Pauley & Franko

September-October 2022 Tight lines, great times at the lake

Visiting with Scott Pauley and Big Ed Franko

Photos and Text By KYLE WAYNE STEWART

On an early overcast morning that carried a constant threat of rain, Scott Pauley slowly trolled along the shoreline in a quiet cove. Casting in and around concrete catwalks and dock moorings, all was still except for the subtle sounds of waves lapping the side of the boat.

The silence was broken by a sharp “thwack” as Pauley’s line snapped tight, and he leaned back and set the hook on one of many largemouth bass he would catch that day.

Often called the “Best Recreational Lake in the Nation,” Lake of the Ozarks offers many ways for visitors to enjoy themselves, but one of the most popular forms of recreation has always been prowling the waters for big fish.

According to Pauley, longtime professional bass angler and outdoor ambassador for the Missouri Division of Tourism, the Lake of the Ozarks promises great fishing, no matter your quarry, year after year.

Pauley has been fishing the lake for over 36 years and has won numerous bass tournaments there.

“It’s no joke that the Lake of the Ozarks is one of the best fisheries in the country,” Pauley said. “Bass, crappie, catfish – you name it – there’s a healthy

Franko demonstrates his tying technique.

population at the lake. People ask me all the time which lake is my favorite to fish, and the Lake of the Ozarks is right up there. It’s always fantastic.”

On a recent trip to the lake, Pauley found success fishing a 7/16-ounce Jewel Pee Wee Football jighead with a small VersaCraw skirt in green pumpkin. Over the course of two days’ fishing, Pauley boated over 100 bass, most in the 10-12 inch range, with several keepers in the mix.

HEALTHY FISH, HABITAT

Pauley attributes this success to healthy fish and good habitat. “One of the reasons the Lake of the Ozarks is so good and so consistent is that the water levels are almost always stable, and because of that, the lake gets good fish spawns every year,” he said. “Other lakes are a lot more sporadic. Add to that the fact that there are about 60,000 boat docks around the lake that provide good shade and cover, so you also have great habitat. Good habitat and good spawns mean good fishing year after year, and you just don’t get that at other lakes.”

This man-made fish haven covers more than 54,000 acres with some 64 billion gallons of fish-filled water supplied by five tributaries, all enclosed within 1,150 miles of meandering shoreline. To put that in perspective, that’s more shoreline than the entire Pacific coast of the state of California.

The most prevalent species at the lake include largemouth and spotted bass, white bass, black and white crappie, hybrid white bass/stripers, bluegill, walleye and channel, flathead and blue catfish, as well as paddlefish. But arguably the most sought after are crappie and bass.

FISHING WHERE THE FISH ARE

A proven recipe for success when fishing at the Lake of

Scott Pauley, a longtime professional bass angler and outdoor ambassador for the Missouri Division of Tourism, has won many fishing tournaments on Lake of the Ozarks.

the Ozarks is to hire a certified fishing guide. Local guides know the waters better than almost anyone and provide a relaxing and effortless fishing experience.

One of the best guides is Ed Franko, owner and operator of Big Ed’s Guide Service, based in Lake Ozark. Franko has been fishing this lake for decades and has been a professional bass guide on it for more than 11 years. Franko has three favorite go-tos when it comes to catching bass on the lake for his clients – a shaky head with a trick worm, a wacky worm rig and a dropshot rig with a Morning Dawn-colored plastic worm, suspended about six inches above the dropper.

“A big lake like this can be intimidating for some people,” Franko said. “Professional fishing guides make it easy, and they maximize the quality of time a person spends on the water. Most of us are out on the lake 250-plus days a year, so we know where the fish are and what they’re biting. “We also have some of the best equipment, and a wealth of knowledge to ensure that people have a great experience here at the Lake of the Ozarks,” he said. “Because when you get down to it, it’s all about the experience, and a good guide can be the difference between a great fishing trip or an extremely frustrating one.” To book with Franko, call (573) 692-6710.

WHERE TO STAY

While anglers spend most of their time fishing at the lake, at some point they will need to sleep. Lake of the Ozarks resorts provide top-notch accommodations and services for visiting anglers. Fishing docks, submerged crappie beds, cleaning stations, boat slips and boat trailer parking are available.

Two highly recommended accommodations are the charming Bass and Baskets Bed & Breakfast, run by Franko and his wife, Debbie, and the angler-friendly, family-owned and operated Point Randall Resort, both in Lake Ozark.

The lakeside Bass and Baskets features four themed guest rooms and also doubles as the headquarters for Big Ed’s Guide Service. Each room offers private decks overlooking the lake, plus gas fireplaces, whirlpool tubs and other individual touches. Guests can expect a relaxing stay with a large breakfast and use of the private dock for swimming and fishing.

Point Randall Resort is one of the quintessential family-owned and operated resorts at the lake. With over 1,000 feet of lakeshore, Point Randall features nearly 30 well-appointed, fully furnished lodging units with decks overlooking the lake, plus a full-service marina with four boat docks, 29 boat slips, a gas dock, boat launch and boat trailer parking. It also has a swimming pool, swimming beach, fishing dock and kayak and paddleboard rentals.

A BIG BUSINESS

Fishing is big business at the lake, according to the founder and former chairman of the Lake of the Ozarks Tri-County Lodging Association’s fishing committee, Michael Spriggs, who co-owns Point Randall Resort with his wife, Paulette.

In the past 20 years, the popularity of bass fishing tournaments at the lake has grown exponentially, he said.

“During the slower shoulder seasons of the past, Point Randall would host maybe three tournaments during a whole season,” Spriggs said. “Now we host three tournaments per weekend. Fishing is booming, and you’ll see thousands of anglers out on the water across the lake during any given tournament weekend.

“We also have anglers that come to stay with us to fish a tournament and then come back with their families and start a new tradition of staying at the lake. I’ve heard that other resorts similar to Point Randall have experienced the same phenomenon, and that’s fantastic.”

To learn more about fishing at Lake of the Ozarks, or to get information on the activities, events, attractions and dining and lodging options, go online

to www.FunLake.com.

Ed Franko, owner and operator of Big Ed’s Guide Service, has been guiding clients on the Lake of the Ozarks for over 12 years and fishing it for his own pleasure for decades.

• Cooper from page 20

10-pound class. You will be tossing these baits into current with rocks, logs and other debris. I’ve caught smallies to 6-pounds on Wooly Buggers, but it’s a very sick feeling to have a real bruiser break a light leader.

THE DIPSEY DIVER

My all time favorite smallmouth fly was patented by my late, great friend Ron Kruger. The Dipsey Diver is made of a cork head with a concave, rat-looking face and a big hook. Ron often included a clump of deer hair behind the head, with a variety of wraps and feathers behind. He cast the mousy looking fly into a slow current and stripped it back. The faster the strip, the deeper the Diver would go. The kicker that smallmouth cannot resist, however, is the wide, slow wobble of the fly. Fly choices for bottom hugging smallmouth involve one of the most fascinating sagas of the fly fishing world, imitating crayfish. Smallmouth bass relish crayfish and fly tiers have created an unimaginable variety of imitations.

When it comes to crayfish patterns, smallmouth are so attuned to gorging themselves on the crustaceans, that the power of suggestion works well. Super-realistic plastic crawfish patterns are heavily utilized by spin fishermen, but fly anglers craft imitators from available materials and do quite well. I tie a pattern utilizing the red and black fur from a fox squirrel.

GREAT

FALL COLORS

Weighted Wooly Buggers and articulated flies are other popular choices for fall smallmouth. Olive, brown, black and yellow are great fall colors. Strip these patterns with an erratic retrieve and hang on for the ride.

Floating an Ozark stream in the peak of the fall colors and casting your favorite smallmouth flies in hopes of fooling an ancient smallmouth bass is a heady experience. Like me, I’m certain that smallmouth bronze will quickly become your favorite fall color.

September-October 2022 The case for crossover pond flies

Text by TERRY WILSON Photos by ROXANNE WILSON

Ponds are the most abundant and only constantly expanding fishing resource on the planet. Many of these stillwater habitats are largemouth bass and bluegill factories, often the warmwater enthusiast’s exclusive domain. On each trip, pond anglers are confronted with an important question: Do they target the bass population or focus on bluegills?

Flyfishers intent on encountering tail-walking largemouth bass use rods designed to cast 7- to 9-weight bass taper lines capable of propelling large, wind-resistant or heavy flies. Leaders designed to turn over these bulky flies typically utilize tippets testing from 8 to 20 pounds.

On the other hand, the colorful and pugnacious bluegill provides an equally captivating but much different angling experience. Because even the largest bluegill has a tiny mouth, the flies used in their capture are dominated by smaller size-10 and -12 patterns, enabling the use of much lighter rods. A 2- to 4-weight rod is often the choice of many anglers, since that enhances the fighting qualities this species brings to the experience. While strong, abrasion-resistant leaders are needed for larger bass flies, these smaller bluegill patterns require a much lighter 4X or 5X tippet.

There is another viable and equally rewarding choice that few anglers consciously consider. It’s targeting whichever of the pond dwellers, large or small, will strike the fly. Once again, an adaptation of gear is necessary. The 8-weight rod and 2/0 flies used so successfully to entice Ol’Bucketmouth are as ill-suited to bluegill fishing as is a 2-weight rod for bass.

TARGETING BOTH

To target both species, it’s important to understand that they occupy the same structure, often simultaneously. If flies are selected that are large enough to interest midsized bass yet small enough to accommodate the smallsized mouths of bluegills, then both could be targeted simultaneously. A size-8 or -6 fly presented using a 5- or 6-weight rod with 3X to 4X leader tippets is perfect for the job. Flies of that size often appeal to large bluegills and bass up to 15 inches. Big largemouth bass are not particularly interested in a meal of that size because these behemoths prefer a considerable meal followed by several days in a comfortable lie to digest their feast before hunting again. A full evening of catching bluegills and bass of those sizes with a medium-weight rod promises an exciting and satisfying experience. Although anglers understand that small bluegills sometimes grab the largest lure in the box and that the pond’s biggest bass might take a size-16 dry fly, both are extreme examples.

See POND FLIES page 29

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Page 29 Beat the heat with a Midwest float trip

By BRANDON BUTLER

A float trip is one of the most fun and simple ways to spend time outdoors during the peak of summer. It doesn’t take much equipment because almost everything you need can be rented.

Liveries exist on many rivers throughout the Midwest. Canoeing, kayaking and rafting can be enjoyed on about any flowing body of water. When it’s too hot for most outdoor activities, head for the river and float the day away.

Having your own equipment, like a canoe or kayak, is a worthy investment if you plan to float often. This usually requires a little more work, but is well worth it if paddling becomes a regular pastime for you.

If you’re floating downstream without the use of an outfitter, you must stage a vehicle at your take-out point or arrange a shuttle service.

• Pond flies from page 27

Another option is to leave your vehicle downstream and have someone drive you upstream so you can float back to your car.

Personal floatation devices, lifejackets or floating seat cushions are a must. Accidents occur all the time on rivers. Even the strongest swimmers are in danger of being swept under a log jam.

Here are three of my favorite places to float that offer canoe liveries:

• Sugar Creek, Indiana

–Sugar Creek is in my opinion the most beautiful waterway flowing through Indiana’s wild and scenic landscape. Paddlers flock to this destination each summer for the breathtaking scenery. The limestone bluffs along much of the shoreline are gorgeous. There are covered bridges spanning the creek you must explore. There are numerous canoe rental operations and private camprounds along the creek.

• Current and Jacks Fork

rivers, Missouri – The Current and the Jacks Fork make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. This national park is far different from what most people think about when considering a visit to a government-operated park.

There is no entrance fee. Out in the wilderness, there is no camping fee. We were able to simply pull our canoes over on the riverbank wherever we wanted to set up a camp.

There are outfitters along the river, from its headwaters at Montauk State Park all along its course to Doniphan.

• Middle Fork, Vermilion

River –The Middle Fork is an oasis of beauty in the otherwise blandflat lands of east-central Illinois. Gravel bars, towering bluffs and lush expanses of bright green vegetation line the banks of this protected river.

There are more than 8,400 acres of public parks and preserves along the river. Rarely do you see any sort of manmade structure from the water along this special, 17mile stretch.

In practical terms, a size-6 fly is near the upper limit of flies used to lure bluegills but near the bottom of fly sizes that appeal to bass. We call these flies that appeal to both species “crossover flies.” Our fishing records support the premise that size-8 flies catch more bluegills but fewer and smaller bass, while a size 6 produces fewer but larger bluegills and more bass.

SELECTING FLIES

Selecting flies attractive to both distinct species is often the key to success. Poppers, Sponge Spiders and floater/ divers in those sizes can attract both species on the water’s surface, while Woolly Buggers, streamers and jig-type flies can be effective below the surface.

Often when both species occupy the same structure, one of the species feeds actively, perhaps even competitively, while the other maintains a passive feeding attitude. The species that determine the “pecking order” is decided by the species’ year class (relative size). For example, if the population consists of 8-inch bluegills and bass less than 12 inches, the bluegills will be served first. If the population consists of 5- and 6-inch bluegills and largemouths of 14 to15 inches, the bass will be the initial meal takers.

There are times when anglers will catch a relatively equal number of each species from the same area. In this instance, neither is likely feeding actively but is willing to grab a morsel opportunistically.

Varying speeds of the traditional “strip, pause, strip” retrieve are best suited to fishing shallow water near weeds or brush. Probing docks and deadfalls on an intermediate sinking line allows for enough depth control in these mid-depth waters and is best served by a “lift, drop, strip” retrieve to achieve an undulating fly action. Experiment with different fly colors, lure action and retrieve speeds until you get the desired results.

On your next visit to a warmwater pond, try consciously determining which species you wish to target. If you choose to fish for the big bluegills and medium-sized bass with a 5- or 6-weight rod and sizes 6 to 8 flies, you may be pleasantly surprised with the results.

OUTDOOR November-December 2021 GUIDEMAGAZINE

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Missouri, Illinois and Other Exciting Outdoor Destinations! HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • BOATING • SHOOTING • TRAVEL

HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • BOATING • SHOOTING • TRAVEL

Missouri, Illinois and Other Exciting Outdoor Destinations!

Lake Michigan ........Page 31

Missouri, Illinois and Other Exciting Outdoor Destinations! HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • BOATING • SHOOTING • TRAVEL

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