Bill Babler

I would be as mad as a wet hen. You send those reels back to Shimano reel repair @ One Holland dr. Irvine Ca. 92616 Tell them the problem and they will handle it. May cost you 29 bucks, I don't care about the warranty, and usually they don't either. Sorry for your pain, but as you all know I fish them everyday, and have never had a problem. Only problem I have had is getting any of the reels soaking wet by either dropping it in the lake or in a heavy rain storm, lying on the deck of my boat. They tend to get a little grouchy on the spinning reel side, but once you spray it and let it dry its great again. I don't give a flying flip, how you set the hook for gosh sakes, the reel should not break, unless the housing is loose and you are twisting it on the pull. Very strange.

10 guide boats on Friday, and 9 today, with the first of 4 Williams Corp. Fall trips. The K bite is back on with most fish in the under 40 ft. range with the majority on either a shot or a FB jig. Took approx. 60 clients out of Indian Hills Resort the last two days with an estimate of 100 plus keeps and several hundred shorts from Kimberling to the knob. To Bright to quick to fast for topwater, and most of us caught fish deep, on either a shot, jig or a rig. Long runouts or humps for the majority of the fish, very few, coming shallow. Had two Jaws in the 3 pound range today at 40 ft. Best fish for me in the two days, was a 19 inch K at a shade over 4 pounds. Fish came on a plum Chompers worm at 31 ft. Did not go above Campbell Pt. but while I was there it was great in that same depth range. I was completey cut off by two boats at Campbell, and my clients caught 3 keeps in back of 1 of the boat that cut us off, and then 2 keeps in back of the next boat that cut us off. It was a Zoo. Best fishing was in the 31 to 36 ft. range, on the bottom, either dragging or up and down.

Another meaningless fact is the color between the river/stream daddy's and the lake daddy's. Have trapped dads up flat creek and the James river for years, and most of those are a very light brown, to tan, with dark green outlines year around. They have a very heavy armor coat and very short heavy pincers, with a very bright orange outline on the exterior of the pincers. Get down on the lake itself, and most all the dads are a green pumpkin brown, with a much softer shell and longer narrower pincers, in very dark green, until they are consumed or boiled and then they turn orange. I will tell you this however. Those creek crawdads, are as mean as hell. and will pinch the bejeebers out of you if you don't watch it. The lake crawdads are much more docile. You can try them both for Kantucks, and you will catch twice as many fish on the lake dads, over the very mean fighting river craws. I know, I have done it since the 70's.l When my folks owned our resort on LOZ, we would walk Rainey Creek. Deer Creek, Buffalo Creek, and catch dads and throw them in the deep holes under root wads and catch what at that time we called Green Trout. They were just SMJ'S. Always let them go even back in the late 60's as they were full of worms. Fished crawdads, for the first time on Table Rock, in 1973, and they were the balm mostly for very big K's. I should have looked back at Skeeters post, that is for sure a lake dad that is pictured. See how long and narrow his pincers are and how green and brown he is? Our creek dads, look entirely different, as soon as I can get some time I will run over to Flat creek and photo one and you will see an amazing difference. Hope I can get there before next Spring.

Congrats, Congrats, Congrats. That my friend, is 100% Table Rock Small Jaw, PERIOD. That fish could and should be considered a fish of a lifetime here in SW Missouri. I could not be happier for you boys. Not only catching her, but seeing her head back for the bottom has got to be a thrill that will always be remembered. We so much appreciate your photo's of such a magnificent fish Table Rock Moderator, and all of the Administrative staff of Ozark Anglers. Much, much appreciated.

Boy's remember that the acids in the stomachs of the bass will really add that orange/red/yellow tint to parts of the daddy. You may think I'm nuts, but just turn over a few rocks along the shoreline and check out the true color, before they have been eaten. Most often dark green pumpkin with a brown or cinnamon touch on the pincers and along the under side of the body cavity. It seem death, tends to color them up in the brighter hues. Especially the pincers and undersides. Green pumpkin, with a cinnamon purple twin tail is just pretty hard to beat anytime here, or you can swithch it and fish a brown purple flash jig with a green pumpkin or watermellon candy twin tail. Any of those combo's are deadly. Don't forget the black and blue after dark, or on very overcast cloudy days. I have not ever really seen a black and blue crawpappy, but the bass sure like-em. Good Luck

Dennis, you crack me up, that was so funny. Glad you had a great weekend buddy. On your next trip, we will have to get together. Tgnat, the ponds you have referred to are great ponds for the cranks, especially LOZ. The one you are fishing now if you will look over the side of the boat, may be just a mite clearer, requiring a more suttle and natural presentation, rather than a rattling fast moving hunk of plastic. If you got it in your heart to catch a Jaw on a cranker, by gosh I believe you can do it. I would throw any of the wiggle warts in a seafood pattern on either flat gravel or windy shelf rock. Wind being the key. Keep it in the back of your mind, and when you see the right condition, heave it out there, and fish it on a stop and go retrieve and see if you get a nip. Good luck on the cranker, and thanks for the posts about your fishing on the rock, it is much appreciated. Great Fishing out there. bb

TGNAT, Denny was not using a cranker for his fish. Got a question, why in the wide world of sports would you want to catch them on a cranker, when you can catch them on a jig and a topwater? Crank baits are expensive and work on the lake about 10 percent of the time, if that. There mission in life, is not to hook fish, but to hook fishermen, causing them expensive visits to the ER. Yes, Yes, Yes, some of the locals do pretty well up the James, Kings, or Long Creek on a very limited basis, but for the most part, other than the wiggie wart bite, in the dam area you are fishing, I never have one in the boat. The percentage of anything in any derby's thats won on the rock is just about never won on a cranker. There are exceptions, but for the most part, a rig or a jig, are money baits here. Topwater at times and a blade will do you right, and in season, everyone knows my favorite is the suspending stickbait, but crank baits at the dam, there is usually a better mouse trap. Not to say, they won't work, cause they will. You usually just need a better condition than what we usually have, and you need the fish to be positioned correctly. That is why the jig and rig are so good, they completly will fish most any depth or situation. Sounds like you are doing great with what you are already throwing, if you can just figure out where your throwing it. Good Luck out there.

Quill, Flip is correct with a capital T. You gotem on there, they have to be lite and working or you are dogmeat. Spoke to one of my MSHP Buddy's and he said right now, any Law Enforcement is going to either write it, or go thru your rig. It is a way to get you stopped and once you are stopped they check everything they can. May be a revenue thing. My clients yesterday were KCKS police officers. Shawn got a call during the trip to inform him that they had layed off 16 officers yesterday. He was shocked as he said they needed to hire 16 instead of lay them off. Money for these guys is nonexistant right now. It is a total shame when public safety is forced to create revenue, instead of protecting and serving, but it is a bitter fact. This is still going to get worse before it gets better. Have all your junk working and drive the speed limit. Good Luck and Love you all. Flip, don't give up on us, one bad apple does not spoil the area pie. Most of us know where our bread is buttered and can't be without you guys.

Flipper, know what you mean. First day out with my New Champion, I had one system light, you notice I did not say tail or brake or turn signal light, I said a system light. There are 9 lights across the back and rear sides of my boat trailer. Stone county deputy pulled me over and said he could and would if he ever seen me out with this light out again write me a ticket. He even said he could force me to unhook and let it sit on the road side until I had it fixed. Did a little digging, and I guess this is one of the biggest points of contention, as far as law enforcement this year. It is geared mainly to all the lights the simi-tractor trailers are decorating their rigs with, but they have to enforce it the same for everyone. Seems like a big deal about a little thing, but I can tell everyone traveling with a boat trailer, your lights better work weather they be decoritive or not, or you are going to get a fine. If that light is on the trailer, it better be lit. I feel your pain.

Date is Saturday Oct 3rd. You can get an application on line at www.shellknob.com I forget what it cost, but there is also a pre tournament on Friday the day before as kind of a practice derby. You can launch the day of the derby either out of Viola or Campbell Point. The weighin however is at Campbell Point. A very nice steak dinner is usually served after the derby. Your entry fee gets you the beef steak dinner, and there are a ton of door prizes, that you will be eligeable for. It is a very good time. I believe proceeds have gone in part to the wonderful Shell Knob Fireworks display that is on the 4th of July. Don't be fooled into thinking this is not a competitive field, even though it pays back very little, there will be some very good teams fishing this thing, sometimes the very best locals on the Rock. It's kind of fun to see how you stack up with the Big Names that fish here on a daily basis. The big boys don't always win. Last year, an unheard of team took the trophy. If your not doing anything that weekend, it is for sure worth your time to help this cause and have a blast doing it. You can also give the Shell Knob Chamber a call at 417-858-3300. Tell Sheila at the chamber you heard about it here, and from me. I believe that will cost ya a little more Ps if you enter, don't forget to also enter the big bass pool. Sometimes that pays more than the derby, if there are enough boats, well worth the extra 20 or 30 bucks, for one lucky cast. BB

Usually between 40 and 70 teams in that charity derby for the Shell Knob Chamber of Commerce. Most of the locals fish it, and all the big names have won it. Bill Beck and I will be there to make our donation to the Fann Brothers retirement fund.

The slow drag method that Tim described is without a doubt a super way to fish the football. You stay in contact with everything. I call it being the crawdad. This is my usual presentation, very similar to a splitshot or carolina drag, with the rod low to the water. Just a complete turn around for me on this though, and I am sure it is location. I have had the best results lately either hopping the jig or just shaking it a bit. Another great tecnique, is to all of a sudden reel it as fast as the handle will turn for about a dozen cranks, and then let it settle back. I believe this is a real attention getter, and will sometime, get you a quick nip. Also pay particular attention, if you are fishing shallow, to follow the jig on the initial cast, as a very large percentage of the time it is getting hit on the fall. I believe Phil had this happen a couple of times yesterday when he was out. Another thing right now, is I believe we are all getting jig bites we are not setting on. Maybe just a shutter, that we think is a perch or all of a sudden the line is tight, or a more prevelant problem all of a sudden the line is very, very loose. The majority of these are solid bites, and without a doubt you should be reacting instead of saying to yourself, "Was that a Bite?' Pull the trigger first and ask questions later, setting the hook is free. That is unless you are using XPS Fluracarcon. I cannot tell you how much easier it makes it for my clients when I put a splitshot rig in their hands. They get as many bites and without a doubt, catch more fish. The main problem, and it to me is a huge problem, is that the fish a very large percentage of the time swallow the soft-plastic drag baits. Fish for the most part will just spit out the jig, when they feel prussure or realize that it is a fake. On the split shot rig, they have usually gulped it down before the client even knows they are getting a bite. To fish a jig properly is without a doubt not as easy as throwing it out and winding it in. Good Luck

You know, they say 1 photo is worth a thousand words. 1 video like that on one of my best locations, would be worth a 100 boats next time I went there. Probably won't be shooting any location scenes in the near future, but loved seeing yours. I'll try that spot out tomorrow. Thanks Bill

T. I lost at least 18 jigs and trailers this last week or in about a 9 day period. Even with my discounts that is way to many, as I still have to go get them, and the trailers, and have them on hand. Can't run out of the favorite colors. It hurts even worse if I am using the Yamamoto trailers or gula grubs, cause I don 't get a very good discount on that stuff. Every jig broke on the, XPS not a single break on the seaugar. I personally lost my share of them and I was making it a point not to try and snap the rod on the hookset, just lift, and they still broke off. I won't make this mistake again.

Campbell Point to Point 9 encompassing the Baxter area is without a doubt some of the finest SMJ water on all of Table Rock Lake. Some of my largest fish and biggest strings of Jaw's have come from this area. That is a lot of Aqua to cover. I know for a fact that Beck's best 5 Jaw's up there Sunday were in the 19 to 20 pound range. If it were me, I would throw a 3/8th or 1/2 oz either Chompers or Jewell jig in any of our traditional lake colors, with a 4 inch twin tail of some make or model, on any windy type shelf rock bank you can find. If you see transition with gravel to chunk or ledge, all the better. If there is a breeze on it you have a Real Spot. Fished have moved a little deeper, and want some action on the jig. Look from 18 to 36 ft. I know that sounds deep, but believe me it is not. If you find them on the deeper end, you can go to the 3/4 oz. to get ya there quicker. If you are having a hard time, I would without a doubt have one of you all dragging a rig. seems a 4 inch lizard is a very good bait right now. Of course the Dr. is always good, and a cenipede will get them if they want it. Did throw a Shaky Head some in the dam area the other day, and had my biggest jaw of the day on it, close to a 5 pounder. This fish was under 20 ft. Now it may be harder, since I believe they have moved out a mite. The head is not really that great of bait for me, at those depths. Good Luck

OH Contrare!! There is lots of PRIVATE waters on this lake that never sees a lure anymore. They litterly hold thousands of unprussured fish. You want to see the difference between water that gets fished everyday 365, over and over and some that never sees a lure or a nightcrawler, it is night and day. I know lots of people here, and never take advantage. There are also other locations that are just a mite off the legal beaten path. I don't break the law, I know how to fish these locations and have the equipment to do so without being in a illegal position. Sometimes your longest cast and your boat being in just a bit of a compromising position, can get you bit. Don't ask for further info on the subject, I don't fish these locations except, for maybe a couple of hrs. a year. Never with clients and never in competition, or when I can be seen by anyone . The point of my piece was the bite has really slowed down, even on unfished locations. Did go out this morning and had two very nice LM in the 4 pound range, 2 small keeper SMJ's and 5 short SMJ's. Most of these fish have moved out to the 20 plus ft range and deeper for me. Remember my post about breaking lots of the big Jaw's off. Cured the problem. Had respooled with XPS FC in 12 pound test on 4 rods. All the rest of the jig rods have 10 pound Seugar. Got to a lookin and only the rods I spooled with the BPS Fluracarbon XPS 12 pound test were breaking. Peeled all that S---, off and threw it in the trash. Did the same thing with the remainder of the 1000 Yd. spool. You would think after all these years, I would have the common sense to know that this line would be complete trash. Had spoken to both Beck and Buster about this line and both had said don't do it, but I'm stubborn, and wanted to give it another try. Just needed some FC as I had Seugar ordered and it has just not arrived. Never again. The only product that BP makes that most all of us will use is their XPS single tail grub in copper fleck. It is a complete shame about the quality of their fishing products. As guides most of us could get huge discounts on any of the BPS brand name products, but they are just so bad, we choise to buy other company products at full price. Of course this is nothing new, it has been going on for years. Good Luck out there.

I cannot get my little digital that you bought me to work, it is froze up. Those pic's are with Becky's Big Nikon, she is letting me use if I take care of it with kid gloves. 5 of those Jaws were over 4 pounds and 2 were pushing 5 at, 4.12. Those are just huge fish. We broke off at least that many biggin's as they are as mean as the devil. We are so blessed to have a fishery like this with that kind of fish available. The last week, on the topwater junk, those huge SMJ's have been rolling all over our stuff, jumping clear over it, bumping it and swirling on it. We also on occasion, hook one. Had 2 follow a hooked one to the boat on Friday. The caught fish was a 14 incher and two swimming under him were as big or bigger than any of the pictured fish. Just a great fishery. Let me tell you, I don't have to catch very many of those kind in a day to feel pretty good about myself.

Flippin, that jig bite is just like realestate, location, location, location. Thought I was on them pretty good until Sunday morning. Man! what a perfect morning, overcast, splatters of rain and a nice windy chop. Could not get out until 8 AM and started on some windy banks at the dam. First 3 locations I went over with shallow topwater. ZIP Went back over them with a wart keeping the boat in about 18ft. a full bumpty, bumpty crankbait cast from the bank. ZIP. New locations, similar windy bank with a 3/8 oz war eagle spinner bug. ZIP Decided enough was enough, so took the jig to the kind of shelf stuff I have just been on fire on and fished 3 locations in about 2 hrs. ZIP. Had one last idea, 3 locations, I knew no one had been on, as they are really just not fishable to the general public. Went this time with the rig, with a very small 4 inch watermellon candy lizzard. 4 fish, with 2 keepers, in about an hour. These fish had just not been pestered 24 hrs. a day, but to tell you the truth, I usually can catch a dozen on each of the 3 private waters I was fishing. Those fish are not eligable for derby's and I for sure cannot guide on them, but these locations have held fish my entire life. That is the end of that topic. Beck reported he caught the fire out of the SMJ's on top until about daylight, and then it was over. He started at 5 Am. His best 5 weighed 20 pounds. All brown bass up the White River, on a jig, but I cannot give up the locations, or the methods. Not places we usually fish. I guess what I'm saying is they nipped just a little if you were in the right location. Very poor if you were not as the general bass fishing population, of the Rock was on a fast.

It seems the more I know about the yearly fishing patterns, the less I really know. After fishing here for in excess of 30 years, it seems the same patterns never really develop at the same time on any given year. Traditionally late Sept. and early Oct. can just be a "Really Hard Time" to fish the rock. As the water cools, and we lose our thermocline, we have a dispersal of the deep fish. Common sense would say, they are going shallow to feed on crustasions. Maybe so, Maybe not. As we loose our precious bottom floor ie the thermocline, it is not uncommon at all for the fish to move to depths of 30 to 70 ft. or for that matter, as shallow as having their backs dry out in a high sun. The move has already started this year, for me and most of my very close guiding associates, we have totally lost our deep thermocline Kentucky Bite. Yes, we are finding some under shad schools, and chasing shad. A few in Cedars tops, but the majority that we make our living on has vanished. The fish we are finding now are those that in a small quanity are always there. They don't seem to run with the crowd, and are loners. On the other hand the shallow Smallmouth bite is as good as I have seen it. It can get better even in the Late Fall, but this is a much deeper bite, on flat rolloffs, channel swings, and humps. They are shallow now. Some of the other guys, found them before I did, but I am making up ground on them quickly, fishing for them everyday. If it were me, I would target the SMJ's and work the jig for them shallow, out to about 18 ft. on any shelf or windy location you can find. When Eric and Don and Joe first reported them they were on the long flat stuff, and I fished it extremely hard and could not get them to go. I moved to a little steeper stuff with some ledges and some chunk, "Let's say, basketball size rock," and started finding very nice fish. Largemouth are just starting up the river systems, with the James being as slow this Summer, as I can remember it being in the last 3 yrs. or so. For volume's of K's, I still have not got that down yet. They will by late Oct be in that magic 24 to 36 ft. range, and also on the windy banks, but I am not finding them as we speak. Keep looking at the site and I'm sure it will become as clear as mud when you arrive.

Very nice week with Steven, Ed Shawbaker, Tom Coopprider. Tom of Field and Stream Total Outdoorsman Challange Fame. Smallmouth pretty much bit for me all week, with some extremely nice fish and really, lots of numbers for most of the week. Best bite of course was early, but could get bit all day, at a very decent pace. Split-shot rig really is if you wanted to catch numbers of Jaw's the best bet. Either a 4 inch lizzy or a cenipede in watermellon/candy is just fantastic right now. I believe the jig however is catching the bigger fish. Second bet, and just as good is the 3/8th, Chomper or Eakins Jigs. Really like the hook in the Chomper, it is a Wide gap and really bites them. This is a very nice jig. They have a new finess jig that has a round rubber skirt in a multitude of colors. It is very similar in appearance to the Jewell Spider Jig skirt, with the cropped off top instead of the double extreme full skirt. Always enjoy fishing with Steve, and it was really a treat to fish with Tom. Showed him several good places and methods and he easily won the Bass Fishing challange. I guess there was also some FLW guy that is in the challange that has fished Table Rock before and Tom just blew him away. Good friend and Client Ed Shawbaker was down for a full day of bass fishing and we really didn't have our usual onslaught. Ended the day with some nice fish, but not lots of numbers, and it really suprised be as we had a perfect day with some clouds and breeze. Whites were just everywhere, and if we had wanted it would have been white after white. We were after Green and Brown Fish [attach m ent=7360:DSC_0010_1.JPG]

Fished Taney a couple of days this past week, with wonderful results. Also had the opportunity to traverse most of the upper part, taking clients from the restricted zone down to the Landing for lunch each day. Seemed the entire upperend was catching extremely nice fish, and I'm sure it was a hangover from some very nice stocking right before the Holiday weekend. Fishing should remain good thru the Fall, as it most usually does. Restricted Zone on still flat water the ginger micro in 256th. oz. really seems to be the best nympth. Chuck from Anglers and Archery is still catching them on an egg pattern and always is doing well when I see him on the water. Moving water for the first hr. after generation starts is really almost unfishable due to high volumes of moss on the upper section, but then as it disapates, and the flow stablizes pink micro's in 128th. or egg patterns are catching huge numbers of quality rainbows. Seems we have a 20 plus inch fish on every trip to the top. Didn't say we got them to the boat, but we are seeing and getting clobbered by the biggins. Fall Creek thru Branson, it pretty much seems as anything will work, with the brighter colores of powerbait being prefered by these fresh fish. Just driving thru the boat traffic going to downtown, it seemed everyone had fish on or in baskets hanging from their boats. Rainey cool weather this next week, should keep the fishing at a top level, until the stock of fresh fish gets depleted. As long as MDC keeps feeding the Branson Landing area to Cooper Creek, it should be great.

BULITIN;;;; PRICE REDUCED ON MY STRATOS BOAT. $28,995.00 with "Friggin Full Factory Warranty till 2013." For Cripes Sakes, this is a steal. I have lots of Stratos gear and hats that go with the boat. All new. I will also throw in $1,250.00 in Falcon/Shimano bass fishing equipment, to the lucky soul that buys this boat. I know times are precieved as tough right now, but if you want a fantastic boat that has been handled with kid gloves for about 1/2 the price as new, with as much warranty, here she is. 800-544-0257 Thanks Bill

Sam, 30 years ago, I used to deer hunt in that cove. Terry Parsons a local roofer and I would squirel hunt that entire area in the morning and then walk the banks throwing that purple ringworm. Man things were different then. Cannot tell you how many times we built a fire and fried squirrel out on that point going into the Cove. You know even then, we turned 90% of the bass we caught back, as it was just to "Dad Gum fun to ketch-em" I can remember though one day, I wanted to take a few home and I was wearing bibs, and just tried to stick them into the pockets of my bibs. They would not fit, and I was a slimy fishy mess. I had to cut a stick and put them on it. Killed 3 deer with a bow in there. We all were sad when Chateau went in, but the Biggins are a still in there from time to time. Always appreciate your comments, they take me back.

Sam, anyone that knows a flip about Table Rock, knows that the location you caught your 26 incher at is quite possibly the best Small Jaw location on the Rock. More 4 and 5 pound Jaw's have come from Power Line cove than the rest of the lake all put together. Also I believe the State Record or at least 8 out of 10 of the largest MeanMouth have come from that locatiion. Had two clients each have 5 pound Jaw's on at the same time in Powerline. I have posted pics and they will be on my new website. It was even better before Chateau went in. When I was a kid, you could walk the banks in Powerline and catch 3 to 5 pound LM till you just got tired of it and went home. Mostly on a purple ring worm. Without a doubt, one of the Rocks really Big Fish Locations. Thanks all, for the big fish posts, glad Betty is still a swimmin, great job.

Dish caught that one 3 yrs. ago, and it was a guess, on the weight. Nothing official. Biggest one I have seen since the fish kill, was Beck had one year before last that was over 9, we posted the pic at the time. I know Pete weighed his at the certified scales at Big Ceder. If you ain't got that, you pretty much have a guess. In 1999, Buster also had a client catch one at 10.9 certified on Big Cedar's scale. Other than the Giant that Bob Tindle had, that is about the high water mark for the past decade or so. Most of these 9's and 10's if not caught in the Winter or very early Spring, are usually 7's and 8's. They are extremely long and Huge headed, they look big and are fantastic fish, but just have a hard time carrying that much weight without a full belly of eggs. Don't get me wrong, I would love to catch one anytime that I could say might go 10 Wooeeee!!!!