Bill Babler

No thermocline at this time. None expected on the date mentioned.

Guys, thanks a bunch for buying my last years rods at some very good pricing. I have 14 Shimano Symetre 2500 series reels, some new in boxes and some very slightly used that have been to the factory and completely reconditioned, even if I only used them a month or so. I also have some Eakins Jig Rods, and Shaky head rods for sale, along with some very nice lowrider spinning rods. Rods are half price, and totally reimbersable on trade in. Reels are a flat 75.00 either new in box, or just like new, no tax. If you want a top quality spinning really at a good price these area great for either dropshot, mojo rig, grub swimming, or shaky head. 417-332=7016 Thanks Bill

Lets start on Friday with Full day Guide trips out of Kimberling City for Beck and Myself. I think every Guide worked this weekend as lots of folks in the Area. Just a very good stickbait bite Thursday thru Sunday, very early on Bluffends and Transitions near spawning coves, with fish staging in these locations. When the sun got up you had to have a breeze to get any interest. Grub Swimming from Kimberling to point 5 worked excellent for Beck this weekend, after the stickbait bite died, but I am still struggling with it. Drag baits especially the Fish Dr. are keeping me in business along the the shakey head. Great reports lakewide of the 1/2 oz football catchin them out to 25 ft. off the flats staging was also reported. Good reports of spinnerbaits slow rolled on windy banks caught fish Saturday and Sunday, in similar locations. Moss line from Point 9 to Long Creek, seems to be 10 ft. Stickbaits and Grubs over the top out to the line and then rigs and jigs on the deep side seem to be the ticket. The spinnerbait is also great at shallow depths, if the wind is howling. The topwater bite will I think be on by first of next week, maybe sooner if it stops freezing. Fridays trips were all about the same for most of us 15 to 20 keepers and 40 fish. Some guides did way better, in the Kimberling area. Saturday my trip with Karen, Gary and Hunter out of Viney Creek was really fun. About 25 fish came to the boat before it got to windy for us to fish 3 and several nice keepers were ammong them. Was not going to mention Gary's catches of limbs, and rocks, but they supplimented our catch so great work Gary. Hunter was the star of the show, and at 12 yrs. old, he has the potential to really be good. All fish came on bluffends and major cove points. Sunday was rough with lots of wind, but the two derby's out of Aunts creek, all caught fish in very nice quanities. Saturday's Weekend series took a huge bag by Wes Endicott to win, with 24 pounds, for 5 fish, that included a 7 and a 6er. Great Job Wes. Its goin get really started soon. Good Luck out there.

Mid-May is just about as good a time as you can choose. As Dutch said the lake is very diverse, but a very good bait shop in the Kimberling City area that for that matter, covers the entire lake, as it gets guide reports lake wide is Table Rock Bait and Tackle. If they don 't have it, you really won't need it. My bag of goodies for your time frame would for sure include the fixin's for splitshot rigs with 1/4 oz. shot, bullet weights, or egg sinkers, or you can rig them carolina style or with a keeper. No 1 or 1/0 cheap eagle claw lazer hooks will do just fine, as if they wolf it down, just pull out the bait and let them keep the deep or gut hook. People have a hard time doing this with Owners, or expensive Gamai's. Zoom Fish Dr. in green pumpkin, watermellon, watermellon red and junebug will work great. Zoom Baby Bushogs in watermellon red up the James will get you tickled. Chompers cenipedes in pbj and watermellon candy are also the bomb Chompers 1/4 oz shakey head rigged with their pbj laminate is the absolute bomb for shakin and a bakin with the shakey head. You can also rig the watermellon candy cenipede. Fish these baits off the flats and in spawning pockets. Get out early and look for topwater activity and then use this to relate to your entire day. If I see fish working a flat at dawn, and you can use any of the multitudes of topwater noise makers, it really does not matter, then when the sun comes up they will for the most part relate to the bottom that time of year, so you can use that and ply the depths with the downstairs drag baits, already mentioned. Grub swimming early of a morning, or thru schoolers is a plenty good way to get nipped, use a 1/4 oz jig head with a chompers 3 to 5 inch grub. We also like the BP XPS in Copper. Swim the bait or as locals call it scrub it along the bottom very slowly to active fish. Foul weather days are very good grub days, as SMJ's love the grub. Colores should include salt and pepper, grey or motor oil. The more baits you bring the more apt, you are to mess-up. I would leave or not spend any money on the hard body cranks for Mid-May. Stay with the soft-plastics, and the topwater, and you will get bit. Keep an eye on us and it will be pretty easy to see whats a goin on down here. Good luck

I know there are a couple of cabin type bandb situations over there. One is on needles eye and I am for sure you can get those for two nights. One night is possible out of Kimberling Inn and that is not a very far drive for Shell Knob. Also Berryville and Eureka Springs have lots of lodging that does not require more than 1 night.

Cmac, Don't know if you were fishing the James River or not, but I have caught two other fish very similar to your's, in the last week and a half. One was a very nice 3 pounder K out of a cedar tree, that was just eaten up with ugly scars trailing a brown gray mossy like substance, and another was a LM in the 4 pound range, that looked just like him.. Was very careful releasing the fish and used a sanitizer on my hands and the hard baits I caught them on. Don't know if this is anything we could be spreading around, or for that matter be worried about. I have seen this in the Fall, Winter and Early Spring fishing for tree fish. Usually just sores, not sores with the brown gelatin moss type goop that is on them now. Even, in a derby, I would be very leary and to tell you the truth, would not put one in the livewell. I'll try and do a little research this week and see what the College Grads that work for MDC think. Bill

I can truthfully say, I have never fished a bait that out of the box is more productive than these Megabass stickbaits, fished under the correct contition. My client today, a very accomplished fisherman used a pointer 112 in TRS and also a McStick in both Blue and Chrome Shad, and to my regreat there was no compairison. I hope I don't have to supply these baits. They completely divorured this bait in Tennissee Shad early and Bone later with the sun up. At close to 30 smackers a pop, they are not for everyone, but for me, from now on they will be on the menu. Good luck out there.

Didn't have a trip today, and Becky and I are doing a little remodeling in one of the guest rooms, but she let me get out if I promised to be back before noon to finish my honey-do task. Launched at Baxter at 6:30 to a light rain, clouds and flat as a mirror water. Even with the flat water, I thought I would be ok, as they are really starting to bite. WRONG, I stunk it up. Fished till 10:30 with only 1 bite, a very nice 3 plus pound K out of a cedar. I tired everything I could think of and then some and for the life of me, could not get a bite. Went home and finished the carpentry and got the tools put away by 2:30 and was back on the water. It was just flat pouring and the wind was a howling. How much better could that be for the SMJ's at the dam. Pulled out of old 86 with rain a pelting me like BB's and headed for the first wind blown channel bank that I could hold the boat on. The Big Brown ones love the New Megabass. 8 fish on the first stop with all being quality keepers. They bit so good my first pass, I did something I usually never do, and turned around and refished the same 200 yrd. stretch of bank. Mistake, only one short Small Jaw. Next spot and it was windy and I mean Windy with a capital Slam. Man they were on this bank too. Largemouth, K's and SMJ's. Simply lost count, trying to hold the boat and jerk the fish. These were FLW released fish, and were really concentrated. Last spot, I ran across the face of the dam and man that was rough. There were easy 3 footers out there and the rain was just a pelting. Inside 45 degee shelf rock bank that works out on a long rounded seconday point, with suprisling just the right ammount of wind. Gosh I got bit. Everyone was a very dark brown green tiger striped SMJ, and they were toads. If I would have fished this area this morning, I would not have gotten bit. If I fish it tomorrow with a high sky and sun, I won't get bit, for the fish to bite well at the dam, you must have a condition, usually cloudy and windy. Rain does not hurt a thing. I pretty blue bird days in the 70's, the day we all like to be out on, you will struggle from point 5 to Longcreek. Today however, was the right day.

T. Here is a pretty good breakdown. Heavy Weather this time of year, from Point 9 to Long Creek. Big SMJ's, LM and the biggest K's on the lake live here, but they know what your thinkin. Got to have a little weather to pull the wool over there hungry eyes. Spawn, April thru the 1st of June. Campbell Point to Long Creek, and up to point 12 on the James River produce superfine quality bites. June 1st. till July 1st. NO QUESTION, THE UPPER JAMES RIVER. THis is the breadbasket of TRL and is the heart and soul of our fishery. After the spawn, post spawn this is the place to be, like no other. July thru Sept. Kimberling City deep K bite is at its best and it can be fantastic. Oct. Thru Now . Long Creek to Buttermilk and Point 11 thru point 23 will do you right. Not died in the wool, but if someone has a better idea I would love to hear it. Shear numbers of both non and keeper bass year around from point 16 to point 22, no questions asked. THis is 30 years on the rock and still a pretty young 53. Things have changed, but this is what remains, and it is very good. Good Luck out there.

Without a doubt. No Question Period. Shell Knob is the fishing capitol of Table Rock Lake. No where, at anytime can any other lake section compete with the shear numbers of bass that can be caught from point 18 to Eagle Rock, it is the mecca for numbers. I did not mention size or derby winning fish. I mean shear numbers of fish. In the past I have seen full day guide trips based out of Big Cedar run to Shell Knob to fish. I have seen trips from Cape Fair run to the mouth of the Kings. It is still not uncommon at all, even last year with the 4 buck a gallon gas to have full day guide trips out of Kimberling City, run to Shell Knob. If we as guides ask each other where we were fishing today, and how we did and you say I was at the Knob today, anything you say dosen't count, as you are expected to have nailed them. Most all the guides, and a very high percentage of the locals, can catch bass in numbers 365 days a year out of Shell Knob. You can't say this for the rest of the lake. Am I saying Shell Knob is the best fishing on TR. YOU BET

Just a fantastic trip out of the Knob, with my buddy and two very good clients. Great guys, we have fished with for years. Did not think I would ever find it to windy to fish a stickbait, but yesterday was the day. High Blue and Ice Cold wind with water that was clear to 15 ft. Water temps had fallen from the 30th. by about 4 degree across the board and it made it very challenging at the start. Watermellon candy cenediede was the best bet fishing the inside 1/3 of flat cove mouths out of if possible the wind. Man it blew. My legs are still shaking from the prussure of standing on that trolling motor all day. It was extremely hard and physically demanding. Caught a couple on a grub and our best fish on the Pointer 112 in TRS, but the numbers came on the splitshot rig. Phil was right on with the depth, and the funning think about this is we could not fish the stuff I wanted to fish, cause of the wind. They are just starting to bite if you are on it just a little. With the conditions yesterday, I will take over 40 fish anyday, with the 10 keeps weighed in, for good measure, not a bad day under perfect conditions.

YES, Those are what you think they are. Megabass Jerkbaits. That is cause you have to be a jerk to spend the kind of money they cost. Just had to have a few of them and got a really good deal. I have some custom painted rogues that are very similar in price, but for sure will not fish or fly like these babies. Colors are Stardust Shad ie it looks just like the ole chrome/blackback rapalas. Deadly Bone with holographic sides and chartruse bellie, Whew GP Skeleton Tennessee Shad, Purple top. Looks like a Table Rock Shad butt Got to 231 pounds in mid-january and that really does not fit a 5'9" frame. I have way to many things I like to do and am way to active to carrry that kind of weight. Went on the Fit for Life diet and this morning I'm at 194. Goal is 180 by June 1st, and then maintain the 180 to 190. I know how to do it now. God Bless

Donnie, gave me one of the Micky Finn's last year. I have decided to put gas and oil in it and use it for a kicker motor, I'm sure it is at least 4 HP. All kidding aside, I know he catches lots of fish on it, but that darn thing scares me to death. If you have confidence in a bait it will work. I am working up the nerve to throw that thing. I don't believe the soft plastic Swimbaits work here, just to big.

RangerZ22, Great to hear you are looking in our area. Kimberling City is a fantastic place to live with lots of shopping and fishing right at your fingertips. If you are buying in a subdivision, and they are throwing in a slip with the home I would for sure take it weather you use it or not. I would not spend very much if anything on a slip. The days of the $30,000.00 boat slip are long gone. Not to hard to pick one up now, for less than half that. Also know that the Corp. is going to approve a large number of docks in the near future, and that will further lower a price that had gotten to be absurd. We reciently priced a 20 slip dock for our lodge and the price was under $100,000.00 so you know there is profits to be made if you are selling slips for much over 8 or 10 grand. We have two slips now at Shell Knob, and won't leave the boat in them. Not a good practice to leave an unattended boat on the Rock, reguardless of where it is. We trailer to fish. Table Rock is very diverse and if you have flexibility, you can usually find them. If you are locked in one certain area, unless it is Shell KNob, sometimes the bite can be pretty tough. Homes in Subdivisions are down from there highs by about 15 to 20 percent. Lake view and Lake front homes are really about the same as they have been. Any upturn in the Market and with Spring coming, might be a good time to buy one, as they will on any positive good economic news rise. Good Luck

Great Report Fish are really starting to get aggresive. Yesterday in the wind, starting at 2 PM in the dam area, we boated well over 20 keepers on the stickbait and swimming a copper flake grub. My client in the back yesterday, an older gentleman, fished the pointer 112 in TRS, by throwing it up on the windy flats, and then just letting it soak, as he said, he reeled it in when he had a fish, or when we moved. He caught at least a dozen doing this. I would here him say, "This is great, I don't even have to do nothin, but throw it out and wind them in." Make a long cast with the stickbait, reel or jerk it down, and then just keep your line tight, twitch the head around, in a similar fashion to walking the dog with a spook, but leave it out there. It you are in the correct depth, even when it is almost trailing the boat, you are still ok. Dick, caught 5 or 6 with the boat in 24 and his stickbait directly behind it, probably no more than 8 ft. deep, suspended. The fish are just moving and in all layers of the water column. Fish are on secondary inner points and main lake flat gravel points. A very good tip, is if you can cast and hit the bank, you might be in a bit close for what is really putting numbers in the boat. My boat is in from 18 to 24, and our grub and stickbait bites are usually about halfway back to the boat. That is at least a full cast from the bank. These fish have moved from the transitions, and are staging on these long points leading into the major spawning areas. As Chris reported there is also starting a splitshot bite either in these locations, or steeper secondaries, some timber seems to help. It is really getting good now, and it should only get better. Take good care of them as they are ripe with eggs and fat as pigs. Good luck

I think surface temps were I have been fishing have gone up. Sure helped my day yesterday. Surface temps from Shell Knob to Viney yesterday right before dark were running 56.7 on main lake windy points. That was the warmest water I have seen all year. Up the Kings in front of the muddy run off water surface temps were at 57. That is way warm enough. Yesterday a high prussure front after the storm, you would have thought it would have been the kiss of death, but it was fantastic. The reason, is that it is time for them to be up and going reguardless of the weather. Daylight hrs. are increasing, and the water is now going to stay in that 50 plus range and climbing no matter what. They are wanting to get started. I can always seem to tell, when the K's get up on the flat points, from the Winter deep water haunts. Good Luck

Guys, you don't have to get a stickbait down to 20 ft. to have a fish that is already 20 ft. deep eat it. Water is pretty clear now everywhere except the river arms that have runoff. Most of the stickbait fish I am catching are in the top of the water column, and even if they arn't, they will come and get it. Had a huge number of keepers this afternoon, on a slim pointer 100 TRS. I mean a big number. Most of these fish were cruising windy flat gravel and chunk points in under 20 feet of water. They were eating the paint off the pointer. Pass it up if wind is not on it, but if you can find a breeze on a point, you can catch-em. Spoke to 3 other fisherpersons, 1 was cranking and the other two were jig fishing. They were all catching lots and lots of fish, but very few keeps. I was catching all keeps on the stickbaits. Had one guy come up to me and told me he had just fished the point I was on and had not caught anything, but from across the lake had seen me swing at least 4 fish and came over to snoop. I told him what I was doing, and caught another one while he was sitting there watching. Ended up catching 7 keeps off that one point. The suspend dots, help the bait maintain a netural bouancy or sink in water temps under 50. As the water warms these baits will not sink as well, and you can use FCarbon to help, but the normal pointer or McStick will usually run 5 to 7 ft. If that bait is 7 ft. down and the fish are 20 ft. That is no step at all for them. I have caught dropshot fish that were on the bottom in 50 ft. and when the dropshot hits the water and starts to sink you can see them rise to the bait. Many times they will rise to a spoon or a dropshot as much as 40 ft. They will do the same thing with the stickbait. Don't need to now however, they are cruising and running from 4 to 16 ft. on most good windy banks. Good luck and throw that stickbait.

Whacked, the way I'm fishing it is as long a cast as possible and jerking it down. I then go jerk, jerk twitch,twitch, and then let it sit. Maybe 15 to 20 seconds then twitch, twitch. Then I usually set the hook on a 4 pound jaw or a 3.5 pound K. Denny, I know you told me how to fish that grub, but I just can't do it like that. Phil Stone is doing the same thing you are and catchin them pretty good, but again it is a very hard technique to do. You will really be suprised at the ammount of moss that is now growing from the Indian's to point 7, it is getting really bad, and if you let that grub hit the bottom in anything under 8 ft. it is mossing up with green slime. I don't know, there has got to be away to catch them all the time, I just have not figured it out.

Started out early, and I mean early. Picked up Darren Cooper at 6:30 in the AM out of the Timbers development in the back of the Big Indian. Everybody is telling me swimming a grub is the way to catch-em, but we still have not gotten that bite figured out. Started swimming it on flat gravel and did catch one fantastic 19 inch K right off the bat, and then it went cold. Picked up the Pointer 100 and the McStick Chrome Shad, and got it started. Not a tremendious ammount of fish for either myself or Darren, but quality galore. I started it with a very nice 4 plus pound SMJ and Darren followed with a couple of nice keeper SMJ's. Moved to an interior point in the back of the Little Indian, on flat water, mind you and caught 3 more keeper Smallmouth, with another at 4.5 pounds. Was to later find out that yesterday was going to be a "Big Fish Day". The boy's were going to bite. Headed out of the Indian's and around the dam area on a very nice tip from Tim Paige. Its nice to have friends in the guide business. Hit a 45 degree bank, with just a ripple of breeze on it and Darren Bowed up on a 5pound 2 oz. SMJ. We tried to get both phones to take picks, and nither worked, which was a total bummer. Dropped Darran off at 11 AM and when in to lunch with Becky. It was clouding up and getting breezy and I got permission to return on my own as the lodge was in pretty good shape. Was back on the water around 1 Pm and Saw EP with some clients. He had a Mom and Son, and I knew anything I had to say wouldn't help, so I just told him it was tough. I knew he was just doing the best he could with what he had to work with. This is not the time of year for non-casters, and it looked like EP was trying to cast for both of them, and run the troller and keep the boat positioned properly. Just about Impossible. God Bless him, the boy was all bubble as he said he had caught one. At 1;30 the wind started to blow, and the front came in and it was just magic. Both Tetrick and myself, on different areas of the lake went APE. Huge K's were inhaling the Slim Pointer 100 in TRS. Any location with gulls and wind blowing in on any type of bank held these huge K's. I mean 3 to 4 pounders. Surface temps at the dam exactly 50. Shad are still dying by the 1000's and the gulls are really working them. IF you can find gulls, and wind, you will find fish, reguardless of the bank or structure type. Just gulls without wind is not working, it seems stiring the water to a froth, and gulls is magic. The wind was so heavy around 3 PM my troller was hopping out of the water. It was hard to stand on the deck with fish pulling one direction and the boat bounding in another. 1:30 to 3:30, I'm not going to say, cause I really don't know, but the number was huge, and I cannot remember catching a short fish. All total pigs. I'm gussing the best 10 at probably 35 pounds in the afternoon, and the best 5 for the day counting Darren's and mind from the morning trip in the 22 pound range. Pretty nice range. Was not only me and Tetrick, Paige caught the heck out of them as did a couple of guys I spoke to at the ramp. Everyone I spoke to caught them on Stickbaits in the wind, where you could find it. Great day and Good Luck out there

Joe, you may have better luck on another forurm Check out General Fishings topics, or Excotic Fishing trips, and you will get a better responce than the Table Rock Lake Forum. Good luck to you, sounds like fun. Thanks Bill

Point well taken Sam, Good fishing out there.

Walleye Troller, Not so much. It was on another thread. My post is that I cannot give information that is guess work. That is just not fair. If I'm not doing it now, or don't know how to do it, I'm not going to post it. You-all all have the luxury of telling folks, if you try here or there you may catch some, if you are here at the right time. This is fantastic information that the locals provide. I just love it. I cannot post that type of information. I have to deal in reality how to do it Right Now and be successful. I deal in facts of what I know. I tell of my experences and those of my best friends that are on the water everyday. Not all great, but accurate. At our seminar, I took every rod and reel set-up with the exact line and baits I use everyday, and handed them thru the entire group for everyone to look at. Over 15 setups. This is as accurate as I can be and my post are the same. Not exact spots, but locations, and how to fish them. How many guides are posting entire guide trips? The reason for the post was to show a time-line. Look at the expanses in our catches. I posted this for people to go to those same James River areas and catch fish. Not with me, but on their own. This is just how I look at things. I want to help people that have never fished here. You should not have to come to our lake and hire a guide. IF you want to that is a totally different story, and we appreciate the business. It should be on a want to and not a need to basis, and I will continue to post in that fashion.

Not at all Sam, and for that matter, I very much enjoy your post. Don and I both, were just responding to the post as it was written. Right now fishing Kimberling for crappie. I look at things in a totally different light. I have to catch fish and I have to spend every minute on the water wisly. He said Kimberling City and I said Bass. If he would have said he was staying at Bridgeport, Hickory Hollow, or Brushy Creek Resort, my post would have been entirely different. He wanted to catch his Boss some crappie, Right now at Kimberling. Can anyone take him to there spots they have found, or tell him where he can catch some crappie at Kimberling City Right now? We as locals have the great opportunity to go and if we don't catch them, so what. Or we caught them here or there in the past. Does not mean Right Now we can run over there and catch them, or for that matter tell a person that has never been here how to or where to go. As far as Table Rock being a Crappie distination, I can think of 20 lakes right off the top of my head that I would rather go to than the Rock. Bull Shoals for sure being one. Sam I think your James River information was excellent, but you made it sound way to easy. I have been up both the Kings and Longcreek in the past week and several of my guide buddies that live at Cape fair are out everyday looking for whites and crappie, and it just ain't as easy as swimming minnows on flats. We know these areas, as you do, and fish them continusly this time of the year. Some days we do well, some days its horrible. I being a guide can't take those types of chances with clients. I have to put them on fish. That is why I'm going to Bass fish for the most part on Table Rock, I can always catch them and 90% of the time, tell people, people that have never even been here how to catch them. Always look forward to your post. Not a rant at all, look at all the icons I put in the post, just havin a little fun.

When you all see information, posted here by guides that are on the water everyday or close to it, there is a for sure reason for our advice. Unlike the majority of the viewership here, Don, Eric, Chris, Capt. Joe or Myself, cannot or will not give you Might Be-Able To or Maybe if you find my secret tree. Types of Information. I cannot afford even 30 minutes of my clients day looking for something that I don't already know. I can't say, Lets spend two hours of your 4 hr. guide trip checking and searching for fish that are very hard to find and not always there. I have guided here the better part of 17 yrs. and I have only skunked 2 times. Once on a July afternoon, with a couple of drunks, and a 1.5 hr. bass trip a couple of weeks ago, out of Chateau fishing some Sports Writers from 2 PM to 3:30 Pm. I cannot give maybe advice or you might advice. I have to give patterns that are working,"Right Now." When I give post on different regions of the lake and different areas, its not what I think is going on, or what should be going on, it what is going on. I know this or I wouldn't post it. I fished there or one of my guide or local buddies fished it. No, we don't always catch a boat full, but I post that too. I don't speculate, I only operate on the Facts Mam!

I'm sorry, I must have misread his post. "Kimberling City Crappie Next Week". I completely misunderstood the post. Didn't think he mentioned traveling up to Galena, Cape Fair, Flat Creek, Kings River or Longcreek. Must have missed that part. I'm sure its only a hop skip and jump from Kimberling City to any of those RIVER destinations. For all of you that are catching big limits of slab crappie at Kimberling City now, Now being the key word, God Bless You. I can't do it. This gentleman has to my knowledge not been here, and I am sure with all your great info, he will run right out at Kimberling and fill boat with keeper crappie, or for that matter, even catch 1. Seems to me someone here a very good fisherman that is a local and loves to fish for crappie and whites had a very tough struggle last week, not only fishing the Kings, but also Longcreek. Again probably misunderstood the advice. I had no idea all you had to do was go up the James river and throw a swimming minnow on the flats to catch limits of crappie and whites. I'm going to start taking all my trips to these locations if its that easy, as I'm sure it must be. I continue to learn, and am constantly amazed. Good Luck out there.