Bill Babler

Forgot to mention today and through out the week, I have seen quite a few people using swimming minnows in the restricted zone. I'm not an official, but I don't believe these are legal. Have not commented or said anything to the users, as It's not my place. All the folks I saw using the swimmers, were releasing the fish. Might have spoken up if I had seen any go on a stringer. I will tell you this, they were catching really nice fish and lots of them. Again, all the folks I saw fishing them were catch and release. The swimmer, has a hard head, but is soft-bodied, so I am guessing they should not be used. I know we have spoken about this before, but what a "Sticky Wicket." I just hate to fuss at people all the time. I seem to be the Cranky Guide that patrols the lower restricted area, fussing at people. I think we should all do our part to make people aware of the rules, but I know there is a line we should not cross. It's almost like I could spend all my time on a guide trip, speaking to folks that are not even my clients about what they can and cannot do. I'll pick my battles well and be as curtious as possible, when I suggest they may be in violation of our rules.

Bill, the bite is pretty stingy up there right now. Early and I mean early, the whites and a few bass are going off the flats. It almost seems by 5:45 you are pushing it. Sun is hitting the water hard before 6 AM, and you need a very special spot to get any topwater after that. Dragging a 4 inch worm seems to be the best bet, but its not fast. Trips right now are about a dozen fish aday, if you don't catch any on top. Put the boat in about 20 ft. and be one throw off the bank for the best results. Fish have been in the 12 ft. range. Have not heard a thing about the gills, but do know the cats are really biting. Limb line the bushes with small gills just before dark, and I bet you'll get a mess of kitty's Good Luck

Denny, I have been in and out and worked the bushes to 30 ft. I'll thro heads or splits on them even ran a spinner early one morning thru and around the bushes and nothing. I have drug the pole timber, ran grubs thru it, and fins and spooks over the top of it. The fish are there, they just shut down, when the sun hits the water. Day before yesterday, we would have fish follow the bait to the boat mid morning after they cooled off, on both topwater and splits. Just could not get them to eat it. A little afternoon on those same locations, they would bite. Not great for me, but I would start catching decent fish. Should be way, way better than what it is.

Donnie, we keep finding the same things, and I don't know if its us guide types doing mostly the same things. I have tried everything I can to get a mid-morning bite except dynamite, and have just not found it. Early, and then later in the day after 2 PM seem to be the ticket. Daylite till about 7:30. Next 5 hrs. DEAD ZONE. I think Bill really worked hard this morning, in the Kimberling to Baxter section. Sainato had the same folks i fished yesterday at the dam today and ended up with about 20 fish and 10 keeps in a full day.

Got on the water at 601 Am with two clients and a tag boat. The sun was already on the water and it was just about as slick as gear grease. Day started off good for not only us, but the tag. I believe 5 topwater bites, with a 3.5 and a 4 pounder between the boats. Also a very nice K. and a good Jaw. Here is where it got Iffy. After the topwater bite and I will tell you, that ended early it got very stingy. We could have easily been on the water this morning at 5 AM and been good to go. It is really starting to get light early. The topwater stuff is shutting down as soon as that sun hits the water. Had about a two hr. no strike time and then both boats started picking up a few. My guide boat ended with 13 bass 1 gog, and 1 perch. 5 keeps. Very nice size, but not a ton of bites. You would think it would be better than it is, and I'm sure some of the guys got on them. I started slowing down later in the morning and fishing deeper,and had my best luck dragging in about 20 ft. It is still calm as glass, and I'm sure no picnic. Don't know the numbers for the tag, but I believe it was pretty similar.

Ya, that's not a problem. This time of year every LM will be pretty beat-up Usually Anal fin back thru the tail, if they have one thats still there is red and scaved. Most will also have a dime to quarter size sore in either one or both of there sides. Also quite afew LM will have some deep black color marks within the scale pattern. There is a name for this but it excapes me. The spawn is very stressful for the fish, and really leaves them pretty guant and quite beat-up. Good thing is they are getting very hungry.

Here is something else to consider, and I may be entirely off base, but are you boy's absolutely sure they were K's hitting your topwater splashers??? Could any of those "Heat Seeking Missles", have been White's??? White's can for sure be in the middle of anything that is being pushed to the top. Can be 20 K's there and only one White, or Vis-a-versa. On a big Topwater, even a Spook Jr. it can be a very hard hookup with a white. Here is a tip, that will work way better than a grub or a spoon for surfacing fish. ("Gosh, I'm giving all my goodies away.") Try a big inline spinner, like a mepps, or a panthermartin. or a big white and silver roostertail. Silver blades work the best. Also nothing will work any better than a 1/4 oz horse head roadrunner in grey on schoolers. If you see some chasers, and they just follow the towater to the boat, or you are a missin-em, throw that inline and see if it hooks you up. And for gosh sakes, don't jerk it. When you feel a fish pull on it, it's in his mouth and he is already hooked. By givin a big Cock-a-Maney-Jerk with whiplash conitations, most of the time you will just tear it out or pull it free. Just lift strong and keep your stick bowed to the max. The very best inline spinner, and ya'll will have to help me remember the name, I have a dozen is made by the company that makes those real expensive titanium spinnerbaits. Gosh, they make a perfect bright silver inline spinner in 1/2 oz, that works like a dream. Roland Martin used to hawk them, and to tell you the truth, I'm not sure they are still around. The inline spinners I have from them, are wonderful. This will for sure let you seperate the Whites and the K's as they both just cannot leave it alone if they are chasing shad to the surface. They will for sure get hooked in either the "Upper or Lower lip".

SMJ That is just fishing most of the time, as RPS said. This was a very strange topwater weekend however, and has been for the entire week. I have had and my guides have had fish blowing up all over baits, to not get them stuck. They seem to be sticking themselves just a little better on a moving topwater bait, rather than a splasher or chugger. I stated this on another thread. I believe the spook will generate as many or more bites if fished correctly than any of the high dollar wakers on the market. The Cavete' is getting them poked on it right now. Believe me my brother, you are not alone in not getting them to the boat. Keep a flinging and keep it a movin. Give one of the wake baits a try by putting the spook in the bullpen for a morning or two and see if that helps. Maybe yes, maybe no. Good Luck

Point 11 to Point 22 on the White. Rangerman, over 150 K's to the guide boats today in that area, and I checked with the boys, and none of the damage to the K's was spotted. Like you, I hope it is just post spawn stress and nothing more. Early bite was more than fantastic. 5:30 to 7 AM was on fire on top, reguardless where you were fishing. Flats, Buffends, or major cove mouths. Got very stingly from 8 AM till about noon, and then the cenipede drag bite was on in the 15 and under range. Mostly K's and Jaw's with lots of pre-spawn K's and Jaw's. Best two trips of the day were Ricky Liseck, and Greg Dishman, with over 30 fish per boat with half being keepers. Greg's best 5 at about 20 pounds and Rick's at 18 pounds. Every guide on this trip caught big numbers of fish even with the abnormal prussure on this pond. I was fishing the mouth of Red Barn, and at one point about 9:30 counted 37 boats in sight, fishing and running. At least 2 boats on every point, and sometime 3. I was cutoff by a city block at least 5 times this morning. Guy's looking for the big-en for the Big Bass Bash. The prussure the lake is now recieving is just about at capasity, as far as I'm concerned. On the flats across from Baxter, they were fished relentlessly today. From daylight till 3 PM there were 20 constant boats on this flat, going it over and over. Every 5 minutes one would leave and a new one arrive. We were fishing the pockets across from the flat and one of my clients said it looked like a boat parking lot. The other said it looked like stadium parking for the chiefs. Hope the prussure slows down soon, as it is just about covered up right now on this pond. Saw Capt. Donnie on the flat at 9 and visited a bit. We agreed you needed a shoe horn to get on a fishing hole. Good Luck out there.

Updated report for today out of Baxter. Ran 10 guides on a William's Electric Corp. trip, out of Indian Hills resort at Baxter. This is one of the nicest resorts on the Rock, bar none. Trip started late at 3 PM till a 7 PM cutoff. Over 100 fish to the guide boats, with probably 30 keepers, none over a very nice LM by Tim Paige at 4.5. Even with High sky's Brian Snowden caught fish on a fin. Most of us however a rig or shaky head was the ticket in the under 12 ft. range. My boat came in with 19 fish with 5 keeps, with big-em at 2.14. I believe Chris Tetrick had big bass by a client at 3 pounds with a very nice Jaw. Hige blue skys and lots of wind made it a very tough afternoon. Out there again tomorrow with the same group and a full day of cloudy weather and rain on the Rock. It might be a huge day. Our 10 guides will blanket the point 9 to point 22 area and work it hard. Usually no more that 20 minutes per location and move and cream off the aggrestive fish. Lots of spots and lots of fish. Right now for the most of us guiding everyday, it seems the first bites are the big bites and then it gets small. We are movers and shaker's right or wrong. Good Luck out there.

Been on the Lake everyday since the WPT, and was on it for what seems like weeks before. I have been everywhere, except Cape Fair to point 11 on the upper james, but here is what I and some of my cronies are finding on the rest of the pond. Cricket Creek to Point 5. Moss has really subsided on the entire lake, including this area. If you are in the right place, and early, there is a very good topwater bite early. 5:30 to 7 AM and even later if you get a little breeze and some sun cover. Topwater can either be in the large cove mouths, bluffends or against the bushes. The way I have been finding the bite, is to just look and see fish activity. Most guides are reporting the drag bite to be decent from 5 to 15 ft. with mostly Jaw's and everyone is having a hard time winding in or finding the large K's. I am catching way more LM and Jaw's than K's, fishing the main lake sections, and that for us guide types is a problem. Some of the major coves and smaller pocket type flats are the best with either the grub, rig, or topwater in the above mentioned area. My 1/2 day trips in this area are averaging about a dozen fish. Point 5 to point 11- Been on this stretch a bunch, and topwater has saved our bacon with fish on most of the flats chasing and also on the bluffends. Some really quality whites are mixed in for even better topwater action. Rig bite and 3/8 football here are my down baits after the topwater maylay. I believe we are only a week or so away from the dropshot. Not to excited about that one. No topwater bait is better than the other, as long as it is a mover and not a bubbler, like a chug-bug or yellow magic. They seem to want it moving. If you stop a spook, you will see fish pull off of it. Keep it coming and wham!. Drag bite is a bit deeper here for me in the 16 to 22 ft. range, with mostly small LM and Jaws. Where are those K's??? 15 to 20 fish in this area, seems to be pretty good for me. Point 9 to 22 on the White, including Baxter, Shell KNob, and the mouth of the Kings river. Very good to outstanding top water bite located mostly in the cove mouths, and along shoreline bushes. Some K's, but way more Jaw's and some very nice LM. 5 fish this last week over 5 pounds came to clients, on the fin, with the best at 7.8. Kind of a strange bite on top, with very nice LM and SM chasing in over 100 ft. of water in the cove mouths. Most of the K's seem to be 8 to 14 inch. All the LM we are catching have spawned and some of the Jaw's. IF we do catch a big Kantuck, she is full of eggs and has not done the deed. You never know, they may not. Only a percentage spawn. Hope it is a big bunch, but am just really confused about the kentuckies right now. Grub swimming is perhaps the best best on the flats up the white with the boat in about 20, a full cast from the bank. Let it sink to the bottom and slow roll it back. Mostly Lm and SM. 20 to 30 fish here, if I have good fisherman willing to stand all day and fish hard for them. Be aggresive and keep the hook in them once you got-em. Have had lots of people slack off on these fish, and they will come unbuttoned in a New York Minute. Point 22 to Holiday island includingViney Creek, Rock Creek, Owl, and Roaring River. Limited topwater bite at best, with just not a bunch of chasing. The ones I am catching are very nice LM. Have litterly seen some huge fish and done a fair job of poking some of them. Still very slow on the K's in the Upper White river. Jewell Football and Chomper 3/8 oz jigs are saving my days in this section, with not a ton of quanity, but really nice Lm quality. Flats with bushes and 45 degree type pockets with some chunk are the best for this approach. I am using PBJ and with either a Chomper or a yamato twin tail in watermellon candy. 20 fish seems to be all over me, but with some very quality bites. Couple of tips on keeping your fish on. On the topwater, reel thru the bite and for cripes-sakes, don't jerk it. We lost at least 8 to 10 very nice stuck LM and Smallmouth this last week, by jerking the bait on an already hooked and bowed up fish. When you jerk that rod, after a fish is hooked you have just let it free. Reel thru the grub bites and watch your rod tip as it bends toward the fish then, lift if heavy, keeping a tightline. Do not drop your tip and set a hook of a already hooked fish. On the shaky head bite or the jig bite, do not go back and try and feel this fish once you have had a bite, just set the hook. If you go back and feel for it most times it will spit the bait. Keep your rod in the proper attitude pointed at a 45 degree angle above where your bait has entered the water. A major mistake my clients make is to be dragging a bait sidway with the rod completely in front of them. A bite is not always a bite. On the shaky head or jig right now, if I loose contact with the bait for even a split second, its a fish. Usually has picked it up and is moving toward you. Set the hook from the 45 degree angle, don't drop your rod tip to the water and them come up. It not only gives the fish time to spit the bait, but also results in lots of broken lines. On a rig, the sweep set is always the best. Start with the rod in a dragging attitude only several inches off the water. Fish the rod from the mid-point of your body back toward the bait so you have room to sweep forward past your body. Common mistake is fishing the tip toward the front of the boat or forward, it should always be back at the best angle, usually at least a 45 degree to stearn. On the bite, sweep the rod forward maintaining a low rod tip until you have the fish established on the line, then go crazy. Topwater line is 12 to 17 pound Maxi Jig 12 to 15 pound Seugar Shaky head either 8 pound Maxi or Seugar Rig 8 pound Maxi both main and leader line Grub swimming 6 pound Maxi, it will cast further than carbon and distance is more of a factor than feel.

Way different day for me today. Fished the Point 5 to Point 2 area, and it was about like the Gobe Desert. 8 total with 3 decent keepers. 1 swimming the grub and two on a split-shot, with a green pumpkin Dr. Have taken these folks for about 5 yrs. now, and it was our slowest day together. Spoke to both Paige and Buster, fishing the same water, and we were all working hard at it. I am swimming the grub. Make the long cast and let it settle to the bottom then start about a medium retrieve. The copper red fleck is the one.

Hawghunter, Hope to someday get your big Spot pic, to you. Still have not gotten the wife on the camera. Fishing was very good today in the Kimberling City to Baxter area on the Fin or Spook. Started this AM at 5:45 and they bit topwater really good till about 6:45 AM. We had, I believe about 15 topwater bites. Switched and swam a grub on flat and I mean flat gravel till 2 PM and caught them everywhere we went. Not a load per spot, mind you, but we caught fish. Couple of fish per locationm, not always a keeper, but fun fish. Used two grubs, BPS XPS Copper and Chomper Smoke Pepper. Had the boat in about 20 feet on most locations, and was a cast and a half off the bank. Strikes came in the 8 to 15 foot range. Good Luck

Main lake for the most part on the Rock will have the majority of the bites.. You see, I have not said the biggest bites, just total bites. On the main lake you are dealing with all 3 species of the Black Bass family. As you edge up into the creeks or bigger cuts and coves and river channels, you tend to not really eliminate the K's and Jaw's, but cut the numbers, so as to be fishing for LM. As the LM population, is only about 25 percent of the resource, you have cut your opportunities significently. Most all the guides and I cannot speak for all, are main lake fisherman. We for the most part are after bites, weather big or small, just pullers. Hope this helps.

Capt. Don can comment on the Jackalls, cause he is very well versed on their preformance. They scare me. I have a 5 hp outboard that is smaller and does not make the wake of one of those monsters. They work well for him however and thats all that matters. On the broken back minnow, I usually use 1 size, No. 2 owner rooster tail on the rearend and a size, No. 4 gama. on the front hook. I reduce the size of the split ring on both hooks, and use a speed clip for a light weight moving snap on the front, so the bait will shake and rotate at the head. 6 out of 10 work well. 1 out of 10 is a freaking killer, reeled at any spead. When you get a fin like that, for gosh sakes take care of it.

Excellent post, thank you so much for the report of the mixed bag from the upperend. RPS is our man at HI, and it is always good to here from others up in that neck of the woods. So glad you enjoyed yourself on the rock, and please don't be a stranger.

I'm usig all 5 inchers, and usually start the day with salt and pepper or a white or off-white. As I get a bit of light, I am going to the smoke, smoke pepper, motor oil or copper. The copper xps in 5 inch is kind of a go to grub, it will catch anything that swims in the rock, that eats crayfish.

Area fished was Point 9 to point 22 all on the White River. Spoke to both Bill and Denjac several times yestereay, and that pretty much takes in the area up past point 1 on the White. We were all getting bite on topwater. I also spoke to Don House, and I believe it was the same for him. I lost that TW about 7:30 and started swimming a grub, and then when it got real flat a little after 8, went to the SH. Believe Donny did the same and the other two dudes continued with the TW bite.

As related on an earlier thread, Beck and I worked hard for our dough the first part of the week. Things started loosening up yesterday, with Bill having over 40 fish an a dozen quality keepers. Today, for me with John Dickerson, long time great client and a buddy Todd, both from Ohio, we turned the tables around on those sneeky ole basses. First point and John hammered a 3.7 pound LM "Mind Ya, On Top". Next point and John's topwater was absolutely and I am here to tell you, Totally FLUSHED, as a post spawn 7 pound 8 oz LM, that just flat ate the topwater. It was one of those strikes, that I just after seeing it sprinted for the net. IT was just a "Ka-Whoosh." That is my biggest client fish in about 12 years. Had a lady on a zebco 33 catch a 9.1 on a fin. The Falcon Cara 6'6" medium spinner with a Shimano Stradic and 8 pound Maxi, totally controlled the fish, and there was no doubt, it was coming to the boat, as long as it would stay buttoned up. 3 huge swirls and a couple of out of the water head shakes, before it sang the drag 4 times, and she was aboard. John did a great job, keeping the rod very still and letting the fish run and pull against the drag, on a very tight line and a well bent rod, to absorb the shock. Job, well done. What a way to start the day. Top water kind of died on me, but Beck and Denny, continued to gather them up till afternoon, the way they are telling me. Fished the 5 inch smoke chomper grub a little and Todd gathered up a 4.5 pound LM swimming the grub in a spawning pocket. John would not let this rest and about 3 cast later, collected a very nice Jaw, at 3.9. Both the LM and the Jaw had not spawned. Funny how the big girl was done and these were ripe to pick and had just not pulled the trigger yet. I am seeing 100's of beds, from Kimberling to Eagle Rock, but most are empty and a few have some small males on them. I am thinking a lot of fish have done the deed and headed deep. Highest surface temps when we quit at 3:30 was 67.8 Not a lot of chasing today, but did catch several on a fin. Best deal by far was the Shk-HD. sounds like a TV. The Shaky head produced between 40 and 50 fish for us today with a 18 keepers. Mostly 15 to 16 inch K's that have not yet spawned, but are fixin to. Main lake cuts, pockets and chunk with some gravel mixed in. Good depth, was boat in 20 feet and caught the fish about 1/2 was back. I am thinking 8 to 14 ft. Best 5 today counting the big girl was a huge 22 pound bag. 2 LM on topwater, 1LM, swimming a grub, 1 LM on a shaky head and the big Jaw on the grub. Beck had the same ammount of fish, but mid-20's on the keeps, fishing the Kimberling City area. Don't believe he had a 7.8 Seemed everyone caught fish today, just probably because of the great conditions, hope it continues.

Gent's, my take was not at all on the bed fishermen, or women, but a general area fishing report. When people see these large bags right now, and I am seeing it from my guide clients, they want to swarm the lake and also wonder why we guides are not catching boat loads of 4 to 8 pounders. These huge bags are coming by specific techniques, that we as guides just cannot, will not or do not do. When I see people on this board saying "Wow, I am heading down and catching 20 pounds of big boys." It flat Ain't happenin. Here are Beck and My last two days guide trips with average clients 32 hrs on the water. 6 clients 9 keepers and 25 short fish. Nothing over 2.3 pounds, until today, as Bill just called and said they are biting a bit better. What I was trying to say in a very uneducated style was don't let the derby weights influence you in any way. Derby fishing and fun fishing are two cats of a very different color. Most of the derby winners this time of year that are bed fishing are extremely astute at this and it is a job. I really know of know one that likes to do it. It is a one man game on the rod, and is a frustrating task at best. Pure and simple it is money fishing and that is it. We fun fishermen, are not catching 20 pound bags, its toughter than a boot.

Before y'all get to hopped up on those derby weights, I'll let you know that those were mostly, if not all bed fish. Know of at least 4 boats in the top ten that only 1 of the partners fished. The other guy just held the boat by the corner of a dock post or hung onto a tree, while the fisherman jerked the bedding bass. When the guy in the front catches the bass, the guy holding the boat so as not to use the trolling motor to spook the bass nets it, and then they move to another bed behind another dock. Gosh that's fun, I would just love to do that all day. Real lake fishing report, is tougher than a Leather Boot. Combined day of 9 guides I talked to today was a total of 10 keepers and about twice that many short fish. The bite has gotten extremely tough, with the Boy's chasing the Girl's. Yes, you can run the clear water and catch males protecting the nests, if that's your cup of fish chowder. Not mine. Realtime report is a very nice blade bite, but mostly from point 22 to Roaring River. Decent jig bite for bigger fish, and a shaky head bite for dink, males. Some topwater starting to show, but the best guide bite is by Buster Loving the last couple of days, with about 10 very nice keepers on the stickbait. and a couple on a spook. Do not let these derby weight fool you, its not that easy. To protect the innocent, I will mention no names, but bed fishing is money fishing, its for sure not fun fishing, especially if you are the partner holding the boat all day. I know for a fact two of these guys, never got a rod out of the locker all day. Just held the boat and netted fish.

Had the pleasure of taking Scott and Kenny, two long time locals from our area out of the Knob today. Wish it would have been peaches and cream. It wasn't sour grapes, but we earned every fish we boated. From speaking with the boys today, our trip was compairable, to most, and better than some. Believe Capt. Don might have had one of those good ole goodins. Started at the Kings River on a stickbait and it did not seem to be the food of choice. Switched to a shaky and captured 5 total on our first 3 points with a very nice K just missing the boat and a 3 Pound LM that kenny captured being the highlight. Headed up the White River to drag gravel and the bite is just not there. Water temps ran the gammet from 57 on the main White River, to 66 in the pockets and coves. 1 shaky header at that spot, and we fished a huge hunk of gravel.. The Wind was just a monster, and really dictated what we were able to do with any success. Next location in a very gusty wind netted us 1-1-and 1. two on a grub and one on the head. Saw a dude ketch a spinner bug fish and we started flinging it in the wnd. Next pocket, 2 on a grub and 4 on a wind blown spinner. Started looking for wind pts. for the spinner, and the next one was a bute. Nothing until the end and Scott hammered a Nice K on a shaky head Next bluffend several tackle problems, but Kenny landed a nice spot on the blade. Crossed the lake to a great roll off cove and both kenny and Scott caught several nice fish from the pocket I believe 6. Motored up to the knob, and that was a mistake as the ramp as full and boat after boat in every pocket. Caught 1 more on the head and lost two at the boat on the spinner. Fish were taking the spinner, just by the tip of the trailer hook and the head and rig, if you didn't jerk on the first bite you were not going to get them as they put it down as fast as they picked it up. Gurb bite again was slow for me but it has been all year. All in all, with lots of competition, I guess we faireds well as most, but it really should be better this time of the year. Looked in at least 5 spawning coves and pockets for beds, up the White River and found none, may be a bit cold with all the cool water coming out of beaver up there.

Jon, I know your done, and I will say I love your pashion. But what Phil is saying, still stands, you have not read the entire thread, and your replys relate that. Before making responses please read carfully, and do not assume that the posters do not know of what they speak. In State agencies, economics rules however much we would like to believe other wise. It is a fact. For "Cripes Sakes, Quite appoligizing to everyone." Your thoughts are as important as anyone elses. Read my post carefully, I don't make these things up. My contacts are at the head of MDC, and I know what I speak. If you think changes are made on Table Rock due to Bass populations reguardless of numbers, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY WRONG..... Biologist do not make the limits, or set the harvest. They do studies and make recommendations to a conservation board that is composed of business people. Read my post closly and you will see how limits are set. Stocking the resourse, as has already been stated, will never come into play, it is not an option. MDC does not stock and will not stock fish except for trout and paddle fish for reasons other that procreation, NOT HARVEST. I love your guarantee of 100% if the fish populations dropped low enough MDC would restrict harvest. Who told you this? Were you not here in 1999 thru 2002. How low are you talking about and who told you this? Jon, we had over a 90% lake wide kill of the largemouth population, and a reduction of SM and Spotted bass, of percentages that were not calcuable, and the limit remained at 6 per person per day. How low are you talking, and who is giving you your information? Jon, there is history here, along with area knowledge of the working of MDC on the Rock. If you are not part of this community it is hard to see, or for that matter under stand the economics of the region. We all read you as a stanch supporter, beliving limits are set with a harvest goal in mind, but that is not how the fishery opporates here. Never has and never will be, and is really not setup or intended to be. If recommendations by lake biologist after the fish kill, were to lower the harvest to 3 bass per person per day and the retention limit was restriced to 6 bass total, after the second day, the ecomomic impact was estimated to be in the 100's of millions. This was not a viable option. With creel harvest reported at less than a keeper bass at that time every 12 hrs. It took the limit out of the equasion, as for the most part people cannot catch them anyway. When the board sees from the creel studies that Joe Smo out of Desmoines is only catching 1 keeper a day, and then sees harvest data and economic impact it is a no brainer to leave the limits were they are. Here is a shocker for you, that was related by a biologist friend, if the limits were set at 100 bass per day, do you think it would make a difference in the total number of harvestable bass in the lake. NO it would not.... Bass are released by 90 plus percent of bass fisherman. Those persons that retain bass for the most part fall into the current creel study of 1 keeper bass for each 8 hrs. on the water. MDC's Borad of Directors knows this and the limit, wheather 6 or 20 is really not a part of the equasion, it is an arbratary figure. The practice of catch and release of Black Bass is without a doubt figured as part of harvest data. You are seeing everything thru Rose colored glasses, and beliving everything a state agency does is soley dictated by biology. My friend nothing could be further from the truth. Dollars are always the factor. They are always the bottom line. Don't you for one minute believe that if the electro fishing studies come back negitive, as they have in the past, that the limits will be adjusted. Won't happen, has never happened, and will not in the future. Nature and Corps of Engineers are the hardest taskmasters on our fish, and the general public is just here for the ride.

I will state this again and the last time for the RECORD. Bass harvest limits on Table Rock are not set to control the Black Bass Populations. PERIOD DONE. Wildlife such as deer and turkey have limits set for populaton control Black Bass limits are set at a resonable ammount to encourage useage of the resoruce. This generates dollars with very little concern on Table Rock about adversley affecting the populations by over harvest. With 100's of millions of tourist dollars at stake here the limits are set to encourage people to use and come to Table Rock lake on their yearly vacations, knowing full well, the few fish they harvest will in no means effect the populations in any manner. I believe the harvest is still less that 1 keeper bass for each 8 hrs. of fishing. The tourist are not hurting this population. Locals, guides and long time Table Rock fisherman, are the people that control the harvest. I know for a fact that it was recommended that the limits be dropped on the Rock after the 1999 fish kill. This was rejected do soley to the negitive impact that it would have on tourism to the lake Big State Tax Dollars. Limit reduction was rejected because of money, with no real thought of the resourse. These fish have had a rough go with the kill and the Corp's of Engineers, and have weathered it and are in wonderful supply. Mostly because a huge percentage of the population is released to spawn multiple times in their lifes, and bring joy to multitudes of people by being caught and released over and over. When that 16inch Kentuck, smashes that Zara Spook, I don't care how many times she has been caught before. Only that she was released to hit and fight again. I know, if that continues she will be able to spawn for years in the future, most probably up to another 1/2 million eggs from the time she is 15 inches till her death, as late as 15 years old. It is my joy in life to give anything that gives me so much pleasure the gift of life. The Biologist at MDC know that the harvest is very select, and that the larger percentage of Black Bass Fisherman are catch and release. This is the data that is used. Remember this, Table Rock is and has to be a self-sustaining resource as far as the Black Bass species is concerend. Poor spawn, good spawn, no matter, it is on its own. No Stocking Here. If you feel comfortable keeping legal size bass, its your right. If you feel right using live crayfish, shiners, worms or leaches to catch and kill pregnant females on beds while they try and sustain a non-stocked resourse, go ahead. Let the grand children and their grand children deal with your glutony, what do you care, thats the way your folks did it. Lets us just go ahead and use up all the natural resources we can and while were at it put the country in the largest debt in history. Let the Grand Kids and their Grand Kids deal with our fundamental lack of repect for who and what we are responsible for. Thats the way our folks did it so it has to be right. Or, Oh, It's really not a problem however as most of us can catch all we want anytime we want. We have special teniques that really work anytime we go. All the more reason to kill everyone of them we can. I will not kill these fish as they bring me far to much pleasure. The smiles they put on the faces of the people I take are priceless. The joy of seeing gleaming spotted bass smash a red-fin is one of my greatest thrills. Be pretty hard for me to slice the sides out of something that gives me that much joy. A heavy thump on a football jig and the Bull Tug of the LM up the James River, where a few years ago, they were almost non-existant. Be really hard to cut one of their heads off. The screem of the reels drag as that 4 pound SMJ takes off with my grub in the dam area, where as early ago as 1976 they were not even classified as a catchable fish on Table Rock. Know for sure I cannot gut any of these wonderful pullers. So, from here forth, pleas do not bring up populaton control, it has nothing to do as far as the catch limits of the Bass on Table Rock are concerned. Your tourist dollars do however. No, for me food is just to cheap and the joys of life to high for me to end any one of them. I love Table Rock and all the precious fish that swim in her.