Bill Babler

Sponsorship and advertising dollars have changed dramatically over the past 2 or 3 yrs. Even with KVD, there is a bottom line. His team has a figure for every advertiser and sponsor that garnish either his boat or his person. If you want to make that obligation fine, if you don't there is another company right down the block that will. I will tell you right now that Minn Kota is paying him more than Atwood was going to pay him to run a Motor Guide. When asked why he runs a Nitro he always says he can run any boat he wants, but he likes the Nitro. That statement is very true in the fact that he can run what he wants, weather it is for free or he has to pay for it. The deal here is how much does BP and Nitro pay him for his endorsement? I'll tell you the number. More than any other company would. The thing about this is as the boat companies dwindle the bargaining point on them will also, and we're just about there.

Yes he put an Ultrex on. It is a 2019 an in Minnkota's new advertisement says they completely redesigned and reinvented it for 2019. Quicker response, better GPS lock with not as much searching to stay on target with better holding power in the wind. That will be really nice because that had been a problem with the 17's and 18's. I'm a year off on a new rig and it will be interesting to see what all these companies do. Garmin may be the biggest player yet

Yes they used the wrap but never mastered it.

Very interesting on the wall pic. Very clear shot. On another note the last 3 days out of SK fishing up the white we have caught multiple walleye from Viney up. All came swimming a Keitech 3.3 in Pro Blue Shiner on a 1/4 head on flat gravel and I also have to say flat water as we have had very little wave action. Most of these fish were in 15', and as usual if you catch one you usually catch a buddy. We have also broke off more fish than usual on that gravel with usually a line or two coming back each day after a hard hit with everything gone. I'm guessing Mr. Walter is the culprit.

Guys my sale just has two remaining days to either pick up or order a Falcon at very good discounts. If I have not gotten back with you please let me know as I've been covered up Also Dave and Jim I have yours except for the Head Turner, expecting it soon. Thanks Bill

For years now bears have been seen on the Kings River drainage and also in and around Roaring River A few years ago I was looking for an ATV and in the Kawasaki shop in Harrison which was also a hunting and bow shop they had hundreds of pictures of bears in all the North Arkansas Counties bordering Missouri. Especially Marion, and Carol. I've been reading quite a bit of late 1700 and 1800 material as much as I can find on the fur trade and it seems that most of the hoofed game including buffalo and elk along with Brown or Grizzly bear were not seen to an especially large extent in Missouri. Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas were the starting point for the massive herds of cloven animals and large predators. As both adventures, trappers and pioneers with starting points in St. Joseph and Kansas City always spoke about bringing enough provisions to get to the western and northern plains to encounter large herds of game. That is not to say that there were not large amounts of game present including black bear and whitetail deer, but I didn't find records of large herds of either elk or bison that occupied Missouri. Billethead could be very correct that would be prior to 1750. By then Missouri was quite occupied and any of the larger game would have been compromised to some extent. At that time the Ozarks Region was a Short Leaf Pine Forrest and really did not support the topography that would have been required for large herds of grazing animals.. It was, is and has been a place for browsers.

After a bit closer examination of those heads you posted, I'm going to say Lucky Strike. I don't think there are any that fits Tuners color palate. I also don't believe that Turner used that type of sickle hook as he never showed or offered it to me. Another good reason they are bare is they probably came apart prior to even being used as I mentioned in my previous post. Lucky Strike came out with some wild color heads. I think there may be one TJ head there and it is the bottom green one that has just a speck of feather remaining but that would be the only one. If you look close it has a different eye also that would be close to his.

Nice. I know there a lot of jig heads out there that Luck Strike poured that should be really similar to TJ. The paint was poor and they immediately came apart after a fish or two as the shrink wrap came apart, but they may be a good outlet if you can find them for jig heads. Phil may have some as I think he purchased a few of the Lucky Strike to try. Both Buster Loving and Tim Saniato sold some of them, but mostly bought them to use themselves as they were about 1/2 the price. They were also on the shelf at BP, until the law suit. Both guys gave up on them pretty fast as a lot of times the shrink wrap and the tail would just be loose and unattached lying in the bottom of the tube, even before the jig was used. They just could not get the shrink wrap to work and the paint was also poor. You guys are fantastic and true artist

I have to also agree with Quill. The Ned is just not a fish killer and as Champ said. The way they were caught had nothing to do with their death, what so ever.

There were 8 K's floating from the ramp to the dock on Thursday morning at 5:30 am. No LM. Someone was photographing them at 10 am and I did not get a chance to see who it was as he was just leaving as I was pulling in. Small silver car and a younger slender, dark haired young man with glasses. Water is way hot right now, middle to upper 80's and if these fish are coming from the thermocline its going to be a problem as it always is in the heat of the summer. Please for every sportsmans sake make sure this does not happen again, as it is just about the biggest black eye any of us that fish a derby or two can get. Thanks

Spoon. Worked yesterday on a nice LM. Looked like I was figure 8ting. Need something that drops fast as they are usually 4 or 5 feet below Thanks Bo, exactly, especially on a missed swing

Big welcome to the Phoenix Family is extended to Phil Stone of Stones Guide Service out of Harrison Ark. I know after a lot of deliberation and a lot of offers he is going to be the Capt. of a 2019 Phoenix PHX with the new four stroke Merc. ProXs. These boats are Big Water eating machines and from what I'm hearing it will be set up to take care of his clients with the same great service he has provided for years on both Bull Shoals and the Rock. Welcome aboard Capt. Phil

Just another quick post on the jig. Son Steven was down last Saturday and I took the day off to fish with him. He is just a fantastic jig fisherman and is as unconventional as all get out. He is a dragger and a shaker and he fishes that jig like some fish a C-Rig, with a very low rod tip and his hook set is first a sweep and then just a steady pressure high rod reel in. Kicked me completely out of the boat Saturday, catching I'm guessing about 30 on it with some fantastic SM. Early morning they were catching it. We were throwing it into about 15' and dragging it out to about 30' I held my own on the catch, even possibly beating him a little. When it came to fishing it completely out to the boat and dragging it, he took over. Yesterday with Jack I caught 4 on it later in the morning and they all caught it.. For those of you that don't know what I'm talking about its on the cast if it never hits the bottom and they are immediately on it that is a fish catching it. Right now they are holding onto it really well and are hard to take it away from. Best bites have been on the catch or when you toss it out and then cannot find it and your line just remains slack. They are also knocking slack in the line if your keeping tension on it your line will just go slack. That's a bite, it has not been a tug or a thump, but more of just thinking, " I know I should be feeling some weight and there is no lure on my line." If you lose it wind like crazy picking up the slack and proceed in the appropriate manner. Bo can correct me here but I think the reason is there are multiple fish moving after the jig and when one gets it he is most often running with it immediately. On lots of these catches our hooked fish is being followed in by one or two others. Happened multiple times this last week. Probably common knowledge on this stuff, but it has been important to us.

Sorry for the problems. If you got a top water bite on any part of the lake at 10;30 in the mornings your my hero.

Guys that's the deal. After the weigh-in I will guarantee you that those fish were floating then. Someone needs to scoop them up and take them home. I know they are worthless to eat and if they don't want to eat a summer fish with flesh like mash potatoes they at least need to put them in a garbage sack and take them to the dump. For Pete's Sake stop that Derby if they can't take care of fish after the middle of May. I'm sure BO will concur that this has been going on at Shell Knob as long as both of us can remember on Wednesday nites. That aside, the fish are biting and if you can get out early and get off early you can really have a great trip on that middle section of the White.

Outside of Saturday on Taney, I have been on the Rock the past week most everyday launching either out of Shell Knob or Baxter and fishing up to about Viney, which I see is now open for business. Surface temps are ranging from 84 degree early to 88 in the middle of the day or at least by 11 as that has been my quitting time most days. Traffic has not been a problem except for the Kids Camp at Twin Rivers. They are out pulling tubers before 6 am. One quick rant and then I'm on with the report. I'm going to blame them but if not I will say I'm sorry in advance. Last Thursday morning I was the first boat at the Shell Knob ramp and there were 8 spotted bass floating up and banging on the ramp. I should have carried them off but I didn't as my client got there while I was still in the mad mode. I'm sure it was the Wednesday night derby. After I got back from my trip around 10am there was someone taking photographs of them. Don't know who or what as they jumped in their car as I was still in my boat approaching the ramp. This made news or totally made someone else mad besides me. If I had a dollar for all the fish that has been killed on Wednesday night over the past 30 yrs. out of Shell Knob, I could retire. I have heard folks say they have gotten better, but last Thursday was an embarrassment if it was the tournament event on Wednesday night that killed those fish. Fish from Baxter to Viney Creek are still biting and its not hard to catch 30 to 50 on a guide trip with or without live bait. They are hitting a drop shot worm as well or even better at times than a crawler. Top bite is hit and miss but I'm catching them really well on a flutter spoon in the same places that usually hold top water fish. You can see most of these fish and they are at times pushing to the top and at times just holding at the thermocline between 20' and 30' suspended. I've been catching them by the dozen out in front of the big docks with at least 75' of water at the ends. Had 7 this morning off a deep dock and a NO Wake Bouy, including two 3 plus lb. LM. You can also catch them swimming a 3.3 Keitech right now the same place as the Flutter Spoon, and also off the long runouts up the White and Kings River. Also had a nice walter come in on the Keitech this morning, to client and friend Jack Swank. Further up the White you get the better the jig bite is. It is also really good from Baxter to Big Creek. Unlike Bo, I'm using a huge Nicholes Craw and catching big SM on it, along with some quality spots, Go Figure. Most of these fish are in the 18' to 25" dragging on the bottom, much like a C-Rig. Using either a 5/16 or 3/4 Pig Sticker FB jib in GP or Brown to do the damage. Best Craw color as been Texas Craw. Best top water has been the WP 110 in Loon, and the best color for the Keitech as been Pro blue Shiner. I'm also using either a 4" Yamamoto cut tail in Brown/Purple or a watermelon Chompers DSW. These fish seem to move everyday from location to location so If they are not where you left them yesterday, look on the next runnout. If I could think of any more information than that you would know more than I do. On the other hand knowing more than I do is still not all that much. Good Luck out there. This post has been promoted to an article

Everyone quit apologizing to me, no harm no foul, I thought I was the one with the stupid comment about 10X. I was the drama Queen. It's just a very unique product that is no longer made that at times makes fishing that is impossible seem simple. For such a simple little thing it has so many components including size, color, lack of bulk, and about another dozen factors that make it for some reason really work on nasty, sunny, slick no breeze conditions when it is just flat tough out there. On the other hand there are times when they won't give it more than a second look.

Huge thumbs up.

You can catch trout on anything from a marsh mellow to a hot dog. You can also catch them on most any fly or jig that has or will ever be invented that looks like some kind of a bug or aquatic insect. What ever you have confidence.in usually is the best deal. Duane's jig looks fantastic, and cannot wait to try them, I'm sure they are fish catchers. I tied some on TJ heads and sent both Duane and Phil a picture a few weeks back. They were tied with a lot heaver bulk similar to a wooley. They worked on breeze and water movement, current or breeze, and worked well. Not so much on the flat water conditions we have had recently. That doesn't change the fact that the 1/2 micro really, really catches fish on very poor water conditions, when others fly's may struggle somewhat. Especially now with so much moss laying on the bottom in the restricted zone. We used to put a scud on or near the bottom, but it catches up and gets slimey pretty quick right now. With flat water and boat traffic out the wazoo today I could not get them to bite either a crawler or a power worm once the SUN hit the water and the onslaught of traffic hit. They did bite the 1/2 micro olive head, olive body fished on 6X enough for my guys to catch 20 or so on it, in the catch and keep zone, as they were looking for dinner. I'm sure they would have done just as well with something else, but going back to confidence level in what your doing, I fished the 1/2 micro. I know I am very fortunate and get to go a lot I have taken thousands of people over the years, spending again thousands and thousands of hours on Taneycomo. It may not be worth a heck as a fly, and my intentions was never to besmirch anyone's creation. The only way to describe it is extremely sparse, with no bulk and very little tail but the TJ has taken care of me and my clients on Taneycomo for over 26 yrs. and probably close to 10 thousand clients. I'll bow out of this now as it seems I have insulted people that I really respect and had no intention of causing a stir. Good Luck

10c was a figure of figure of speech

Look at the amount of sheer bulk and I am assuming it is thread and the tail is similar to the ones that Tim brought over for us to look at. I'm not saying in any way that is will not catch fish., but it is not near a 256 1/2 micro, just to much material involved. Not close and I have tyed similar and it is not the same.

That may work, but it is at least 10X the size of the 256 micro in bulk and length .

All you have to do is ask to receive my friend. Turner called it a 1/500. Its on a size 18 lite wire hook. Mini Micro. It has a small painted on eye and the head is molded around the hook eye. I have about a dozen of these in copper head black body as Turner insisted this was the best color, but to tell you the truth I have had very limited success on it. On the other end of the spectrum, my clients have caught thousands on the copper head ginger 1/2 micro that is pictured with the mini micro. You pretty much have to fish it on 7X as 6X looks like well rope going thru that eye.