Jim and Terry Crappie FishingPosted: Friday, March 29, 2013 12:10 am | Updated: 12:12 am, Fri Mar 29, 2013.

By Nathan Bechtold

Spring is the time for good crappie fishing on the Lake of the Ozarks, and fishing pro Jim Dill says that time is drawing near.

The season will peak in mid-April, but Dill says he is already scheduling guided crappie fishing trips on the Lake. With a few more warm days and above-freezing nights, Dill says the fishing will dramatically improve. But even now, at the beginning of the season, crappie can be caught.

Currently, crappie are biting at bluff walls or in the back of creeks, Dill says. They seem to prefer Gene Larew crappie jigs, in the “blue ice” color. For particularly stained water, Dill says the chartreuse and black jig works better, as it is more visible to the fish.

Bass, on the other hand, have been elusive for the past couple of weeks, and Dill blames a variety of factors. He says the amount of water being let out of Bagnell Dam has caused Lake levels to drop, stirring up algae and creating generally unstable water. The frequent cold nights have kept the water temperature down, adding to the instability.

The water temperature is currently between 44 – 46 degrees. Coloration is stained or dirty.

Fish like stability, Dill notes, and bass in particular want to move to the banks, backs of creeks, and pockets to feed, but until the water temperature approaches 50 degrees, they’ll stay out in deeper water.

That said, bass too can be caught even now. For lure choice, Dill recommends swamp bugs, jigs, Alabama rigs, and suspended jerk baits.

By next weekend, he says, fishing will likely be fantastic at the Lake.

(LakeExpo.com interviews professional bass angler Jim Dill to publish the “Reel Dill.” Jim is fishing guide at Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.  He has fished the Lake for 20 years and is sponsored by Sportworld Boat Center, Ranger Boats, Evinrude, Falcon Rods and Crock-O-Gator Bait Company)

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