Bill Babler

Going to be warmer with a little breeze. Not as cool tonight. I’m guessing 26 plus to fish Saturday. Maybe 27/28. Had some good buddies on Lake O. Today catch 10 keeps. Nothing over 3 pounds all on a pooper. Said you could walk on the Gizzards. Lots of blow ups by Whites.

Two of my biggest small jaws came from out there and quite a few LM. This time if year there are more than spots suspended over nothing. Usually lots of Shad in that channel swing. Saw a guy trolling out there catch a jaw over 6 pounds. Have seen Bo in that swing more than once this time of year. I looked 3 weeks ago and didn’t see any. I will admit I’ve never spent a solid 5/6 hours out there on one spot. 50 limits already and they’ve only weighed in not quite 1/2 the field.

Same three boats still in the channel swing, probably over 4 hours in the same location, just wondering around over depth in an area about a city block. High pressure 30.31 bright no wind and not a cloud in the sky. That’s just about as tough as it gets with surface temps cooling.

Dock, about 30 boats zoomed past Campbell Point this morning. There has been a 3 boat cluster off Hobbs Hollow all morning. Where they are fishing those are suspended fish with no deep trees or structure. Those fish are just in the channel bend. 100 ft. Plus for bottom depth where all 3 are sitting. Looks like several guys have limits with the camera boats. The Cows and Spring Branch are probably swarmed as I’m guessing they are back there. White Oak and Schooner too

Wrench your 5.9 pounder is a great guess but 10.5 a day won’t do it. First day will be 17/18 lbs. to lead. Going to end up around that 42/45 pound mark for 3 days. I’m a horrible guesser, but 10.5 a day won’t do it. Have not been back in the creeks yet but usually those fish are not there till around Thanksgiving. It’s currently taking 14 /15 a day for the locals.

Going to be a huge crowd. They’re talking like 17/18 pounds a day to win it with 70% fishing shallow and 30% using underwater peepers. I’m driving a camera crew on championship day Saturday the 4th. After that, back to the woods. I’ve pilferated 2 small does so far I mean small tender ones. Right at 50 lbs of burger, backstrap and a very few select packages of steak. No shortage of deer on the farm and it’s just covered with young bucks and some older ones that aren’t going to be much. First year I can remember not seeing a buck of 130” or bigger on any camera. Best camera photo was 16 does and yearlings in one pic. The Turkey population is also stupid We’re guessing from camera placement on the 3000 acres we have in excess of 150 birds in 5 separate flocks. We’re up to 15 cameras. Full time job to look at them. Last month we planted 46 acres in Winter rye, red clover, and turnip. Cover crop for native grass that is going to be planted in the Spring. Looks like a zillion eyes out there at nite. Good Luck and post a fishing thought on the derby. What’s your weight prediction and your winner?

On another note, Phoenix as I would assume other top manufacturers would, will completely factor rig your boat so it arrives at the dealer all but ready to go. Dealership just checks the build to make sure it’s as ordered and ready to hit the pond. They don’t install anything. This option is for boats that are purchased not boats at the dealership for sale. Lots of fishermen have a deal here or a deal there they can send those items to the factory for install on their new boat order pretty much no cost for installation. Where as if they are dealer installed there is a charge.

Wrench described the floor plan deal really well. Depending on the boat manufacturer and the motors used they come PRE-Rigged That’s with all the main components. Those are floor plan boats that are there at times at no cost to the dealer or at times with a down payment and interest charges till time if sale. They are for the most part all predicated on the strength of the dealer. There are dozens of different floor plans. Pro-staff boats can also be included. Bass Kitty and Skeeter are much stronger companies than Caymas Not as big a problem for them to send those boats elsewhere I’m just spitballing, but I’m guessing Caymas needs the money for that inventory, maybe at a loss or they might come after the owners of BoatWrx for the balance

New info today is that BassCat and Skeeter are going to take their floor plan boats back. Caymas is not. There is going to be a fire sale. 21/22/23 new, pro staff and memo boats are in real jeopardy. This is for sure buyer beware. You might own it for life. These guys that jumped to Boatwrk for ridiculous deals are pretty much going to have to start all over. There were bridges burned.

Boatwrx in conjunction with Caymas was giving so many boat deals to common everyday tournament anglers to get the product out., it was totally ridiculous. I mean stuff that the big 5 bass boat manufacturers could not believe. Dealer cost-10% below dealer cost-15% below dealer cost, memo deals, caught up with them. Totally mismanaged marketing Late 90’s early 2000’s strategy doesn’t work in todays market. Plus as has been stated huge service issues. With higher interest rates, higher production/material cost as well as higher labor cost, you durn well better have your ducks in a row.

Is Caymas Boats going out of business, or is it just Boat Wrx. Boat Wrx sold a huge amount of the total build of Caymas boats. Boat Wrx was the top national dealer in 21/22 for the boat line. They are saying there are 21/22/23 brand new year models of Caymas boats available. One of the guides on LO told me last week Boat Wrx was going out and so might be Caymas. Just asking if y’all have heard anything.

Didn’t want it so much on that violation pad did they😂😂😂😂

Try not to stroll to much in a derby but dad gum it’s a productive way to find and catch them on the Rock. James I haven’t had a good stroll bite in the last few years, I really miss it. Bo disliked it as much as you. 😜 A good stroll bite for me is in the 20’ to 35’ range and in my country vernacular, “they just ain’t that deep.” 5 or 6 years ago this time of year with water in the mid-low 70’s, “they was.” Just caught monster jaws on that big jig and Nichole’s craw in the dam area to KC. For some reason I’ve been missing them out there the last few years. Probably just have not devoted the hours required to make that bite work. Off to Central Mo. to chase our big eyed 4 hoofed friends next week. Good Luck.

I just put it all in the post above. Table Rock is never a single spot or location. It’s a depth first and foremost and it’s also a feature. If I were to fish today would most likely not fish a single location I fished yesterday. Softball to volleyball chunk with gravel mix with boat in 20’ plus range bait landing in 8’ to 10’ water. Maybe shallower in the river arms depending on color. Perfect range for a Spro RK Crawler if you chose to take that path. I also believe with the water in the 70’s a fast moving bait is still just fine. I was going to throw a hardhead some but was to lazy to drag one out. It might have been the best deal.

Now that’s funny.

I only had 5 and the HS derby is a 6 fish limit. Still durn impressive weights Here is a caveat, I fished Monday and had a very small 5 fish limit. About 5 keeps seems to be my number. I’m guessing I had 11 pounds. I would have really stunk it up Saturday. Again, yesterday’s 15 pounds wouldn’t have got me squat. The reason I did better yesterday was I got some great area info. It worked. I fished a big worm and a jig around piles yesterday in under 15’ to catch them so there you have it. Guys and gals, there are a lot of good fish shallow. Derby winning fish. Yes, you can fish deep and catch some K’s but there is a better mouse trap right now, and not so much brush piles. Gravel chunk rock mix with some wind if you can find it. Boat in the 20’ range, more than a full cast from the bank. Bait hitting in 8-10’. Top early if you’re lucky but then jig and either a shaky head or Texas worm. I was using an 11” GP on the piles. Jig was better. 3/8-1/2-7/8. Question, If they’re snapping at the glide bait what about a Magdraft? I might have to try it.

Threw it quite a bit once the wind came up this morning. Maybe 2 hours total. Nothing not even a follow. Jig fish bit good early and I should have stayed with them. Fished till 12:30 and quit on a nice keeper. 3/8th. GP with a Chompers 4” GP twin tail. Had 5 solid keeps and the same number of shorts. Mostly Jaws, all under 15’.

21# for first place. Husband wife team. Brush pile fish. Had a 7.59 and a 5 plus. Biggin was big bass. 2nd. 18 pounds. 5th. 16.5 pounds. Free entry for next year. I had 5 this morning. Might have weighed 15. All jig fish.

Phil Stone said it was on Facebook. 20 pounds and someone weighed one in close to or right at 8 pounds. Glad I didn’t fish it, that would have been embarrassing. 🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪 Weight will be in the Rattler so we’ll know for sure later this week

Yep, really considerate. Thanks much.

Mike said he is pretty sure it was made in Harrison but not 100% sure.

Little more info on the rods. Mike got these for us in 2007 so they are 16 years old. The cork grade was CG1. Guides and seat are Fugi with the guides being titanium. Blank was a carbon/graphite polymer. Prices for just the components on todays market excluding the blank and the manufacturing, would exceed its 2007 selling price. The blank was also UV coated for additional sun protection. Way, way ahead of their time. Mostly used in the salt. I don’t believe this model was made in Harrison. Falcon had at the time 3 rod builders. Main one was in Harrison, but there were a couple of others. I’ll ask Mike. At the time they were priced at $199.99 to $249.00. If this rod was still being made and made in the USA it would be priced with high end Orvis and Sage fly rods.

A note on Dock repair. Our swim platform has the welds broken and needs some attention. We have gotten 2 bids. Best bid is $10,000.00 plus material. Said they can fix it in 2 days but can’t get to it till November

A few months ago I put new ones in my bay boat at Golden. No charge for installation and it is a total nightmare. I had not heard that Battery Outfitters charged for installing them. You throw Power Pole pumps in there and all the other garbage and it’s a really, really tight fit. I have a hard time lifting those big AGM’s.

Not for sale. Thanks for asking.