Bill Babler

So happy you are doing well. Hope the great fishing holds up for you. Maybe should have kept the exact locations to yourself. Only 1 FLW Pro, has a 3 day limit, this is the first time in any major tournament that this has ever happened, even the couple of years after the fish kill. Spoke to several of the competitors this evening and they all commented it is just unbelieveable tough. You are onto something glad for you. Good Luck BB

You guys need to tell this to the 149 FLW Pro's that are fishing the lake. They don't think its on fire. When you have only 10 guys out of 300 pro's and coanglers a day catching 5 fish to weighin, its pretty hard. That is 3% of the fishermen are catching a limit of Bass in an 8 hr. day. The average number counting the Coanglers is a shade over 1 fish a day. I thought yesterday was one of the hardest days I have ever fished. Surface temp in the Morning was 42 and the air temp was 16. It was bright and blue all day with no wind. When Robbie Dotson and Stacy King can only catch 1 fish between them all day, I don't believe the lake is on fire. Good Luck, It is about to get better.

Don't believe I have ever been that Cold in my life. Launched at Tucker this Morning at 6AM with the Air temperature at 16 balmy degrees, and the Surface water temps had dropped to 39.1. Ed and I were nearly frozen. It's for sure our rod tips were, as they iced up till close to 9AM. Water was just flatter than a pancake, and the stickbait probably looked like a stickered monster to them. CAught 3 very early on it with one Buck 16 inch Black keeper, and a very nice K, about the same size. We were moving the bait so slow, I fell asleep. There were no strikes like the other day, the fish were just there, when you twitched the bait. Not much fight in them either. Could not get bit after 8 AM, so went to a full size swimming minnow reeling it along the bottom, boat in 20 casting in to chunk rock and pea gravel. Caught 6 more doing this with 1 more skinny buck Black keeper. We tried Hotdawgs Hula Grub on some very nice transition shelf stuff, but no takers. I'm going to keep trying it as I know that will work. Three Keepers weighed 7.5 pounds Off the water by 11 AM. Water at the Launch had not warmed up much, just 41.7 at take out. It is going to be warmer tomorrow and is not suspose to cool off tonight, so we are hoping for a better day. Heard the Whites bit up lake, but we were after Bass.

TR, Our lodge is across from Big Cedar on the west side overlooking Clevenger Branch. We also have a home on the Lake at Shell Knob, and I'm up there quite a bit. Don't know what the guy was thinking, these fish are at least 5 weeks out on the Baby Makin.

Said he jerked them out of deep trees on a spoon.

Day 1 DAve and his Pro, caught about 25 fish, fishing Long Creek. For some reason the Pro was targeting what he called fish getting ready to bed. Kind of beats me, but they caught some. Dave had no Keepers, the Pro had 2 at 6 pounds and change. All jig fish. Fished 5 foot deep and under in small pockets. Dave said it was a Zoo up there. I counted 44 boats by the Lodge this morning headed for Long Creek. Dave's Buddy and his Pro, caught 7 fish and each had 2 keepers, Daves buddy is at 8 and change and his pro was 6 and change stickbaits. Both Dave and His Coangler friend say their pros for the next two days, both skunked today, so they are kind of bummed out. Especially Dave's buddy, as he has two really nice fish on the Coangler board. The Pro that had the huge weekend before the cutoff, Not so much today. Don't believe that 80 pound 4 day bag is going to happen, unless he can catch 75 pounds plus in the next 3 days. If I were a betting man, I would not bet the Lodge on it, but I would bet my truck and boat. I'll keep you posted on how my coangler horses in the race do. On another note, one of our area guides, had a very rough day, and blanked. He is a great guy and I hated to see it. Oh Well, thats Table Rock in the Winter.

Sorry Redbud, I heard the same deal from another person, so you were not the only one. I would not let any of this ruin my fishing plans for the Rock this weekend If I wanted to fish Table Rock. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't they have a cut down on Friday? I believe by this weekend, 2/3rds of them are gone. It will just leave the real players, and this lake eats 50 tournament boats. As far as the Ramps, they will be open now, except State Park. A couple of warm days, and these fish will explode. Might be very good this weekend. Bull Shoals is also fishing very nicely right now. Mid-Lake to Powersite.

Usually fish the Water Patrol tournament, the Homer Sloan, and another Buddy derby or so. Never have been a competitive person, or anyone that wanted loosing 1 fish in 4 days to ruin my life. If you are fishing with me, I would always rather see you catch the biggest and most fish, weather I'm guiding or just fishing for fun. You know, some of my best days on the water, I don't even catch one fish. Pretty happy enjoying the Ozarks and helping folks catch fish, and seeing smiles. Why ruin it.

Just weight the baits to suspend or slightly fall according to the water temps. Sometimes I don't do anything,

Not going to put names on the participants, to protect information on locations, but had supper with a good friend that is fishing on the coangler side this weekend. He brought another coangler over with him that he is bunking with and I really got some good information. These are St. Louie boys and really nice guys. My friend Dave drew a very nice young pro that started on the tour last year. He has never won an event of anykind just loves the fishing and the competition, and has all the money he needs to do it. He told Dave to buy an Arkansas lic. He said he is on some fish and thinks he can catch a limit, if he dosen't have to much competition. His fish are in a very small area. Probably just enough for 1 person, for 1 day. He weighed in a total of 34 pounds in all last year. His best tournament was here, with 12 pounds. Dave said he is really nice, and he thinks he can catch fish behind him. We will see. Dave's friend, the other coangler that was here at supper time is a fishing tackle distributer from St. Louis. He sponsors several of the Pro's and prefished with one last Friday and Saturday. He said they caught way over 20 pound bag each day, with an 8 pound fish each day. The Pro, told Dave's friend that he was going to win this and thought he could duplicate those numbers, or close to them everyday, with the tempretures rising. He is a big name, and I'll tell you who it is after the derby. Over 80 pounds in 4 days on Table Rock is a fairly good ammount. I would be lucky to catch the 20 pounds in 4 days. Dave's Friend and the reason I am not naming him, is I did not ask his permission. I don't believe he would have given it to me anyway. He drew a 23 year of Pro, that has never fished in a competitive tournament in his life. The first tournament that was cancelled this year would have been his first. He is from California, and has never fished the Rock. He did not catch a keeper in practice. Some of the Pro's reported very good bags, and others reported not even a bite. Stickbait and Wiggle Wart were the only things these two heard mentioned. Did hear that there is stiff competition for water among the Pro's. Not fish everywhere and from what they are telling me there have already been some confrontations among the combatants. This might be one of the most interesting tournament we have ever had on Table Rock. Maybe another huge 1st day bag. I'll try and tell you how the one Pro is fairing during the week.

Excellent points made by all. We as humans are very imperfect, and we as locals, have no more right to the water than the touring pro's of any circuit. Zipstick's point of just so many additional anglers on the water is a very well thought out analogy of what is for sure happening. Take that fact and then put the majority of those boats along with the locals in a 5 mile stretch of water and OOPS! you got problems. This about the FLW, and then no more for me. I have a dear friend, that has not only fished the BassMaster top 150's,when it was going, and now Elite Series and the then Ever Start and FlW series in I believe he told me over 100 events on the Co. Angler Side. He is fishing this weekend and will be at my house in a few minutes. As he tells me on the Bassmaster Elite circuit and before on the Old Circuit, you pretty much were in the boat with a Pro, that had a plan and an idea of what he was going to do. He was and is prepaired. You knew his name and how he fished. He said he has never had an Elite Angler ask him where he should fish. Not so much with the FLW. As the CoAngler, you are pretty much in prayer mode as he tells me as to your draw. He has had on numerious times had FLW Pro's ask him where he fished yesterday or what he would do, or what he thinks they should do. They just didn't know. Maybe here is where the problem is. He has also fished with some of the top fishermen in the World on the FLW Circuit, and you pretty much know that as soon as you get in the boat. As Dave puts it, the Top half and the bottom half of the FLW are two different worlds. It reminds me of the guy just wanting to kill that deer so badly that he mistakes the noise he hears for a deer and shoots a human. He really thought he saw the deer, but it was not. Money,Fame, Coveting Glory, and the unbriddled Competitive nature to win can push very fine people to make hasty decisions, whether they be locals or strangers. I wish everyone on the water this weekend Pro's and Joe's, Local's and Yokels a fantastic weekend and only the best. Good Luck

I have not or will not be on Table Rock lake until after the maylay commonly known as the FLW derby. Have recieved emails and calls about just horrible behavior by some of the participants in wrapped boats. Most common problems, were Cutoffs, and High Speed Fly Bys, in tight situations and cove ends, and take overs at the launching ramps. Did not whitness any of this, but since I am the Table Rock guy, I hear it. There are some fish being found on Table Rock, but they seem to be in a very limited area. This area has been simply overtaken with derby fishermen and locals, and that is causing "Big Trouble in Little China." Couple of our premier guides might have found these fish to start, but the word is out Bigtime. Why. Why do we have more problems as locals with the FLW, than we do any other of the multitude of other tournaments that come here. Yes, we are possisive of our water, and we don't want to be ramrodded around on it. For some reason, some of the FLW participants, believe they have some type of dibbs on anything they want to do here. My thoughts on this are that the FLW, is for the most part a Buy your way to fish circuit. You got the money, to register for all their events you are in. You need not win your way in, you need not have ever won anything, you just need to have MONEY. That kind of Money, the Kind of money to buy a entire yearly FLW circuit fee, is power. That being said, Money for the most part means power. You pay you play. Some of these guys think, since they have paid to have a wrapped boat and have paid to fish here they can pretty much do what they want. ie the reason for the cutoffs and blowbys, and impropper ramp procedure. Also they believe they are doing us a huge favor by being here. They are promoting tourism, staying in our hotels and eating in our resturants. I say to this, BIG DEAL! Branson is far past the economic gain that they bring. A big convention at the Hilton or Chateau blows their doors off, with really none of the premadonnas or any hassel. What is a crying shame about this, is for the most part it is not the Big Names on the circuit such as the wonderful guys we met last week at the Babtist church, it is the "Want-to-be's" that are causing the problems. I went back a couple of years and looked at all the stuff I could find on the Bassmaster Elite Series when they were here last. You know what? "NOT A SINGLE COMPLAINT, WAS REGISTERED ON THIS FORUM." Nore did I recieve 1 call or email. The reason, "ALL" of the participants are Professional Fishermen that have earned their ways onto the circuit. They are held to much higher standards and they act in a totally different manner. Buying there place into the tournament is not permitted, you have to earn it. Makes the playing field totally different. I tried to research other times Bassmaster has been here, and I personally have never had or know of anyone that has ever had a problem with any participant of a Bassmaster event on Table Rock or any of our surrounding White River or Missouri or Arkansas Lakes. Just a totally different mindset, and a very different level of professional participant. I will say this. There is just as high a quality in the Upper levels of the FLW. The problem is when you get below that top 30 guys or so, the trouble begins. Lots of these guys on the FLW have earned nothing, yet they think they deserve VIP treatment. I know we are just a little Podunk Missouri and Arkansas community, but we do have some of the best Bass Fishermen in the World and they sure don't act that way. Charlie Campbell, Stacy King, Rick Clunn, Brian Snowden, Mike McClelland, Chad and Denny Brauer, Gido and Dehon Hibdon, Dave Barker and other fantastic guys that respect the people on the water, and have earned everything they have gotten. If we are lucky, the FLW won't be back but while they are here, let them have their way. If you are having problems, don't support them by going to the Weigh-ins, just stay away from them. Conflicts that were close to coming this weekend need not happen. If it is to bad, call the Water Patrol. I'll tell you this, MSWP don't care who they are. They are expected to respect the law just like the rest of us. On a brighter note,they will be gone soon. And with God's Blessings, maybe they will not return. Everyone be safe out there and for gosh sakes keep a good attitude, cause this fishin is due to turn loose as soon as they leave. Good Luck

Shad kill is not a seasonal trend, although it does happen with some frequency. Severe Winters and Surface Water temps of usually 42 degrees of lower puts stress on the Thread Fin Shad. When this happens they either die, or become very sick and disorentated. It is something that the trout fishermen on Taneycomo and the Upper White River below Bull Shoals and Table Rock dams prey for. Cold Stunned Shad coming thru the dams, really stimulate the trout. Some years it happens, most years our waters do not cool down enough for it to take place. Shad were lying dead by the thousands along the Bluffs in the Horseshoe Bend area of Bull Shoals lake yesterday. You could just see them lying on the bottom along the ledge rock, and dying all over the surface. For the most part, this is not a good place to bass fish. We were talking yesterday, and nither one of us has ever done well with that ammount of bait dying where we are fishing. Hundreds of gulls were working the area, picking off the dead and stunned Shad. Also saw at least a dozen Eagles on the same feeding spree. Lots more shad from Tucker down, didn't notice that much up river from Tucker. I was probably moving the bait faster than Bill yesterday. He was fishing the back of the boat, and just letting his bait drag and as we call it "Soak." The last 3 yrs. from the back of my boat, he has caught a 9+ and 2 over 7 pounds. I pick the spots, and he catches the fish. Does not seem fair does it. I usually will catch 1 or 2 more fish than he does, but he blows me away on tonage. The Stickbait was made for Bill. He is a very through fisherman. His tenique is to snap the bait down, and then just maintain prussure on the bait. He usually double snaps the head when he does move it, and he will let it set sometimes for way over a minute. He has a fantastic feel for how fast to move the bait. At times, he will jerk it fast, just depends on how they want it. How does he know that? It's all feel. He is also a master of color, depending on conditions, and will change his bait multiple times during the day, depending on conditions. We are very fortunate to have lots of custom made and painted baits that are maybe just a little different than anyone else. Combine this with our love of Stickbaits and our years of knowledge fishing them ie "Were Old" and that helps us to no end. Do you need all this special stuff. NO, absolutely not. A couple of years ago, I bought a Gold sided Purple back rogue off a shelf in a bait shop, and caught dozens of bass on it till I lost it. Have never seen the color again. All the usual culprits as far as colors however, will catch them probably just as well as our custom stuff. Without a doubt. Throw it in front of one that wants to eat it and there you go. Good Luck

Fish, wish you boys would have come by with a howdy. We did make a litle swaray down to Horseshoe bend to work some bluffends, but the water was just alive with dying shad. No bites till we got away from all the shad. We caught all our fish on flat water also. The two crappie we caught were just GIANTS. "We threw them up on the bank, so they would not scare the bass."

The baits we caught those fish on yesterday, are pretty much unavialable, Sorry. Beck was using a prototype Spro, that he only has one of, and I was using a custom painted Tim Hughes Suspending Rougue. My baits colors were the same as the spro, and I really cannot go into exact colors on these baits. Tim Hughes designed the color scheme. I did catch the Smallie, on a megabass with custom paint. Purple back, chrome side, chartruse tail. It tried to brighten up several times and we did throw Norman some with no luck and also a bone megabass. Seemed our best bite was on the deep purple back stuff. Lots of purple on the top and upper sides, and a hint of chartruse thru the upper bellie. It stayed cloudy all day, and we were using darker baits with as much chartruse as possible hoping to attract Big Walleye. Best I can do, Good Luck

The Beckster and I rolled into the Drive Inn resturant in Omaha Ark. this morning at 6 AM and tanked up for a 7 AM start out of Tucker Hollow. Surface temp at the Ramp was 42.4. Fished Cuts and transitions in coves and short creeks from Tucker toward Kdock. Action was early from 7:10 to about 10:30. We stayed till 1:30 when starvation and lack of any more bites, drove us from the water. Warmest Water was some Main lake locations, at 44.6. Total Catch was 6LM--1SMJ--1K--and 2Giant Crappie. All fish came on the Stickbait. Takes were hard, just not swimoffs, you knew you had them when they bit. You had to let the bait soak, just dragging it with a very sharp twitch or double twitch, then letting it sink or go back. Lots of shad dying and tons of Eagles and Gulls. Most fish were shallow in the 7 to 10 ft. range. Best 5 were 19 pounds so it didn't take a bunch of bites to catch a big bag. Becks 7 1/2 pounder sure helped our bag. Big fish is pictured twice, once just held and the other photo with the sticker that caught her. That was our only female, all the rest were males.

Hot Dawg, your not asking for much. We will probably get a 32 degree Ice Storm, the way our luck has been this year. Will report on the trip to Tucker tomorrow with surface temps.

HBFS Looks like you guys had a nice showing with 6.28. From there all it takes is one of those good ole goodins. Enjoyed our time together and you all really learned very quickly on that Sculpin straight line jig.

Fish, You boy's keepin Bankers Hours? You would think you could find a little better fisherman to tote you around lower bull. We are in a White Champ with a duce and a quarter ProXS. I believe we will start at Bear, and that general direction. Probably end up going down though. If you see us hollar. I have not seen Jeff in a while, would be good to say howdy. BB

Beck and I are sticking the Champion in at Tucker in the Morning at daylight. Two stickbait rods each will be it for us. Bluffends, Creek Transitions, and gravel Rolloffs in the front ends will have to work, or we will do without. Thanks for the report, we will let you know.

Snakum, I think you are Snake-Bit. Beck and I are going to Tucker tomorrow, and will let you know if they like stickbaits or not. Hoping for a Big-Big Eye.

My two favorite KVD Quotes: "I don't fish for Ego, I fish for money." "You should never, and I mean never, buy any type of fishing equipment, just because a Pro uses it."

Big K, that is not to huge of a secret. As a matter of fact the conservation dept. stocks off their ramp their quite abit. That set of fish usually keeps the Landing to Bee Creek in pretty good shape. Thanks for the info however, it is a very good location. Wish you were here catchin-em.

Tim Hughes designed the color to be fished on Bright Sunny days, ie with the white bellie, and the bright blues back and sparkles all thru the bait. It is Beck's very best Sunny day go to stickbait. It also works as well as anything on flat water. ie bright lure in sun, dark in clouds. Now the real scoop. It fishes every bit as well on cloudy or rainy days as Joe said, you really can't go wrong with it in the clouds. I usually fish the whites, blues and flakes in sun, and the charturse purple and darker baits on cloudy days, and in bad weather. Then of course I fish the Norman Flake all the time reguardless of the conditions.

James,I too have some of that vintage. It seems the casting reels keep going and the repair program and parts keep coming. On Shimano Spinning reels, it is a different matter. 5 yrs. after a model production stops, they quit repairing and manufactoring parts. I used to trade in the reels,just prior to that time. I am going to try some Daiawa's however, just to see what I think. I will try and stay around the $150.00 mark, but you know me, I'll probably not stick to it.