Bill Babler

Thought about fishing that spot yesterday Quill but didn’t want to make the run from Eagle Rock. Glad they were on it for you. Randy might have abandoned us, but the Old River Rat left us a durn good legacy on locations to fish. Randy put the time in plus 1 and the gentleman never failed on the how, when, why and where. I learned a ton from him. You just had to listen to what he wrote. Pretty much the same with Dock-It.

The White was mean to me yesterday so I continued my walleye quest on the Kings. Dumped the tub in at the SK bridge at 7:30 to a surface temp of 42 degree. Blasted up the river and checked every bend and runout flat, NADA. Surface temps remained in the low to mid 40’s range till I got to Hickory Hollow. Saw very few boats till I got there. Then from HH up to the 86 bridge there was quite a bit of participation. Dozen to 15 boats. I think I visited with all of them. Two guys were trolling, both said that they had 10 small male whites. One guy said when I said small I meant small, about 1/2 pound each. Also spoke to 2 dudes in a jet. They said they had gone up to just below the Romp Hole. and had not seen any walleye. Said some of the deeper locations were not clear enough to see the bottom but last year at this time they were hammering them and you could see them. Surface temps at H. Hollow was 50 degree and at the 86 bridge 52 degree. Crazy cause it had a skim of ice on it last week. Most everyone I spoke with couldn’t believe it. but everyone’s electronic were saying 50 plus No one had a walleye but there were a couple of guys throwing A-rigs and said the bass were eating it really good. Nothing big but lots of bites. With my failed walleye experiment over I picked up the jerker and caught 11 bass. I had 12 yesterday with 2 squeaker keeps. Today I had 5 keeps Just broke out the new Spro’s deep diver McStick. 1/2 the price of a megabass and I really like it. Bass seamed to also. Good Luck.

WELL! Went from Hero to Zero Quick as a Wink. The 3 spots I fished yesterday were mid lake humps that I stole from Randy. “RPS”. They were loaded with fish yesterday. These locations are football size and had fish all over the bottom. 24’. In as little as 16 hours there were but a smattering on baby k’s on them today. Most of them scared to death of a small crappie minnow. Ran into Tom and his lovely wife up the White today and we cried about it together. He did have one durn goon one over 4 pounds so there was that. Surface temp 44/45. Don’t know how many units we’re generating at Beaver but there was a pretty good current a mile above Eagle Rock ramp With the warming water and that current I’m guessing that contributed to them packing their bags.

Shell Knob ramp was totally full. Only 3 rigs plus me at ER. For Champ I did catch 3 K’s on a Jerker.

Just wanted to touch base with the forum today. Can’t tell you how much I miss and respect you all. Fished the upper White River with a technique that a few buddies told me they have success on in Wisky, Michigan and Minnesota. I will however add a caveat, every fish I caught was on LiveScope. I had 47 bass and 7 walleye. On a jig and minnow bouncing it slowly. 22’ to 30’ was the number. Kept one walleye all were keepers. Basically no traffic in Missouri, but above Beavertown in Ark. wall to wall boats. Went within site of the bridge. Saw a guy catch 3 small male whites. Visited a bit and he said the walleye are just getting there. I caught mine further downstream on 3 different humps. Have heard zero on the Kings it was frozen at the 86 bridge last week. Surface temp at the Eagle Rock ramp this am was 43 at 6:30. Pulled out at 4pm same location 49 degree. Those Eye’s are going to move FAST. Good Luck.

Just wanted to take a moment and let the majority of you know how much you have meant to me. I hope in someway my information and banter has both provided you a giggle or two and helped you catch a fish or three. The reason I’ve stopped posting is really my information has no use and earlier this year came under excessive criticism. It went as far as calling me names on this forum. Go back and look at my post of a good friend catching an 8 plus pound fish using electronics. That was probably the icing on the cake ie the final straw. A bit of history and you all know it. I have never been. I mean never been a go down the bank casting guy. Grew up in the early 70’s on Lake O. With all our guides using Hummingbird flashers to find spoonbill, brush, or white bass using those little boxes. Progressed to the paper, 2D, HDS, then FFS. It’s all I have ever known about fishing as far as finding fish. Everyone knows when I get near the bank I get twitchy. I’m an open deep water fisherman. It’s all I’ve ever done and all I want to do. If I can’t see em I really just don’t fish for them. Never have never will. FFS is just a progression to me. I know a vast amount of you dislike it. I totally respect that. To me it’s just the life long progression I’ve been following since I watched that old HB flasher when I was a kid. Anything I post is solely related to electronics and it’s been made clear that’s not what the forum wants. My post have always been about electronics and deep fish I’m still fishing at an amazing rate and sent Champ lots of fish pics. There is a brand spanking new Phoenix sitting in the boat barn. It does have lots of underwater peek-a-poo glass on it. Sill amazed at how many fish think my offerings have spent the nite in kitty litter. Really puts you in your place to see all the refusals. Just got back a couple of weeks ago from Sturgeon Bay. 5 of us went. Everyone caught a jaw over 5 pounds. I had a 5.7 and a 5.9. Big fish for the group was 5.13. Didn’t catch a ton but I think most all were 3 plus pounds. Becky and I just love Pickleball. We have a fantastic new indoor facility here in SK. We both are in great shape I’m about 170 pounds and Becky is 135. That’s about as good as we old folks can be. We play 3-4 days a week for 2-3 hours at a time. Afternoons and Saturdays so it doesn’t interfere with fishing. I still peruse the forum to see how you are doing but just don’t feel the need to whip a dead horse with my posts as they will be 100% deep water fishing. Good luck to all of you no matter how you choose to try and catch them. You all have been family and it’s been one of the joys of my life communicating on this great medium. Continuing success on all your endeavors. Sincerely, Bill

Guys that are in their 70’s aren’t going to dictate the future of the Sport. I think some circuit may have a derby without it, but if the guys aren’t putting fish in the boat at the rate they are now it will lose interest fast. My post was just to show a buddy that’s loves to fish and works hard at it with a Super Nice fish for any lake. A total Monster for TR. We have another thread on FFS.

Great trip. Sorry I couldn’t make it.

I understand what you’re saying. So as far as technology is concerned I’m guessing you don’t use graphite rods, carbon line no computer in your business or large screen color TV at home. Not being argumentative but I’m guessing your not going back and forth in a horse and buggy. I respect any skill a person masters. Putting in the time and working hard at it should not taint or diminish the result. I’m as good with FFS as most anyone and I have yet to catch a 7 pound plus fish this year. Dockit is as good as anyone and I don’t think he has either. Yes I’d absolutely smile if I caught a 7 or 8 pounder using legal methods that I had worked at diligently to perfect and understand as Don has. I simply could not degrade someone’s accomplishments after the hours he has spent on it. I’m simply at a loss how this offends anyone. There is probably no need in me posting further reports as my failures or successes will be influenced by technology. Of course they have been for the last 30 years. Good Luck.

Dave. I’ve had 10’s of thousands of hours looking at 2D sonar, or what’s under my boat. Years ago really I adapted to really not even fishing a bank if I did not see either suspended fish, bait fish or a tell tale sign of activity prior to fishing that location. I have for the last 20 years just not pulled on a bank because it looked good or I have caught them there previously. I just flat never fish for fish. Really never have since I started guiding or came to Table Rock. This is pretty long winded. I did a seminar with McCelland and the first thing he told the group is even if you don’t have FFS, use your 2D prior to fishing a location. You don’t see em, don’t waste your time. This is coming from a guy that’s made close to 3 million in tournaments. FFS lets you see not only under but to the sides and out in front. It cuts out hours of unproductive water. How many hours are available to most of us on the water? If we can convert unproductive hours from fishing barren areas to fishing where we know there are fish activity it’s a game changer. FFS is as much about the setup as it is anything. The right equipment that is dialed in and set up correctly is a game changer. If it’s not it’s like trying to drive a screw in with a hammer. You can do it but it’s not going to give you what you want. My equipment was set up by one of the best. It was installed and set up by one of its designers from Garmin. Different from 2D I’m constantly adjusting my livescope for gain, range and depth. It take some time to define targets but it’s time spent on the water. Maybe not fishing but learning. It’s totally opened my mind and made me a much better fisherman. It’s taught me how fish set up not only in seasonal patterns but how they relate to structure. How at times the patterns that we thought we knew were not really what’s happening. You know even with the FFS nothing is equal to time on the water. There are 1000 of blogs on set up if you think it’s time, get on line and learn. Get a quality installation and get in the boat and play.

Don’t agree at all. I’ve always been a deep water fisherman and spent my life and earned a great living looking at sonar. I would have failed on Table Rock without it I’ve never really enjoyed going down a bank and casting a lure. I love the nature and being outside but if you would tell me out on that hump they’re stacked up I bet I’d be out there. FFS is a tool and you have to know how to use it just like 2D, or Side Image. Don has spent over 300 hours on the water this year. He is putting in his time and paying his dues. Nothing is easy. He has been out rain or shine. Cold or wind he is out there. That demands my total respect. He fished days most of won’t even go outside. For every fish that eats it 10 refuse it, even with live bait. Seeing them is nice but catching them is an entirely different matter. It’s totally unreal the amount of refusals Knowing where to fish and where they are keeps you from fishing where they Ain’t. Every hour I get to spend on the water is precious to me. I love the fishing as well as the catching, but we will all admit the catching is the most fun. The analogy of him not earning it is just flat totally off base. Even those that don’t like FFS Can’t dispute him putting in the hours he has to accomplish what he’s doing this year.

3-21. Good buddy that caught the 7 pounder week before last out did himself yesterday. This is the best of the best. 8.1 pounds. Said that had over 30 keeps with best 5 at plus 20 pounds. Said they were looking at most all of them that were caught on a Dimiki and A-Rig. Total FFS day. He said if you didn’t see em you didn’t catch em. They just simply quit casting and went looking. Don had Hummingbird stuff including mega live and 2 Apex units last year. Total gave it away and now is running 4 Garmin units. Live Scope and Sea Clear harness. He is a retired surgeon and is fishing most everyday. He is also a techno junkie. And as you may guess money is no factor. He has already had 15 fish over 5 pounds since the middle of February and that is his second one over 7 pounds. Kind of what I wanted to do. I’m doing good on the 5 pounders, but not the 7 plus yet. Might have set my goals to high. I’m playing Pickleball 4 days a week 3 hours a day. Probably need to be fishing but I just love it. Dropped down to 175 pounds and I haven’t been there in years. With a very generous donation we have a new PB faculty in Shell Knob and it’s really fun with the group we have playing. I’m hooked. It’s been a few years since any double digit fish have been caught. I’m thinking in the next 2 months we may see more than one. This lake is on Fire. Good Luck.

Here is a line box and a wall mount dispenser. There are better and more expensive but ya don’t need em.

OMTT no A-Rig. They caught them on a jerk bait and a Dimiki on docks. Sunday A-rig same cove same docks. Close to 57 pounds in two days from the same location. Fantastic weekend for them. Congrats. Sunday was a bite fest.

I use both a line box and a rolling wall system. Never a twist problem. Couple of tips from a retired guide. First don’t over fill the spool 2 use appropriate line size for the reel. Most 1000/1500 series reels should not be spooled with a line wt.over 6 pound test Even if it gives you a higher line capacity for the reel don’t go there 2000/2500 series you can use up to 10# but 8 is preferable. NO. Carbon line. Forget about it. Use Maxima-Stren or XPS from BP. MAXIMA OR XPS preferably. NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER close a spinning reel by turning the handle of the reel to close or engage the bail. Your new line will be a mess within an hour. Always close the bail by hand. I don’t care if you’re using a Stella or a piece of BP junk. Twisting the handle to close the bail will result in line twist. Now if you’re using braid with a carbon leader that’s fine as the braid has little to no memory and spools well. Again read the label on the braid. If it says the diameter is equivalent to say 6 pound test and the braid is 15 pound test, spool appropriate There are total exceptions to everything and experienced guys that have changed these rules can get away with it to some extent. If your a guide with multiple inexperienced fishermen you cannot make mistakes. Equipment and line snaffues cost clients time and the guide money. The principles I’ve outlined above prevent these gaffes. Good Luck