Bill Babler

CF, I had not heard of this. So sorry to get this news. If You have a name, please post it and we will all pray for his family. Much regrets and sorrow. BB

Guys, really hate to say this, but the fish have not moved in the last 5 days, and are biting at a very nice rate. I am catching 25 to 50 fish per guide trip with at least 1/3 being quality keepers. 2.2 to 2.7 pounds with a 3 plus every once in a while. These fish are 99% K's and not derby fish, but they are staying at the thermocline and they are really biting. This last couple of days of cooler weather is not bothering them one bit. Sometimes they are suspended, and sometime on the bottom. 757 you are fishing an entirely different set of fish, than most of the guides. We are fishing the deeper trees, and the flat rolloff. Bluffend fish are always the first to move or get stingy, and really, there is never enough of them there to get me to excited anyway. If you are seeing big schools of bait there have at it, but on most bluffends you will not see the type of bait you see over the trees and the flats, just does not happen. One of the earlier posters was right on, about the changing your conditions, however the water temps really did not move at a significent number to change the Summer pattern. It for sure did not get cold enough to put them on a wood bite. Mine are running free, around the bait with no wood in sight. Wood however always holds some fish. With 84 to 87 surface temps, to the thermocline, these fish were not looking to get warmer. Here is one tip and it may not mean squat to you, but it does to me. I never fish a location any more frequent than once every 5 days. I will not beat the fish up on a spot day after day, or they will vanish. Might have happened to you or not. If you want to just catch fish, look on the flat rolloffs in 28 to 32 ft. They are there.

Eric's information on fall fishing patterns and time frames is perhaps the best advice I have ever read on Fall Patterns. Excellent. Would only add, not to forget that C-rig. When they get on the fall FB jig pattern, sometime they will get all over that Green Pumpkin or Watermellon, cenipede. Also that jig bite can be a very deep bite. I use the 3/4 oz jig here more than any other time. The less you do with it the better, just drag it like a rig. It is sometime a prussure bite, but most often, a very hard "THUMP". Very nice piece of work here for all that has been involved on this thread.

Half day started for us out of Lighthouse Resort with Twosets and son Dan at 5:45, just abit after first light, but still had to have the runners on. We took a boat ride up the James, as I have been on some decient topwater Fish after the mornings light show barage. They were not having it this morn, but did manage 3 on a rig, 2 on crawlers and a nice SMJ and 1 small K on a Jig on the first stop. Most of thsese fish came in under 20 feet of water. Long runout point with some timber and chunk rock. The way I am fishing these locations early, while waiting for surfacing fish is to start pretty shallow, and just drag the baits out the points or flats. I am starting in usually 12 to 15 ft. and working out to 35 or 40 with the drag stuff. Just letting the boat and trolling motor at a very slow speed, drag the jig. My gps while dragging says .37 miles per hour, so you know I am going very slow. I am always trying to drag into the wind or breeze when ever possible. It allows me much better control of my boat speed. Next stop a midlake hump netted us 3 quality keeps and 1 short, all on crawlers. I believe we could have continued to catch a couple more of these deep fish. They were on the bottom in 32 ft. Really just having a good time in the nice cloudy weather, so I asked the boys if they wanted to look at something different and we were off. Next location was a main lake cove mouth. at the end of a bluff, with quite a bit of standing timber. Water was in the 50 ft. range and as we pulled in we saw fish surfacing. Most of these fish were suspended at 25 feet over 40 ft. 13 more here, with at least 1/2 being very nice quality keepers. 1 on a yamaoto cinnamon purple worm, and the rest on mature night crawlers. That about wrapped her up for the morning as the sun was starting to beat us up a little. Great company and lots of fish, made it a very nice morings trip, without all the rain and thunderboomers.

Those Fann boys are my hero's. They can allways catch a bag, and you will not find a couple of nicer guys. Always want to try and dislike people or teams like the Yankees that always win, but those Fann Bro's are just the real deal I even like-em when I fishin again em. Just want then to come in behind me. It dosen't happen very often, they are usually in front.

Eric, you know that is not what I meant at all. No one has to whitness you catching fish on a pattern to believe your report. You yourself stated in your post that patterns that are working can rapidly change. That is why we need to keep this as fresh as possible if it is a guide making the post. If a guy is making a full lake report on Friday, and you fished a section Monday, say I was there on Monday, and this was the patten I used. I am getting negitive feedback from general lake patterns if the guide has not fished them reciently or knows another guide that is currently working the area. Were not asking for information handed down from Grandfather to Grandson, just let everyone know how we know about this. Any bass fisherman can sit down and type out a seasonal Table Rock lake report. IF our guides want to do this its great, especially when starting new seasons. They are very helpful and full of general fishing knowledge, that may or may not work, but it is a starting location for folks to use as a reference. On day to day stuff of weekly reports, we need to know what the guides are doing now, and where they are doing it. NO, NO, NO, we don't need to know you caught them off Windsor bay at 35 feet on a Yamamoto Laminated purple/brown 4 inch cutworm, but we would like to know your lake section, as you know lots of different patterns on this big pond. From Baxter to Campbell Point, you could write a book on the area and not give away your seceret hiddy hole. We could however help people fish the area in a more efficient manner. Especially if ourselves or one of the other guides has been there in the last couple of days. And yes, we do need to give credit to some of our conrads if they give us fishing information on lake sections. It not only gives the report creditability, but shows the guides that are posting here, care about honesty. it shows that you know what is happening instead of just what should be happening. It gives you inside current knowledge. Sometimes its good, sometimes its bad, the forum wants to know. What did we as guides try to do to make it better. How can we help folks reading this that may be having a hard time getting bit. What did we do to get bit. The guides should let people know why they are fishing certain lake sections at certain times of the year. No one is singled out here, and I am as guilty as anyone. Ozarkanglers is a great medium for advertising our guide business, and totally free if used in a responsible manner, however it is also a responsibility to be as accurate as possible, and if we have not fished an area or know someone who has, that information, is pretty much an untruth, unless prefaced with, "This is what should be going on, on that particular section of lake. I have not fished it, but this is what I would try and this is where I would check." Let us know where you lanch, and why you lanched there. What are you looking for in that area? We don't need gps coord's. Just why. I love to read all the reports, especially the non-guides as they are usually spot on and to a tee. We love having all our guides here and certainly don't want to lose a single one. We just need to operate under the same guidelines, and keep this as accurate as possible. This year to date, I have recieved 6 PM's and 1 phone call fussing about recommended lodging. I have gotten over 20 PM's and at least a half a dozen calls on guide posted fishing reports. They have complained about mine at least a very substantial part of the time. And yes, it has been some of the regulars that always are thanking the guides for the info. along with mostly others. Most of the complaints of course are on not enough info, and us just giving generalities. Here is the facts, This just needs to run as honestly as possible for the guides. Either you were there or your were not. Either you did it or one of your buddies did it. Either you caught them or you didn't, and if you are recommending lodging you either checked it out or you didn't. I cannot see in anyway how this should upset anyone that is making a living in the guide business, and it will sure as heck help keep people from fussing at the moderator, when recommendations are not what they expected. Sincerely Bill

Denny, I don't believe they got off at 6. Weather was just horrible. I tried to pull into Ahoy's, to get out of it, but the derby boys had all the stalls full. I ran over to Shcooner Creek Resorts dock and sat it out. I think it was closer to 7 before I heard them take off. I followed shortly. While I was fishing the bluff end at Mill Creek, a lightning bolt struck the water between me and the mouth of Gore Hollow. It was a tremendious display of light and sound. That was all I needed to seek a roof over my head. Don't quote me, but I believe Marty Conrad had a big bag over 20 pounds to win it yesterday.

Lots of rumbling and booming yesterday morning. So much this AM, that we cancelled till Wednesday. Started off the point in front of the Mill Creek Ramp at Kimberling City at 5:30 in the rainey dark yesterday. Fiddle around there in range of the truck for a while and then started bluffend and point hopping throwing a 3/8 oz green Chomper Jig with a yamamoto pbj twin tail. I like the 3/8 on the steeper rocky stuff as it dosen't get hung up hardly at all and it drops down the ledges very slowly. I try and think like a crawdad when I work it. Had the boat in about 40 ft. and was letting the jig hit in about 15 ft. Caught 6 SMJ's doing this all short but close, and a very nice Spot, about 2.5 When you throw the jig on the bluffends, keep in touch with your bait as it is falling on the cast. Had several hit it on the initial drop. About 7 AM I was able to run up the James a ways and saw some very nice topwater action. If you can find the fish chasing the threadfins, on the gravel flats or cove mouths, its hard telling what you will catch. Had a couple of nice LM, several keeper K's, and 1 walleye. The eye came on an inline spinner fished to a topwater swirl. When I set the hook, I thought it was a small brownie, as I could see brown. It turned out to be a eye of about 16 inches. For the life of me, I don't know what he was doing chasing on top in 40 ft. of water. Unfortunate thing, is he swallowed the spinner clear thru this gills, and was bleeding like a gutted deer when I got him in the boat. He died. What a shame to kill a member of a topwater walleye strain. After the topwater stuff, I had a couple more on the football jig, and two nice K's dragging a rig. Hit some bluffends and could catch 1 or 2 from most locations. Fish for me seemed to be 30 to 35 ft. suspended, nothing for me on the bottom. Most over about 40 to 50. Usually one nice keeper and then a short. Would have had a hard time putting clients on any numbers as I did a lot of different things. I did not catch a deep fish that I didn't see first. Even with the weather it turned out pretty good, without any type of a pattern, just going fishin.

If you all knew the ammount of time I spend just deleting PM's about things that have not worked out here, you would not believe it. If I don't respond in a timely manner to PM's they go balistic. If fishing reports are to vague, I get PM's to please fill in the blanks for every guide that posts here. For crying out loud, if you have a problem with a post, PM the poster. Lots of these folks think this is a paying job, for me and I need to moniter the activities of this forum more closely than I do. As I have stated before, I do it cause I want to. I don't solicite business of any kind here, other than our advertisment. I never recommend myself or our lodge. I am not resonsible for what other post as far as accuracy. I will however take responsibility for improper or vulgar post, that I should take care of. If I miss these, and we really don't have much of a problem here, I am sorry, I am not on everyday, but I do my best. This is the busy season, and my wife and I are going 90 to nothing. Our policies now on the guide post were somewhat needed from the aspect, we want this to be the most accurate source of information on the Tri-Lakes area. This will help that come about. We were picking on no one and we love all our guides to post. We just want to keep it as what they know for sure, and have seen with their own eye's about both the fishing and the lodging. If you want to promote yourself, your guide business or lodges that you guide from or would like to, we would love to have you buy the space here to do it. Phil has several options for paid advertising. If not, lets just keep it to the facts. Have a great one.

As moderator of this forum, I am the wipping boy, when things go bad. I will say this now, I am not responsible for guides that give fishing reports that are not accurate, or for lodging information, that is only in the interest of the guide rather than in the well being of who the recommendation is for. In the past 6 months alone, I have gotten emails and calls about the above stated information that some of the guides are putting out, that the callers and emailers are deeming inaccurate. NEW GROUND RULES FOR THIS FOURM CONCERNING GUIDE FISHING REPORTS AND LODGING RECOMMENDATIONS: This is for guides only. All the rest of you great contributors are more than welcome to your non-profit recommendations, what ever they may be. Fishing reports: You either fished it or you didn't period. Reports should be no more than 3 days old. Yes when making a report you may quote other guides that you are recieving the report from. If you did not fish an area but recieved a report from a guide that did, you must state his name and when he fished the area. No more guess work or seasonal pattern information. I have just gotten pounded this year by emails and calls saying they are following patterns guides have posted and they are not catching them as the pattern stated. Yes this happens I know all fisherman are different, but we as guides need to clean up our act a might. This will give all guide reports creditability, instead of saleability. My reports all tell where I launched and where I am at. Or I quote names of the guides I have spoken to in areas I have not fished in the last 3 days. Probably the best blogger we have is Don House. He did it or you don't hear about it. No guess work, no seasonal stuff, no other buddies here or there, just Don and where he was and what he did today. Lodging recommendation policy: Just as many, are lodging recommendation from guides, that don't know squat about the resorts they are recommending. Yes, they may have gotten a trip out of the resort and now the resort is your best buddy. Maybe Not. This is for the guides only. Before recommending a resort or lodging establishment on this forum, you must be aware of their policies. If I catch any recommendations that our contrary to the policies of the resort, I will delete you. If you have not even taken the time for find out something about the resort, how in the H. E. Double Heck can you recommend them? If you are recommending resorts with full week stay policies to people wanting under 5 nights you are not only wasting the resorts precious time, you are wasting the person asking the questions time, just to get a stupid plug in for nothing. I'm tired of hearing about this and the following I have gotten an earfull on. Any Guide recommending a resort on this forum, must before the recommendation have checked the following: Not heard from a guest, but personally checked for him or herself: Better yet, have stayed at the resort they are recommending. Cleanleness Tasted the water Flushed the tolits Turned on the shower or bath Checked the quality of the towels Checked the sheets and bedding Checked the window and door locks Know the policies of the resort, ie how they book guests ie no calls for fewer nights stays than are allowed for, or if the resort has a calander online, check the calander to see if they are booked before you recommed someone to call them.. What a nightmare for the resort. Checked the interior sound Had an extensive visit with the hosts or owners Every resort owner, should welcome any guide that could possibly send them some business to tour their faculities. If they don't, you for sure should not recommend them. Tell them what you would like to look at so your recommendation, will be accurate and will not come back on you. People's time is precious, and to recommend some place that does not suit, is just a pure waste of precious time for those you are trying to help. {Hopefully not just yourself, thru the recommendation} Every resort I recommend I have been more than welcome to check all of the above items and they were happy for me to do it. It adds creditability for them as well. They just loved to be praised on the above. On the other hand if you are not satisfied, it is not your place to make reccomendations, just thank them unless they ask and go about your business. There are loads of quality resorts out there. Hopefully this will give everyone of us guiding and in the resort business a even footing and keep an even playing field. I hope it will also eliminate some of the calls an emails, that I recieve reguarding these matters. This was intended only for the GUIDES. All other, keep those wonderful post coming, from all the areas of this fine lake Thanks Bill Babler Group Moderator

Thanks for the report Don. It is very hard to get good information from the dam thru Cricket Creek, unless myself or Phil Stone are down there. Seems like that area is pretty tight lipped.

Eric, is absolutely right. I even frown on very many pic's this time of the year. The quicker you get them back in the drink the better they feel. On either these jig fish, dropshot fish or drag fish, work them in pretty slowly. I know this is a contridiction from what you usually hear, but bringing them up from 25 to 50 feet, the slower the better. That is unless they skyrocket, which will happen from time to time. On my bout the other day, everything wanted air time even the Jaw's and that doesn't always happen. Good Luck

The ones I am fishing are not. They are either on the bottom, or suspenders off the long points of bluffends. I know some of the guys are catching them off the deep trees. I believe Don gave a pretty good report on how to catch these. I will tell you this. The fish from Eagle's Roost to Big M, are not nearly as deep as from Baxter to the Dam, main lake. I had both dropshot fish and jig fish in the very low 20's. At the same time the boys fishing the dam were catching them 38 to 42 ft. suspended. Low 20's is a much easier and better deal.

Started this AM at the Knob 5:30 out of Lunker Landing. Surface temps 87.4. They had one of my old price sheets, from 1992, and were somewhat supprised I had to have raised my rates. That was from my first year full timin-it. Didn 't want to "Bait and Switch Them". "Ha Ha, me so funny". So told them if 2009 rates sounded to high, I would understand. They paid in full with cash and were ready on the dock to give her a lick for a half day. Joann and Tom a mom and son team, with Joann in her early 70's, I figured real fast this was not going to be a zara spook, or for that matter any type of a topwater morning. Really didn't matter, as fish were on the dropshot and also the crawler. Joann was wanting a fish or two just enough to get her fish grease stinky, so I prayed for some whites or a cat or two. Just really won't do in the K's. I am a very lucky guide. First location, she caught 3 super nice whites, all on crawlers, while I was still getting Tom to toss a yellow magic. Switched Tom to a spoon, and he caught 3 more. Six keeper whites and my fish hungry clan is taken care of before 6 o'clock. I am living right. I catch a few whites on crawlers, from time to time, but for the most part it is not my bait of choice for them. [Mild understatement.] Perfect morning for a topwater bite with a little breeze and very overcast, but I believe I only saw 1 or 2 little-ens boil. Crawler and dropshot fish were 26 to 32 on the bottom for me. Others reported 40 ft. suspend on the bluffends. I fished main lake flat gravel rolloffs. Ended the trip fishing 5 locations catching a total of 34 fish. We had 17 K's with 6 keepers, smoched and released, the 6 whites, and another 11 Big fat Gills I also cleaned for the fish burn. Spoke to Beck through out the morn, and he ended with 16 fish and 8 keepers. I am sure he also had a nice batch of gills. Gills were active to 36 ft. if you were on a gill honey hole. Did not catch a K, on any of the locations we caught the Gills. Really nice day with very nice folks. Wanted to fish a bit myself so after I let them off at 9:30, it was still over cast. I fished to 11:30 and caught 6 more keepers and two thumper Gogs. 3/8 oz Chomper jig, in Green skirt Cinnamon Purple twin tail. They just hammered that jig. I was dragging in just like a rig, never really having to set the hook, they just had it. 22 to 30 ft. Jig fish were 2 Jaws, 2 K's and 2 LM. Best of the lot was one of the K's that would have gone about 3.5, the rest were just solid keepers. All 6 fish had hook holes in there jaws. I was fishing near a derby release site that they most always hang out on. "Tell me catch and release is not fantastic." Someone else with catch them again and again, if they get turned back. Kind of a windy long gravel runout. I dragged it from deep to shallow. Shallow to deep, and crisscorssed it. Had to deal with Jet skiers, and Cobalts towing multiple toys, so it was time to go in. If I hear Shell Knob called the "Quite Side of the Lake" one more time, I am going to scream. It has as many boats on as narrow of water as we have on this pond, and they are the "Big Fast Runnin Expensive Ones that throw Huge Wakes. Good fishin, it is up there. Quiet, not even close to being that. By the time I got off the water, it was a complete Zoo.

Mind your manners or we'll get you down and give ya a Weggie. "Ya Little Varmint". Ya had me all Hypped up about 75 degree water, I was a lookin for it. Had to go to lower Taney back in some of the slews to find it. That was probably what you ment, we just didn't read between the lines. It's like I used to tell my son Steven, "Do what I mean, not what I say". Great Report, However

Have kind of let this ride to see the direction it was going. No one and I will repeat no one on this forum is more respected than Whacked. He not only talks it, but does it. No one person dictates how a forum runs, but Wacked is one of the most positive contributers we have. He is truthful and posts how, when, where, and why he does it. IS that the way you all ROLL, that are critizing him? I will tell you now, that most tournament Bass getters with 21 foot of boat and 250 trogan horses pushing it will be hard pressed to keep her on the back pad at 30 mph. I am not condoning breaking any laws, as most of you know I was a MSWP officer in my earlier life, but I would much rather have the nose of my boat down than the nose up at 30 and under. YES, YES, YES. a lot of your 20 footer and under especially the alum.rigs will have no problem keeping on even keel, under 30 MPH. But let us not jump on Wacked if his rig does not. I would just about bet any one of those of you throwing wakes at him, that you could not drive his rig on plane under 30. 30 was an arbatrary speed, I will tell you now, there was not a research study done by MSWP, it is just a number, it could have just as easily been 35MPH. Reaction time between 30 and 35 is no more than a fraction. AS a matter of fact with the ununiformity of boat hulls, and hull designs, it is completely umpredictable to determine either stopping distance an any spead, or manuvering distance to avoid an obstruction at any speed, it is just a speculation, and a guess at best. Most of us fished here when it was pedal to the medal. For the most part, I really don't believe there was a problem then and there for sure is not one now. Lake O. dictates the laws for the entire state, and that is what we are seeing. Lake O has night time boating and traveling to a greater extent than the Rock. When I was MSWP on lake O in the early 80"s it was not uncommon to see and check well over a 100 boats per night, each and every weekend all Summer long. Some times several hundred between 9Pm and 2 AM. And mind you this, my territory was a short 15 mile stretch of the lake on the Osage Arm, considered the quiet part of the Lake. Never has there been that many on the Rock other than firecracker weekends. Most night time boaters on the Rock are fisherman, watching what they are doing. Lake O has drunks going from Bar to Bar, dodging other drunks. Resturant goes and pleasure boaters, all over the place, and also fisherman. Before I see any more stones thrown at Wacked, anyone of you throwing them had not, better ever and I mean ever gone 57 mph in a 55, or 72 in a 70 MPH speed zone. I'm sure that will take care of you unless you are a colossal lier, cause everyone and I will reiterate it, everyone has broken the speed limit. Lets go fishing and put this to bed!!!!!! I

TapOut, nice post as usual. You were right on the money with what is going on. Heard some guide is catching 300 plus on full day guide trips, but for the most of us folks that have tired old tricks and don't know much, you are doing well. Little derby this week and the best pro's and I say that with some reservation, had about 12 pound average. One dude caught a big bag at Kimberling on a jig, but for the most part 2.5 pound K's were the ticket. Kelly Powers was second with 12 something and T. Sainato was third with 12 something. If those boys especially Tim are just "ketching" twelve, it shows you had a monster week. I love your post, you always tell it like it is with no blue sky. we really appreciate that. Keep a commin and keep a postin. Thanks BB

Where are you finding 75 degree water? Man the surface in the Dam area has been warm. Sat. it was 84 when I started and 87.9 when I quit about 1 Pm. Beck said it was pushing 90 near Kimberling the other day in the late afternoon. I would think on that 75 degree stuff, there would be a very good bite.

JBird, that Mill Creek cove gets way to much attention. Cross the lake and head upstream and fish the long runout points from Basin Hollow to Play-Port resort and see if you can find them. 15 to 40 ft. a Carolina rigged cenipede will be the best in watermellon candy. Good luck, and if you draw a blank send me a PM and we will get you on-em.

Slapping a J-Crow moniker on this thread, usually won't get you a ton of info here, but the topwater bite in your area in completely out of site. 5 to 8 Am off most of those main lake flats is the bomb. Gets a little sticky after the topwater, but fish seem to be positioning in the 30 ft. and deeper range, after the topwater extravaganza. I always check the big docks and bouys going into 21 on the upstream side. This is deep, about 110 feet, but chasers are sometime there. They were not this morning. I Checked it. Fished today from point 19 to Big M marina in 6 hrs. just trying to cream the gravy off each location. Probably close to 40 fish. Early I am running and gunnin. I am driving 50 mph and looking for feeding fish. When I see active fish, I put on the brakes and hammer them till they quit. I don't try and work them hard, I move and shake looking for more active fish, keeping in mind the location of the ones I just worked. After all the topwater action is done, I then go back and take my time working the locations that held the surface feeders. Usually with a dropshot or a jig. Good luck at the Knob, it is the best fishing location on the lake, you just can't stay in Mill Creek all day, you have to move. If you don't see topwater action, its a good bet the deep bite will also be hard to find. GO MIZZOU.

Started pretty early on the Rock this morning, out of the Knob, and it was not long till Dave W. and I were into topwater fish. First things first however, they were also eating a cenipede to dead and gone. Tried to count back and see how many we really had, but the number just got away from me in the May-lay. Yellow Magic popper and a Spro BZ-1 seemed to be the ticket. 5 very nice Largemouth mixed in with K's and Jaws. Fish were on a main lake gravel point and side cut all very shallow, under 15 ft. for the most part, herding shad, and I mean big ones. These were threadfins, but they were a good 4 inches. Even the little guys had big shad in their craws. Morning started out clear blue with a white hot sun beating on a pristine flat lake surface. What you probably would describe as a terrible topwater morning. Fish didn't think so and ate the baits with gusto, on the bright, clear, flat water. I don't know squat Bite lasted till 8 AM with the highlight being a very nice jaw taking hook line and Yellow Magic from Dave as he was winding in a respectable K. You could see the Jaw a commin in a torpedo like fashion, as it zeroed in on the K and the bait it had hanging from its jaw. It short strung Dave hitting both the K and the bait about 2 ft. from the boat in an explosion that broke Line, Water and His Heart. L Long gone were both fish and my $15.00 top water splasher. "Just what are you gona do" We high fiveed. the scene as it was a real hoot. Just been goin slack for me after the topwater nip for about 2 hrs. The fish then seem to position deep, but you just can't beat them up. Have to keep off the same fish and let them rest at least 3 or 4 days, or it is just pretty weak. Had 16 fish on the dropshot after the topwater fishing. That was between 8 and 11:30. Had 5 nice keepers on the dropshot on the same point I had the 20 earlier this week. Wind kind of blew me around and would not let me set my feet. All and all a very nice morning with a very good fisherman on the Rock today. Thanks Dave, you were a guides dream. I even got to catch a few. '

"I HAVE BEEN SABATOURED BY THAT SCOUNDRAL PHIL THE PILL LILLEY." As if I don't have enough to do, you want a fishing report, along with the KC Star and everyone else on the planet. Was out there today and it was good. OH You Want More??? Started up the White near Big M looking for that elusive topwater nip. Didn't get it, but the drag bite was fantastic with watermellon candy cenipedes in 6 to 14 ft. Yes, you heard me right. Real shallow. Probably in the neighborhood of 30 plus fish from 5:30 to 9 AM, and then switched to the shot. About a third being squeeker keepers, of the kentucky varity. Had a hard time for a while and spoke to Beck. He was at 7 fathoms and I just could not believe the fish had moved out. Probably different fish than what I was working in the early light. Moved out to that 40 ft. range, and immediatly started seeing fish. Most suspended. Crap!! has this already started. Suspenders were caught from 15 to 35 over 40 to 50 ft. Really a good bite with all 20 we caught being keeps. Beck, said they were eating his junk up at Kimberling this morn. With lots of very quality K's. Last week before my sojourn to Alasky, both Beck and I had tremendious days of topwater up the White with both boats on seperate days catching 50 plus topwater fish. Nothing secret, just cloudy breezy overcast days during the middle of the week. Will say these topwater fish were extremely shallow. Many running shad up on the bank. Thats all I know, don't ask again. Or I'll just make something up. And another thing, if you ever post as me again I will hold your head underwater for 3 minutes. T, extremely sorry to hear of the passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and yours.

Fishing was great today.

How was fishing boys??? Don't tease us and not get back with a detailed report.

2sheads, even the way you have discribed I am butting into peoples business and no matter how polite, it backfires about 90% of the time. As polite as I try to be in not only speaking of the boundary, but how to catch fish below it, people think there is a ulterior motive. And I will tell you frankly a ticket for a measly couple of hundred bucks, for all the fun their having may be worth it. Depends on the folks. You are always treading a very slim line, taking the law into your own hands, or for that matter advising anyone of what they can or cannot do. I still do it as politely as I can and in as inovasive a manner as possible. For sure with no other boaters within either eye or ear shot. Great Comments