Fishing Guides Know What's Biting (and Where)
at Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, MO -- The Lake of the Ozarks in Central Missouri is well-known for its abundant bass, crappie and catfish, including trophy catches. But if you don't have a boat or don't know where the fish are, you can
save a lot of time and money by hiring a licensed fishing guide.

Several professional guide services are located throughout the Lake area. Each offers half-day or full-day trips and provides a licensed, professional guide, fully rigged boat, complete equipment, and bait and tackle for the type of fish you're after. All you need to bring is a Missouri fishing license. Above all, each guide offers his experience, know-how and finely tuned instincts to help first-timers or lifelong fishermen catch that trophy and/or bring home dinner.

"You don't have to buy boat insurance, fuel or a vehicle to tow your boat. You don't even have to buy a boat!" says Jeff Williams of Osage Guide Service, which specializes in trophy blue catfish. "When you add up all the related costs, it would take an awful lot of guided fishing trips to equal the expense." There's also the safety issue, he adds. " I know the Lake and I'll take you out in a big, comfortable boat. The knowledge you can gain by hiring a good guide can put you ahead of the learning curve."

That knowledge includes "knowing what depth of water to fish and what lures are most productive, for example. That can make the difference between a good and a great fishing trip," says Chip Weeg of Hook'em Guide Service, which
specializes in bass. Guides also know how different fish act at different times of the year. "Crappie are not always on the banks like they are in early spring. When they're done spawning they go back to deep-water structures," says L.D. Wimbs of L.D.'s Guide Service. "Catfish move through creeks and need shallow-water access for spawning. You have to know when to fish deep, in-between and shallow areas. That's why you hire a guide."

Guides serve a wide range of clientele. For example, Bob Cox of ShowMe Guide Service has a lot of customers from the northern states. "I try to teach them as much as I can," he says. "They might not catch the big fish but they'll definitely catch fish and hopefully they'll also take home some knowledge they can use on the next lake."

Some guides host corporate groups from all over the country. Several services have experienced and licensed boat-owning associates they can call on to accommodate these larger business outings.

Weeg adds, "We get people on vacation who don't have a boat, or they're new to the area and want to learn the Lake. Or they just want to go fishing!" He gets a lot of repeat business. "I take out a lot of newlyweds who come to the Lake of the Ozarks on their honeymoon and call me every year when they come back on their anniversary," he says. Weeg also estimates more than half of his clients are women. "A lot of guys come down on a convention, and surprisingly their wives or girlfriends call me. They get a boat ride and they get to fish!" he says.

Williams also guides a lot of women. "They especially enjoy the drift fishing trips in the summer," he says. "On these trips, I can bait all the hooks, throw the rods and put them in holders. The wind blows us across the Lake and all anyone has to do is reel in the fish."

The specialized nature of his service requires Williams to limit the number of people he can serve at one time; however, he believes his clients fall into two groups. "There are cat fishermen who come from all over the country who are not only interested in catching fish but also want to learn. A lot of these same people are willing to catch just one fish a day, but it may be the fish of a lifetime," he says. "Then there are people on vacation who just want to get out on the water in a safe boat and catch some fish. They may or may not catch a trophy but they're sure to get enough fish to take home, too."

Williams releases catfish over eight pounds, to allow them to continue growing to trophy size. He believes catfish under eight pounds taste the best, so they are kept, cleaned and packaged for his clients.

Then there's the occasional undercover celebrity who hires a guide to fish the Lake. "I get celebrities from time to time," Weeg says. "You never know who's going to call." He won't name names, however. "Like they say in Vegas," he notes, "what happens at the Lake stays at the Lake."

Several Lake-area guides also offer special fishing trips for kids. "We don't allow parents on these trips," Weeg says. "We usually take three kids in a boat and fish for perch and bluegill. They learn a lot." On these kids-only trips, future anglers learn to tie and bait hooks and other basics. They come back with a picture if not a fish. Of course, if parents want to fish with their kids, the guides will accommodate them.

Young or old, fishing with a guide can certainly be an adventure. "This trip has plenty of action where you can catch 10 to 30 fish on average," says Williams, who frequently appears on "American Outdoorsman" and "Midwest Sportsman" cable-TV programs. Last year his clients caught four 50-pound catfish and 17 40-pounders. Williams' boat record is 61 pounds, caught last year. His personal record is a 48-pounder. In 2004, out of 127 days on the Lake of the
Ozarks with clients, "we had just one fishless day," he says. "Why, I don't know."

Some guides also offer night fishing. "During night trips after dark it's not as hot and there are not as many boats out," Weeg says. "Actually you can catch more at night in June, July and August. Real fishermen know that." However, he adds, day or night, "The Lake of the Ozarks is one of the top 10 in the nation for fishing. It's a great place to fish."

It's also a great place to enjoy the natural beauty of the Ozarks. "Each season is different. You see so many beautiful things, the flowering trees, the fall colors," Wimbs says. "And in the summer there are very few mosquitoes."

All things considered, although it's a lot of work, being a Lake-area fishing guide is a good life. "I know in four hours I'll get to know a few more people and hear a lot more stories," says Weeg. Adds Williams, "I still get a thrill every time that pole bends over."

To find out more about fishing guide services at the Lake of the Ozarks -- and for complete information about Lake-area lodging, dining, attractions and events -- call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau at
800-FUN-LAKE, or visit www.funlake.com.

NOTE TO NEWS MEDIA: For your convenience, you may download an electronic
version of this article at www.funlake.com/press_releases/current_releases.