Bill Babler

Fantastic report and pic's. Was headed that way today but got weathered out early we even had a little hail this morning in Blue eye.

if you mean build and price, at the end they will send you to a dealer in your area and you will be able to work out any final details and options. What the site does is just give you a general printable idea that you can take to the dealer. As far as final price I know that they have been much more competitive since they were purchased by BP They still use very quality products and with BP they are able to do much better since a lot of the previous Ranger pricing was involved in some pretty heavy corporate salaries and a huge pro-team. They are still very active with guides and full time tournament fishermen, but now not everyone that fishes a tournament twice a year gets a Ranger deal. On my 2017 Phoenix PHX that I got last year, Ranger's team deal was less money for a similar size boat with similar equipment than my PHX. Not sure how this applies in price to a straight retail deal. Good luck, you simply cannot go wrong with any of the top end boats anymore, they are all so nice and its really just what rings your bell. If your in Missouri or close to Warsaw Mo, give Pro Choice Marine a shout and ask for Luke, tell him I told you to call him and I will bet you will not be able to find a better deal on a Ranger anywhere.

This is a totally weird deal. I was looking at some archives on the web this morning and clicked on an OAF article I had written 14 yrs. ago. For some reason it directed me to the sign in page and my computer and every other computer on our wifi network that has not been able to access OAF started to work perfectly. We had DJ and everyone else helping us and unless he did something over night that he did not tell us or something in the provider system changed it is back online. Do Doo, Do Doo, this is just crazy. I'll post while it lets me but I could be shut down tomorrow. Ta ta for now.

From what I'm hearing from KC to Baxter today the bite was pretty much the same on the high sky flat water. The difference was and It started a little late yesterday afternoon as some of the guides had slowing bites on the paddle tail swimbait and switched to a Chompers or a Yamamoto C-tail 4 inch grub in grey, grey with black fleck and grey with red fleck. This was an old Bill Beck trick and it works really well on high sky flat water this time of the year. Don't know what the difference is but it works. Most everyone is using either 3/16 or 1/4 heads. On another note concerning swimbait heads, I tried the War Eagle heads and they are really nice if you are using larger baits on heaver line. On the 3.8 and under if you are swimming on 6# line the hooks are just to big. They need to drop down to a fine wire 2/0 or 3/0 for the smaller baits and they would be sweet. I might just not have seen any of them when I ordered mine. Also hearing of some clearing of moss and slime in the area from point 5 to point 9 and a few fish are being caught on a tube. These are good ones and seem to be in the 15 to 25 ft. range. Some goggs are also coming in on the tubes. Another pattern that is starting to work from Big Creek to the dam area is in the back of the non-wind blown pockets that are moss free. There has been a buzz bait and a 110 whopper bite in front of the bushes. If you miss one immediately throw either a fluke or floating worm to the same area. If the bottom is clean and a lot of it is with the 2 plus foot rise up close you can also chuck a Ned or a shaky head in there Very funny, I guess I needed to hike up those shorts, but I was to busy netting fish.

Well the spawn is in full swing with some mama’s in the delivery room some have already had their youngun’s and some are in the Waiting Room These gals that are still waiting are plumping up on ice cream and pickles and are ready to snatch about any grub. “Grub. I made a funny.” that comes close What im reading here for the most part is a lot of takeout is being served a bit out of swimming distance for these pre-spawner’s. We and by we meaning the guides are not for the most part fishing where the majority of you are. We’re fishing staging fish with 3.3 to 3.8 swimbaits. Today we had 3 guide boats out with 7 clients. A few over 100 bass were boated with over 60 keepers. Of all 3 LM-S-K’s. Lots of big prespawn Jaws and K’s We all fished the same way from Point 9 to Campbell Pt. Setting out fishing staging prespawners. Look in front of the major spawning coves, all of us had guys fish between us and the bank. Our baits were hitting the water in 15’ to 40’ depending on where we were seeing them. All the fish even the deep one we’re suspended in that 12’ to 18’ range and just blew up the electronics. A lot of these bank fishermen our baits were hitting the water further from them than they were from the bank Use those electronics Lots of suspended gals in the waiting room were on the flat sides of the pockets, still in the main lake rather than on the channel side don’t know why For the next few weeks if you get tired of plinking that Ned rig shallow. Use your underwater eyes and you will see the waiting room is full and ready for business. In the photo notice how far my boat was sitting off the mouth of that Small jaw pocket Good Luck This post has been promoted to an article

Very nice and I mean very nice. Pt 5-6 might not be consider midlake, but when you catch them like that who gives a flip where you are. Great report and photos

Bout as good of report as it gets. Congrats on the special da PaPa.

Table Rock and the White River system is really, really, really hard for folks to figure out where and where not and the correct way to not impede others, especially this time of year. We have folks fishing the backs only. We have folks fishing the points only. We still have fish suspended out deep and we just have guys running entire banks. Best way I have found is just move and wait till later or you may think this is silly, but just pull up and ask what a guy is doing and tell him what your doing. Never in 40 years ever had a problem asking. Usually a big smile how you doing and a go right ahead or a we’re just fixin to fish that spot Problem is flat overcrowding and people with just ZERO common sense

Cops for kids is about the biggest bed fishing event we have on the Rock. Most all the best strings are by guys that really excell the 1st week of May jerking them Closer representations of the current fishing is what FLW Costa did with 13 pounds a day for the best fishermen worst year ever and I mean ever for moss and slime from Point 9 to Long Creek. It is breaking up and all thru the water column. As soon as it’s gone that area will fish great as it has not been touched to much extent in a month. At least not fished properly due to your baits being incumbered in the proper strike zone where the majority of the fish are. White River has fished good from Baxter up but has had way to much Pressure to the extent of arguments by fishermen about who was here first and cutting each other off One day last week I heard 2 different shouting matches. 1 at the Ramp and another as 2 guys wanted to flip the same Dock This lake right now is on supreme overload Good Luck

Guys the best solution by far not even close is simple sno-bowl tolit bowl cleaner. It is cheap as dirt and completely removes all water, calcium and algae stains. If you can find it in the spray it’s better than gel. I would be pretty careful with a magic eraser after you use it re-wax as it is pretty aggressive

Very impressive total by the Co. After the first day all these pro’s know where the Co stands and if it’s in first will do everything legal in their power to keep them there. There are regs where coanglers can throw but you can bet the Pro,s leave them plenty of water Both the Coangler and the Pro winners fished an A-Rig the entire derby Great job by both

Those things break lose all the time. If they are not yours don’t worry about it. The owner or the authorities will take care of them

Rock

Mike had a tough day as did really all the top 10. Just flat ran out of keeper fish Ladies and gentleman this lake has been pounded and pounded. There is not a stretch of bank or really any off shore structure that has not been totally hammered from prior to the Big Bass Bash till today. 10’s of thousands of man hours. Michael caught his on a Spring Craw RK a Biffle Bug and a couple of great Jaws on. Spro Blue Bandit His fish were on gravel in 12 to 15 feet on the White River above Baxter. Henssely caught them on a Rig. Fishing up the White. Shotgunning pts. Cuts and pockets. 3 or 4 throws and on to the next location. It was a winning formula These fish need a little rest. Hope some nasty weather comes in and gives them a few days off. I’m scheduled for the Rock all week and I hope I’m rained out Good Luck

Just talked to Mike. He said he was really worried about Stacy. Thought Stacy might be on em I’ll let you know how Michael fished after the derby The guys that started later today had the best bags. The early bite is over by 8 AM. It may last longer tomorrow with clouds. Big dead spell from 8 till close to noon then they really get going. Mike only had 1 fish at 11:30. Then it was on He has had a big 4 plus pound LM off a single spot both days and two 3.8 pound jaws off a single spot on a Mc Stick both days, late Everyone starts at the same time tomorrow and that will level the field and be really fair

I have nothing but respect for whom ever caught anything today. It was totally brutal. We fished a 4 hr trip out of the dam area for a total of 6 fish. All keepers the best was a 3 pound jaw on an A-Rig. All the rest Swimmer jaws on a Blue Bandit Mc Stick. Nothing on an under spin or a swimbait. North wind was just Horrindious 2.5 footers between Indian Pt and Kimberling. Bottom baits cover immediately with slime in this area out to 20’ just about as tough in that area as it can get

Decent day, not what some were thinking but with these fronts 19.10 is solid Trouble for Huff is look in the rear view mirror right behind you with 16.12 and 2 full days to fish Im kinda thinking the guy in second after the first day, might be a little bit dangerous on Table Rock in April

Most of those guys are going to have to have the bottom of their boats reglassed as the are fishing unbelievable shallow. Their in the backs of the pockets and behind the docks looking for bedding fish and close up bush and bank runner fish It will be interesting. I don’t think you will see our local pros fishing like that. Lots of staging fish in the pole timber and deep cedars. Just right for a Stickbait, underspin and of course this is an A-Rig derby The fish are really biting. Some of the guys throwing the Rig are catching 20 to 30 keepers a day

Fantastic. You all had a Super week you will never forget. Congrsts

Just a couple of notes. I spool all spinning gear with Maxi. 5 lb on my Ned’s and small Swim Baits up to 3/8 it throws 1/16 perfectly. I’m using a Falcon 7’ medium lite formally called a Nestor Falls Spin or a Jeff Kriet Squrreltail Reels are Shimano Stella, Sustain or Stradic. I can throw almost the entire packed spool of 5 lb for distance with a 3/16 head Close the bail by hand, it’s not a zebco 33. Absolutely no twists or problems never breaks unless wrapped around a tree in Alaska we spool our reels with 8 pound Maxi to catch 20 pound salmon. Never breaks unless wrapped up in a tree On my drop shot I use 6 pound Maxi to a swivel and then 10 pound Invizx for my hook and weight. I want the heaver carbon to take the abrasions and the 6 pound Maxi drops fast off the spool and does not twist or break 12 lb Invizx for jigs and cranks on casters and 50 pound braid on top water to float the baits 15 pound Invizx on blades. 8 to 12 pound Maxi on jerk baits depending on water temps and where I’m throwing them 30 pound Invizx on A-Rigs. I like how it throws and never gets sucked down in the spool Thats All

Went from Pt. 16 to Point 19 last week in 5 minutes. I know the boat is fast but I was only going 50. I’m not on board with the 3 mile deal between markers i do believe there is a map at the visitors center that says Beaver Dam to Table Rock dam is about 100 miles

Thanks Tim. Probably be tomorrow as I have a late trip today