Reel Dill: Fishing tips as the spawn approaches

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — Fishing can change week-by-week at the Lake of the Ozarks, and local fishing pro Jim Dill says this week’s fishing is much improved.

“Both bass and crappie are really feeding and biting well,” Dill notes. He points to recent guided trips in which he and other anglers pulled crappie out of the water ranging from 11–13 inches in length.

The place to fish is the clear water around the Bagnell Dam and the Gravois area, Dill says. Bass and crappie are biting suspended jerk baits, around secondary points with pea gravel chunk rock mix.

Toward the back of creeks, where the water is more stained, fish can be caught on wiggle warts, swamp bugs, and jigs, Dill says.

He also advises anglers to look for any transition in rock size—an area where rocks noticeably change from large to small in size—because fish hang out in those areas to stage and feed for spawning.

A fourth tip: the Lake level is down by around six feet, so Dill suggests looking for brush to fish around, which might be invisible as the water level rises throughout the spring.

Recommended Lures:
Top left: swamp bug
Top right: jig
Bottom left: wiggle wart
Bottom right: jerk bait