East Ozark - Lake of the Ozarks - 3/25/2007

reported by: Larry Merseal -Larry is sponsored by: Omega Custom Tackle Inc. & Anglers Pro Shop

          Fulton and Manion Capitalize on 

             a late bite to Win the Opener!

   After a long winter, you could tell that the East Ozark Club was ready to get the season underway. Thirty-seven teams showed up at Larry Gail to fish the kick-off tournament. The days leading up to this event had been unseasonable warm, with temperatures in the 70's and even 80 on Saturday. And Sunday was no different with the high around 80 again.

   There were a variety of patterns reported and the bass were caught on a large variety of baits. Even a buzzbait fish was weighed in!

   With the bass scattered and the bite finicky, most teams struggled all day and came up short of a limit. But 6 teams managed to catch a limit, and the tournament paid out 6 places.

   Lawrence Fulton of Bonne Terre and Kevin Manion of Park Hills won the kick-off tournament with 5 bass weighing 16.58lbs. They struggled all day and had only one keeper in the boat until around 1:00. But they never gave up and put together a pattern in the Niangua Arm of the lake.

Lawrence said that they caught their fish on channel swings and one on a chunk rock point using brown Eakins jigs. The bite came close to the backs of the coves and in 2 to 8 feet of water. One of their keepers was over 5lbs. Good Job guys!

   Second place went to Randy McKinney and Randy Hulsey of Park Hills. They also fished in the Niangua and weighed in a 5 fish limit at 15.84lbs. McKinney said they caught most of their fish on channel swings and chunk rock points close to the backs of the coves with a few of their keepers coming off of docks with brush. They were using a brown Crock-O-Gator Jigs with a green pumpkin little critter craw trailer. The bass bit in 2 to 10 feet of water and Randy said that they had 6 keeper bites throughout the day with one coming unglued close to the boat.

   Third place went to Clarence Murphy and Hellen Phellen of Farmington with 4 fish weighing 14.86. Clarence said that they caught most of their fish in Linn Creek using a blue and silver jerkbait. One of which was the big bass weighing 6.44lbs. Wow! Nice fish! These fish were caught between channel swings and the flats at the backs of the coves. Clarence said he caught one of the keepers in the Little Niangua on a BUZZBAIT! Are you kidding!

   Fourth place went to John Hickman and Jerry Hendricks of Farmington. John said that they fished in the Niangua Arm all day and found their fish on channel swings and chunk rock banks. Their bite came in 6 to 8 feet of water using a brown and orange jig. John and Jerry’s limit weighed in at 13.78lbs. John said that they had an all day bite, picking one off about every hour. John and Jerry are sponsored by: Team Alex