The Hotter the Better: Kansas Bass Fishing in 115°F Proving Extreme Heat Doesn’t Stop Shallow-Water Action —

I am always learning how to fish.  Always.  It never fails: anytime I think I am starting to figure out how to bass fish, the bass tell me different. I’m sure we all go through it in one way or another.  Is it that we are off our game?   Or are the bass learning the rules of the game?

Wilson Lake in Kansas is one of the state’s most scenic waters. Sandstone cliffs ring parts of the lake, while gentle banks and open shorelines make it easy to access by foot. It’s a favorite spot for campers, boaters, and, of course, anglers looking for that next big bite.

Bluffed Again:How I fish bluff walls for bass: With all of the advances in electronics these days it’s easy to get lazy, and use the map in your Lowrance Elite-12 or the Hummingbird in your dash. Don’t get me wrong, these are invaluable pieces of technology that help anglers find the fish, especially with the newer side and down imaging technologies.

River Channel

When the lake that you are fishing goes for miles and miles, with a lot of the same structure or cover, you have to look for something special. With docks it could be the front left corner or the ones with ladders that put a pattern together. When confronted with a bluff wall 2 miles long or a lake filled with them, to find fish, I find the river channel.

Lake Ozark - http://mostateparks.com/park/lake-ozarks-stateouri It’s shallower than other Ozark lakes, which makes learning how to fish here a real challenge for a novice angler.

But persistence pays off—patience can fill your livewell with big largemouth bass.

My Tournament Day on Lake Ozark

Lake Ozark holds spotted bass and smallmouth bass, but the bulk of keepers will be largemouth.

Quick Background on the Water

The launch area is a river. When the hydroelectric current was flowing, a 109 lb MotorGuide was needed to fish it. Add in the crowd—boats flipping trees everywhere—and you’ve got a bumper-to-bumper tournament scene.