Steep Banks In Creeks Were The Key For Ryan

David Ryan fished two tournaments at Lake of the Ozarks the weekend prior to the Central EverStart Series' visit to that impoundment and was disappointed in his performance in both. After the second of those events, he went back on the water for some additional practice, and that session laid the foundation for his EverStart win.

"I knew the fish I was catching were not what I needed to compete and do well in the EverStart," said the 41-year-old resident of Levasy, Mo. "So I left Sunday after the weigh-in, went to another ramp and went out and fished until just about dark.

"I was able to get a few key bites that pointed me in the right direction. That was the starting place for putting all the pieces together."

He weighed three sacks that were all within a pound of each other during the event and overcame a near-4-pound deficit on the final day to notch the biggest win of his career. Here's how he did it.

Practice

Following his illuminating post-tournament session on the Sunday prior to the tournament, Ryan went to another ramp farther up the lake the following day and started expanding on his pattern, which consisted of throwing a jerkbait for staging fish on hard-sloping banks located within creek arms.

"I really felt like it was a solid, dependable pattern," he said. "The pre-spawn fish stage on the steep banks and it's a classic pattern here that can overcome adversity like rising or falling water or cold fronts.

"When Ozarks fish get shallow, guys blister them with a flipping stick. But then when the water drops – and it fell a solid 10 vertical inches from day 1 to day 2 of the tournament – the guys who are flipping don't catch them as good. And when that happened this time, it made my bite even better."

The areas he focused on were all 50 to 200 yards from the spawning sites where the fish were headed.

"Having the lake experience that I do, I knew where to look for those places."

Competition

> Day 1: 5, 17-14
> Day 2: 5, 16-15
> Day 3: 5, 17-10
> Total = 15, 52-07

Ryan caught two fish that were over 6 pounds each in the days leading up to the tournament, but didn't connect with that kind of quality during the event itself.

"They were all just solid 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-pounders," he said. "Finally on the last day I was able to catch one that weighed 5-04, and it came out of the exact same brushpile where I'd caught a 6 1/4 in practice."

He caught his best bag of the tournament on day 1, but it was good for only 8th place – about 5 1/2 pounds off the pace set by Roy Hawk. He moved up to 3rd on day 2, but still trailed Hawk by 3-13.

He went through about 15 keepers to compile his final bag, which was the best of the day. Hawk, whose weights fell off considerably as the tournament progressed, managed just 10-13 that day and Ryan's total edged out runner-up Dan Brueggemann by 15 ounces.

Pattern Notes

Ryan made relatively long casts with the jerkbait, but they also had to be precise.

"I had to cast close to the bank so the bait would be up above the lip that stuck out just before the dropoff into the channel," he said. "If the fish were on the lip they'd be in 2 feet of water, or if they were in the channel they could be down in 6 feet.

"Also, I didn't want to be aggressive with the twitches because I didn't want it to move very far. The key was subtle twitches, and then letting the bait sit. Almost all of the weigh-in fish I caught hit while the bait was sitting still."

Winning Gear Notes

> Jerkbait gear: 6'6" medium-action G. Loomis MBR782 IMX rod, Quantum casting reel (older model, 6.3:1 ratio), 10-pound Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon line, Dave's Custom Baits Black Market 110 (Missouri shad).

> The bait company is his own – he takes clear versions and applies custom pain jobs.

The Bottom Line

> Main factor in his success – "Getting clued in to where the fish were setting up, and also finding the right cadence for the jerkbait."

> Performance edge – "My Humminbird SideImaging helped me pick out some of the unique features like brushpiles and boulders hanging off the steep banks. And when the water was still up, my Costa sunglasses helped me actually see some of those boulders."

Notable

> To visit Ryan's website, click here.

Much of the tackle referenced above is available at the BassFan Store. To browse the selection, click here..

Final Standings

Field = 136 boats

1. David Ryan -- Levasy, Mo -- 5, 17-14 -- 5, 16-15 -- 10, 34-13 -- 5, 17-10 -- 15, 52-07 -- $32,917

2. Dan Brueggemann -- Antioch, Il -- 5, 19-03 -- 5, 17-12 -- 10, 36-15 -- 5, 14-09 -- 15, 51-08 -- $11,286

3. Roy Hawk -- Salt Lake City, Ut -- 5, 22-06 -- 5, 16-04 -- 10, 38-10 -- 5, 10-13 -- 15, 49-07 -- $9,405

4. Matthew Jones -- Spokane, Mo -- 5, 16-10 -- 5, 14-12 -- 10, 31-06 -- 5, 17-01 -- 15, 48-07 -- $8,464

5. Peter Wenners -- Galena, Mo -- 5, 18-14 -- 5, 15-08 -- 10, 34-06 -- 5, 11-07 -- 15, 45-13 -- $7,524

6. Dennis Berhorst -- Holts Summit, Mo -- 5, 16-15 -- 5, 16-07 -- 10, 33-06 -- 5, 10-11 -- 15, 44-01 -- $6,583

7. Jim Stamper -- Montreal, Mo -- 5, 20-09 -- 5, 13-10 -- 10, 34-03 -- 4, 7-12 -- 14, 41-15 -- $5,643

8. Greg Bohannan -- Rogers, Ar -- 5, 14-12 -- 5, 16-05 -- 10, 31-01 -- 3, 5-12 -- 13, 36-13 -- $4,702

9. Randall Hutson -- Washburn, Mo -- 5, 18-07 -- 3, 11-11 -- 8, 30-02 -- 4, 6-08 -- 12, 36-10 -- $3,762

10. Earl Garrison IV -- Bull Shoals, Ar -- 5, 16-04 -- 5, 16-09 -- 10, 32-13 -- 2, 3-07 -- 12, 36-04 -- $2,821

The following anglers did not make the cut and did not fish on day 3.

11. Ryan Pudik -- Dunlap, Il -- 5, 15-14 -- 5, 13-12 -- 10, 29-10 -- $1,881

12. John Holmes -- Rhinelander, Wi -- 4, 9-10 -- 5, 19-11 -- 9, 29-05 -- $1,881

13. James Dill -- Laurie, Mo -- 5, 13-08 -- 5, 15-01 -- 10, 28-09 -- $1,881

14. Tom Silber -- Labadie, Mo -- 5, 14-12 -- 5, 13-04 -- 10, 28-00 -- $1,881

15. Dion Hibdon -- Stover, Mo -- 5, 15-01 -- 5, 12-14 -- 10, 27-15 -- $1,881

16. Ramie Colson Jr -- Cadiz, Ky -- 5, 14-00 -- 5, 13-11 -- 10, 27-11 -- $1,411

17. Roger Fitzpatrick -- Eldon, Mo -- 5, 12-07 -- 5, 15-03 -- 10, 27-10 -- $1,411

18. Ryan Chandler -- Hobart, In -- 5, 15-15 -- 5, 11-10 -- 10, 27-09 -- $1,411

19. Marcus Sykora -- Osage Beach, Mo -- 4, 10-03 -- 5, 17-03 -- 9, 27-06 -- $1,411

20. Greg West -- Lake Ozark, Mo -- 5, 17-08 -- 4, 9-12 -- 9, 27-04 -- $1,411

21. Shawn Kowal -- Linn Creek, Mo -- 5, 11-14 -- 5, 15-04 -- 10, 27-02 -- $1,317

22. Joe Bennett -- Independence, Mo -- 5, 18-01 -- 3, 8-14 -- 8, 26-15 -- $1,317

23. Dan Morehead -- Paducah, Ky -- 4, 10-09 -- 5, 16-02 -- 9, 26-11 -- $1,317

24. Tom Murphy -- Richland, Mo -- 5, 15-10 -- 4, 10-15 -- 9, 26-09 -- $1,317

25. Joseph Hall -- Lake City, Mn -- 5, 13-13 -- 5, 12-10 -- 10, 26-07 -- $1,317

26. Tim Brogan -- Arpin, Wi -- 5, 12-00 -- 5, 14-06 -- 10, 26-06 -- $1,223

27. Randy Krull -- Ballwin, Mo -- 5, 16-06 -- 5, 9-11 -- 10, 26-01 -- $1,223

28. Mike Eutsler -- Springfield, Mo -- 5, 18-08 -- 3, 7-08 -- 8, 26-00 -- $1,223

29. Chuck Austin -- Saint Peters, Mo -- 5, 16-09 -- 4, 9-04 -- 9, 25-13 -- $1,223

30. Andre Dickneite -- Freeburg, Mo -- 5, 11-07 -- 5, 13-12 -- 10, 25-03 -- $1,223

31. Mark Rose -- Marion, Ar -- 5, 16-09 -- 3, 8-09 -- 8, 25-02 -- $1,129

32. Tim Fleetwood -- Forsyth, Mo -- 5, 12-08 -- 5, 12-09 -- 10, 25-01 -- $1,129

33. Mark Dunbar -- Jefferson City, Mo -- 4, 9-08 -- 5, 15-01 -- 9, 24-09 -- $1,129

34. Brien Vaughn -- Kinmundy, Il -- 4, 12-11 -- 5, 11-13 -- 9, 24-08 -- $1,129

35. Randy Haynes -- Counce, Tn -- 5, 11-10 -- 4, 12-08 -- 9, 24-02 -- $1,129

36. Harold Buchmeier -- Anna, Il -- 5, 16-01 -- 4, 7-13 -- 9, 23-14 -- $1,129

37. Mike Malone -- Lake Ozark, Mo -- 4, 10-02 -- 5, 13-11 -- 9, 23-13 -- $1,129

38. Jackson Ryley -- Clinton, In -- 5, 12-11 -- 4, 10-11 -- 9, 23-06 -- $1,129

39. Shane Long -- Sarcoxie, Mo -- 4, 9-12 -- 5, 13-07 -- 9, 23-03 -- $1,129

40. Patrick Stines -- Granger, In -- 3, 8-09 -- 5, 14-06 -- 8, 22-15 -- $1,129

41. Bob Richardson -- Granite City, Il -- 5, 14-04 -- 3, 8-07 -- 8, 22-11 -- $1,035

42. David Burks -- Fordland, Mo -- 5, 11-01 -- 5, 11-08 -- 10, 22-09 -- $1,035

43. Stu Moyer -- Indianapolis, In -- 5, 13-03 -- 5, 9-05 -- 10, 22-08 -- $1,035

44. Chris Blackwell -- Clarksville, Tn -- 4, 9-15 -- 5, 12-07 -- 9, 22-06 -- $1,035

45. Mike Foree -- Osage Beach, Mo -- 5, 11-00 -- 4, 11-05 -- 9, 22-05 -- $1,035

46. Michael Wooley -- Collierville, Tn -- 5, 10-04 -- 5, 11-11 -- 10, 21-15 --

47. Bobby McMullin -- Pevely, Mo -- 5, 14-07 -- 3, 7-07 -- 8, 21-14 --

48. Larry Gragg, Jr. -- Pine Bluff, Ar -- 3, 7-04 -- 5, 14-09 -- 8, 21-13 --

49. John McGinnis -- Clarkson, Ky -- 5, 11-05 -- 3, 10-01 -- 8, 21-06

50. Joe Partain -- Farmington, Ar -- 5, 11-04 -- 4, 10-00 -- 9, 21-04

51. Ronnie Kane -- Gardner, Ks -- 5, 15-04 -- 2, 5-14 -- 7, 21-02

52. James Christian -- Dickson, Tn -- 4, 9-07 -- 5, 10-13 -- 9, 20-04

53. Tommy Williams -- Shepherdsville, Ky -- 5, 12-09 -- 2, 6-11 -- 7, 19-04

54. Ladd Shannon -- Atkins, Ar -- 3, 8-00 -- 5, 11-03 -- 8, 19-03

55. Michael Stetich -- Omaha, Ne -- 3, 5-15 -- 5, 12-01 -- 8, 18-00

56. Wade Hendricks -- Thompsons Station, Tn -- 5, 12-04 -- 3, 5-10 -- 8, 17-14

57. Greg Jones -- Lake Saint Louis, Mo -- 5, 13-06 -- 2, 3-11 -- 7, 17-01

58. Terry Bolton -- Jonesboro, Ar -- 5, 10-13 -- 3, 6-04 -- 8, 17-01

59. Jason Christie -- Park Hill, Ok -- 3, 6-10 -- 4, 10-07 -- 7, 17-01

60. Brian Fitzpatrick -- La Crosse, Wi -- 5, 12-00 -- 2, 4-10 -- 7, 16-10

61. Brent Serum -- Durand, Wi -- 1, 2-07 -- 5, 13-15 -- 6, 16-06

62. Clint Alford -- Atoka, Ok -- 4, 10-01 -- 3, 6-04 -- 7, 16-05

63. Jay Lamb -- Cedar Rapids, Ia -- 2, 5-14 -- 4, 10-06 -- 6, 16-04

64. Eddy May -- Valley Center, Ks -- 4, 10-11 -- 2, 5-07 -- 6, 16-02

65. Justin Pace -- Raymore, Mo -- 3, 11-03 -- 2, 4-05 -- 5, 15-08

66. Daniel Lambert -- Paducah, Ky -- 1, 2-01 -- 5, 13-05 -- 6, 15-06

67. Derek Jenkel -- Pinckneyville, Il -- 4, 11-00 -- 2, 4-05 -- 6, 15-05

68. Mark Martin -- Ozark, Mo -- 3, 5-02 -- 4, 10-01 -- 7, 15-03

69. Terry Nold -- Jefferson City, Mo -- 2, 4-04 -- 3, 10-14 -- 5, 15-02

70. Brandon Barker -- Magnet, In -- 3, 7-13 -- 3, 7-05 -- 6, 15-02

71. Larry Caldwell -- Saint Peters, Mo -- 5, 13-08 -- 1, 1-09 -- 6, 15-01

72. Cary Bever -- Rhinelander, Wi -- 5, 12-10 -- 1, 2-02 -- 6, 14-12

73. Ken Young -- Saint Louis, Mo -- 3, 4-07 -- 4, 10-03 -- 7, 14-10

74. Jack Gadlage -- Benton, Ky -- 3, 5-12 -- 3, 8-03 -- 6, 13-15

75. Rick Eyman -- Lockport, Il -- 1, 3-07 -- 3, 10-03 -- 4, 13-10

76. Justin Moore -- Kalamazoo, Mi -- 2, 5-15 -- 3, 7-05 -- 5, 13-04

77. John (Jack) Morris Jr -- Robinson, Il -- 1, 4-07 -- 2, 8-11 -- 3, 13-02

78. Eric Braden -- Radcliff, Ky -- 1, 2-11 -- 5, 10-03 -- 6, 12-14

79. Brandon Hunter -- Benton, Ky -- 5, 12-12 -- 0, 0-00 -- 5, 12-12

80. Doug Henzlik -- Overland Park, Ks -- 5, 10-13 -- 1, 1-13 -- 6, 12-10

81. Todd Hollowell -- Fishers, In -- 5, 7-14 -- 2, 4-11 -- 7, 12-09

82. John Bach -- Salem, Mo -- 1, 2-05 -- 4, 10-02 -- 5, 12-07

83. Cy Duvall -- Corydon, In -- 4, 9-13 -- 1, 2-06 -- 5, 12-03

84. Ryan Guthrie -- Paragould, Ar -- 3, 5-14 -- 3, 6-05 -- 6, 12-03

85. Jim Smith -- Minooka, Il -- 3, 9-08 -- 1, 2-07 -- 4, 11-15

86. Janet Dawn Tharp (Parker) -- Little Elm, Tx -- 2, 3-08 -- 2, 7-08 -- 4, 11-00

87. Travis Loyd -- Kinmundy, Il -- 3, 10-14 -- 0, 0-00 -- 3, 10-14

88. Jim Young -- House Springs, Mo -- 3, 10-12 -- 0, 0-00 -- 3, 10-12

89. Scott Nelson -- Lake Ozark, Mo -- 3, 10-11 -- 0, 0-00 -- 3, 10-11

90. Mike Deushane -- East Peoria, Il -- 1, 2-10 -- 3, 7-13 -- 4, 10-07

91. Thanh Le -- Lake Havasu City, Az -- 2, 7-07 -- 1, 2-07 -- 3, 9-14

92. Peter Cherkas -- Grimes, Ia -- 2, 4-14 -- 2, 5-00 -- 4, 9-14

93. Don Dreiling -- Garden City, Ks -- 4, 7-09 -- 1, 2-04 -- 5, 9-13

94. James Watson -- Waynesville, Mo -- 2, 5-02 -- 2, 4-10 -- 4, 9-12

95. Kirk Warren -- Russellville, Ar -- 1, 2-06 -- 2, 6-14 -- 3, 9-04

96. Charles Frick -- St. Louis, Mo -- 0, 0-00 -- 4, 9-02 -- 4, 9-02

97. Joel Trovillion -- Grantsburg, Il -- 2, 3-07 -- 2, 5-11 -- 4, 9-02

98. Stuart Arthur -- Benton, Mo -- 2, 2-07 -- 3, 6-09 -- 5, 9-00

99. Ralph Laster Jr -- Lees Summit, Mo -- 2, 5-06 -- 1, 3-04 -- 3, 8-10

100. Ross Cagle -- Downsville, La -- 0, 0-00 -- 3, 8-03 -- 3, 8-03

101. Doug Pietrzak -- Cadiz, Ky -- 2, 4-05 -- 2, 3-14 -- 4, 8-03

102. Michael Penix -- Lewisburg, Tn -- 1, 3-03 -- 2, 4-08 -- 3, 7-11

103. Will Jefferies -- Bountiful, Ut -- 1, 4-09 -- 2, 3-01 -- 3, 7-10

104. Chuck Loerzel -- Yorkville, Il -- 2, 4-11 -- 1, 2-12 -- 3, 7-07

105. Brian Brown -- Kuttawa, Ky -- 2, 4-04 -- 1, 3-01 -- 3, 7-05

106. Doyle Isom Jr -- Bourbon, Mo -- 1, 1-14 -- 1, 5-06 -- 2, 7-04

107. Ronny Webb -- Dyersburg, Tn -- 2, 5-00 -- 1, 2-03 -- 3, 7-03

108. Tad Ladd -- Princeton, Ky -- 2, 6-12 -- 0, 0-00 -- 2, 6-12

109. Bart Schutz -- Evansville, In -- 2, 4-01 -- 1, 2-03 -- 3, 6-04

110. Tim Janke -- Janesville, Wi -- 0, 0-00 -- 2, 6-02 -- 2, 6-02

111. Tim Sprouse -- Clarksville, Tn -- 1, 2-00 -- 2, 4-02 -- 3, 6-02

112. Ronald Cherkas -- Grimes, Ia -- 0, 0-00 -- 2, 6-01 -- 2, 6-01

113. Gary Isgrigg -- Mt. Washington, Ky -- 1, 0-14 -- 4, 5-02 -- 5, 6-00

114. Steve Ives -- Rockford, Il -- 1, 3-07 -- 1, 2-06 -- 2, 5-13

115. Travis Fox -- Rogers, Ar -- 1, 3-12 -- 1, 1-15 -- 2, 5-11

116. Bub Taylor -- Tontitown, Ar -- 2, 5-09 -- 0, 0-00 -- 2, 5-09

117. Kerry Milner -- Bono, Ar -- 1, 3-14 -- 1, 1-09 -- 2, 5-07

118. Derik Hudson -- Hurt, Va -- 3, 5-04 -- 0, 0-00 -- 3, 5-04

119. Seth Brown -- Mount Vernon, In -- 2, 5-00 -- 0, 0-00 -- 2, 5-00

119. Bill Milton -- Searcy, Ar -- 2, 5-00 -- 0, 0-00 -- 2, 5-00

121. Charlie Bogard -- Saint Charles, Mo -- 2, 4-12 -- 0, 0-00 -- 2, 4-12

122. Michael Fiedler -- Springfield, Mo -- 2, 4-04 -- 0, 0-00 -- 2, 4-04

123. Darrell West -- Drasco, Ar -- 1, 2-03 -- 1, 2-01 -- 2, 4-04

124. Dennis Price Jr -- Tinley Park, Il -- 1, 1-13 -- 1, 2-03 -- 2, 4-00

125. Robert Henson -- Hazelwood, Mo -- 0, 0-00 -- 2, 3-13 -- 2, 3-13

126. Zach King -- Clarksville, Ar -- 1, 2-00 -- 1, 1-08 -- 2, 3-08

127. Mark Taylor -- Mansfield, Mo -- 1, 3-05 -- 0, 0-00 -- 1, 3-05

128. David Mangelsdorf -- Barnhart, Mo -- 1, 3-01 -- 0, 0-00 -- 1, 3-01

129. Bill Anderson -- Gilbertsville, Ky -- 1, 2-05 -- 0, 0-00 -- 1, 2-05

129. Kevin Izzi -- Loveland, Oh -- 0, 0-00 -- 1, 2-05 -- 1, 2-05

131. Mark Frickman -- Grand Ledge, Mi -- 1, 2-04 -- 0, 0-00 -- 1, 2-04

Tim Griggs. Paducah, Ky -- 0, 0-00 -- 0, 0-00 -- 0, 0-00

John Kovaka. Worth, Il -- 0, 0-00 -- 0, 0-00 -- 0, 0-00

Sam Rosefsky. Morris, Il -- 0, 0-00 -- 0, 0-00 -- 0, 0-00

Casey Scanlon. Lenexa, Ks -- 0, 0-00 -- 0, 0-00 -- 0, 0-00

Cory Steckler. Rocky Mount, Mo -- 0, 0-00 -- 0, 0-00 -- 0, 0-00