Monday, May 16, 2016

Summer is coming

We had a good spring here on Lake of the Ozarks. Fairly normal weather and water conditions led to good catches and one really big bass. I had a customer land a bass over 10 pounds earlier in the season. Things will begin to get busy on the water over the next couple months. My schedule is basically full for the next 6 weeks but I am glad to have a couple other guides I have been working with to take some trips for me. These guys are good guys I have known for several years and are expert bass fisherman. Morning trips are going to be the big thing before the day get hot. Don't over look a short evening trip either. It's not as comfortable but I tell ya the fish bite even better than they do in the mornings sometimes. So give us a call and get out on the water this summer. Take the time to enjoy the lake, this lake is really a great place to visit or call home.
Also I have posting current pictures on my Facebook page. So for current pictures of what people are catching find me at Jack's Guide Service or Jack Uxa @ facebook.com
New boat should be here any day now. I will be selling my 2014 Nitro Z9 pretty soon. It's a great boat and has done excellent for me with everything I have asked it to do. Sale price $39,999. Top of the line electronics, remote control trolling motor, and maybe the best looking boat I have ever seen. I will have it at Fitz's Fishing for everyone to see.

Thursday, February 18, 2016

3 days of 70 degree weather!

We've had a good winter here in the Ozarks. Mild temps just a little bit of snow before Christmas and now it looks like spring is on the way. I know there will be cold fronts that will knock temps down again but these first real warms days are awesome. Been on the fish pretty good too. The thing about fish this time of the year is if can find them they don't move much and while fishing can be difficult this time of the year winter fish are more predictable. They are going to be close to deep water, they are going to be in groups. The river bite has been where it's at. My jet boat has been used a lot lately and I am so glad I finally purchased one a couple years ago. Smallmouth just bite so much better in cold water than largemouth do. Water temps have been going up and down. 2 days ago low 40's, yesterday all the way up to 50's! Caught fish both days but yesterday was a lot easier. Standard equipment for winter with each day being either a jig bite, schooling rig bite or a jerkbait bite. The jig bite has been a 3/8 oz jighead paired with a Berkley Sabertail bug. Schooling rig was the kit with the Split Tail swimbaits, and the new Cutters for the jerkbaits. Things will change in a few more weeks when the fish get shallower but don't wait till the fish spread out to much. Spring Break is just around the corner. I'm ready!

Monday, January 18, 2016

2016 Spring is just around the coner!

All right, I am getting ready for another season coming up pretty quick. I want to thank everyone for a great 2015. It was a busy one, maybe a little too busy at times but it's my fault.  I absolutely love it when I can put people on a pile of fish. You never know when it's going to happen but when it all comes to together it's great. We had a great season all around. Some familial days on the water due in part to the extra rain we got in the summer that kept the current running.

Crappie population has been good the last few years but not as great as it has been in the past. Since I spend 240 days on the water I stay on top of them. This year should be easier for everyone. Last fall several crappie in a particular year class grew into the legal size now available for harvest. Our shad population in this lake is one of the under appreciated factors that create such a year round consistently good crappie lake. Other key factors are the thousands of docks creating ample cover to hide in, stable water conditions with less drought/floods than most places that helps them have good spawns, and all the brushpiles everyone has put out over the years. It's hard to find a cove or area without a brushpile sometimes.

The bass population is healthy and several bass are chunky. Last year we had a considerable current that all the predator fish took advantage off. You could see all the young bass with big guts. You could tell they have been growing. I have been able to fish several tournaments this late fall/winter with good success. Bringing in limits of bass at the Old Kinderhook event, Thanksgiving Day bash, Bassmaster in Oklahoma, and here again just before Christmas with BassingBob.

The rivers that I fish off the main lake have been trashed at times. An unfortunate side effect but still the fish haven't evaporated. They'll still there and when the water clarity clears up the fish are hungry. As I am writing this the rivers are the place to be though. I went out 2 days ago and found a group of smallmouth schooled up in the Glaize arm right at sundown. It was crazy good for a while. You could tell those fish typically lived in the river but moved to the lake to winter. We found them and it was on! One of those times where you can't hardly stand it to take the time to reel in a small one cause you know the big ones are biting. Or just to get a new soft plastic out of the bag takes too much time.

In general spring is coming, if you're thinking about coming to the lake and want to do some fishing give me a call. I'll be glad to take you out. If I am booked I have a few guys I work with when I am booked up. The days are getting longer, it won't be long.

Also I get so busy during the season it's hard for me to keep up with current fishing reports. I have a facebook page you can follow that I make my wife update when we can. More importantly go to BassingBob.com Bob is a friend of mine and runs a media group here at the lake. We tournament fish together, I help out all the time with his various projects and if you're a fisherman you need to join BassingBob.com. You won't regret it. Hundreds of reports, almost daily.