Bill Babler

Hope you all got at least a couple of TR Shad color Surge Shad’s prior to them going out of production. They kind of think they’re food. I also have about 1/2 dozen fins in the same color. They run good, but nothing like the SS. ta ta

Last 3 days have been really good, especially on Friday. Good buddy and I had about a dozen keeps Friday, Biggins. Topwater and glide bait. Today there were bass beds everywhere with big females on them. I’m really not a bed guy so I just wished them well and Talley Ho’d on. Visibility at Shell Knob is super clear, on flat water you can see 15’/16’ no problem. Beds are 8’ to I’m guessing 16’+and most have bass on them, easy to see. I saw some really nice LM on some of the beds, 4 plus pounders. Fished a Surge Shad and a Shaky Head this morning and had 6 keeps and twice that many shorts that were all line burners so they pulled and fought like tigers. Just to slick for the big glide bait this morning, I have to have a chop with it to be somewhat effective. Surface temps 68 degree and lots of Wake Boats😠😠😠 Good Luck

For those of you wondering about the spawn, JT Kenny just mentioned the anglers on LOZ are seeing beds as deep as 15 ft. in the clearest water. At times our fish will bed at least that deep. Good point by JT.

Guys there are lots of beds in the SK area to point 9. Deep, you can just barely seem them 9 to 12 feet. Always happens this time of year. Yes lots of the shallow beds are empty, but lots of spawning is out there.

We caught a total boat load of fish Saturday. Everyone of them had been previously caught. Never landed a fish in the KC area that did not have a hook hole already in its head. Got to mean something.

I went there too, but they have become such a pest and destroy so much property that you’re not getting in trouble for shooting squirrels. Needs a pellet gun not a 22 for gosh sakes Couple of years ago a friend in STL shot 170 off his deck right in the Lou. Another buddy at Lake O. Shoots close to 250 a year off his deck. Both use Air Depot pellet guns

I fished with a friend today in the AIA as a backup for his partner that had to work. Derby director said be careful as there’ were 12 other tournaments going out today. We ended up with 13.8. I have no idea what it took but we had a dozen keeps. Biggest was 4.12 for us Lots of wake boats as well as Jet ski’s and some big pleasure boats. So many bass boats it looked like a bee hive.

I think it was but he finished nicely 😀😀😀😀 Glad I wasn’t the only person that thought those kind of statements were absurd.

Would this one work?

Kudos again. I’m trying my luck your way on Thursday.

Totally fantastic fish. Congrats, had to be a blast

Beautiful Rig.

Someone also said about a 10% discount on a bag of worms. Failed to mention the sew on jacket patch and the truck window sticker. 🤪🤪🤪

Best post of 2023, hilarious, Thanks James.

No Bobby, keep exploding, it’s fun. I also forgot an item. I put new bunks on my trailer last Fall. This is starting to add up. Never thought about that stuff when I was guiding as it could be written off.

Not at all, and since you bought it up, without a doubt the weakest link in the entire operation is most usually the trailer. Alignment seems to always be the culprit. They just do not have the ability to track properly. Don’t know where BC. Gets their trailers, but I know of at least 3 others that have had the same or similar problems. Just eats the tires, I mean 5 to 10 thousand miles. One of the past guides on TR trailered from Spfg. And his new kitty trailer lasted under 1000 before he blew out a tire. After much and many threats to sue they gave him a new one. It’s been fine. Prior to the vault system, Ranger trail was famous for worn out tires. Don’t know what happened but they seem fine since Vault. Good buddies new Phoenix trail last year sluffed all the gator hide. He took a picture and they sent him a new one. My Champion trailer used to throw the lug nuts, matter how we tired them. About every 2 weeks they were loose. I hate trailers

If I hear one more of these guys say how tough fishing is and it’s a total grind then put 22 pounds on the scale I’m going to scream! One of the BME. Guys said yesterday what a grind, I had to sort thru 50 fish including stripers, crappie and gar to catch these. They have totally lost sight of reality. I’ve fished TR for 50 years and I’m guessing I have had a true 20 plus pound 5 fish limit maybe 25 times, at the most. They have totally taken the fun out of fishing.

This is the longest I’ve ever kept a boat. Usually 1 year at times as much as 2. Really should get a new one but the way this one is set with all the electronics and dialed in like it is with only 220 hours on the 4 stroke I hate to see her go. I did price a new one same equipment and it was hovering in the $90,000.00 range. Yikesssss.

No you can google it. Probably 2 dozen vids. I use a wet carpet cleaner, a Bissell. My boat size takes 6 cans of shave cream for the job. I wet 1/2 the deck with the sprayer and spray on the cream. Work it in with a soft bristle brush in a circular motion I then just work my way back working it in on a damp carpet. Let it set for an hour and then wet it heavily with the spray on your carpet cleaner, fully soak. Then, take the vac on the cleaner or a shop vac and vacuum out as much water dirt and cleaner as you can. Let it dry and then vacuum again and brush against the grain. It’s comes out absolutely beautiful. You simply won’t believe the dirt and crud that comes out in the vacuumed water. Good Luck

Even with all the guide traffic I had the first 5 years the upholster and the carpet look great. Only spent very few night outside. Cleaned the carpet twice with Barbasol shave cream. Unbelievable how it makes it look. Smells good too. If you have a 3 plus year old boat I highly recommend you do this.

According to my taxes I’ve towed my 2017 Phoenix close to 120,000 miles. 3rd. set of tires. 3rd. set of brake pads and have not touched the vault bearings. Replaced the 4 bank charger, then got a deal on a power pole charge so took the new replacement off, if anyone needs a new 4 bank. Put Lithium batteries in just to do it. Replaced the original Minn Kota Ultrex with a Garmin as the Ultrex liked to be a fountain water spewed out the head beautifully. Got a new one as a replacement and sold it to put the entire Garmin Panoptic Live Scope system in. Mercury had a sticky trim switch, replaced under warranty. Pretty much it. OH, just added a Sea Clear harnesses cable system to the Garmin’s. Platinum Warranty till June of 2025, so cross my fingers, really nothing but maintenance and stuff I don’t need that I have spent time or money on.

Becky and I went out of SK about the same time. Did not do as well as you Bob. Maybe 1/2 dozen. Surface temps had dropped to 60 degree with that East wind they were stingy. She was ready to go home in a couple of hours. To tell the truth so was I but I acted like I was doing her a favor. She thanked me for going in early. So there is that. 🤩🤩🤩🤩 PS. SK ramp only had 6 rigs.

Both Mercer and Chris Jones are terrible. I believe Jones is even worse. And you’re right, you just no longer need to bring these fish to the stage. However that being said they have been doing that on Murry for the last 30 years plus all the local derby’s and it’s better every year. Just unreal.

Since I’m not guiding I just simply have to pare down. 100 bags of soft plastic baits sells. Absolute best Table Rock White River colors. Baits included: Zoom Fish Dr GP and Water/Candy 30 bags Zoom Cenipedes WMC 20 bags Zoom Flukes vary color 15 bags Zoom Brush Hogs GP/WC 5 bags Reaction Smally Beaver Goby 5 bags Yamamoto single tails double tails and senko’s GP/Grey red fleck, smoke, WC 15 bags Keitech miscellaneous 5 bags Handful of other bags, again colors I use everyday. I still have over 250 more bags of the same stuff. Yikes how did I get so much. Entire lot sells. $250 firm, no haggle. Thats way under 1/2 price. Thanks 417-332-7016.

Mark Menendez said without a doubt Best lake he has ever fished. He has fished it over 40 years and said it’s better every year. Blue Back Herring, both Gizzard and Threadfin Shad, Crappie and Bluegill, not to mention crayfish. Said during the MLF derby that some local team derby’s it took as much as 30 pounds to win and middle 20’s to get a check. 5 fish. Doesn’t seem like a lot of double digits Steve but a total butt load of 4 to 8 pounders. It’s 900 miles over there from Shell Knob, that’s a ride. Im sure it’s worth taking.