BURR OAK STATE PARK — Do you remember the Neil Diamond ballad about a “Solitary Man?” That old song echoed between my ears as I pulled into the parking lot at the Dock 4 boat ramp at Burr Oak Lake in Morgan County. It seemed that song should have been playing in the background as my Tundra came to a stop at the deserted boat ramp.

This could be a typical late summer weekday occurrence at any state park in late summer here in the Buckeye State. However, this was a Saturday morning on the recent Labor Day weekend. The second thought I had besides Neil’s song was “just how bad is the fishing that NOBODY else is here but me.’

The Dock 4 area has seen several improvements in the recent past. The boat ramp has been repaired after being in disrepair for a couple of seasons. A kayak/canoe launch has been added for the crowd that depends on the row to make a boat go. Next to the two floating docks at the ramp a courtesy dock has been installed. This courtesy dock is designed to keep the ramp open instead of becoming blocked as boaters entering lake are not hindered by those who are ready for the trip home.

As for the fishing, Burr Oak has never been the place if catching is a priority for your bass fishing. Local anglers who spend many days on the lake do well at times, but first time visitors could find the fishing very difficult. Last winter saw a bumper year of crappie fishing at Burr Oak, but summertime at Burr Oak can be extremely challenging for the bass fisherman.

With little expectations for success, I took solace in that nobody else was fishing there except me. Thirty minutes into the morning I landed a 14 inch bass on a soft plastic bait we call the Will Boss. It is copied after the Berkley Pit Boss bait, but the one I was using is made by Will Presley of Columbus. Hence, the name , Will Boss.

I landed one other bass that morning, but it stretched the measuring tape to a very modest 10 inches. Three hours after that second fish, I finally had another bite. As bass fishermen like to say, this bass was a full grown one. The quick glance I had when the fish jumped provided me a brief look at a bass in the three to four pound range. However, Mr. Bass must have had another pressing engagement elsewhere because he took the LDR (Long Distance Release) option instead of coming aboard my Skeeter.

While big numbers of bass are not common for a day of fishing at Burr Oak Lake, big bass do swim in the clean waters of this lake. Local anglers know their chances of landing a five pound+ bass at Burr Oak could happen on any cast. Early season bass fishing is the best opportunity to land a trophy fish at Burr Oak. Early at Burr Oak means fishing in early March as soon as ice off occurs.

The list of baits that work well  depends on the angler making the list. Rat L Traps and jerkbaits work well early in the season. A black jig and pig combo, big willow leaf spinnerbaits, and Zoom finesse worms in black grape account for plenty of Burr Oak lunkers. Red shad seven inch ribbon tailed plastic worms Texas rigged was a favorite lure for the late Mick Sturgill who belonged to the Perry County Anglers bass club.

When the winds of November blow into town, try throwing a buzzbait along shallow cover like weedlines or downed trees. That unorthodox approach was proven to me by Steve Ater who now resides somewhere in Florida.

If you venture to Burr Oak, you can find accommodations at the lodge or in one of the many cabins around the lake. The lake has a ten horsepower limit with a special idle only speed for boats with motors bigger than 10 horsepower. Boats with motors of ten horsepower or less are still permitted to run at their top speed. Jet skis are not permitted.