Lake Level - 658.0 and steady (Normal Pool 660.0)
Water Temp – 66 to 69 degrees
Clarity - upper and mid lake is dingy with visibility ranging from 1 to 3 feet other areas
are clear with visibility ranging from 3-5 feet.
Weather: Low 41, high 75, Clear
Wind - 0 to 10 mph, calm at take-off, breezy in the afternoon out of the south
Take off was at 7:00am. Weigh-In was at 3:00pm.
Reported by Robbie Hartline, – Gateway Bass’N Gals. Contact Robbie at going4lunkers@sbcglobal.net or Mary Lipka, President, at Mlipka1@Juno.com for more information on the Gateway Bass 'n Gals.
The Gateway Bass 'n Gals, WBFA Affiliated Club, fished their seventh 2004 event out of the Paradise Cove Resort on Sunday, October 24th, 2004. Big thanks to the owners, Bill and Teresa Boots who treated us very well during our stay with them. There were 5 boats with 9 participants fishing this tournament.
The bite was very slow. The fish are scattered with most being caught early in the day. There were 4 keepers caught as well as a few short fish. The weather was cool, 44 degrees and calm winds at takeoff. The wind started to pick up around noon with the temperature climbing to a high of 75 with 10 mph winds out of the South by weigh-in. It was a beautiful day. But as usual, the blue bird skies didn't help the bite as the day progressed.
Big congratulations to Lynda Gessner who finished first and took Big Bass with a nice keeper that weighed 2.94 lbs. Lynda caught her fish with a chartreuse and white spinnerbait on a secondary point in the Shawnee Bend area of the lake. Lynda and her partner Pam Dugan spent most of the day working points, secondary points and docks. They also caught several short
fish with Texas rigged baby ring fries and other plastics.
Second place was taken by Cheryl LaLumandier with a nice Kentucky Bass that weighed 1.99 lbs. Cheryl spent her day in the Glaize arm. Cheryl caught her fish on a roadbed using a shad patterned spinnerbait. Cheryl also caught short fish on a shad colored DD22 crankbait.
Third place went to Robbie Hartline with one keeper that weighed 1.64 lbs. Robbie caught her fish on a Texas rigged red shad worm on main lake shoreline in the Glaize arm near PB2. Robbie fished as a non-boater with Kim Case. They spent the day in the Glaize arm and reported a tough bite with only one other short taken on baby ring fry.
Fourth place went to Mary Lipka with a Kentucky that weighed 1.00 lbs. Mary caught her fish on a Texas rigged redbug worm way up the Glaize arm in a small cove near Fort Leonard Wood Recreation. Karen McGuire fished as a non-boater with Mary. They also spent the day in the Glaize arm and found fish to be scattered at various depths.
Fishing conditions were tough and discouraging. The fish seem to be scattered and have not seemed to move to the backs of coves to feed on shad yet. Most of the bites came early. Once the sun got up the fish seemed to move to deeper water and tight to cover. Later in the day the best bet was around boat docks. Most fish were either caught on spinnerbaits or on plastic worms or fries in various colors of red or green. There were a few fish picked up on crankbaits such as the DD22 in shad patterns.