The Toyota Series Plains Division will kick off its 2021 season with this week's event at Lake of the Ozarks. The tournament gets under way Thursday and runs through Saturday.
MLF Pro Circuit angler Casey Scanlon of Eldon, Mo., guides on Lake of the Ozarks and said the derby could produce epic weights.
“The first week of March is a little iffy weather-wise – you don’t know if you’re gonna see the lake really show out,” Scanlon said. “But we’ve had a pretty mild winter and they’ve been chewing, so I would think we’re gonna see a pretty good tournament.”
With water temps expected to be in the 40s, Scanlon said he thinks the whole lake will play for a winter or pre-spawn bite.
“We’ll be in a winter or pre-spawn mode,” Scanlon said. “Fish will be staging up, but still a month off from really making a hard push. So you’re talking umbrella rigs, jerkbaits, crankbaits and spinnerbaits. There will be fish caught extremely shallow and fish deep on the bottom and suspended. The lake has been fishing pretty diverse – better than it has in a while, so I’m thinking it will be a really fun event.”
Historically, in fall events on Lake of the Ozarks, anglers have ranged far and wide over the lake, with winning bags coming from way up the river to right near take-off. Scanlon said he expects that to be the case this time as well, but anticipates the docks will be less important than they are in the fall.
“The fish are going to be, in general, more bank-related as opposed to dock-related,” Scanlon said. “We’ve been there a lot in the fall, where guys are fishing deep around those boat docks – and I’m not saying it’s not going to play, but normally it’s a more visible cover. Brushpiles and things like that are definitely going to play, but you’re going to see more guys fishing behind docks, targeting laydowns and doing typical pre-spawn stuff.
Anglers will take off daily at 7 a.m. CT from Public Beach No. 2 in Osage Beach. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park and will begin at 3 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
