LOZ suggestions

[Whackem]

Planning a father son fishing trip on LOZ April 14 through the 18th. Neither of us have any experience on the lake. Our plans are to bass fish mornings and evenings, and crappie fish during the day. We try to do one trip a year together, been doing it for over 20 some plus years now - when we go, were on the water unless were sleeping.

Looking for:

... Guide suggestions?

... Recommendations for what area of the lake to fish?

... Resort recommendations, with slip rental?

... Pattern/stage for both bass and crappie for that lake for that time of year?

 

Thanks in advance, any information would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[scaleface]

Good luck .Its a tough lake for me . Its loaded with docks and I'm not good at dock fishing . Being able to skip baits under them would be a huge asset . What part of the lake are you launching from?

[Whackem]

Well it was going to be round mile marker 2.  However when I went to make reservations, I found out - guess what? That’s the weekend of the big bass bash tournament - oops, my bad. I believe we’re going look for another lake. However thank you for replying scaleface. I am new to the forum if I knew how, I would take down the post. Maybe I’ll learn. I am sure will get another lake picked soon, and will try this again.

[scaleface]

9 hours ago, Whackem said:

Well it was going to be round mile marker 2.  However when I went to make reservations, I found out - guess what? That’s the weekend of the big bass bash tournament - oops, my bad. I believe we’re going look for another lake. However thank you for replying scaleface. I am new to the forum if I knew how, I would take down the post. Maybe I’ll learn. I am sure will get another lake picked soon, and will try this again.

I went to LOZ the past two years in the fall . Table Rock the previous two years . Here in May I'm going to Bull Shoals for a week .Already have reservations for a lakeside cabin .  I've fished it once before about 40 years ago and had real good success for Smallmouths .It not near as congested as the other two lakes .

[Bluebasser86]

Go to nearby Stockton Lake instead. Much less busy and a very scenic lake. You can catch all 3 species of black bass (plus meanmouth). I'm not sure if the crappie population is great, not on LOZ's level for sure, but it does have a very good population of walleye that are frequently caught while fishing for bass.

[Jig Man]

You may also want to consider Pomme de Terre Lake.  There are several resorts with boat docks, on Stockton there aren’t resorts with docks.  Stockton has 3 marinas with slips.  The resorts on Stockton are not on the lake like Pomm and LOZ.

[Bankbeater]

Depending on what the weather is like you may want to consider some of the other lakes already mentioned above.  If it's warm out you'll be dodging cruisers and getting hit with boat wakes. 

[conorsixtakc]

The transition period moving into the spawn is my favorite time to fish LOZ. The big boat wave effect is mitigated by the fact that bass are transitioning to spawning areas, and if you find a good one on a bed it'll likely be in some protected water.

 

If it were me I'd start mid-lake and based on water temp/clarity, run up or down lake from there depending on how you want to fish.

 

Jack Uxa has a wealth of LOZ knowledge and you're going to learn alot. He'll put you on em too no doubt.

 

For bass I'd focus on transition banks with chunk rock leading to gravel flats or south-facing cuts/protected pockets. Carolina rig, swing jig, shaky head, texas rig. Brush hog ready to pitch to any laydown/cover near deeper water. Always good to keep a wacky rig handy too in case things get real warm and the wind dies off.

 

I like to bass fish during the day and then hit rocky banks for crappie in the evenings. If they're starting to spawn they'll come up shallow and get aggressive.