Zack:
I put up three pictures in my library from my last trip to LOZ, when we stayed at Wilson's. One is of the dock, one is the kitchen (pardon our mess, there were no women there to remind us to clean up after ourselves) and the last is of one of the bedrooms. They were very comfortable accommodations.
One thing to know: Wilson's will launch and recover your boat for you. They don't give you the option to do it yourself because the ramps is as twisty-curvy as Pamela Anderson. It snake around a couple of buildings before ending at the lake, and they use a truck with a hitch/ball on the front bumpter to negotiate the turns. Even if you could launch yourself, I wouldn't even attempt it.
The Little Niangua Branch is fairly calm compared to the main lake. You rarely run into wakes from the big cruisers, but at the time of the year you are considering the big boats will be put away for the winter. In Mid-October, you'll probably find bass in six to ten feet of water on main channel points and along creek channels leading into the backs of coves. If that doesn't work, hit around and under boat docks aggressively with jigs, spinnerbaits and crankbaits until you establish a pattern. I've found that a good variety of Chompers skirted grubs (blue flake, watermellon seed, white and chartreuse) attached to a 1/4 oz. weighted weedless Chompers hook will attract LOZ bass. Others will swear by crankbaits or spinnerbaits. My brother-in-law Carolina rigs a 7" worm most of the time.
If you stay at Wilsons, leave the dock and head to your right (upstream). As you come around the first hard corner, you'll see a big rock wall that will extend for about a half mile. That's the first place I'd start. Go from the first point, all along that wall, until you get to the last big point. The lake will divide into two coves at that point. Keep going to your left (the right hand channel leads up the river), and you'll eventually come to a small cove with a spring. It usually holds fish of all types. But, BE CAREFUL! This part of the lake can get very shallow, very quickly. I scuffed my prop and lower unit when I ended up on a big mud flat. The channel is on your left, along the undeveloped side of that cove.
There are also some good fishing reports sites. My favorite is below.
Hope this helps. Good fishin' and tight lines!
http://www.midwestbasstournaments.com/
