Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
The Chompers NPFL Stop #5 presented by Bait-Wrx is underway and at the midway point of day one, the anglers are facing a tough bite!
Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks (LOZ) is a first for the NPFL anglers, but that doesn’t mean that the anglers are not familiar with the 84-square-mile reservoir. Several of the League’s roster calls LOZ home, with many others having fished National and Regional events here in the past.
But that doesn’t mean it will be easy. Tournament previews noted that the fall bite would be hot, and bigger fish would be caught. That could be the case, with several big bass being reported on the Weigh-Live Tracker, but limits seem to be an issue, at the midway point of the day. Plenty of anglers are playing the numbers game and working through lots of short fish, hoping for a 15-inch bass.
With water temps still in the upper 60s, in most places, fall has yet to arrive, and the lake is reportedly turning over, which is making bigger bites, or multiple, hard to come by. On the water photographers, Tanner and Travis Lyons, are reporting most of the anglers fishing on the bank, and “one or two guys” offshore. Chunking and winding – spinnerbaits and other moving baits – are productive, with other anglers dragging a worm.
Stout on Top
At the top of the leaderboard so far, anchored by a game-changer 6-pound bass, Michael Stout is reporting over 12 pounds on the day, with only four fish. If he can fill his limit, he would be in the game for what most anglers predicted it might take to win with the bite tough.
Behind him, NPFL veteran John Soukup has filled a limit. His 3-pound, 4-ounce kicker anchors his 12-pound limit, putting him in a solid position going into the afternoon. In third place, unofficially, Gary Adkins is reporting over 11 pounds, with Michael Brewer, in fourth with a 5-pound quality bass in his livewell. Brewer’s three fish on the day give him over 10 pounds.
Only four anglers have reported having a limit in the boat, and 47 have reported a catch. In a tough event, where the weights are close, one key bite can change the outlook of the event.
Rocks or Docks?
With over 70,000 docks on LOZ, it was assumed that many would play. So far day one, rocks are the biggest player. According to Tanner and Travis, “some guys are getting bit on docks, but rock seems to be a bigger player.”
The weigh-in this afternoon begins at 3:00 pm CST on TNPFL.com.
The top ten look like this:
Michael Stout 12-12
John Soukup 12-2
Gary Adkins 11-10
Michael Brewer 11-10
Isaac Peavyhouse 9-8
Joseph Webster 9-6
Josh Watkins 9-0
Chris Nash 8-10
Dan Blackert 7-15
JTodd Tucker 7-10
Follow along on the Weigh Live Tracker for real-time unofficial updates from the water.
Check out the Morning Story and Launch Photo Gallery, here!
