OSAGE BEACH, Mo. – Day 2 of the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Plains Division event on Lake of the Ozarks featured pretty solid weights again with plenty of 14-pound bags and some really big bags. But consistency was tough to come by and only a few pros really stayed steady. Taking the lead, Grant Akers didn’t care about steady – he went ahead and busted 20 pounds, 15 ounces to move from 34th to first place with a 34-9 total. Just behind, taking a more steady path, Roger Fitzpatrick weighed 17-13 on Day 2 to slide into second place with an even 34 pounds.
As for Fishing Clash Angler of the Year, things will not be officially settled until weigh-in on Championship Saturday. Brad Jelinek snuck into the Top 25 by 2 ounces, which gives him a chance to earn the title – moving up above eighth place would lock him in to the win. If he can’t move up above eighth, it will depend on how Fitzpatrick and Drew Gill do. Currently, Fitzpatrick would win AOY if the tournament ended today, but as we know, Day 3 on Lake of the Ozarks rarely goes to plan.
On the co-angler side, superstar Scott Parsons sacked up more than 13 pounds again to get to a 27-2 total and take a handy lead. Behind him, Mike Mueller sits in second place with a robust 25-6.
Big shad = big day for Akers
A local to Lake of the Ozarks, Akers caught a solid limit on Day 1, but he laid the wood to ‘em on Day 2.
“The blind squirrel finds a nut every now and again,” he laughed. “Needless to say, it was a magical day out there.”
Fall fishing is known to be unstable, and generally, big bags on Lake of the Ozarks are a scratch-and-claw situation this time of year. For Akers, things simply went really well today.
“Day 1, I got off to a quick start, I had a 12-pound limit by probably 8:30 in the morning,” he said. “I spent the rest of the day, obviously, trying to find that kicker. I culled up ounces here and there, and that kicker never came. I was noticing in the area I was fishing, the big gizzards were starting to show up. I ran through some of those areas today, and the gizzards were there, they were fresh, and they bit. I probably had eight or nine keepers and 10 shorts, so I didn’t catch a ton. But, the bait finally showed up where I wanted it, where I felt big ones lived.”
Though gizzard shad are the predominant forage on Lake of the Ozarks, the presence of big ones, often around shallow cover in the fall, can key a day or a pattern.
“I just went fishing, I just kept the trolling motor down, I stayed in areas where I thought the food was, and I fished everything in front of me,” Akers said. “There wasn’t any magic pattern; I just got very blessed that the food showed up. I feel great about the area, all the ingredients are there. I don’t think those ingredients are going to go anywhere. It’s fall, you’re not going to catch another bag like that, but I think I can get five.”
Tomorrow, Akers will be shooting for his first win with MLF, and fishing for only his second Top 10. Pulling it off against a superlative field would be a big deal for the Camdenton, Missouri, pro.
“To be honest, I’m in uncharted waters,” Akers said. “This is my home lake, but these opportunities don’t come in front of me very often. If I’m able to pull this off, I would be ecstatic.”
Combo pattern has Fitzpatrick where he needs to be
A legend on Lake of the Ozarks, Fitzpatrick has 12 wins at the Phoenix Bass Fishing League level, but has never pulled off a victory in a Toyota Series event. Now, he’s got a chance to wrap the AOY title, and maybe earn his first Series win, all in one day on his home lake.
“I’ve been starting down lake, yesterday I started flipping down toward the dam and had a limit fairly early,” he said. “I hit a deep spot and caught one like every cast, so I started there today, and I had 14 pounds at like 8 o’clock. Both days, I ran to the river after that, trying to catch a better one.”
His plan of mixing areas has been good, but weekend boat traffic on Lake of the Ozarks is no joke, and he’s been racking up the miles.
“Saturday is always more difficult, because of the boat traffic,” Fitzpatrick said. “They’re easier down near the dam, but they’re not quite the quality, so I’m trying to get the best of both worlds. I almost went right to the river this morning, I probably could have, but I’ll probably do the same thing again.”
One more good day and Fitzpatrick can cap the season in fine fashion.
“I’m ready,” he said. “I know where they’re at, I think I’ll have a little less pressure on my shallow fish tomorrow, and they’re replenishing a little. But, I’m real excited about it. I know what’s at stake, but I’m not going to fish any differently. I’m going to go out and fish hard and let the chips fall where they may.”
Top 10 pros
1. Grant Akers – 34 – 9 (10)
2. Roger Fitzpatrick – 34 – 0 (10)
3. Michael Harlin – 33 – 13 (10)
4. Travis Fox – 32 – 0 (10)
5. Andy Newcomb – 31 – 12 (10)
6. Nalon Jones – 31 – 4 (10)
7. Nick LeBrun – 31 – 3 (10)
8. Cory Steckler – 31 – 1 (10)
9. Shane Long – 30 – 15 (10)
10. Tyler Weberg – 30 – 4 (10)