Bill Babler

Texas Roadhouse for one of the best value steaks on the planet. Great food at a reasonable price. Had a steak there last night. Bone In Ribeye. 2 inchs thick and cooked to perfection. $22.95 with stuffed tator house salad and sour-dough rolls. Tall Ice Cold frosted mug of brew is Ice cold and 4 bucks. Pretty hard to beat. My wife had the pork chops and said they were the best she has had, cooked Medium with a pepper sauce that was fantastic.

Went over the lake just a few minutes ago and there were quite a few boats out. I'm sure the City of Branson has cleared the Ramp downtown.

Walleye are a very funny critter, especially here in the South. They were originally stocked in lower Taney and it was also supplemented by the fish ladder at Powersite dam. Neither method worked and to my knowledge there is no recruitment in Taney. As far as a put and take fishery similar to the trout, I believe the thought does have some merit. The deal is after the stinkers got up to a pound or so, they were start munching down the trout, and probably at a rate we would not appreciate.

We have been posting on Upper Bull Shoals here since the previous forum that Phil had. This is nothing new for K-Dock, I have fished it since the early 90's and really have seen a decrease in the usage of the area especially in the Winter, and because of the Winter. As has been pointed out this is a very limited duration fishery, and it is in the absolute roughest part of the season. Most often January till only maybe April 1st. and then things change dramatically. Not a lot of guys out shoveling the ramp to fish in the Winter and those that do should be commended. It is also a fishery that even after all these years of posting, very few have it figured out. They have been running walleye tournaments down there since the beginning of time, and very few of the participants come in with a limit, and lots of times there more than several skunked. This fishery is not going to struggle by what you read on this forum. You think you can catch them, come ahead, and we hope this information has helped you do so. Not one, not a single location has to my knowledge ever been divulged here. Just areas, and that will do you no more good than a starting point. Really there are very few if any photo's of the lake here that a person can determine what and where someone is currently catching any walleye. Rex Grady had articles in Outdoor Life, Field and Stream, Sports Afield and Fur Fish and Game in the 60's 70's and 80's. Millions of readers, and the amount of fishermen has in January, February and early March, decreased. Good information on Bull Shoals is extremely hard to get and the fishery is world class. In no way are the results of a few fishermen going to in any way affect the Winter time fishery. Dwayne spent a lot of days over there with not much to show for. His posts are nothing but extremely positive, not a bit bragadosus. They are the results of lots of work. He can still go over there as can I and get the big Goose Egg. Enjoy those that tell of fishing bull and live thru their frustrations and their successful days on this wonderful stretch of the White River Good Luck Good Luck

With the Super Warm up we are going to have next week, with days pushing 70, I'm sure someone will just flat catch a total pig. These fish really want to be moving, and the way the weather man or women is pointing it out for the next 10 days, we may see water pushing the 50 degree mark and climbing. Maybe even low 50's, so if you ever want a shot a really big one, next Saturday may be your day. March and Early April are our big fish months for the most part. Going to be great regardless, and the forecast is for sure a blessing, if it holds.

It will be. Be surprised if it is not open today, there is not a bit of ice or snow on the roads. Most now are dry if they have either cement or black top. Our driveway is completely open.

Food is pretty much handled at that point. What would be nice is any desert items that anyone would like to bring. All paper products and plastics are also in the bag as well as the trash bags. Just bring your fishing gear and catch a big one. At the start of the derby we will have a quick drawing for the start. We will be stated from number 1 thru the rest and individual start one after the other with proper spacing. I really still need a pretty close number of participants to finish up the food so I know a good number. Anyone wishing to come is welcome even if you do not fish. Come and have an early meal with us and visit. It is more about the get together than the fishing. The date Quill got us is really prefect. Branson usually has weather on that date pushing 60 degree. It gets any later in the Spring and you are really pushing into tournament season, and a lot more fishing pressure. Long range forecast looks great. As far as the location, it is very good for our friends coming up from Arkansas, and really handy for the rest of us. I live on the Branson side of the lake and it is only a 30 minute drive for me. Kimberling City is the same. A mid-lake destination does really not cut the distance for the entire group. We are thinking of a derby start time of 7:30 and a weigh-in at 3. With the change in the time that will give us plenty for visiting and chatting.

Be nice to shoot for 50!!!! Now that would be a DERBY!!

Thanks, we probably need a very close number by next Wednesday, so I can plan on the amount of food and drink. Thanks. I count about 41 at this point.

Hunter the walleye years have been the flood years of 08 and 11 as for the most part they have spilled over the dam during flood gate events. There has in the past been walleye caught in Taney and I believe one of the biggest catches on record for Missouri and Arkansas combined came from lower Taney. This was in the 50's or early 60's. On a whole, very few if any are caught here without some type of a water flooding event.

The sucker run here kind of goes on just about the same as the crappie spawn or the morel mushroom time. Most think it is when the dogwood just start to bloom and from what the old timers say. "When the bloom is the size of a squirrels ear" What ever that means. We fish trout heavy in those creeks early, and it really seems to me it is usually April before the suckers get on the move up the creeks on taneycomo. Good Luck. They are really tasty.

15 yrs. ago anytime that Buster and I went, he had a chub dragging. Said they got to be just to much bother, and were hard to get. Said minnows were not as good. They really liked the yellow chub. I think a guy could just drag one of a float behind the boat at 20' suspended while he was tossing the stick bait. Let us know how it works out.

They are not up there quite yet. Went way up Roark and Turkey both and seen none. Both creeks will get so full you can walk on them.

That would be great. We need to have Jim put in a coffee and sandwich shop back away from check-out so everyone will not be crowded up there talking fishing of course

Very nice looking head.

10' to 15' most often. It however can be deeper, as the bait will be weighted to sink slightly. Just when you think its time to reel it in and recast it, is when you get hit.

Of course you are right. I should not have thrown a blanket over the entire group. Pretty stressful reading however.

This is a really good point, Upper Bull, Winter and late Winter fishing is not nor has it ever been for either Buster or myself a numbers fishery. That is why it is so hard to guide on. You just do not catch many fish on a daily basis. Folks read of these fantastic catches or see the huge walleye and for some reason presume you are catching and releasing fish on a regular basis. Most often a very good rule of thumb, and I believe I posted this last year is 2 maybe 3 walleye per day, and throw in a 1/2 dozen bass a white or two and a crappie or two. You have 2 guys fishing and it is about 1 fish to the boat per hour. May not be keeper size fish or what you want either. You do that 5 days a week, and it looks huge, especially when you throw in several walleye over 6 pounds. Which may have been the only fish you caught in 8 hrs. one day. ( I can hear several of you saying I'd be happy with that. Would you really?) 1 fish in 6 or 8 hrs. in 30 degree weather. happens a lot over there even to Buster, and if he nabs a keeper he is happy as a lark. Just really hard for folks to fish with those types of results with the concentration and patients you must display this time of the year. On the presentations, when fishing the stickbait over there. We position the boat usually about 30' into the river channel, usually sitting in about 25' to 35' We throw to the top of the mudchannel roll off, usually landing our bait in perhaps 6' to 10'. The bait starts out just directly to the bank if you were fishing a shore line. You either reel the bait or jerk it down pick up the slack and just turn or twitch its head back to the boat. You never under any circumstances move the bait with the reel, it is always moved with the rod and the slack picked up with the reel. Very slow. Very long cast are preferred as it lets the bait get to its maximum depth and remain very still in the strike zone for as long as possible. Usually by the time for the next cast the bait is well behind the boat, even if you are just moving the boat ever so slightly. Where DD and his brother were fishing, was on the old river channel, just off the mud roll offs, You would have had a hard time hitting a billboard on the shoreline with a rifle from there locations. You have to keep the river channel in play al all times if you are to be successful. The fish will 99% of the time be either on the edge of the channel, suspended on the edge of the channel, or on the bottom just along the edge of the channel. Good Luck

Fished a full day on the 25th. starting at about 8:30, and made 3 passes on the dam prior to shut off at about 9:40. Caught several very nice Brown Trout in the 15 to 19 inch range drifting a small rebel crankbait. Surface temperature at the dam was 47. Quite abit warmer than downtown Branson where surface temps were at 42. Looked in the creeks for fish but most had Ice and did not see any fish moving. Had a report of several being caught in Turkey Creek, but it was frozen just past the mouth for what looked like about 100 yrds. As the water drained we fished just below clay banks to fall creek, throwing Rainbow color small stickbait patterns Leeland Lures suspending stickbaits. Had quite a few rainbows and several more brown trout and lost 2 really nice ones. The fish would just slam the bait and sky rocket out and spit it back at us. Fished the remainder of the day drifting ginger 1/2 micro jigs under a float from fall creek to Trout Hollow, and continued to catch fish on a regular basis. We also messed with a straight line 1/32 oz olive jig and they were on that deal also. Only thing that has seemed to have really slowed down is the trout magnet. I threw it repeatedly today and did not have a fish on it or a take. Seemed to want the smaller micro. Lower restricted area thru Lilleys' is completely loaded with silver bullets. There are also some very nice bows in with them, so lots of fun fishing. We were seeing schools of dozens following in fish that we had hooked, and the midge activity was amazing, as Phil mentioned a size 16 black midge about a foot under the micro and really you could just guess the number you would catch and release. Good Luck

Pretty much thinking the Talon. For one I just love the hinge bracket that will lay down flat on the deck when not in use. I also like the stabilization coming directly at the stern of the boat rather than extended. Ease of installation is also a factor as well as avoiding the hydraulics at all cost. That and the bushing seem to be the major problem deal with the pole. I also like the ability to get the durn Talon unstuck if it happens to break down by screwing it back into the body. Also pretty fond of the rough water mode that will constantly adjust the anchor during waves. One of the main deals on the net has been people driving off with the talon still deployed and breaking it, even with the deployment alarm sounding. I believe this is being corrected by a switch when starting the engine, the poles will retract. I also like the camo color as the anchor is going on a 23' custom built camo Alweld Bay Boat. Have not pulled the trigger yet, but we will see. PS, I remember now why I don't look at the BBC board, everyone and his brother are selling something and the bickering back and forth and the name calling are just to me unbearable to put up with. Not for sure there is one solid lick of any kind of information that I would covet from that bunch. Probably with all the forums and boards I have read, the PP is the leader, but not for an instant on performance, it is mostly because as one guy stated "They look way cooler."

I guided upper taney yesterday and made 3 passes on the dam. Generation was discontinued about 9:30 and I saw no shad or gulls down there yesterday. Water temps on taney were 47 degree up by the dam. When I put in at Branson, the temps down there were 42. Fresh water coming thru would be that 47 number. That is about as current info as you get on the shad.

Jim is a super guy and will help you anyway he can. Store is off the hook with name brand merchandise, right colors and sizes for SW-Missouri. Stop in every time I'm in town and leave some Branson Money with him. When the new building opens I guess the entire operation will be out there on 44?

Looked in all the deep guts, bluffends, channel bends and way out off the deep points, saw nothing. There were gull up there today, but never saw a single one dive on the water either. There were a bunch of crows walking the shoreline, so kind of makes me think there might have been some threadfins, washing up. As Randy said, the water is just flat beautiful. Visibility I'm guessing, is close to 20' It's cold right now, and just a slight warm up tomorrow to mid-40's then back in the deep freeze. Kind of like KVD said however, it is time for them to be on the move, so you just have to be in the right locations at the right time. That wind blew pretty hard here today, and it started seeping in on me after about 4hrs.

Thanks Duck, that is good info.

I am so cabin fevered up that Becky pretty much ordered me out of the house this morning. Left home at 9 AM and launched at Eagle Rock at 9:30 Air temp read a balmy 22 degree at the ramp and the Gen II said 36.9 very cool degrees on the White River. Fished about everything that I know how till my first bite at 12:30, I was back in Owl. Ended up catching 4 in there with the surface temp at 37 degree. Caught the first 2 on a Varmint, but short LM on flat gravel. Lord knows I had tried every bluffend and transition from the 86 bridge up to there. The two Varmint fish were shallow probably under 10'. Just had to motor across to a bluffend transition, and by golly, caught 2 more here and missed one, on the sticker. Pretty good thump on the one I missed, but did not get it poked. Both that I did stick were LM, both short. Continued my merry way up toward Big M. and got on a long chunk runnout and caught 3 more LM, with 2 squeeker keeps and 1 short on the jerker and had a nice keep on the Varmint. Lost one on the sticker and I don't think it was a walleye, but it had shoulders, it just came unbuttoned. All these fish were on top of the chunk long point, I'm thinking in under 10' of water. I could not get a suspended bite of any kind, I believe every fish I caught came off the bottom. Surface temp at Big M was 39 degree. Fished my way back and did not have another bite. Probably should have gone into Panther and up Roarng River on some of the sunny chunk points, but by then I was starting to shiver. I did not see 40 degree water all day. Back at the ramp it was 38, I'm not to displeased at my results. Time to get back at it, good luck