Bill Babler

Great piece. Last Summer divers reported 100 ft. of visibility below the thermocline, and I believe this with what he said is contributing. Thanks Denny good piece

Very nice Blackies. Way to find a pattern that worked for you, and thanks for the super report

Great report and way to catch them Dave. Glad it worked out.

And again the debate rages. Would it not be great if this were a fishing forum and persons that wished to contribute here would do so about the topic of fishing, just once in a while, instead of trying to influence and bias others toward certain retailers. For that matter no more than a advertisment for a retailer. And better yet if your going to advertise do it under your own name. Let me make my position perfectly clear at this time. Crystal. I love to shop a BP in Springfield. They are wonderful and have a huge selection of merchandise from every major manufactor that wishes for BP to carry their lines. When I first started guiding every piece of equipment that I owned was BP. Our resort on Lake O. used Tracker boats it last few years of operation. Since that period thru trial and error, mainly error I have chosen to use other brands of equipment. This is of course a personal preference. For me they have fit my style of fishing and the way that I like to see equipment preform in a more lasting and functional manner. Not saying they are far superior to the BP equipment, but they are just what I prefer to use. I use Diawa Steez Bait caster, along with some Lews Tournament pros. I use Shimano Sustain and Stradic and Diawa Cenderi spinning tackle. This is just my preference. I just love Falcon Rods and they are available at BP. On my fly gear I use 100% Orvis. Our luck with the tracker flat bottoms at our resort for rentals did not work out quite as good as it could have. We were replacing some very old Lunds and Richline Guide Specials. We thought maybe the welded trackers with the very easy to move around in flats would be just what we needed. We were wrong, it was our fault. I know the company had not been making boats long, and we should have known better. It just kind of left a twinge of bad taste. I know these boats are very much improved and would not hesitate to own one. I also know the Nitor and I'm not going to say improved as it in many peoples eyes needs no improvement. Again, that is a personal decision. I have chosen a different brand and have many reasons for doing so. I'm on the water 300 plus days per year in all conditions, and I feel my choice for me is a better fit. Our guide community is very close here and we use each others boats from time to time. I have used the Z9 and frankly driven the Pee Water out of it. Dry Ride safe as a baby in its mothers arms priced to suit the most discriminating shopper, but just not exactly what I am looking for. I would never begrudge a single person from spending all their fishing dollars with BP. It is just not what I chose to do. As has been stated. I feel no ill will to anyone that shops at BPand buys their personal brands. I have no idea why people hold Ill will on those of us that do not tend to use their products. As far as their sales staff in the Springfield store, there are some really good people in there and some personal friends of mind that know fishing and can more than put you on the right stuff. You get a newby and they and this is thru training will pretty much just want to sell you BP lines. This is not their fault, they are told to do this. Its not working. Another deal and this has been mentioned is the timeshare people. It is completely out of hand. I more than respect Johnny, and cannot believe he knows how bad it is, or I truly belive he would adress this. Really makes you want to just get out of there. BP is a fantastic part of this community and we would miss them If they were not here. They have many loyal employee's and I appreciate their dedication and loyalty to the brand. To their followers good luck in your fishing endevors and great success. To those of us that use other brands, we hope they feel the same toward us. Good Luck and God Bless

It's the only place I have any. I have to go pick up my socks now.

I think at this point of the season, it's on reguardless of the weather. These fish have been pulling way out everynight and then moving back up as the day warms. Don't see much of a change. Might wait a bit later in the morning to go out and fish just a littler deeper.

Guys, lets close down the BPS stuff on this thread. If you want to talk about anything Bass Pro, please start a new one or for now lets get on with the fishing. I think it has already been said some of us do not shop there to much and some do. It's great to be an American and have a choice. Good luck

Really a super 3 days. They also caught trout out the wazzu on the 3/4 day we spent down there. Gotta Watch out for Suzy the Fisher Gal. Good Luck

Brett, I reread your post and you cleared it up for me. The gift cards are just free give aways that Mike hands out during the derby and have nothing to do with being a prize or constituting to be a place of finish in lue of money. Sorry I missed that. 80% payback plus prizes thrown in seems very fair to me. Just got to get the numbers up. I am sure he will as he is a tireless worker and will do everything in his power to make this deal work. We all more than hope it does.

Ya got me.

How many places do you see post after post with people showing pictures of fish and telling you exactly how they caught them and showing the baits they were using. JD, that is just simply an exceptional post. Cannot even begin to tell you what contributors like you mean to this forum. A deep felt thanks from all of us. Moderator

Haven't your ever heard of a BassCat?

Super Dave! Thanks Buddy those were great.

Great Point Fly. BUT Hemmingways. Come on now, if you don't like that Peach Cobbler with the Cre'me Anglaise. Just Sayin, that stuff will put a smile on your face big time. Nice Post.

Just kind of a montague of photo's from the last couple of days on the Rock with Lodge guests Suzy and John from Chicago. Had not been to Viney all year and just thought I had stayed away long enough. I just love the White River. Fish were where they were suspose to be, mostly on the ledgey stuff transitioning to gravel in front of the spawning pockets. Boated loads of fish in the two days with 30 keepers, no stud muffins, but lots of K's in the 16 to 18 inch range with a few Jaw's and LM thrown in to keep the color in the bag. Surface temps both days started in the 59 degree range and got up to 62. Mostly fished a Yamaoto or Chompers 4 inch grub on a 1/4 oz head. Fish started out each morning pulled out. Kept my boat in 35 to 45 ft. usually 2 full casts from the bank, and counted the grub down to about 15. As the day warmed usually starting at 11 AM we would start to edge closer, but never had the boat under 30 ft. Most or our fish came off the bottom and suspended in the 12' to 20' range. On lots of times we would have multiple fish following in the one we had on the hook. Really great folks. Used a Falcon Nestor Falls spin with 6 pound Maxi Water was has just a bit more color up there with visibility only about 15 ft. Good Luck

I"m intregued by the gift card deal. Are these just givaways that Mike hands out at the derby's or are they considered prize place value. ie if you come in 10th. you get a gift card with a value of X dollars that constitutes your prize Say 10th. place is 500 dollars. In lue of cash you get a BP gift card? Or, are they something that Mike might draw out of a hat and say, " Thanks for fishing CPA. Boat number 55 just won a BP gift card." If indeed they are in lue of prize money, this opens a pretty sticky wicket. It would depend on what the certificate was good for and the tax implication. Is is good for anything in the store, or just BPS brands? Possibly as Champ was alluding to on the pay back and not knowing the totals, it would be pretty hard to estimate the true value of a gift certificate if it were indeep given in lue of cash. There is a huge problem in trying to say merchandise constitutles X cash value. There would also be a problem if it were also only good for BPS brands, that I am assuming were not gifts to CPA but tax deductable donations to promote BPS fishing interest. Also on a personal tax form that you have to document both tournament expenses and winnings, this would be pretty hard to figure out. As every item you would buy with the card would have to be a tax deductable item. Sorry for my ignorance on this, as it is the first time I have heard of the gift card deal. Reguardless Webster is a great guy and we are all pulling for his derby circuit. Please someone clue me in on this. Good Luck

I would like to apoligize for my post. It was stupid and borish. Anyone that owns one of the fine Nitro Boats owes me no apology and he or she should think it is the best on the market. I am truely sorry for that stupid post. Should not have cluttered up a great topic on fantastic reels with that kind of garbage. Good Luck

Don't know what your smokin, but comparing a Z9 ride to a Phoenix 921 is insane. Not even in the same ball park. Bring your 9 down next week and we will put 5 different riders in the boats. If 1 picks your boat over mine I will give you my boat. If all 5 pick my boat you will give me yours. Pink vs pink. Oh by the way that is not a new hull design on the 9 they have had it and there are changes coming in it for 14 or 15, to make it better. We will test them at operating speed on a cross wind. Will will test top speed, we will test hull noise, we will test cornering at top speed, we will test fishability in a heavy wind. We will test quartering into rough water in the wind for interior dry ride. You pick 6 other catagories, You can even include price as that would be the only one you would win. But I will tell you now, you don't want to do that. That is not what your boat was designed to do. It was built to be extremely safe and designed to sell for a point that makes it more than attractive to fisherman on a limited budget. Yes 50 grand being a limited budget, but those are the days we live in. I will tell you this. Something is cookiing at Nitro Boats and from the word on the street, it is going to have a complete overhaul in the next year or two. Major changes seem to be in the wind. Good luck and am more than happy you love your boat. You should.

Just because guides and professional fisherman drive or use certain products is absolutely no reason for the most part for the guy that HAS TO PAY RETAIL for thing to buy them. Alot of times we use products that are provided to us or sold to us for next to nothing. We have the ability to buy most anything associated with fishing at manufactors cost or even below, for advertising pruposes. What a better way to advertise to have your butt in it or have your hands or eyes on it. In the case of large ticket items, that most guides change out every year or even twice a year, the price does matter. In the last 4 years, Bill has had 8 new boats from 4 different manufactors. He has the ability to buy very reasonable and sell at a profit or completely use an item for no cost. I'm going to guess the majority of you all out there do not have this luxury. Two weeks from now any of us could be in any boat. However I just ordered a 2014 phoenix. Boats for us are a platform to take paying clients on the water. They are a tool that we seldon keep more than a yr. or so at the most. My write off on my boats is 2 yrs. so that is what i keep them. Bill has a different tax structure, and he has always moved boats very quickly. Usually at the rate of 2 new boats per year. I will tell you this he did not buy it for the stylish looks or the quality. Billy could very well be in anything next week. His contacts are unreal and everyone in the boat business knows him. Never suprised by what he drags home. Good Luck

Everyone here knows how I feel about BP, so I'm not getting into that deal. My take on the entire situation is the way it got started with Johnny makng a quality hand tied jig with the eyes cleaned of paint and making it a product far superior to what was on the market that he could build sell and ship those jigs around the country. For years and years they tried to sell and ship great products. THEN. they started with house brands that were inferior in every way that they could sell for slightly less and compete with the quality brands as a similar but less expensive alternative.. The marketing stradgity did indeed switch to WalMart. BP is still a great place to get the things you need and a wondefulr place to stroal around if the time share people are not bugging you to death. As long as you buy major brands there you are in great shape. Just don't by house brands. That more than includes the Boats. That is for another day. Good Luck

My wife says the same thing about mine. Must be some kind of a trait in us fisher types. Howard and I looked at beds in the back of the little Indian Creek at Baxter yesterday. Dozens of beds with but a few males on them. Man they were spooky. Water temps yesterday morning back there were 54.3 Main lake was 57, Would say it cools so much at night it pushes them off. By mid afternoon, I would think there would be some on the beds. I have caught some spawned out fish. LM and a few K's. Most however are ripe and full of eggs. Latter part of this week should be good. Even a clear water guy like me is saying enough to this. I'm headed up the White River this morning to see if I can make my bite last longer hoping for a twinge more color. Could go into the James for color, but I just hate to fish Ice Tea color water.

it was a tough day for the boys that fished the dam today. Buster said after the sun hit the water they got really fussy. Said he looked down at one loctation across from the dam and saw 3 bass swimming on the bottom in 36 ft. That my friends is clear water. Beck said it was as clear as he has ever seen it. Some locations from Kimberling City to Long Creek at 40 ft.+ of visibility I fished out of Baxter this morning with Howard and we did just fine. Not tons of fish but the bite was constant with some nice smallmouth.

It was fun catching those fish on the Rig. Great seeing you at the diner Dave.

Yes I have one. These reels are a bushing drag system or compression drag. Very much like the shimano drag systems. They have a wide spool and will cast a mile once you get it tuned into your casting type and it is also a bit more of a challange in the wind. It will throw anything a mile, but you must adjust it pretty regular. Unlike the Tournament Pro with the magnetic drag system that is a virtual unfalable reel that if your anywhere near on your adjustments will throw into a stiff wind with most any lure without over run. If you are an experenced baitcaster the BB1 will suit you. If you are a beginner, do not get that reel, go instead with the Pro or one of the magnetic drag reels as they are more than excellent and worth the few dollars more they cast.

You will not find a better or even compareable reel for anywhere near the money you just spent. These reels, are not Diawa Steez, but you also have several hundred bucks in your pocket you would have spent. These are every mans go to reels, and rigtht now nobody and I mean nobody is even close to touching them for quality, castability and design. Have not found a product at any price that will compare with the quality of these fine reels. I got a boat load of them anytime I'm on the water. Weather I pick up a Steez or a Tournament Pro, they cast and set up and maintain that set up cast after cast day after day, reguardless of the conditions. I'm one happy Lew's customer and I demand the very best from my equipment. Good Luck