just aren't used to fishing those. Bass boats are really set up for fishing for 2 people so I usually just take 2 people. I fish some of the time, some times I don't. I've thought about buying a walleye boat or something but you just can't get behind the docks like you can with a bass boat. I'm really bad about updating this website for fishing reports, most of my reports are eaten up by Bob, with BassingBob.com. I've known Bob for probably 10 years now and if you are not a member of BassingBob.com you're really missing out on a lot of good fishing information. March 1,2, and 3 will be the Toyota Series tournament again. That's the biggest tournament of the year and last year I was fortunate a to win over $11,000 at that event! I'd love to have another good event to start off the year again. Anyways my contact info is jack@fishinglakeoftheozarks.com or 573 434 2570. Email me or text me with some dates you are looking to get on the water and I'll get back to you. March, April are busy, June, July, August are busy. I run a lot of trips and most of my trips are short 4 hour trips so a lot of times I can work you in after my first trip of later that day. Just call and find out, I'm flexible. Main thing is you'll need is a fishing permit and appropriate clothing. I have everything else. 

Lake of the Ozarks Fishing Reports from Jack's Guide Service:

Lake of the Ozarks Fishing Reports from Jack's Guide Service:  Winter 2021 It's Cold out there and I can't fish so I guess I'll talk about fishing! I'll start with the most current information water temp is in the upper 30's and some ice is forming in the shallow water areas. This is going to be the time of year where we bottom out for our water temperatures. This lake can freeze but it usually does not freeze solid. It's a very, very large lake compared to many of the lakes around Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska. I stay on top of the fish year round. Even in January I had several guide trips that were very successful. In fact I was recently saying how this time of the year many of the bass are somewhat predictable because they are all doing the same thing. In the Spring and fall you have some fish shallow, some deep, many in between on top of that you have lots of competition from the fishing tournaments. Right now when I find a group of bass they stay there for a few weeks usually. A Bomb (Alabama rigs, a rigs) have been awesome this year. I throw them every year but I'm really using them a lot lately. They get hung up a ton which is frustrating but they catch 4 pounders easier than anything else in the winter. I just got a new a rig rod from Fenwick which is awesome, it's a 7'9'' heavy action Techna. I run 20 pound Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon (not a big Braid fan for this technique). Tackle HD swimmers are the most common swimbaits I put on them. Chuck this whole thing out there in deep water and slow roll it back. Easy as that, a lot of guys over think it. Finesse jigs are working too in fact I imagine water temps with get a touch colder but then we are going to have a warming trend mid to late February. That's really going to help the jig/ned bite. The lake level hasn't fallen much yet. That will be happening soon too. The Jerkbait bite has been ok. I have had certain days here lately where it's been the dominate lure but it hasn't been nearly as consistent as it usually is a big player this time of year. I think I'm just in love with the a rig/Livescope to throw other baits. 

Speaking of Livescope the best crappie bite of the whole year is coming up later in February. The term "Corking" is a technique to suspend a crappie jig a few feet below a small bobber and slowly twitch it without reeling it so it stays in there strike zone longer. No doubt it's my favorite way to catch them, way cooler than the spawn or shooting docks, spider rigging, trolling or anything. I use a spinning rod like you would for bass to throw the jig/bobber with my Livescope to show us where the big black crappie are. Sometimes it's near the edge of the ice, most of the time it's near a shallow point. Technology like these forward looking transducers has changed my game a lot. I started guiding in 2003, and I started working in the fishing business in 97, okay I fished tournaments the whole time and have stayed on the cusp of all the new techniques over the last 25 years, this stuff changed the game 2 years ago. We use it differently than some guys do in shallower lakes but the idea is the same. Look a direction under the water for fish, structure, bait whatever and then cast. 

Covid has also changed things. I have never liked taking 3 person trips but have always done it to appease my customers. and the reason is somebody is always hung up. Imagine 3-4 people casting as a dock corner or brushpile. Okay we don't fish open water all the time, well the first of second cast is probably going to catch that fish. The third or fourth cast is going to get hung. Plus having that many people in a bass boat is a mess. Customers have snagged me, that's not cool. Well with Covid taking over the last year I just haven't been taking hardly any three person trips. My father in law just passed away due to Covid. 6feet separation is close to possible if I take 2 people. Impossible if I take 3. 

We're looking to have another busy year here at the lake. Everything is open. real estate is booming, plus many people are working from their lake home. Try to book your trips during the week as this makes a big difference. Follow me on Facebook as I do not update this website very often. Facebook has fresh pictures every few weeks. 

Summer 2019

We're half way though the summer and this one will be remembered with great photos of customers catching nice fish. The flooding up stream and down stream of us has created a great situation for the fish to strive. Bass in particular have been rebounding from the spawn and eating the little baby shad born a month ago. I haven't done as many catfish, gar or other fish this year because I haven't had too. Bass are doing just fine as of now and hopefully the rest of the summer holds the same. We'll see as I have many customers that come just for the big fish that usually show up this time of the year. the lake has been dirtier than normal but it hasn't messed up too many things. Looks like it's starting to come back to normal yesterday.

January 29, 2019
We are about to experience some record low temperatures here with wind chills down around negative 14 degrees! Needless to say I'm not going fishing until it warms up Thursday where the high is 39 degrees again. I have fished several times lately with below freezing temperatures. Ice on the guides, cold runs, and wind chills have made it difficult but luckily the fishing hasn't been bad at all. Yesterday was awesome as the big bass were biting jerkbaits on the north shore area. We had a front coming in which always helps the bite with clouds, wind and the bass in their fairly predictable winter locations, it was fun. Plus the bass are in groups right now so while I'm fishing pretty slowly I'm only doing so in spots where you know there are fish. Crappie are doing well also. Part of that has to do with the new fish finder I just bought from Garmin. It's got this thing called Live Scope and it's a game changer. Basically it is forward looking sonar on steroids. I've never had anything like this before where a piece of technology is making such a big difference so quickly. You see fish in a whole different world. And it's helping me catch fish that I simply would not have without this new tool. It's the hottest new toy in the fishing world. Luckily the warmer days are just around the corner and I'll be back out there honing my skill. Good Luck Everybody!

January, Mid Winter Report

Lake of the Ozarks water temperature 44-41 degree depending on the day and area of the lake. Water clarity is clear up the rivers where there is a decent smallmouth bite. The mid lake has some color to it right now, and the lower end is pretty clear. The jerkbait bite has been the best the last few times out. Berkley Cutter 110 has been good, it's got a great action for this time of the year. A new worm from Berkley called the Max Scent flat worm on a small jig head has been good on the sunny, more calm days. This is working great paired with light line like 6 pound test and it gets a lot of bites. The A rig bite has been hit and miss for me lately. Not to long ago I had one of those afternoons where it was on fire! It was catching good ones, one after another until it was time to go. Since then it's been off, don't know why. I imagine it won't be long until they start smacking it again. The crappie bite has been decent. So far they have been deep around brush and certain docks. Catching good numbers on the right day in the mid lake to Gravois arm. Last year in February we starting seeing a lot of big ones moving shallow on a cork/jig combination. I'll be checking to see if that happens again, cause it was amazing. Dock shooting is our primary pattern for the big blacks but for the occasional fishermen that hasn't been out in a while the spider rigging technique has been productive. It's a forward trolling technique where we are using 9-12 minnows on double rigs on really long 14 foot poles. I've got several days open in January (cause it's 28 degrees outside) but several days in the upper 40's coming up. Wintertime fishing can be challenging but also very rewarding.

August 1, 2018
Things have been real busy here lately with so many families in town vacationing before school starts up in a few weeks. I've been running a lot of short 4 hour trips in the morning and evening, plus a few river trips in the afternoon. The osage river is a lot colder water since it comes out of the really deep lake so the bass are much shallower plus boat traffic is at a minimum. I can do afternoon trips down there with pretty short notice but you're going to have to book your morning or evening trips in advance. On the main lake the catfish bite has been strong all summer. It's best in the mornings but can be done any time. We've been jugging or drifting some cut bait finding some nice blues. Check out my Facebook page for some Fresh Fish Pics. Facebook Jack Uxa or Jack's Guide Service

Early Spring Report

March here in the Ozarks is the official start of the new fishing season. Hard core fishermen like my self fish though the winter but we're all glad to see the seasons start to change. First you'll hear the peeper frogs start peeping in late February. Yesterday I saw the first easter lilys which is the first flower to sprout. Then we started finding a bunch of crappie shallow on the gravel points. Signs that spring is just around the corner. Bass have been gravitating towards mixed rock banks for a while now. Banks with a little pea gravel mixed on transition banks that are receiving some sun light are the best. Depending on the conditions and customers I've got fishing we have been using either small HD Tackle finesse jigs, Berkley Cutter jerkbaits, Alabama rigs, Shaky head worms, crankbaits, ect. Bass are very fickle and change their moods a lot so you have to change also. Good to time to get out there even though spring can be cold and sometimes wet. Many of the biggest bass of the year can be caught this time of the year. You pull up to the right bank and load the boat if you're lucky. I had a Father and Daughter out this past weekend for a 6 hour. We had the sun warming the shallows in the afternoon near the horseshoe bend area of the lake. Just slowly crawling a jig out to deep water every now and then it would get sucked up by a big ole bass. We had 3 bass over 4 pounds with a few small ones too on that stretch. It was awesome, and that scenario can happen anytime in the spring. Book your trips now for the up coming spring season and I'll do my best to show you a good time. Crappie, bass, tournament prep, family trips, just fun fishing is fine too. Good luck everyone