Bill Babler

No SS, she told me I had to wait till I am 66. This is a big one though. Thanks all, I appreciate it and everyone have a blessed year. Good Luck

That is why you see now on a lot of fly rods a cork grip in front of the reel handle. They have changed the fulcrum point in the blank and it allows you to reach up a bit. Your theory of if it don't have cork keep your paws off is as solid as a Rock.

Rodmaker, thank you so much for the insite. We are very fortunate here to have so many folks that know so much about the topics that are of concern to us. I never really thought about the process the rod goes thru to load and unload and the amount of action within the rod. I, like most of us usually just think round is round, but I can see that it would change the dynamics in interior shape with the force on it. I bet there is a slow mo video somewhere.

Lower Taney is absolutely full of grass and Coontail. Earlier in the year, some of the local guides were posting 25 pound bags that they were catching down there, on the A-Rig It is no secret, but it fishes very, very small. It is like anywhere else however, if you are trying to make a show in 1 day, you have to be very lucky. Most often if you want a good 30 minute show, it is gong to take at least 5 days to put it together. I bet they are not wanting to invest that kind of money in each episode. Also if you go down there and try to fish the bank, GOOD LUCK. Most of the Big fish in lower taney are on the deep runnouts and the grass beds in the main lower river. That is why now-a-days it is much harder to catch 5 plus pounders down there. They are also pretty fickle. You can catch a huge bag one day and then really struggle the next. There are just not a Toad Load of fish down there, and you can beat them up.

Yep Bobby that was the ticket. I was using a very long 5# test leader, and it lets the fly move all over the water column. I had it on probably at least a 4' drift rig. I really watch the fish to see how many had hook marks and we did not catch a punctured fish. At times up there with lots of people fishing, at least 1/2 have hook marks. These fish were really clean. Even though we have had some pressure, not so much at all. These fish are full of fight and ready to eat. Got a feeling with TR getting near where they want it the gates will be turned off at any minute and that will change things some.

Your staying in a super area. Go directly across from point 10. There are at least 1/2 dozen flat coves over there and hardly any people. Hwy 39-1 runs from the top of the bluff completely up to Campers so that is a huge area to hunt between the lake and the road. It is also very good SM country back down to the main White River. The 3 fingers area is just super and within easy boat range. You should have no trouble bagging your bird and playing with the smallmouth. Good Luck

Those are Beutes!!! We did not have a single fish yesterday with that kind of color.

Back in the early 2000's when I was guiding float trips in Alaska, we always would tell folks, please don't bring those Loomis fly rods. In and out of boats all day and fighting big fish while getting lazy are the demise of any quality rod. You can see it a mile off. First several Silver Salmon they catch are great. By the time they get to the 10th. or 15th. big salmon you will see that right hand start creeping up the rod, with the butt of the rod being jammed into their belly. Bout the time that right hand reaches the first eye of the rod and you are leaning back on a big Bull Silver that weighs 15 pounds and he burns a run downstream, that rod breaks right where your right hand is holding it. Point, if your going to Alaska to fish salmon, leave the good stuff here and take a bigger less expensive gun.

Not at all if you are selective where you go. Most of the previous posters on this topic you can tell are central to north part of the state. For the most part by late April/1st. of May both the crappie and the morrels down here have came and gone. You can still if it is a really wet Spring, find a rune of two, but you are on the late end of it. As far as the Turkeys and the Jaws are concerned, you are primetime. Big Creek to the point 9 are simply excellent for both. Lots of places to catch excellent SM and lots of Mark Twain forest to hunt turkey. Most of the COE land is not deep enough to hunt turkey as the private property runs close behind it. If you can find them on COE they are of course fair game. That area of the lake is comprised of thousands of acres of public forest land, and is fantastic SM fishing. There are great places up the James to hunt also, but you start limiting the numbers of SM when you past point 11. Going the other way toward Kimberling you will find more private land so its hard to hunt, but the SM fishing will be excellent. Best option is Big Creek to Point 10 on the James. Good Luck

Great Pic. There was a Heartland here quite a few years ago. Champ might remember. It was a April deal and I think we had 24 inches of snow. I was fishing it and we had to keep dipping snow out of the boat. It was crazy. Next day it was 72 degree and the following day it was 80. That was back in the day before the cell phone camera's so I don't know if anyone took any pic's

Got started a little later yesterday due to under 30 degree temps out of Lilleys'. Rigged with Shad Flys and headed for the Dam. I was the only guy up there at 10 A.M. Our first pass we had 6 of the fattest bows I can remember. They were just way to full and to hard to hold for my clients, so unless they send a pic or two of me holding their fish, I won't have any. I have gotten to the point, I just won't let folks hold these fish. They not sometimes, but always drop them and I can't stand to see them hit the bottom of the boat. If I can hold the fish for them and get a pic great. If not, you can bet they are still swimming without more than a toothache. Second pass we had 8 more. Dragging the shad pattern on a drift rig with a 5/16 oz. wt. We fished from the cable to the conservation ramp. Seemed to be no bites thru clay banks. 3rd pass we had company, and again caught 6 but my folks wanted some for dinner so we headed down. Had 20 fish in the restricted zone with 2 browns at 13 inches. They were the smallest fish we had. Biggest was 18 inches and we had several that you could just not hold as they were so fat and fought so hard even in the net. Earlier post talks about how bleached out these fish are and how hard to identify. It is a real problem, but Table Rock is really clearing and taney should start clearing soon. Surface temps at 53 degree. Headed to Monkey and caught a very nice limit of bows down there. When I cleaned them for the clients, most had shad in them that far down, so there are shad from the dam to at least Branson. Saw lots of gulls diving and picking shad off clear down there, so it seems the lake has lots of chow right now. Noticed some guys throwing spoons behind Monkey and they were also catching lots of trout, so it really seems to be on. With weather warming next week, be a great time to come down. Table Rock will be a normal pool this week, and taney is in good fish shape for the present. Good Luck

Very quick response to this. The water is still very off color. It is very easy to mistake these fish right now as all the fish are really drab and washed out. We had two browns yesterday in the 13 inch range and they would have been extremely hard for the novice to tell from rainbows. They were completely silver and bleached gray. You could however see the faded out spots on them and their heads and upper bodies were much thicker than a rainbow. We ended up keeping a limit of bows yesterday from the Monkey Island area. These fish were bleached out when they went in the livewell. When they came out 2 hrs. later they had really shined up a lot. I guess from just pouring surface water and lots of Oxygen thru them.

I have at least a dozen of the old Power Humps in my shed. I no longer use them, but when I got started guiding, I felt they were some of the best rods on the market, in the early 90's They of course got outdated in a hurry, but I never came close to breaking one and caught hundreds of fish on them. Also have broken St. Croix's and instead of sending them back to St. Croix, BP has always replaced them right on the spot, no questions asked as long as I had the receipt that I purchased them there. All these companies are trying to make equipment as lite and fast as possible. Everyone of them. Light and Fast are the absolute new deal. Some times you get to a point, that you may have gone a bit to far.

More information on this. I just spoke with his wife, and he later decided to give the Carbonlite another chance. They took back the St. Croix and gave him a new carbonlite. Said if it broke again, they would give him a full cash refund at any store, Sales person said they have had to replace some, not more than any other rod, but some. His wife told me there were BP's everywhere they went and he just felt safer on the return with a BP product. I completely understand.

This is absolutely not picking on anyone. Especially when it comes to replacement as far as I know there is No. Company better than Bass Pro Shop for replacing broken equipment weather it be their own brands or another companies brand. They are simply great. I now have had occasion since last Fall to have two clients that have gotten into my boat with Bass Pro's new Johnny Morris Carbonlite spinning outfits. This is both the reel and the rod. This is not priced on the low end. The combo on both outfits have been a medium type combo. Really to heavy for trout, but will work in a pinch. Identical outfits. Both were purchased at the Branson Landing, and I believe the price was $189.99 for the combo, plus tax . I have not been keeping up but they sell warranties on there gear. I had one guy buy the warranty and one didn't. Price of the warranty is $30.00 plus tax. All said and done, about $250.00 The first gentlemen had it spooled with 8# and that was fine. I always offer my equipment but of course he wanted to use his new outfit, so I geared it for him. I played with it a bit baiting and rebaiting and casting it. I thought the reel was very scratching, and just not my deal. Well, about 2 hrs. into the trip, he gave a big heave and casted it with a drift rig. Rig had a 1/4 oz. weight. He was two hand casting and the rod snapped clean thru right above the handle. Of course he was flabbergasted. He did not purchase the $30.00 warranty. I told him to take it right back and that Bass Pro was just excellent warranty or not of replacing it. He did and they gave him a new outfit no question asked. Spin ahead to yesterday, "No pun intended." My guy from Louisiana showed up at Lilleys' dock with the same exact outfit. Said he bought it on Saturday and wanted to use it. YIKES, I did not say a single word, I just rigged it up, same way, only with a heaver weight as all this water is running. I put a 5/16 on the drift rig and away we went. He was more proud of it than a speckled pup. Said he was going to use it for Red Fish in the gulf. I was thinking, I hope it makes it thru taneycomo trout, let alone Red Fish. Yesterday was a super day. Big trout and I mean Big. Those fish are biting and they are fat as pigs and full to the gills of shad. He caught at least 1/2 dozen rainbows over 3 pounds on that rig dragging a shad fly. I thought maybe it was just a bad blank on the other one or someone had stepped on it. Wrong. We were about 3 hrs. into the trip and it was the same friggin deal. He let go kind of an awkward side arm two handed cast and it broke right in front of the reel, in the exact same place my other guys broke. I gave him another rig to finish out the trip and told him he was ok, that they would replace it in a heart beat. But I told him I had seen this before and he should maybe think about either getting his money back or exchanging for a different rig. He called later to tell me they would not refund his money, but he was able to purchase a different rod and just pay the difference. He bought a St. Croix Avid series and put his reel on that. Point here is I might be just a little wary of the Carbonlite. These were spinning rods, I have had no experience with the casting rods. It is a new product and I think it may like a lot of new products need a little more testing.

Very nice trip, thanks so much for the wonderful pictures and the report. If you have to stand on snow in the boat you are one dedicated Dude.

Really good idea Git. Also, that tip I gave about extending the center arm with a 3 to 6 inch Eagle Claw pike leader will get you lots of extra hookups. It completely takes the mob out of the picture when they see that bait trailing the pack for several inches, they go for it almost every time, thanks so much for the report.

There at it again this morning. I've already seen 2 boats go by. It's 23 degree here and windy. Sun is out however. I believe its the same boat, stopped again on Clevenger Island in the same spot. He must have tricked one there last night. I haven't grown any since yesterday so I'm just going to sit by this fire and wish them the best.

Heee Heeee!!!!

The guy posting just above you has forgotten more about the Rock than I will ever know. Believe it.

Timmy, if you know Mr. Rakestraw have him come on here and introduce himself and give some quick cliff notes of his class. I'm sure it would get folks stirred up and give him a bump in attendance. We are all just starved this time of the year to talk and learn more about the sport we love. Thanks BB

I have not tried that. It looks a whole lot like a wacky though doesn't it? Man that worm looked good just dancing there. That guy might not have known what we know about finesse, but he gave some just great tips. How about hook placement in that worm and the reason for it. That is text book professional stuff to get a tip like that. You hook that worm thru the side and you are dragging it not bouncing it. That was a very good educational piece. I really enjoyed it.

Took a guy and his wife a couple of years ago from down at Tyler Texas. He was a guide on Fork and another pond or two down there. It was when we were really catching them winding that wobble head. He asked me what line to spool cause he wanted to use his own equipment. Told him to spool up with 10 or 12 pound Invesx. His next question was a pause and then he said, "No, I meant what line should I spool for bass, not crappie." Dude said he was fishing the best equipment on the market and was completely sponsored by Abu G. Told me his wife could probably throw a baitcaster better than me. I responded that was probably not much of a stretch. Don't you just love those Texas folks. I told him great, bring what you want and we will make it work. He was geared with Revo's and just ok rods, way, way to heavy for what we do here. He showed up with 20 pound Big Game on his and hern. His wife could fish no doubt, but fishing that type of cord and trying to throw a 7/16oz wobblehead was not working. They were both blowing it up pretty bad and not getting any distance at all. I immediately switched his wife to a Steez and a Falcon 7' micro cranker and she slammed 2 fish back to back. He said he was ok and did I have a bigger bait. Your reeling that bait shallow thru the rocks I told him, just switch for a minute of two and see. About that time his wife caught her 3rd. fish in less than 15 minutes. She screamed at the top of her lungs as about a 3 pound brownie was yanking her around the back of the boat. and I heard a huge whine as his Revo, completely blew chunks. He turned and looked at her and yelled Bull $hirt, and threw his rod and reel hard on the deck. I scrambled back and netted her fish. I have only had a couple of lady customers ever give me a smooch, but she put one right square on my mouth, and it was a good one. I thought for sure at that point the butt whippin was on its way, but nope. He looked up and asked if he could use that rig I had lying on the deck and I told him that's what she's there for. Had a great day with them and for some reason I was open the next day and they fished it too. PS He didn't bring any equipment the second day.

Beck says he is a security guard at Reed Springs High School. Bill said he used to see him sitting at the bait shop and visiting with Mark. Said he has been around a longtime but Bill did not know anything about his fishing ability. Just that he liked to fish. I would think if he is a old timer he probably knows a thing or two, but I have not heard of him either. Good Luck with the course and give us a report, always ready to learn.

It is 4:35 and 26 degree here at the Lodge. There is somebody fishing Clevenger Island. They just came roaring down from the Dam area and slammed on the brakes and started fishing the West side roll off. They must have a powerful mad on at these fish to be a hammering away at almost dark on a wicked cold day like this. Best wishes and a Hot Toddy to ya.