Bill Babler

Tight, great to see ya on the forum. Always appreciate your input. Kind of funny 40 years ago, is not really enough to tell how is was in the day. Going to have to go back at leat 55 yrs. to see what was there prior to Table Rock, First walleye I caught on Bull was in 1972 and for me that was pretty much the fish we have now. Thats 41yrs. I can remember catchin 3 one day off the wall at Powersite that looked like snakes. in the Spring of 1972, and they looked just like the ones we caught a couple of weeks ago, only not as good, so I cannot say if your guy is right or wrong. At any rate we are no longer getting any of those old river fish with a dam at both ends, so we better be happy with what the depts. are givin us and say a big thanks. Good to hear from ya.

Lots of good stuff here, but guys, lets keep it as civil as possible. Everyone has an opinion, and weather it be factual or not, it is theirs. Simply put, there has been Millions and Millions of walleye stocked in Bull Shoals since the mid-1950's. If both Ark and MDC are not doing a good job, you cannot see it by me. Yes there has been foul ups, but by far there has been more successes, that is why we have this great fishery. MDC stockes walleye in Bull also, so Missouri does have a dog in this fight. IF both of these fine depts stop, we are in serious hurt, as has been stated the walleye do not self sustain well in the Bull Shoals. Yes there were fish there prior to 1950, but nothing like the numbers we have now. Yes they gigged some Jack Salmon and caught a few back them, but they were as rare as Hen's teeth. Mostly migrated up the Mississippi into the White River. Rare numbers at best. Most of the huge catches and what put Bull on the map, was the 1960's and early 70's. These were residual fish that came out of Table Rock in 1958 when the entire lake had to be drained early. It had already been stocked extremely heavely for its flooding. Lets get back on the topic of catchin these durn rascules anyway we can. I'm proud to hear the opinions that have been posted, and really appreciate the passion you all have for our great fisheries. Good Luck

You are right as rain about this. The guys I know that go down, only go maybe at best a dozen or so times a year. At best that is a pretty small number of fish. Buster had more than their entire season in December.

Spear gun fishing for walleye is legal in Bull Shoals. I have friends that enjoy this sport. None of my friends harvest over their limits and are really great people. They also harvest rough fish and point out a good day is usually one or two walleye. Most days they are more than happy to take carp, they turn into prussure cooked canned fish. Ihave had a jar or two and really when cooked in a patty with cracker crumbs and egg taste just like a salmon patty we had to eat as kids. It's kind of funny, my wife that tells me to not bring home any more crappie fillets will ask me when we are going to get some more canned fish from Bill. Nothing is ever as easy as it sounds, and they like us have thousands of dollars in gear. Good Luck

Between Arkansas and Missouri, I believe about 900,000 are stocked in Bull every year, and have been for quite some time. I may be off on this but it is being stocked by both Missouri and Arkansas at a very nice rate. I believe Ark stocks the most. I know Phil Lilley went on a egg harvest about 6 or 7 yrs. ago with the biologist. He may know the number. The size I believe are fingerlings. Bull got blown out this week pretty bad. Buster guided today and said it was his worst day on the pond since November as the water is just to murked up. He had 1 keeper eye, 1 crappie and about a 1/2 dozen small bass on a full day guide trip.

Ham, I did an article a few years ago, and spoke with both Missouri and Arkansas fisheries biologist, that were working Bull Shoals mostly on walleye. They both told me that there was virtually NO natural Recruitment in Bull, or negelable ammounts to sustain a harvestable population. If they have changed that to now thinking that 25 to 44 percent of the recruitment is now being spawned in Bull, that is wonderful news. Don't know how it could have possibly gotten to those type of huge recruitment results inthe past few years, but that is great. They have been gigging walleye in Bull Shoals for years. Bry is right on that for sure. I can remember speaking to people when I wrote the article saying there grand fathers were big giggers years ago. The problem has never been with the spawning of the eyes. It is that they have a huge mortality rate from egg to fry. It was explained to me by an Arkansas Biolgist that they are much like Salmon in the fact that they spawn and immediatly leave the eggs on there own, with no protection. The eggs are almost immdeatly consumed by the biggest predator, which is Green Eared Sunfish. If they do survive and hatch the fry are then consummed by the same Green Ear and most other perch species. They most often spawn on very clean riffled gravel with no protection after the fry hatch or for that matter where they lay there eggs. They just don't have a great design for our Southern Area. Might need to revisit this.

You know, Buster is still a relitively young man at under 40 and he has been catching them by this method since the late 1980's. I believe its kind of like realestate. Location more than matters. Some years it is not nearly as good as it has been this year. I know it can be extremely frustrating, and if you only got a day or so to try this its not going to be pretty. It is however a proven method with with over 20 yrs. of proven results. About 15 yrs ago. Buster, Tim Sainato and I were guiding a group of Tim's clients. In back to back cast I saw Tim catch a 16 pounder on the first cast and a 12 pounder on his second. All 3 guide boats had fished 5 hrs. to that point without a bite. We were having lunch and they just started. I believe in about 2 hrs that day we caught 8 walleye and at least 2 dozen crappie on the big stickbaits, between 1 and 3 oclock. Buster and I took Brent Frazee of the KCStar about 10 yrs. ago. We caught a 3 person limit that weighed 58 pounds. Also released anorther dozen shorts. The day we caught that big bag we had 2 inches of sleet in the boat, it was just sureal. I have never been so miserable, but 24 walleye in 6 hrs. was just insane for Bull Shoals. Hang in there and good luck

40 to 43 Buster said day before the cool spell

Beck put in at Tucker 2 days ago and fished just around the area. Had a really good day with some very nice bass. Best 5 at 23 pounds, but lots of the same kind of fish, in that 4 pound range. He reported they had several walleye, but no keepers. Caught the walleye in the same general places we are catching them up stream, off the channel swings. Most all the bass came on bluffends and transitions on steeper banks. He fished a spro Pro-blue stick bait for most of the bass, but did report a very good Arig bite later in the day on the same stuff. I think this was going to be a walleye trip, but the bass were just to hard to get away from. Said they just bit great all day and it was hard to get on the walleye stuff and fish slow, when the bass were just hammering the stickbait. You can tell a walleye bite right now immediatly. Your stickbait just gets heavy when you go to twitch it. It is just super soft. The bass, crappie and yellow perch will always give you the stickbait thump or as he said the bass just tried to take it. Pretty nice report from the lower upper lake region. I should have a report on my own if the weather allows by first of next week. Good LUck

We have mainly been using a very bright multitone lime/green bleeding to yellow. Another one we have been using is any of the Pro-blue colors and the Chartruse/Gold Clown is also very, very good. We have been fishing entirey during daylight. Mid morniing to mid afternoon have been best. All our fish are suspended in 15ish. over 25 to 30, and very stationary. Probably why the jerkbait has been working for us. This all will change soon and it will be a mout point as they will start to move to the bottom and move up lake. They will get on the jig minnow combinations, along with the stickbaits. For us this seems to always be a late December thru February pattern. Good Luck

We have not done nearly so well from the Barker hole up. It is usually one of our favorites, but 100% of our fish have came from below Barker clear down past K dock. Got to believe it should be about to break loose up there though. When you start seeing creek chub fisherman on the flats above Barker you will know they are there.

Unlike Bry we are not catching them on tipped jigs, minnows or creek chubs. Even one of our favorites the swimming minnow is really not producing anything. Even against the live bait the suspending stickbaits for the locations we are fishing on upper bull are just slaughtering everything else. Maybe this is bad info on my part, and we are doing something wrong and should be catching more fish on another method that is not so painful to fish. And believe me this is painful and slow . Right now we are coming to the ramp with more and bigger walleye than anyone out there, but I am more than willing to change. If Berkley gulp in goby is working better. I just happen to have some. Usually live bait also preforms well, but for us right now,it has been the sticker. I will for sure give the glup a shot though. I'm at a convention right now, but just got a text from Buster showing 5 keeps, up to 7 pounds yesterday. I already told you all how we are catching them. Tks and good luck

Just seems like Table Rock to me. Really, it being a Corp of E. impoundment, it can be anything. Only time I really notice anything with it is when we have a flood event or it gets over 920. Any other time it is what it is and when it is under 910, it usually really fishes well. Good Luck

Tks. guys

Edwin, what are you going to do for a boat. Are you buying a new Kitty?

Good info. thanks

There may or may not be a website that explanes how to repurpose the bills on the old model rogues, but I am not aware of it. I do know the replacement plastic is extremely hard to find, as far as durability and just the right ammount of flex or stiffness that it has to have to make the bait work correctly. length is also a factor in the aspect if you make it incorrectly the bait runs to the side or just rolls. Buster told me the other day the plastic he has he got from Bill Anderson about 20 yrs. ago. He said he still has a couple of sheets. B. Anderson was our Fisheries Biologist. We both believe the new Megabass 110 plus 1 is going to be a very good bait for walleye. It however only comes in a few colors and they are not near what we are catchin them on. Buster did have a client that caught one a blue megabass plus 1. We are currently having some painted by Hughes Custom Baits to the colors we have been catching them on with the modified rogues. Lots of flo-chartruse or flo green. Hope the MB works as the old rogues will just wear you out trying to throw that light weight bait. It also tends to spin and sail when you throw it, so we are hoping the megabass is the deal as it throws a mile.

Nothing new. Lots of these custom bait builders, are removing the factory bills, and inserting bills of their own chosen length to make the bait preform as they see fit for the best application they are trying to fish. I have rogues that Buster put custom bills on from the early 90's. Not spoonbills, but inbetween the regular and the really deep diving. Most believe the old spoonbill rogues just don't have the action as the smaller or custom made bills. Been a bunch of fish caught on the old spoonbills however.

People can really get discouraged with this type of fishing. This type of really advanced fishing is usually for those folks that have no boundaries. By this I mean, a guy that can go all day and not get a bite and make his last cast of the day as good as his first. Some folks would call this type of fishing really struggling. It is not. it is a specific technique. You know the fish are there and you know what they will bite. You just don't know when. This is true finesse fishing. Not so much with small baits but tecnique. The ability to believe in your locations and your presentation. To not to have to get bit to know you are doing the right thing in the correct locations. To not switch baits and continuesly try to adapt, but to make your best presentation time after time and know that the fish are there and when and if they want to you will get bit. Buster has been catching walleye like this for 20 years on upper bull. It is a very hard pill to swallow and also to replicate if you don't have faith. In December, January and February this type of fishing will produce I believe more walleye on upper bull than anything else. The numbers for guys that fish over there 5 days a week gets crazy, just because they are spending so many days on the water. Maybe only 2-3-4 or 5 fish in an entire day, but when you multiple it by 50 or 60 days on the water it turns into astronomical numbers of very quality walleye. Not a lot of places in the Winter you can go and catch walleye like this. Buster has had quite a few guide trips this Winter and his trips have done well, when they listen to him. Buster usually fishes on Guide Trips and if your going to catch fish with him, you had better do what he says and fish exactly how he fishes. I for one just have a hard time fishing as slow as Buster. A week ago, we fished 2 locations in a 9 hr. period. Took him about 4 hrs. to cover the first 100 yrd. stretch before we moved. It was a great place in a transition bend where the boat was setting in 36ft. and we were a huge full cast from the bank. There was timber and stumps present on a no nothing bank. The secret was the channel, curved and met the bank just past a flat and continued around this entire stretch before the channel moved back across the lake. We had about 200 yrds. of very good channel swing. He told me he had taken about 40 walleye off this swing this year, and we caught 3 on it, in the 4 hrs. We had 6 bites total, but 3 four pound walleye. I had two bites and missed them both. Buster had 4 bites and caught 3 of them. If you want to give it a try, fish those types of locations. Put on a suspending jerkbait with either gold, red or chartruse on it, take a deep breath and a thermose of coffee and just take your time. It would be really easy to fish this off the bank. Most locations we are fishing, there is a ramp or public access to those banks. We have had people walking on the bank exactly where we are catching the fish while we have been fishing. Most are looking for arrowheads with the low water. They are also riding dirt bikes and 4 wheelers on all the banks we are fishing. Don't know if that is legal or not, but they are doing it.

Just a quick note here. The walleye are still just tearing it up. Mostly below Beaver. 99% are being caught on suspending custom painted and weighted jerkbaits. In the last 4 days even in the cold temps guys are catching them aplenty. With fish in the between 6 and 10 pound range. Here is the deal. If you are thinking you are fishing the stickbait slow, you are not. I am a stickbait fiend, and fish it as well as anyone. Buster is better. Sainiato is also good and those boys are just rippin walleye. Tim had one over 10 pounds on Friday. If you are making over 10 casts per hour, you are fishing to fast. Most are fishing the bait with custom bills or with a lot of weight, on 8 pound line. Most are using mono and sinking the bait either with the bills or the weight of the bait, so it will suspend. With carbon line the bait will continue to sink and not maintain a depth level. Most of the walleye are coming suspended in the river channel. Look where the channel bends in close to the bank and fish it 100 yrds of where it gets there and where it moves away. Most often the boat is setting in 25 to 35 ft. Most bites are coming 15 to 20 ft. over that depth, or about 2/3rds. of the way back to the boat. If you get bit closer to the bank, it is most likely a bass or crappie. You have to let that bait soak and just keep the line tight. Just a small head twitch from time to time. When the bait comes in, it is always behind the boat and deep. If you are getting it back to the boat even with where you casted it out, you are going to catch zero. They want it "Dead Still." A very good day is 2 to 4 walleye, 2 crappie and 6 or 8 bass for 8 or 9 hours. That means if you have 2 guys in the boat fishing 9 man hours each, or 18 man hours, that is 10 bites in 18 hours of fishing. Since December 1st. Buster has caught close to 100 walleye and had about 1/3 of that over 5 pounds, with several over 10 and one 13 pounder. Off about 20 different locations. The entire key is speed. You have just got to be dead slow, The bite is very seldom nothing more that a slight tighting of the line and if you get hammered it is a tick, or if the bite is really a nice bump, it is usually a bass. Without telling you where the boys are catching them this is just about all I can do and still live to tell. Good Luck

If you are going up LongCreek, you are better on the flats rather than trying to fish the trash piles that MDC put in the lake. Use your electronics and fish where the mud or silt flats dump into the channel. Lots of good places above Cricket Creek Marina. Starting next week, this may start to get going. The crappie will scatter out of there on the bottom. Use a swimming minow and a 1/8th. oz. jig head to fish slowly along the bottom in either Cricket or Long Creek.

Good Luck. You might do just about as well at home in the bath tub and you would be much warmer. The area of which you speak is not a hot spot for Winter Crappie. May be in some of the private docks in Beardsley or Clevenger however, but it will be a bear. If you have a boat try the James or the Kings or even Roaring River up the White River. You can also just motor up past the 86 bridge to Long Creek.

If you look around right now it seems $19.00 to 22.50 can be found. If you go to the St. Louis Sports show you can usually pick them up on Sunday pretty reasonable. I bought a dozen the other day for $21 bucks and they were the new 110 +1 We are getting them painted as we speak.

Great information. Please post their number and business address and we will send them some business I can guarantee you that. This would be great advertisment for their business and do the forum a world of good. I ususally just toss the baits I break, so heaing this is music to my ears. Good Luck

Amen to that. I usually go thru about a dozen a season knocking the bills off and cracking them. Never once thought about sending them back to Megabass after I had used them for an extended period. Had a flat tire yesterday, I'm going to see if Chevy will give me a new truck. Mine is only 2 yrs. old and it has a 5 yr. warranty. Just Havin Fun, you can tell the fishin is slow.