Bill Babler

For any of you guys that think that the spawn is even near being over the last week of April, you are way off base. Just as many fish will spawn in May if not more. The first and second full Moon in May are monsters. K's will still be spawning into memorial weekend. This year its who knows. Light penetration and length of daylight hours along with water temps and conditions influence the spawn. The fish com in shifts and waves as mother nature does not put all her eggs in one basket. If water calarity is right, alot of these K's will spawn, out to 16 and 18 ft. Most people think the spawn is over when they see the LM move out from under their dock ramp. Not true at all.

Guys, please, please before posting questions, take a minute and browse topics that we are discussing during the week. There are volumes on the camp grounds already posted. For sure they are open at What's up Doc. But you can give them a call and find one in the area you wish to fish, I believe the number was posted under the discussions we have had this week. thanks Bill

Tournament Reports are coming in on todays action out of Aunts Creek, Guys and Gals, out of Kimberling and a State Park tournament at the dam. Huge stringer of fish with lots of 5, 6 and 7 pounders, mostly Largemouth, coming out of the muddiest water you can find in the buck brush. Seems Lake wide except for the Upper White, which is gin clear where I fished yesterday. Of Course... Power fish with Charturse bladed Spinner baits, with big willow or as large as you can find hammered copper. If you catch one it is a good possibility another will come out of the same bush. Reports are they are aggresive and violent. Many fish lost due to being mean. Most lake reports water at 52 degree lake wide. Put your trolling motor on high and fly down the bank covering as much water as possible. Don't forget that there are bushes both out from the bank, and behind the standing in water trees. Lots of reports of waking the bait over the bushes and having huge fish boil onto the bait. Don't guess you need a gentle presentation, only a noisy one. Most reported the bite really started about Noon, and didn't stop all the rest of the day. I'm out tomorrow and see if I can get in on the dirty water action. Hope this helps, Good Luck and Good news, we sure needed it.

Gents, I have about 20 of these fantastic 3 piece travel rods with cases for sale. Some were used last year on Kodiak Island and the Naknek River in Alaska. Some have never been unwrapped. Sizes are 7ft. 2 to 6 pound line and 7ft. 6 to 12 pound line They are light weight long cork handle. Ceramic guides, Graphite Composite with a Cordura case. Fantastic spinning rods. Catalog price is $139.00 plus tax and shipping. Your price on these priviously used, most new in the case, is $90.00 no tax or shipping. If your interested CALL Me. No Personal messages, as I miss them most of the time. 800-544-0257 Thanks Bill

Well I believe that yellow/white spot in the sky, might be the sun, however it has been so long since I saw it last I'm not for sure. Table Rock was still on the rise yesterday and seems to have crested from our last rain, at 927.97 about a 4 in. rise yesterday. Beaver lake is just flat pumping and dumping water to try and keep things in order down there. Fishing reports starting at Holiday Island Arkansas on the White River section of the rock are, extremely clear moving water, with very tough fishing conditions, due to the shoreline being so far from reach. Identifiable shoreline is not to be found much of anywhere. Water temps in the 49 to 51 degree range. Try throwing natural color stickbaits in cuts, vertical bluffs and bluff ends. Kings River 86 Hwy bridge to James River. Extremely muddy. Jigs and spinnerbaits in the flooded bushes. If you can find clear water in the back of the pockets, try shakey head presentations, along with stickbaits. James River is from what I am hearing still extremely muddy. Have heard of some fish being caught in the bushes on spinnerbaits. Temps 52 to 54 Kimberling area, extremely muddy, clearing in the back of some of the pockets. Use dirty water presentations. Dam area, maybe a bright spot. Major creek arms and coves with some limited clearing. Football Jigs in PBJ are catching nice keepers in 22 to 26 ft. of water. Suspending stickbaits in chartruse are also working in these clearing situations. Caution, on the stickbait, and jigs, move them extremely slowly, with as much as a 20 second still period in the stickbait. If your bait will slowly sink, all the better. 52 to 54 degree water temps. Tim Paige was catchin them pretty good on the bait but his clients tended to want to move it to quickly. He told them time and time again to let it sit. They just cound not. Cast the bait out, jerk it in rapid succession, about 6 jerks, and let it alone. Twitch it about 3 twitches without moving it to the boat, and let it alone. Twitch it again, turing its head from side to side and let it alone. I just described a two minute secquence. Long range forcast is 5 to 7 inches of rain for the area starting on Wednesday, seems max. drop in lake level is about 4 to 7 inches per day if the water is not rising or Beaver is not unloading. Probably will remain above 925 as long as Beaver is dumping. Fishing is going to start getting better on warmer water reguardless. Grub swimming may be the key, plan to start in soon, a good search bait. Good Luck

If it stops raining or even if it dosen't, the water is very clear from I would say just above the mouth of the Kings to Arkansas. Did not make it much past Emrerald Beach today, but the water is gin clear, 20 plus feet of visiblilty, at Eagle Rock to Owl Creek and Normal to better than normal up to Cedar Creek. I have a feeling as the water warms, that floating worm, will be our friend. Kind of scares me thinking about it. I believe SK will be out on Sunday, and I am hoping for a cheerful report.

That is the same area as the Big Creek area that I just described to you, only on the other side of 39-1. That is a long penesula, and 39-1 runs down the middle of it. James River on one side Big Creek to Baxter on the other. Lots of Mark Twain National forrest. If I were hunting from a boat, I would probably hunt the Big Creek side. From a car, where ever. If you can't find a bird to kill in this area, you better stick with fishing or what ever else you may do. If you are sitting at the mouth of Big Creek or White Oak on opening morning and the sun comes up you will easily hear 20 plus birds in every direction to work. If you hunt both weeks of the season, and hear or see two other hunters I would find it hard to believe.

Congrats, Capt. Don. Very nice day. I know this is a pain with the fishing on the Rock, but the ammount of chow being pushed into taney is a fantastic boom for our trout. This should really increase the size of the fish we catch throughout the entire year. The last time I believe we had such a bonanza was 2002 and the fishing was fabulas for the entire year into 03. All your fish were just buldging and wanting more. People just think of the shad coming thru, but there are other critters from worms to various terrestials coming thru those gates. This is not hurting Taney one little bit and the fishing is yummy. On yesterdays post, you said you were catching them at Monkey pretty well. If you don't mind what was the hot ticket down there? I have not fished out of the Restricted Zone, except for Roark, and am getting pretty tired of looking at Belks, Department Store, and the muddy trashy banks in Roark. Monkey, might be a good place for folks that want to keep a few for the skillet. Good Luck On another note. Just who or whom is responsible for the clean up of the Roark area? That place is a mess from the construction on the landing and the herds of people fishing the bank, and leaving their sacks, cans and bottles. We might need to get some guys together and have a clean-up day. Someone should be policing that area, but I don't know who.

If you just want clear water, I can put you on it. Start at Beaver Town, Holiday Island, thru Roaring River Owl Creek area. Surface clarity is easily 20 ft. Holiday Island, Eagle Rock area 25 feet of visibility. and water temps of 52 degrees. Strong current. Fished it for 7 hrs. today and caught only one fish. Really nice 3 pounder, but that and a walleye bite were the only two bites we had. Can't find the bank or the old shoreline. Trees are standing in 15 to 17 ft. with water behind them. Pitch a jig in there if you think it will do you any good. We tried, blades in the tree tops. Jigs in the bushes, stickbaits in the cuts and on the bluffends, football jigs out to 25 ft. on the flats and rolloffs, and for the sake of us we couldn't locate any ledges in this mess. Remember, most years at this time we are at 911 and the Dr. Bite is on. today we are at 927.7, behind a cold front. My Oh, My, It should be better than this. What did we do to deserve it.

Great place for that kind of activity is in the Shell Knob, Big Creek to Baxter Area. Lots of Birds, all on Mark Twain National Forest or ground that for the most part unhunted. Start at Big Creek and work toward Baxter on either side of the lake, Tons of Birds. You can also maybe find a crappie in the area if you look really really hard. Good Luck

Day started off so,so on the upper end, with 3 to 6 per drift using for the most part Bright Red San Juan Worms in size 10, and dragging White Wollies also in size 10. Did Throw the White 1/8 oz jig, and it was good, but probably not as good as the bottom bouncers. Phil cane up and shot a little video and a few pic's and when he left he took the two other guide boats with him. At this point the action went from warm to burning hot. Me, my clients and one other boat had the entire area to our lonesome's. About 11:15 I pulled to the cable and bang it started. About 15 fish per pass from there to Clay Banks. Pass after pass after pass. Lots of Browns probably 15 to 18 with the largest at 18 inch. More Bows also with the biggest being 18.5 and a solid 3 lbs. Great colored up fish. Ben and Garry took lots of Pic's so maybe they will send me some. The Boy's thought we might have had around 70 total for the 4 hr. trip, with about 30 of them being in the two pound plus class. This was probably one of the best day's I have ever had on taney, just from the point of big after big. I frankly don't believe we could have caught a limit of sub-legal fish, as small fish were in the 13 inch class. Garry thought the average was a solid 15 inches. Both of these boys are very good sticks and fish taney all the time on normal flow. Garry has a personal best 13.2 lb. bow from the lake. They know how to fish and both stated it was their best day ever on taney. When shad are present, if you have trouble throwing a 1/8 oz. jig, put a wollie bugger on a drift rig, it is a complete killer. I would say however, that big red worm caught just as many and just as big. No boats and lots of fish, what a day.

Thanks Don, Drove down into old 86, this AM and the baracade was down and all sites were open. The problem is the electric. For the most parts if you don't want the juice, you should be able to camp. Don't know why you can't as the restrooms never flooded and they are two holers. On another note, The entire park is open at Port of Kimberling, and Campers are present. It is only a mile or two from Mill Creek. On the other end Campbell Point, Park should be open, I will find out this weekend. I am lanching at Baxter on Sunday, reguardless. Lets not be gloom and doom on this, if you want to camp we will help you find a way. Spoke to Sk this Am and he thought all was fine at Eagle Rock, although they were lanching off the lower parking lot rather than the ramp. NO Problem. Also heard there might be a spinner bait bite just getting started in the flooded bushes way up the white. Slow roll and kill over the top of the flooded bushes. It is only a matter of time, don't dispair.

With Mike being able to lanch, and half the spots open, why is it not a go? Are the restrooms flooded? SKMO has been fishing the Baxter area. He has not commented on water in the entire camp ground or commercial faculities. I will drive to each one and see exactly how it looks this evening. How about the camp ground at Whats Up dock? What about Viney Creek. It sits on a bluff for the most part, only some of it is low, which I'm sure is flooded. What about Eagle Rock, it has some very high camps. How about Campbell Point, some low and some high. There has to be a spot. I will go and find one.

Have no idea why either camp ground would be closed that far from now. There are spots available as we speak. Water is not into the camping spots. Go figure.

It was Charlie Cambell on his weekly fishing report on KY3. Showed a boat catching doubles on really nice sow-whites. Both Beck and Tim Paige reported the creek was boat full at 9 AM. Like Phil has mentioned early fisherman did extermely well. Get there at daylight. Both guide trips, caught whites, but mostly males with only a couple of keepers. Just so much boat traffic, it turned them off. You can also be like Mike and go after the night time whites, you don't need a fly rod. Less people and more fish. Great reports from Backcountry Outfitters, to show night fishing is great. Good Luck.

Jackie, Welcome to the forum and thanks for the great report. Can't wait for some info. on the Rock. On another note, an ole axiuim my Grand Pappy always told me was "If you don't say anything, people will only suspect from the looks of you that you are stupid. If you open your mouth, it will pretty much become a fact." I try and live by these words, but sometimes the stupid shows anyway. Guided fishing and fishing should not even be used in the same sentence. I guide an average of 700 clients a year, on Table Rock, Taneycomo and in Alaska, and Love 100% of them all to death. On the other hand, 99% could not drop a minnow off the Titanic and hit the ocean, let alone pitch or throw a jig to a stationery object in the wind we had today. Most guide clients are very good with the drop-shot, and most can set the hook when advised that a fish is on their split-shot rig, but percision casting is not going to be their fort'a. The guide is not there to catch fish, he or she is there to enhance their clients ability to catch fish. There is no better dock fisherman in the mid-west, that can hold a candle to Jackie and his brother, money in the bank PERIOD... Our job,is finding fish if possible that can be taken, with, for the most part, ability that is not as astute as persons that fish on a daily basis. We all do the best we can. The closest most of my bass fishing clients get to a dock, is when they get in my boat and when I return them after the trip. Before people start to recommend what we should or should not do, they need to put on the old guide hat and see how it feels. You need to remember to not put on the Chef hat, but the client hat. It is not fun to be put in a situation that you cannot succed. Our job is to make it as easy as possible and I will tell you this, We all try as hard as we can. I hope I haven't let the stupid out.

Get your rear back up on the Rock and find us some fesh. I'm up there next week and really don't have a clue. I have told the folks I'm taking next week, but none the less they are sadist and want to go. Most are fishing the annual Aunts Creek afair. Nice report Donnie, sounds like you had fun.

Went across the Kings River Bridge on 86 yesterday. Really nice green water color. Might be pretty fishable. Heard the Whites were running up Long and Youkum Creek drove the truck up to the bridge last night and the water was a great color. Talked to some guys at the ramp and they said people were catching a few crappie and small male whites. Also that cat fishing was just about as good as it gets on cut baited limb lines. They were catching lots and lots of cats on cut bait up both the creeks Both places the Kings and Long Creek had excellent water color.

Guy's I frankly don't feel I have the expertise to speak on this. I know you probably find that strange. As for the most part my knowing about anything and then speaking about it most generally don't come into play. I have never seen water at this level, nor do I know what the weather has instore. What I do know is that this lake is still very much chilled running between 46 and 49 degree. Our normal spawing banks are roughly 20 ft. behind what is now the shoreline. My biggest fear is for a quick water warm-up and the fish to start making beds. As was previously mentioned they are trying to drop the lake 6 inches per day, and are having to move plenty of water to do that. I believe as long as the water stays cool and they can get within 3 to 5 ft. of powerpool prior to Mid-April, we will be ok. I previously read a post stating the SmJ's and the K's Spawn first followed by the LM. That is not a correct post. We have caught K's spawning and full of eggs here as late as the last week of May, 1st. week of June. It is not uncommon at all. SmJ's and LM earlier. The K's and SmJ's usually spawn a bit deeper than the LM and that will also help. The hardest hit, as usually will be the LM. As far as the Crappie, I believe Don to be right on and the Whites will be in on the same game, as they are notoriously poor spawners, willing to absorb their spawn, if conditions are unfavorable. This is a wait and see game. Lets give it about three weeks and then see what's up. As far as where I have been, this is Taney time, lots of Corp. trips and Spring breakers to take trouting. Taneycomo is very good and trouting has been going great. It is also a saviour for some of our bass fisherman as they can still catch lots of fish on Taney. Reports for the Rock are again a mirror of what Capt. Don said. Mostly a big ZERO. I have gotten several trips from Table Rock guides that don't guide on Taney and thank them for letting me trout fish with their clients. Big thanks to Pete Wenners. Again lets hold our breath and be patient for a few weeks, its still early. It has however, blew this years stickbait bite.

Good Luck in the derby Stoney. I Knew that coal thing would get me in trouble as soon as I typed it. I like my new body, might be worth a hot foot.

This is my last post on the subject. First off let me say that I love Mike Webb to death. He is one of the nicest guys I have ever met. Always a smile and a kind word. Would do anything for anyone. And I guarantee you I would walk across burning coals for him. This is just an area that we tend to differ. It was his fish and he can do what he wants with it. Over 90 percent of the cold, fresh and saltwater fish in their aquariums are hatchery raised fish. There is no reason to take a spawning female out of the rock and put her in with the nameless herd. Ask 1000 people leaving BP if they saw the 6 and a 1/2 pound smally and what tank she was in, and I'll bet under 10 people could make the ID. Then ask that same 1000 people if they think she is better off there than pro-creating and swimming in her natural enviornment and see what you get. Again, Mike has a fishing lic. and can do what ever he wants. I believe a big framed picture of Mike and the fish would have gotten a lot more views, with the caption," She is still out there spawning huge offspring for you to catch." Heck! After her celebrity tour, she can still do that, hopefully. Best Wishes, and for sure no hard feelings.

Jeremy, Great fish. Glad you caught her. Looks like 6 plus to me also. Glad she is still swimming. Area of pic, looks strangly familar. I believe they might live there. Trav, if BP does the taxidermy on the replica, you wouldn't want it anyway. I have seen better Chainsaw Ice Carvings, than the majority of their mounts turn out. No reason to kill or throw a wonderful fish like that in jail.

Referred to as fresh water Halibut, we are very lucky to have one of the nations best fisheries for the behomouths right here in our back yard. Trouble is all the heavy lifting involved in getting a mess of these snowy white filets. Big equipment and local knowledge come into play here. This is a great opportunity to feel the pull of a big fish and enjoy the rewards. Capt. Don House has been guiding for the bills here on the Rock for as long as anyone, and he also has caught his share on the osage. For down home local knowledge top of the line equipment and just a flat great time, catching these ozark monsters, give Capt Don an email or buzz, and I'm sure he will squeeze you in. If you don't I will. I may anyway. Good Luck

Great fish, Thanks for the post. Would have been alot better if Mike had just taken the photo's and put her back to spawn. All Bass Pro really needs is another fish in their tanks.

Fished today 3-11-08 out of Eagle Rock. I was going to go with Buster, but he had a sick one and had to pospone. Went anyway. Got to ER at about 7 AM and the temp on my truck read a chilly 19. Water temps were 43.9 at the start and about 44.2 when I pulled off at 11:30. First 2 hrs. nothing on the jerk bait except one swat. Thru a jig for a minute or two and caught one short, so I put it up and continued to throw the stick.. Water is gin clear at Holiday Island and it was not running. No wind at all, just flat dead calm. About 10 AM I decided to throw the jig abit more, and caught 3 in the next 45 minutes. All Largemouth, with one decent keeper and two more shorts. I believe a guy can catch them on the jig. Seemed to be on long flat points in about 15 ft. Had the boat in about 20 to 25 draggin the jig off and around the points. Probably should have stayed with it after I got the quick bite early, but am stubborn and like to throw the stickbait. I'm sure I will get my fill of dragging as the year goes on. TR is still being pretty mean to me.