Lake of the Ozarks produces fish of a lifetime

Val Grikis of Austin, Texas, wanted to make a father-son fishing trip to Lake of the Ozarks something to remember.

But he had no idea it would turn out this memorable.

Fishing with his 12-year-old son, Ryan, and guide Jack Uxa, Grikis caught the fish of a lifetime: a 10-pound, 11-ounce bass.

That fell short of the state record 13-pound, 14-ounce bass caught in 1961 on Bull Shoals Lake, but it still ranks as one of the biggest bass caught on public waters in Missouri in recent years.

“That’s the biggest bass I’ve ever seen,” said Uxa, who has run Jack’s Guide Service since 2003. “I caught a 10-2 (10 pounds, 2 ounces) years ago, but this fish was noticeably bigger.

“I was just amazed.”

Grikis readily admits he is no fishing expert. He fishes occasionally, but this trip was for his son. It was spring break, and Grikis wanted to travel to the famous Lake of the Ozarks and hire a guide.

Right choice. Fishing March 15 on an unseasonably warm day, Uxa led the father and son to some unforgettable bass fishing. Ryan, an avid young fisherman, caught several largemouths that Uxa estimated in the 5-pound range. But his dad landed the catch of the day.

Grikis cast a chartreuse and white spinnerbait to a secondary point in the Grand Glaize arm, and felt something hammer it. He thought he had a big carp at first, but Uxa knew otherwise. After a short fight, Grikis worked the bass into Uxa’s landing net. He posed for photos, then released his prized catch.

“It was very exciting but you really don’t grasp the magnitude of the situation until you see the guide get as excited as you are,” Grikis said in a press release.

High-school team hits bull’s-eye

Lee’s Summit West High School was dead on the mark during the recent Missouri Archery in the Schools Program state tournament.

The team set a state record in winning the title, with a score of 3,405 out of a possible 3,600. Lee’s Summit West dominated the high-school female division, earning three of the top five places. Lauren Smith placed second, Shelby Winslow was third and Sydney Michels finished fifth.

The tournament drew a record 1,450 youth in grades 4 through 12 from 94 schools across Missouri.

Missouri governor, first lady honored

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and his wife, Georganne, were honored as Conservationists of the Year by the Conservation Federation of Missouri during its awards banquet on March 19.

The Nixons were recognized for their promotion of the Governor’s 100 Missouri Miles Challenge, Missouri state parks, hiking, the Share the Harvest program, the Governor’s youth turkey and deer hunts and the First Lady’s Children in Nature Challenge.

Other award winners were: Howard Fisher of Higginsville, outstanding lifetime achievement; Trevor Morgan and Nathan McLeod of Columbia, Conservation Communicators; Gina Wood of Springfield, Conservation Educator; Greater Ozarks Audubon Society, Conservation Organization; Dale and Sue Deeker of New Florence, Forests Conservationists; Bryan Livingston of Springfield; Hunter Education Instructor; and John Knudsen of Hermann, Professional Conservationist.

Andrew Austin of Springfield, Water Conservationist; Travis Moore of Hannibal, Wildlife Conservationist; Brook Widmar of Sparta, Youth Conservationist; State Rep. Linda Black of Park Hills, Conservationist Legislator; and State Sen. Eric Schmitt of Glendale, Conservation Legislator.

This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 5:18 PM with the headline "Lake of the Ozarks produces fish of a lifetime."