understanding how they relate to even the shallow fish . You can take us anywhere , put us on a row of docks , and we ’ ll pick out the ones that are likely to have fish and eliminate the ones that probably don ’ t have fish .”
Though Lawyer and Sykora often produce similar results , their fishing styles differ . Lawyer is more likely to fish jigs and soft plastics , grinding it out on wood cover , rocky banks , bluff walls and docks in most tournaments . Unless fish are lethargic , Sykora sticks with a crankbait , jerkbait or topwater lure . An oversimplification , perhaps , but Lawyer is more the grinder while Sykora prefers a run-and-gun approach .
Sykora often goes for broke in the events he fishes , eschewing numbers and targeting big bass from the start . Lawyer is more conservative , unless his game plan isn ’ t producing as hoped .
“ We swing for the fences when we fish for checks in the Ozarks , so it makes us better in big-fish presentations with jigs and topwaters ,” Sykora says . “ The downside of that is that a lot of times it ’ s not clicking , and you have to decide whether it ’ s time to catch a couple of smaller fish or catch five small keepers and then go back looking for the bigger fish . The guys around here who are the real hammers aren ’ t afraid to wad it all up at 1 o ’ clock , throw it in the garbage and start all over .”
While it ’ s true the guy who weighs in the heaviest stringer by the end of a tournament wins , sometimes going after bigger fish first isn ’ t the best gambit , thinks Lawyer . For instance , an angler who ’ s fishing a circuit in which his points standing at the end of the season might get him into a championship tournament typically will run more of a tortoise-versus-thehare race .
“ Most of the time , as soon as a tournament starts I try to go to where I think I can catch five keepers the quickest ,” Lawyer says . “ A long time ago I learned not to underestimate the power of a five-fish limit , no matter the size . Once I ’ ve got a limit , I fish more relaxed , but at the same time I become more aggressive as far as going after bigger fish .”
Quality or quantity , either approach can be justified , if it ’ s done right . Sykora has won nine BFL events and scored 34 top 10s , all but three in BFL competition . Lawyer has finished in the top 10 in 35 of the 92 FLW tournaments he ’ s entered , and won once ( the 2016 All-American ). They ’ ve experienced success at home against the best of the Ozarks and , more recently , on the national level , proving that the Ozark region is a fertile training ground for some of the sport ’ s biggest talents .
Marcus Sykora ’ s mastery of electronics and offshore fishing helped him win the 2014 All-American at Wilson Lake .
“ The strongest pattern we have in the Ozarks is fishing jigs ,” notes Lawyer . “ Twelve months a year – rock , wood , flooded bushes , whatever – a brown or black and blue jig is what most fishermen go to . If it was a 200-boat tournament , the guys in 195 of them would have jigs tied on .”
The Power of Five
Sykora and Lawyer epitomize most successful Ozark anglers , though they represent two sides of the same coin in their approaches to tournament fishing .
PHOTO BY COLIN MOORE other OZARK hammers
Not surprisingly , Jeremy Lawyer and Marcus Sykora rate each other as being among the best of the Ozark anglers , but they also have other names in mind . Lawyer says that Dennis Berhorst of Holts
Summit , Mo ., is an odds-on favorite in any Ozark tournament , and Sykora agrees .
Berhost , who specializes in fishing creature baits and jigs in fairly shallow water , has fished 135 events in FLW circuits and won 10 of them , as well as earning 50 top-10 placements . He ’ s collected more than $ 324,000 in prize money .
Sykora also adds Bill Davenport of Waynesville , Mo ., to the list of Ozark greats . Though Davenport ’ s tournament experience outside local events is practically nil , Sykora credits him with being his most helpful mentor .
“ I ’ ve been fishing with him since I was 12 or 13 years old , including in a lot of team tournaments , and he ’ s taught me more about structure fishing and the mental side of things than anybody . He ’ s a real master .”
Add Joplin ’ s Wes Endicott ( two wins and 23 top 10s in 60 FLW events fished ) and Joe Brantley of Willard , Mo ., ( two wins and 12 top 10s in 58 tournaments ) to the mix .
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