Team Blevins was missing its patriarch, as Eric left Dustin to be a one-man show for the day. Showing that it takes the experience, wisdom and guile that comes with age, Dustin fell short of the 20-pound mark, struggling to get to the 19 pound standard fishing solo (!). All kidding aside, Dustin’s five fish limit pushed the scales to 19 pounds even and was anchored by the big bass of the day, a stout 5.02 largemouth. With Dustin comparing notes with the third place team, the interviewer offered to let Dakota speak for Dustin’s Mid America RV Key to Success while Dustin would provide details for Dakota and Cody’s strategy. Neither bit at the chance, with Dustin reluctantly saying he stuck with his Rock Crawler approach, hitting as many key targets as he could throughout the day. He did mix in a small swimbait which provided his big bass bite.

Darrin King and Mark Mahaffey duplicated their runner-up position from the November derby by bringing in 18.22 pounds of Bull Shoals bass. They also were reluctant to share details, with Darrin deferring to Mark for a report, saying he was a Godly man that wouldn’t fib. That didn’t seem to open the flood gates for information, as Mark suggested they caught their fish off the bottom while fishing vertically. He perked up when noting they were fishing from his 2022 ZXR Skeeter bass boat, giving them Top Skeeter honors for the event.

Rounding out the top three was local stick Dakota Pierce who teamed with Cody Huff. The duo brought a five fishing limit to the scales, good for 17.27 pounds. As noted above, reluctance to provide details on patterns was front and center, but it was decided they mixed a Storm Wiggle Wart with a soon-to-be-released prototype Rapala/Storm crankbait to amass their weight.

The third event of the Bull Shoals Division will take place January 7th with a 7:00am takeoff from Buck Creek Marina.

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Team Blevins picked up where they left off last season with a strong 19.10 pound limit to take the win. Eric and Dustin have learned to have fun with the interview process, suggesting they caught their fish on jigging spoons and a “recoil worm” that Eric saw on some late night infomercial. After further review, both would require a slow, methodical approach, so it’s more likely their Mid America RV Key to Success was attempting to circle the lake with a crankbait! Dustin noted they caught a ton of fish, parsing through nearly 30 keepers to get to their best five.

Darrin King and Mark Mahaffey leaned on the crankbait as well, mixing in a jig and an opportunistic spoon bite on some schoolies to drop 17.63 pounds on the scales. Overall they stayed fairly shallow, catching 15 keepers on an all-day bite. They added to their second place purse as they took Top Skeeter honors by Mark’s new Skeeter bass boat.

Local sticks Jason Davidson and Darren Tilley returned to action with a stout 17.10 pound bag to wrangle third place. They also took advantage of a shallow bite, mixing a crankbait with a plopper to catch their fish. Darren noted the bite picked up as the sun got on the shallows, allowing them to boat over 30 keepers throughout the day.

Everyone knows a kicker can boost your finish, a concept Kevin Dickey maximized by bagging the Ozark Chevrolet, big bass of the day, a 6.19 pound lunker that vaulted him into the final paying position and giving him big bass money for the event. Kevin’s anchor fish fell to a jig worked through a shallow brushpile.

The second event of the Bull Shoals Division will take place December 17th with a 7:00am takeoff from Buck Creek Marina.

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Jay Oliver and Aaron Hodge finished off a stellar season with a win as they put 16.90 pounds of T-Rock bass on the scales.  Their bag was anchored by the Ozark Chevrolet Big Bass, a kicker 4.99 pound largemouth limit.  They noted a combination of a buzzbait bite along with a jig which proved to be the Catch ‘Em All Key to Success as they worked through 8 keepers on a scattered approach, catching most of the fish before noon.

Pat Leonard and Eric Olliverson wrangled the runner-up position with a 15.36 limit of bass.  They relied on a topwater pattern to catch their fish.  Pat and Eric worked an all day bite between Joe Bald and Campbell Point.

Jeff Farquhar and Gary Hazell rounded out the top three.  Their five fish limit pushed the scales to 14.71 pounds.  They chose to drag jigs and a shakey head in the 20’-25’ depth range.  Putting 9 keepers in the boat allowed them to cull up to their finishing weight.

Kelly Jones and Roger Satterfield added to their fourth place finish by taking Top Skeeter honors.  Feeling like they lost the fish that could have put them in position to win, the duo managed a strong 14.71 limit, fishing buzzbaits, ploppers, and a jig from Rogers sparkling new ZXR21 Skeeter boat.

Special thanks to Maybee Insurance and Smith Electric for the support of the division, as well as all the sponsors, including Catch ‘Em All Bait and Tackle where one can utilize a 10% discount by presenting a Table Rock weigh-in slip to the Cape Fair tackle shop.  Be sure and keep your receipts for a chance at $1000 at the Joe Bass Invitational next month at Stockton.

Don’t forget the Last Chance event at Stockton September 24^th.  Take off will be at 7:00 am from Orleans Trail.  The event is a no-points event that provides the opportunity to get in an event if you’re short a tournament as well as a chance to scout the lake prior to the Invitational.

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Coming in 1st place today was the Team of Nino (Anthony) Scoma and Berry Scoma with a weight of 20.78lbs. Nino stated they ran down the lake and fished some of the bigger creeks at the very backs of each of them. Nino said he caught them on plastics when the shad was present. Nino also said the water was cleaner the further they went backs in the creeks with 77-degree waters. All of the teams keepers came between 9 and 11 am with 1 last good fish right before weigh in.

Our 2nd Place team today is the team of Jason Weast and Scott Miles. They had a weight of 19.33lbs that included the Ozark Chevrolet Big Bass that weighed in at 7.33lbs. Jason stated that all of the fish came on a jig and that the Big Bass came at 9am on a jig as well. They Caught 7 keepers for the day in mid 70 degree water and not too far from Drake Harbor.

Rounding out our top 3 is the solo man for the Day Sean Fincham, Sean had a weight of 14.61lbs. Sean stated he caught his fish from the 87 mile maker down to the 75 and had 11 keepers for the day with 4 of them being in the box before 8am. He caught his fish mainly on a Chompers jig and a Zman Chatterbait. The Water Sean was fishing in was in the upper 70s at most of the spots he went to with 3 to 5 foot of water clarity.

Our Top Skeeter of the day went to Jason Weast as he and his teammate Scott Miles has found success again to move them to that top skeeter spot earning a nice check of 250 dollars for running the right boat!!

Thanks for Fishing in the 2022 Motion Fishing Ozarks Division. We look forward to seeing you all at the Invitational at Stockton Lake.

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The Burton’s Bait & Tackle Smithville Lake Division has been on one of the Hottest lakes in the state and today was more of the same.

Finishing the year with a 1st place finish for today’s tournament is the Team of Dylan Sousley and Seth Carleton with a weight of 19.41lbs, this duo is quickly becoming one of the best teams on Smithville Lake as they already had one win under them this year with Joe Bass on Smithville and several wins with some the other trails on this lake. Dylan and Seth Stated they caught most of their fish on a Zoom Brush Hog, 6th Sense craw and a Spinner Bait with exception of one fish that happened to be the Ozark Chevrolet Big Bass of the tournament weighing in at 5.91lbs coming on a Popping frog. All of the team’s fish came of the Main Lake in 77-degree water temps. They caught 8 keepers for the day, and all came before 11am.

Coming in 2nd today with a weight of 16.14lbs is the Team of Tom Alsop and Mike Edrington. Tom Stated they caught their fish all over from a foot of water all the way to 15 feet. They caught 12 keepers today and all came on a Big Bite Baits trick stick, or a jig paired with a creature bait. The team would like to thank some sponsors Big Bite Baits, Sunline, Gamakatsu, Spro, Aftco, Shoreline Boat and RV, Str8-UP-Mounts, Smithville Marine, Wholesale Batteries and Pro Sites Unlimited.

Rounding out our top 3 today is the Team of Chris Randell and Tim Randell, the team came in today with a 5 fish limit that weighed in at 16. 06lbs.Tim Stated they ran windy point early with Giant Slayer Buzzbaits and spinnerbaits and had a limit by 9:50 am. Tim also stated they caught fish all day and caught one of the team’s larger fish in the last 15 min of the tournament. By the days end the went through 10 keepers mostly on the main lake in less than a foot of water in mid to upper 70-degree water. Tim wanted it also said that a big part of their success goes to knowing they got a good night’s rest from having Window World Windows keeping them comfy and safe at night. The Teams Sponsors include Window World, Giant Slayer, Strike King, Lews, Dupo Marine Center, Brian Procter-Medicare Specialist.

Our Ozark Chevrolet Big Bass of the day went to the team of Dylan Sousley and Seth Carleton with a total weigh of 5.91lbs.

The Shoreline Fiberglass Stick around money went to the team Mark Riegel and Joe Dorcy. This team received checks totaling 200 dollars for sticking around at the weigh ins thanks to Shoreline fiberglass

Our Top Skeeter of the day went to Tim Randell as he and his teammate Chris Randell has found success again to move them to that top skeeter spot earning a nice check of 250 dollars for running the right boat!!

Burtons Bait and Tackle has been running some great specials on Fitzgerald rods as well lots of lures in the shop so please stop and support our division sponsor and Save that receipt! for the invitational coming soon.

As the season is winding down, please make sure to get you boats all cleaned up with Shoreline Fiberglass here in Smithville MO as well if you’re needing to get you boat serviced, please stop in and see Smithville Marine for all of you service and boating needs.

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Taking the last win of the season was the father/son team of Mike and Mike Jr.  Team Utt dropped a stout 15.87 limit on the scales to take their first win fishing together.  They were excited to share their Chompers Key to Success involved exploiting a topwater bite to amass their winning weight.

Team Cook, Cory and Roger, narrowly missed the win as their 15.83 limit garnered them the runner-up spot.  Proving the winning topwater pattern wasn’t a fluke, Cory and Roger also utilized a topwater approach to finish off the season in grand fashion.

Rounding out the top three, David Rice went solo to boat 15.08 of T-Rock bass.  David took a different approach than the teams above him, as he relied on an all-day jig bite.  He concentrated on steeper banks and bluffs to trigger strikes.

Team Rider, Brett and Steve, added to their fourth place finish with the second big bass of the event, a stud 4.85 bass.  Although Bobby Paul Jr and Spencer Shuh finished just below Team Rider in fifth, they took home the Ozark Chevrolet Big Bass by a narrow margin, as their fish weighed 4.95 pounds.

Keeping with the pattern, Team Jackson, Kevin and Bryan, landed the daily Top Skeeter honors, finishing in seventh overall while fishing from Kevin’s Skeeter boat.

Special thanks to Chompers for their outstanding support of the division.  Don’t forget Catch Em All Bait & Tackle as they have offered a 10% discount for Joe Bass anglers presenting a Table Rock weigh-in slip to the Cape Fair tackle shop.  Be sure and keep your receipts for a chance at $1000 at the Joe Bass Invitational this fall at Stockton.

Don’t forget the Last Chance event at Stockton September 24^th.  Take off will be at 7:00 am from Orleans Trail.  The event is a no-points event that provides the opportunity to get in an event if you’re short a tournament as well as a chance to scout the lake prior to the Invitational.

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The first place team of Matt Garrett, Dadeville, Mo and Will Isaac, Springfield, Mo, sponsored by Mutton Creek Aussies and Fin & Feather, used jigs and squarebills shallow to find 16.83lbs of fish to win the final event. They also had the Ozark Chevrolet Big Bass of the Day that weighed 5.60lbs. Matt stated they caught the fish around 10am shallow.

The second place father/son team of David and Sean Mulkey, Ash Grove MO, sponsored by Chompers, used Chomper jigs in 12-18 ft. of water with structure to bring in 16.53lbs of fish. They stated the bites were few but quality to get them in the check line. The team also had the 2BB of the day that weighed 5.40lbs.

The Albers Marine sponsored team of Eric Craft, Walnut, KS and Dominic Cavitt, Pittsburg, KS, “junk fished” with various baits to bring in 15.51lbs to take home third place.

Keith Hurd fished with Jeff Nelson out of Keith’s 2021 SKEETER ZXR20. The team had 12.43lbs to take home the Top Finishing Skeeter.

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Travis Harriman and Matt Sisk paired up to take the win in the final event of the season.  Their 18.91 pound limit was capped by a 5+ lb kicker.  Travis explained their Everharts Keys to Success was utilizing  Active Target sonar to locate fish.  They used a variety of techniques, with their bag falling to a combination of topwater, crankbaits, and plastics flipped to standing timber.

Long-time Truman veterans Robert Hime and Paul Huse secured a second place finish with a solid tournament limit weighing 17.69 pounds.  They also leaned on a kicker, as their 6.63 bass took second place big bass honors.  After a bit of hesitancy to share details, along with some threats the write up might include items like a Damiki rig, spy baits, and a float-n-fly, Robert succumbed and explained they relied on a jig and create bait to catch their fish!

Rounding out the top three was Brandon Brown who teamed with Steve Prince.  They dropped a strong 17.27 pound limit on the weigh-in scales.  Steve noted they stuck with a big worm all day.  When asked about depth, Steve gave a wry smile and said “shallow, shallow-shallow”.

Doug Long and Marty Watson wrangled the Ozark Chevrolet Big Bass of the event.  They put a monster 6.97 pound lunker into their Skeeter livewell after it bit a 10” red shad worm flipped to a shallow stump.

Paul Hager and Phil Allen padded their 14^th place check as they took the daily Top Skeeter honors.  The pair put 15.56 pounds into their Skeeter bass boat.   The duo slipped away before interviews.  Nonetheless, their bonus shows it pays to run a Skeeter!

Special thanks to Everharts, Lakes Inn, Truman Lake Fishing Intel, and Anglers Port Marine for their outstanding support of the division as well as Taylor Grubaugh Chevrolet, Buick & GMC – West Plains MO for sponsoring the Catch & Release boat.

Don’t forget the Last Chance event at Stockton September 24^th.  Take off will be at 7:00 am from Orleans Trail.  The event is a no-points event that provides the opportunity to get in an event if you’re short a tournament as well as a chance to scout the lake prior to the Invitational.

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First place honors went to Rick Fishback and Denny Carver.  Their 17.86 bag provided nearly a two pound cushion over the runner up position.  Their TNT Quick Shop Keys to Success relied on a combination of Crank Wraps covered crankbaits, using the white crappie pattern, in addition to a striper colored spoon.  They worked depths from 10’ to 20’, noting they ran a lot of lake chasing cloud cover.

Kelly Jones and Roger Satterfield took second place with a solid limit that pushed the scales to 15.92 pounds.  In addition, they took Top Skeeter honors as they fished from Kelly’s Skeeter FX bass boat.  The pair got away before details could be gleaned on how they caught their fish, but rumor has it they leaned on crawdad colored jigs soaked in a combination of beet juice and pancake syrup.

Team Marsala wrapped up the top three.  Paul and Gus weighed a strong 15.46 pound limit.  They too relied on a jig but mixed in a topwater bite to amass their final weight.  Paul and Gus noted fishing a variety of locations in both arms of the lake.

Terry Bradley and Tanner McMillen paired up to run away with the Ozark Chevrolet Big Bass award.  Their 7.30 pound monster was nearly a pound and half heavier than the second place big bass.  The brute hit a jig fished in the midlake area.

Special thanks to TNT Quick Shop for their outstanding support of the division as well as Taylor Grubaugh Chevrolet, Buick & GMC – West Plains MO for sponsoring the Catch & Release boat.

Don’t forget the Last Chance event at Stockton September 24^th.  Take off will be at 7:00 am from Orleans Trail.  The event is a no-points event that provides the opportunity to get in an event if you’re short a tournament as well as a chance to scout the lake prior to the Invitational.

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31 Teams came out to fish the Joe Bass season finale at Mark Twain Lake sponsored by 154 Marine.

This tournament was a battle of attrition, as the teams fought the heat as well as a very tough bite, to see who would finish on top of both the tournament and the overall points championship.

Conditions;
Water level 604.16 (normal 606.00)
Water Temperature, mid 80’s to low 90’s.
Dam area clear, mid-lake stained, creek arms heavy stain to muddy.

Taking the top spot today, with the only 5 fish limit of the tournament, was the team of Doug Buhr and Ryan Schweissguth.

Doug and Ryan had a fairly good practice on Saturday fishing flat main lake points in the mid-lake area catching fish on crankbaits and plastics. However, come tournament day, Mark Twain gave the team the old curve ball, as they went back to those productive spots only to have a still empty live-well at 10:30. Doug and Ryan felt an adjustment was in order so they relocated to the lower end of the lake and fished deeper points with brush or timber. Doug and Ryan fished shakey head soft plastics and a Carolina rig to scratch out their limit that weighed 11.37 pounds.

The win was a little bittersweet for Doug, as he was between Skeeter boats and the team fished out of Ryan’s Ranger, so Doug missed out on both the Joe Bass Skeeter incentive and Skeeter’s Real Money program.

Taking the runner-up position was the team of Charlie Kunkle and Keith Willams. Charlie and Keith fished deep structure most of the day, points, humps, rock piles in 16 to 22 feet of water to catch their fish. The bait of choice was a heavy finesse jig with a twin tail grub trailer.

The team fell 1 fish shy of a limit bringing in 4 bass weighing 11.22 pounds. Included in their bag was the Ozark Chevrolet Big Joe Bass weighing 5.44 pounds. The team was also the highest finishing Skeeter fishing out of Keith’s 2014 FX20.

Rounding out the Top 3 was the team of Nick and Dominic Perotti. The father son duo fished jigs and soft plastics in the Spaulding area and the lower ends of both Indian creeks. Their 4 bass weighed 9.12 pounds.

Winning a very, very close Points Championship was the team of Charlie Kunkle and Keith Williams. Very, very close because they were tied in points with Dennis and Scott McFetridge with 863 points. So first tie-breaker is big fish, both teams had a big bass, for the year weighing 5.44 pounds, so it went to the second tie-breaker of total weight for the year, with Charlie and Keith edging out Dennis and Scott 57.32 pounds to 54.57 pounds.

Charlie and Keith will be Boat #1 next year as well as having their entry for the Joe Bass Invitational paid by Joe Bass.

The tentative 2023 Mark Twain division schedule is May 5th, May 21st, June 11th, July 9th August 6th $100.00 deposit holds boat # for the division

Early boat drawing will be September 1st. Email timmy@joebassteamtrail.com with any questions.

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Andre Dickniete, Freeburg, MO and Mark Dunbar, Jefferson City, MO used a more traditional summer pattern deep jigs and big worms to locate 4 fish that weighed 14.26lbs. Mark stated they stayed mid lake for their fish and a couple of chances lost at having their 5 fish limit.

Mike Butcher, Arcadia, KS and Justin Amershek, Mulberry, KS, brought in a 5 fish limit that weighed 13.63lbs earning them 3rd place. They also stated big worms and jigs in 20-30′ of water.

Keith Hurd fished out of 2021 ZXR 20 Skeeter with his partner Jeff Nelson. The team had 11.21lbs and was the Top Skeeter of the day.

The day was a shortened tournament (ended at 2pm) to keep the anglers and the fish safe from the heat. Cold water was provided by Rocky Carden. The next Joe Bass at Stockton is on 9/11 with a 7am takeoff.

Don’t forget the 2022 invitational is at Stockton and Orleans Trail Marina and Resort is the official Joe Bass Headquarters for the event October 14-16, 2022.

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First place honors went to Cody Campbell and Quinten Carr.  Their tournament limit weighed 17.43 pounds.  The team shared their TNT Quick Shop  Keys to Success involved dragging jigs and soft plastics in both the Lindley and Pomme arms.  Cody and Quinten added to their take home pay by securing Top Skeeter honors as they fished from Cody’s Skeeter 2021 ZXR21 bass boat.

Veterans Dan Cox and Tim Kastning duplicated their June second place finish with a solid bag weighing 16.95 pounds.  Despite rumors of finesse tactics in the depths of the lower lake, conventional wisdom makes a Cox Custom Baits worm worked on shallow cover up the river a much more believable story!  Dan and Tim anchored their bag with the Ozark Chevrolet Big Bass award with a 5.93 pound lunker.

Scott and Brandon Hill rounded at the top three with a stout 14.58 bag.  Details were a bit sparse as folks were in a hurry to get to the A/C, but it was noted Scott and Brandon capitalized on a strong topwater bite to amass their weight and a high finish.

Special thanks to TNT Quick Shop for their outstanding support of the division as well as Taylor Grubaugh Chevrolet, Buick & GMC – West Plains MO for sponsoring the Catch & Release boat.

The final event of the Joe Bass Pomme de Terre will take place Saturday August 27th with a 6:00 am takeoff from The Harbor.  Please note the monthly takeoff time and be sure to show up early for check-in in order to ensure a timely takeoff.  Make sure you pay your launch fee, with annual passes available at the marina.

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Lapping the field on a tough day was the team of Brad Jelinek and Brock Reinkemeyer.  Although there were claims of crappie bombs tipped with Gulp minnows, a big worm and Motion Fishing jigs proved to be their Everharts Keys to Success as they dropped a staggering 22.03 pounds of Truman bass on the scales.

John Hodson and Kelvin Charles proved the importance of weighing in a big bass for tie-breaking purposes, as their 18.20 pound bag equaled that of the third place team.  However, their 5.10 big fish bumped them to the runner up position for the day.  John and Kelvin shared they had one keeper on a buzzbait early with their other four keepers coming on a Texas-rigged worm in cedars.  All of their bites came on the bottom after the initial drop through the tree.

Third place went to Kenny Sloan and Brendon Mick.  As noted, their limit pushed the scales to 18.20 pounds, anchored by their big fish of 4.13 pounds.  In the chaos of the day, Kenny and Brendon got away before details could be noted on how they caught their fish.

Team Zuk, Eric and Ben, padded their fourth place finish with the Ozark Chevrolet Big Bass, a 6.48 lunker.  Consistent with their typical approach, Ben noted the big fish bit a brush hog fished on the lower end of the lake.

Terry McDowell and Dave Peacock also added to their 9^th place finish as they took the daily Top Skeeter honors.  The pair put 15.08 pounds into their 1996 ZX202.

Chris Broke of the Missouri Department of Conservation office in Clinton was onsite.  Chris, a fisheries management expert with the MDC, was taking genetic samples of the spotted bass weighed in.  He’s working a project to determine a baseline for the genetic integrity of the Kentucky Spotted Bass strains in Missouri.  Other states, primarily in the southeast, are seeing some detrimental effects related to the Alabama spotted bass, including increased competition with largemouth and possible cross-breeding with the Kentucky strain.  Chris’ samples will serve as benchmark for Missouri’s lakes should issues arise in the future.

Special thanks to Everharts Outdoor Store, Lakes Inn, Truman Lake Fishing Intel, and Anglers Port Marine for their outstanding support of the division as well as Taylor Grubaugh Chevrolet, Buick & GMC – West Plains MO for sponsoring the Catch & Release boat.

The final event of the Joe Bass Truman season will take place Sunday August 28th with a 6:00 am takeoff from Shawnee Bend.  Please note the monthly takeoff time and be sure to show up early for check-in in order to ensure a timely takeoff.

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34 teams came out for the Motion Fishing 4th tournament of the year on Lake of the Ozarks. it was a beautiful start to the day with temps in the mid 70s with light rain for most of the day and then it got HOTTTTT!

Coming in Hot was our 1st place team, the Father and Son duo of Andre Dickniete and Noah Dickniete. This team had a Giant Bag of Fish weighing in at 21.40lbs with a 6.55lb kicker. Andre stated the team caught their bass on a worm and a jig from Drake Harbor to the 43 mile marker. Andre also stated they caught fish most of the day in 84 degree water temps. Andre said his favorite part of the day wasn’t the win but watching his son Noah catch the 6.55lb largemouth. The team would like to thank their sponsors Nitro Boats, Mercury Motors and WOO Tungsten.

Our 2nd Place team had and absolutely amazing day as well with a Total weight of 21.35lbs for the team of Luke Routh and Bryce McMullen. Luke stated he caught his fish throughout the day and never had a long run from the boat ramp. They caught all of their fish on a Gill Candy Motion Fishing jig and a Jawtech Plum Sultan worm. The teams sponsors include Motion Fishing, Tackle HD, Calcoast, Darkhorse tackle, Absolute brutes, Hannahs General store and Albers Marine, Inc.

Rounding out our top 3 was the Team of Blake Felix and Bobby Roberts with a bag coming in at 18.96lbs. Bobby Stated they caught the fish all day long on a Motion fishing Bruiser Jig, Fishing docks and timber. The team would like to thank their sponsors Motion Fishing, Pro Choice Marine, Nitro Boats and Mercury Motors.

Our Ozark Chevrolet big bass of the day went to Noah Dickniete with a 6.55lb bass! He caught this fish mid day on a Jig.

Out Top Skeeter of the Day went to Greg Proffitt this earned him a 250 dollar check for running the right boat.

Our Last Ozarks tournament will be on Sept 11th out of Drake harbor at 7am.

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It was a light rainey morning with air temps in the mid 70s at takeoff for the 34 teams that braved the Afternoon heat at the Burton’s Bait & Tackle Smithville Lake division 4th tournament of the year.

Coming in HOT at first place with a Bag weighing in at 21.10lbs is the father son team of David Shaw and Tyler Shaw. This team has had a great history of bringing some large limits of bass to the scales and today was no different. Tyler Stated they caught their fish on a Chompers 10″ Magnum Hawg worm and a Chompers Boss Hawg. The fished the camp branch arm of the lake in 81-83 degree water temps. Tyler also said they caught the 2 biggest fish early in the morning then it slowed way down for the day. The Team would like to thank their sponsors. Chompers Baits, TCC Battery in Smithville MO, Mercury Motors and Nitro Boats.

In 2nd place today is another team that is always tough to beat with a weight that came in at 18.41lbs. The team of Tom Alsop and Keith Leftridge Stated they used Big Bite Baits b2 worms on 20# Sunline Sniper and a Spro Fat Papa 70 to find the limit of bass they caught. they did say like the 1st place team it was spotty all day to catch their fish and they went on 3 half hour runs with zero bites, They would like to thank their sponsors for the continued support. Big Bite Baits, Spro, Sunline, Gamakstsu, Aftco. Shorline Boat and RV, Smithville Marine, Str8-up Mounts and Wholesale Batteries.

Our 3rd Place team has seen the Joe Bass check line several times this year. Coming in 3rd with a total weight of 16.87lbs is the Team of Nick Hallbeck and Todd Knaack. Nick Stated they caught the bag of fish today on soft plastics and jigs. mostly on the main lake with a water temp in mid to low 80s fishing all day in the camp branch arm of the lake.

Our Ozark Chevrolet Big Bass of the day went to the Points Leaders Kyle Alsop and Lance Maldonaldo with a total weigh of 5.78lbs. Kyle Stated the fish came out of 6ft of water suspended over 35 feet mid day on a Spoon in the mid lake area.

Our Top Skeeter of the day went to Jeff Bottorff as he and his teammate Justin Bottorff has found success again to move them to that top skeeter spot earning a nice check of 250 dollars for running the right boat!!

Our Shoreline Fiberglass Stick around winners went to the team of Steven Messbarger and Mathew Messbarger. This team received checks totaling 200 dollars for sticking around at the weigh ins thanks to Shoreline fiberglass

Burtons Bait and Tackle has been running some great specials on Fitzgerald rods as well lots of lures in the shop so please stop and support our division sponsor and Save that receipt! for the invitational coming soon.

As the season is winding down, please make sure to get you boats all cleaned up with Shoreline Fiberglass here in Smithville MO as well if you’re needing to get you boat serviced, please stop in and see Smithville Marine for all of you service and boating needs.

Our next tournament for Smithville Lake is September 10th that takes off at 7pm from Little Platte boat ramp. This will be our final tournament of the year and it’s a tight points race! WHOM WILL WIN IT????

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35 teams showed up for the re-scheduled Mark Twain Division Joe Bass tournament (original date was July 24th).

The weather leading up to tournament day was a mixture of HOT and HOTTER with a break in the temps on Saturday. Sunday morning was pleasant in the mid 60’s with afternoon temps pushing into the upper 80’s but the lack of wind made it feel much warmer.

Conditions; Water level 606.94 on a slow rise
Water color, clear on the dam area, stained in mid-lake dirty in northern creeks.
Water temps, low to upper 80’s depending on location

Taking the top spot today was the team of Don and Gary McFetridge. Don and Gary started their day down in the Indian Creek area, fishing to promising spots, but had to pick-up and move as the live-well was still empty at 8:30. After moving to a new location the team slowed down and “soaked their baits” on main lake and secondary points closer to the dam area and found success, putting 4 keepers in the box over the next couple hours. Don and Gary reported the bite stopped around 11:30, so the team made a move up around the mid-lake area where the team found active fish on a timbered flat around 1:30. Don and Gary fished soft plastics, both big and small worms and senko style plastics, Texas rigged in 7 to 14 feet of water. In the end the team dropped 16.13 pounds on the scales for the W. Included in their bag was the Ozark Chevrolet Big Joe Bass weighing 5.12 pounds that fell for a big worm. Gary said the win was extra sweet as they did it “Old School” no Livescope no Spotlock.

Taking the runner-up spot today was the Joe Bass Staff team of Nick and Dominic Perotti. Nick and Dominic also started in the lower portion of Mark Twain Lake, fishing main lake points and rock piles. Like the winners they had to really “slow it down” to get the fish to bite. The team would pull up to a spot, scan it with livescope if there were fish, they would slowly work a jig around. Dominic told me they did see a few of their bites on the scope. When it came to the moment of truth, the team fell just .03 pounds short of the win with 16.10 pounds. After the weigh-in I told the team not to look in the live-well as you might see a dead crawdad or shad in there. Nick and Dominic also won the Skeeter incentive fishing out of their 2006 ZX250. Nick and Dominic are sponsored by 154 Marine.

Taking the third position was the fortunate team of Keith Hendrix and Greg Zumwalt. Keith and Greg also relied on Livescope for much of their success as the team “watched” 2 of their first 4 keepers take the soft plastics the team pitched to standing timber and brush. After early success, the bite shut off for Keith and Greg and they went hours with no bites. Keith said the decided to make a several mile run and try and “old reliable” spot and it produced their kicker fish of the day weighing 4.69 pounds. I began this bit with “fortunate team”, well as it turned out, as Keith and Greg tried to head back in their big motor would not start. As it turns out another team was in the area and as per Joe Bass Rules, Keith transferred their fish to the other team’s boat and rode back with them to the ramp and weigh-in. Keith and Greg weighed-in 5 fish for 15.95 pounds. Keith and Greg are sponsored by Mark Twain Lake Lure Co. JC Auto and Truck Parts, 154 Marine, Dynagro seed Jack’s Harbor Marine, Gene Larew, and Hobbie Hut.

Big shout out goes to the team of Larry Rothweil and Mark Tucker for stopping and helping out a fellow competitor!

35 Teams 110 fish weighed 110 fish released (FREAKING AWSOME) 14 limits.

Our next and final Mark Twain Division, Sponsored by 154 Marine, tournament is Sunday August 7th 6am take-off Robert Allen Ramp. Registration and weigh-in at 154 Marine

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40 teams turned out Sunday to bid for the top spot in the 154 Marine sponsored Mark Twain division for Joe Bass Team Trail. Many of the teams reported that there was a good early summer bite that had been going on for the last 3 weeks.

Conditions;
Water elev. 606.94
Water temp. upper 70’s to mid 80’s
Water clarity, Stained in the arms clear in the dam area

Taking the top spot today was the team of Gary Gryzbinski and Mick Buchanan. The team started their weekend fishing the 154 Marine Customer Appreciation Tournament and quickly found out the fish they had found in practice, around the dam area, had moved or scattered. So the team made an adjustment moving toward the mid-lake area, the team found a few spots holding fish.

On tournament day Gary and Mick rotated through their best spots both main lake and secondary points of creek arms. Most of the team’s success came on Texas rigged Senkos and 10” worms in 5 to 10 feet of water but the two best quality bites came on a Carolina rigged lizard and a crankbait.

At the end of the day, Gary and Mick dropped 5 bass on the scales weighing 18.83 pounds! In addition to winning and taking 1st in the side-pot, they were fishing out of Gary’s 2022 ZXR20 Skeeter boat, wining the JBTT highest finishing Skeeter incentive and Gary is enrolled in Skeeter’s Real Money program taking the team’s winnings to over $7,000 for the day. Gary and Mick are sponsored by 154 Marine, 13 Fishing and Country Inn Resort.

Taking the runner-up position today was the team of Ben and Larry Moss. Ben and Larry also fished the mid-lake area but the team focused on flats with scattered pole timber, laydowns and brush. The teams lures of choice were spinnerbaits and jigs worked tight to the cover, making multiple casts to the best looking stuff. At the end of the day Ben and Larry fell just .31 pounds shy of the W with 5 bass weighing 18.52 pounds (I hope they didn’t find any puked up shad or bluegill in their livewell later). Included in their limit was the second big bass of the tournament weighing 5.29 pounds.

Finishing in third place today was Charlie Kunkle and Keith Williams. Charlie and Keith started their day on the dam and left shortly as the area was getting pressured by other competitors. Charlie and Keith moved to some less popular waters and found success fishing small jigs and soft plastics around brush and rock piles in 8 to 20 feet of water. Their 5 fish limit weighed 17.35 pounds.

Finishing in 8th today was the team of Dennis and Karen McFetridge. Dennis and Karen’s 5 fish limit weighed 14.14 pounds. Included in their bag was the Ozark Chevrolet Big Joe Bass weighing 5.44 pounds

40 teams 147 fish weighed 144 fish released 22 limits

Our next Mark Twain Division tournament is July 10th

Registration and weigh-in at 154 Marine 6am take-off Robert Allen ramp

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Coming out on top was Blake Curtis and Matt Brown. The dropped a staggering 20.37 pounds of T-Rock bass on the scales to take the win. Anchored by the second big bass of the day, a stout 5.56 kicker, Blake and Matt shared their Chompers Key to Success involved dragging worms and jigs down long points up the White River arm.

Second place went to Brett and Steve Rider. They boated a strong 19.60 pound bag of bass. They also chose a worm to catch their fish, working in the 15-20’ range in Long Creek.

Rounding out the top three, Russ Williams and Nick Baker weighed 17.33 pounds. Their bag was anchored by the Ozark Chevrolet Big Bass, a 5.79 pound lunker.

Team Chompers, Matt Cesar and Ed Larson, add to their fourth place finish as they put a limit weighing 17.06 pounds in Ed’s FX Skeeter, giving them the daily Top Skeeter honors. Details were not available, but it’s a sure bet that Ed and Matt relied on Chompers products to catch their fish.

Special thanks to Chompers for their outstanding support of the division. Don’t forget Catch Em All Bait & Tackle as they have offered a 10% discount for Joe Bass anglers presenting a Table Rock weigh-in slip to the Cape Fair tackle shop. Be sure and keep your receipts for a chance at $1000 at the Joe Bass Invitational this fall at Stockton.

The final Joe Bass Table Rock derby will be Saturday September 10th with a 7:00 am takeoff from Ahoy’s. Please note the monthly takeoff time and be sure to show up early for check-in in order to ensure a timely takeoff.

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Coming out on top on a blistering hot day was Ray and Garret Cates.  Their five fish limit came in at solid 20.05 pounds, anchored by a 6.01 kicker.  Team Cates shared their Everharts Keys to Success involved a mix of deeper locations and shallow bushes.  Dragging was the order of the day as they worked a variety of soft plastics to catch 7-8 keepers.

Brett Fickle teamed with Joseph Hull to bag a second place weight of 17.27 pounds.  Their bag included the Ozark Chevrolet Big Bass, a 7.60 monster largemouth!  The big fish fell to a squarebill worked in 6’ of water, while they “junk fished” the remainder of their bag, using a combination of jigs, worms, and spinnerbaits.

Jerry McCutchen and Kevin Smith rounded out the top three with a solid 16.31 pound limit.  They reported catching fish early which allowed them to slow down and hunt for better quality.  They kept a flipping rod in their hands, working through a myriad of flooded bushes to work up to their third place weight.

Kevin Johnston and Roger Waters added to their 10^th place finish as they pitched brush hogs to put 13.44 pounds in Kevin’s new ZXR20, giving them the daily Top Skeeter honors.

Special thanks to Everharts, Lakes Inn, Truman Lake Fishing Intel, and Anglers Port Marine for their outstanding support of the division as well as Taylor Grubaugh Chevrolet, Buick & GMC  – West Plains MO for sponsoring the Catch & Release boat.

The fourth event of the Joe Bass Truman season will take place Sunday July 24th with a 6:00 am takeoff from Shawnee Bend.  Please note the monthly takeoff time and be sure to show up early for check-in in order to ensure a timely takeoff.

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