Bill Babler

I’m thinking 39 to 43 pounds. You had so many guys really stop fishing by noon. Lawyer kind of falls in with that other group I had today. I might be totally off base but he had to put things together to make the cut. While he was hammering on his other guys were driving around staring at graphs. I don’t think the dock guys or the bed guys are going to win this. Again I might be and probably am totally wrong but Ever’s has an extremely strong pattern that does not need to be replenished. He is catching them coming and going The FFS Mafia and staging jerk baiters have fish to burn. Tomorrow will tell a lot. If Ehrler, Connell, Ever’s or Wheeler put 17# on the board tomorrow it’s over as all 4 have fish out the wazzo to burn. Just an extremely uneducated guess as I’m usually terrible at this. Little Jones can also catch off their butts, along with Neil and Ebare.

Game is going to change tomorrow they can catch a big bag as weights carry over. Wheeler pretty much quit fishing at 11am. I’m going to guess he has 15 to 17 pounds tomorrow. Ehrler and Connell will also have them. When in transition stick bait fish turn on, DC is a total freak. Ever’s is a real dark horse catching them on top water. Great deal and it will keep replenishing and you also have a shot at pre and post spawn LM doing that. Had his thinking cap on. I think he was the only guy doing it. Probably be more as word spreads fast even though it’s not allowed to. Might be totally wrong but Ashley, Thrift, Howell and DeFoe I believe run out of fish the next 3 days. Ashley may not, but I think he slows down. Thoughts?

I found out some info on it. From this source the National Tournaments. MLF-BASS get a convenient package with Lodging some meals and transportation. They also get a $100,000.00 appearance fee. For the REDCREST event that is similar package with a $150,000.00 fee. For the BASS MASTER CLASSIC the fee is $250.000.00. It’s still the big kid on the block. I’m pretty sure my guys knows.

Thank you so much for the input and welcome to the forum. From the folks I’m speaking with it seems this year the pressure has been far greater on the White than the Kings.

There are goods and services considerations but there is also a cash payment. Chamber of Commerce and visitors bureau.

Wheeler is so far off the bank he needs an airline ticket to get to dry land. Evers is catching them on top water in the same places you would catch them next month on the Rock. I just wonder if the FFS companies kick in money for MLF to come to theses places where they shine like this. These guys are seeing most every fish they catch. Going to be interesting to see how many FFS guys make the top 10. Ehrler made a totally accurate comment. Durn Spots don’t live anywhere permanent. They roam as bad as smallmouth. I’m saying more on the White River chain.

Don’t know in this day and age but 20 years ago Kimberling City was paying $50,000.00 for a top 150. I’m guessing at the minimum a quarter million for REDCREST or the Classic. Probably more.

OMG, he has done it again. Wow, fantastic morning.

Jordan Lee is fishing a spinning rod with 6# test line. Geeeeez! Wheeler Dinged a 3 pounder. What was MLF thinking, or were they even thinking? Marty said a few years ago Ever’s won here and the 4 day total was 46#. 11.5 pounds per day and he probably waded thru 40 fish a day to get to that. I will say I have not seen that many multi-million dollars homes stacked on each other like that. Lots of cash there, probably really why MLF is in Charlotte.

Nice fish. Thanks Bob for the report, good info. Should have saved that one for Saturday. That’s a winner.

Why in the world are they fishing a spinning rod lake? No desire to see the top 40 guys in the world catch 1.8 pound bass one after the other on 2/3 inch swim baits by the bucket loads. Evers does have a good one but cripes they are saying 12 pounds is a good day. That’s fine and dandy if it’s tough, but not if you’re catching 50 fish to get to 12 pounds.

I kind of agree with waterpossum. Be Nice if they would put a restricted zone in both the White and Kings. January thru March above a certain point on each river system. Be easy to also say no fishing between 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour prior to sunrise. I would love to know the daily movement patterns of these fish. Yesterday I was told there is nothing in front of you and then as if fairy dust is sprinkled on the water there are so many you could walk across the Kings river on them. They just don’t start biting, they start moving.

I believe Quill had some information on stocking on Table Rock. James River, Kings River and White River. With creel and minimum length limits established and a stocking program in both Missouri and Arkansas it’s really hard to complain to people about harvesting legal fish that were stocked for that purpose. It’s a sticky subject and almost totally impossible to enforce procession limits. They can enforce what they see as far as a daily creel limit but they for the most part are not checking freezers. I would have never killed that limit or really even a single fish in the picture I saw today, but that’s me. Visited a little more with the guy working on my house that caught them and he said a lot of guys snag them like suckers up there, which I believe is a total no-no. Probably one warden in Carroll Co. And 1 in Barry County. No way to even come close to enforcing the regulations.

Just talked to a guy and unfortunately saw pictures from last nite at the Romp Hole. 2 guys 4 fish limit each. Total weight of 51 pounds. Biggest 9.25 9pm till 12:30 am. Said the river was totally full of walleye. They were set up by 7pm but first bite was at 9 pm. Also catching a few whites. Said the whites are starting to porpoise. Shiners and Creek chubs. Made no difference. Free spooling 20# Big Game on a Carolina Rig. 1/2 oz egg sinker 3ft. above the live bait. Said they are not in the least line shy. Said they have only seen one other bank fishermen up there this year. Several guys at the bridge up to the first bend. They let them eat it for at least a couple of minutes so you know it’s swallowed and a dead fish regardless. Not my deal but they have been doing it for years.

I’ve been up there a couple of times midweek the last couple of weeks and have not seen that pressure. No rigs at Holiday island and did not quite get as far as houseman. Have seen the walleye pontoon both times and 4 boats one time and 2 the next, besides the pontoon. Even with RPS trying to help, I’m pretty inept. I’ve not caught one but am terror on the small bass. I’ve seen one Arkansas guide boat each time but they are trout fishing. Maybe on the weekends they are working on them but not so much during the week, that I have seen. Don’t think there is a need to panic. Got a feeling if there is a problem both Mo. and Arkansas will start stocking again.

The guys I talk to at Church fish at nite. We have a guy working on our house right now that has been fishing up at the Romp hole. Said he has been catching them that high up since January. Like I said I don’t know but theses locals are catching them, up the Kings.

Couple of guys at our church are walleye bank fishermen with creek chubs and crawfish. They also use shiners They fish up the Kings I was visiting with one yesterday and he says they are now catching some spawned out females, above the 86 bridge I had no idea they got done this quick. He said they never used to. Said if possible they release the heavy females but the last several years they have caught post spawn fish in early March. For you walleye guys does this seem early to have already spawned? Just saw an article that said they start at 38 to 40 degree and are over 90% finished by 50 degree water. Simply had no idea.

Friend of mine used that mini A-rig in Florida this past winter and had great success with it. Has tried it several times here with zero success. Dock it posted a double A a few weeks ago he found and it seems to work way better here. I have no idea why. You would think the reverse.

It was cool yesterday too. 46 degree at the SK Bridge. Did find some 51 with color in the back of Big Creek although it was clearing fast. The water running behind the murky was drinking water clear. Outside of our main river systems excluding the White as it really stays clear, the run off thru these gravel streams filters and clears extremely fast. After a big rain like that Bo, was out there QUICK with his Black and Blue jig. Just a very short time for that colored water here on the Rock. By the way I went for 2 hours after church and only had one on an A-rig. Only bite I had.

Our own Phil Stone and teammate Pete Lenord won Fishers Of Men yesterday with 18.85 pounds. Congrats guys Couple on A-rig but majority on a jig, 15’ to 20’ depth range. Phillip said they culled multiple times. Smallest fish weighed was 2.75 pounds. We had the same kind of day but without two pushing 4 pounds and a 5 pounder. They got big fish also with the 5er.

Little bit of small stuff floating on the White, but water from the mouth of the Kings to Viney clear as a Bell.

Son Steve and I crashed the party yesterday at 7:10 to a fog bound ramp at Shell Knob. Could barely see 20 yards in front of the boat so we just idled across the lake to the Big Cove S. Of the bridge. Started throwing a jerk bait off the bluffend and Steve said, “Dad, there chasing in the middle of this pocket.” Surface temp 43.9 and yep they were pushing it looked like 4 or 5 separate schools of Shad to the surface. Grabbed the 2.8 inch Keitech and game on. Steve caught at least 15, all keepers and all LM. All cookie cutters at 2 to 3 pounds. We fished it for about 2 hours and had probably 25 with 15-17 keepers. It was all LM till it wasn’t, last 10 fish were really nice K’s. Funny on the way to the lake we both said No top water today. For sure they would have hit a Pop R or a Spook. Fished up the White to Viney using a 3/8 jig and a Ned and caught a dozen more with only one more keeper. They were biting. Bottom fish on chunk/ transition 15’ to 22’. Surface temps at noon at Viney Creek 47 degree. Not a sniff all day on the jerker, and I threw it a bunch. Good Luck

Don’t you dare talk about my girl like that. Those are FIGHTEN WORDS MISTER.

Yep they didn’t help us today, but we squeezed by Ole Miss. 4th. Seed double by. 23-8. Gates is off to a great start at Mizzou. Don’t care what the NET says, Hogs lose in the 1st. Round, they be headed to the NIT. Frankly I don’t think they give a $hite, every man for himself. Really a shame with all that talent. Probably too much, need some glue and Heart. Please prove me wrong and make the derby and show out

Buster uses a short pistol grip rod also. I was out with Mike last year and he was working on the prototype for spring. Mum was the word, so I never mentioned it