Bill Babler

Battery was down, do too cold temps. Catch it before long, as I do need some new pic's. Guys, my reports are just about as explisite as I can make them without casting for you. I will do my best, and I think I do, but there is a line I simply cannot cross. I have to live here and these guys are my friends. Read my post and ask questions, if you want. I may or may not answer, or if I already have I will direct you to previous post. Earlier post stated, that I have not been up the James much this year. NONE. I will make this statement. Most people that fish that far up the river, are there for a reason. That is crappie and white bass country. Also at the correct time spoonies. There are really nice largemouth up there also, if you are good enough to catch-em. I for the most part am not, nor are the majority of my clients. That area is percession cast rock, chalk, and it just dosen't work for the most of us. Topwater early floating worm, or sluggo, PBJ Jig, and spinner bug. Probably also some crankbait fish, or a wig. My post the last few days have told you where the fish are. They are at the same place up the James. I am absolutely not a power fisherman, I am a finess guy and for that matter, I have never guided a really good powerfisherman in all my years of fishing. I have fished with tons, including Bill Beck and Dan Langley. Right now the heavest line I have spooled is 8 Lb. Spoke to several of the other guys and for the past month, lots of them are fishing 4 lb. One really good guide also said he is swimming his grub on some 2 lb. segar. Lots more bites not so many fish unless your really good. He is! This time a year a few years ago, Buster Loving on two consective years won Pro-Am's using 4 lb. and catching huge smallies fishing a 3 inch swimming minnow on this lite thread. He is good and everyone knows it. A clear water genius. I am fishing for large numbers of catchable fish, we hope a good one or two thrown in. Most times up the James you are not going to get that. Sure the pay for play boys can run up there and catch some big ones. They are trying to make 250 to 300 presentations in an an 8 hour day to get 10 quality bites. They never sit, they never eat, they never rest. The largest part of our guide clients want to have a cheese burger in one hand a diet coke in the other and the fishing rod sitting at their feet with one foot on the $250.00 rod. It is a complete different world from competitive fishing. However, everyone has read the report of Tim Sainato, Bill Beck or Kelley Powers catching 5 fish that weighed 24 lbs. with a 7 pound kicker. And thinks on their yearly 1 day of fishing trip that is what they should come up with. They failled to notice that the tournament had 175 boats and 100 of the boats blanked with guys that had prefished for a week and had spent thousands of dollars on equipment as well as hours on the water and still didn't get em. Accually very few have those thoughts in mind, but some do. Today for example, I had a 11 year old a 70 year old and a 40 something, that I am telling you, were the nicest people in the world I had a great time on the water with them, and loved every minute. If we had been up the James we would have blanked. On the main White River we caught lots of fish and very good quality, do soley to shear numbers of fish per acre and the willingness of the K's and the Smallie's. I absolutely love gin clear water. I am a main lake fisherman that If possible I want to see the bottom in 20 ft. of water. Most all my reports are clear water related as when fishing clear water on the White River, you are including Spotted Bass and Smallies, along with the Largemouth. When you move very far up the river systems, you are taking away way too many fish and becoming way to specialzed. You are Hunting Big Largemouth. Some folks love to hunt and try and catch the big-en's. Most guide clients just want to catch one. I haven't been up to Bridgeport. Good Luck up there however, I am sure some of the others that have fished that area will post.

Really, all I can say about Shell Knob, is toss something in the water, and they will bite it. Nice females of all three varities are loading on main lake points and cove mouths. Any of these places with a bit of pole timber to boot seem to make them magic. Inside coves and secondary points are holding lots of Bucks, but it seems like the majority of the big girls are on the main lake. Fish are ranging in depth from 1ft. to 30 ft. with lots suspended and willing to either eat that C-tail grub or gobble up that suspending rogue. Also had a really good bite, dragging a Dr. in about any of the above depths. It was so good, that I stayed and fished an extra hour after my guide trip. Went down one windy bank and had 6 really nice keepers with the best 5 at about 17 lbs. Water temp at the start at Shell Knob Bridge was if you can believe this 47.9. When I put my boat on the trailer at the ramp at 1:30 it was 50.1. Water temps in this area 3 weeks ago were pushing high 60's and in one spot I found 69. The only think I didn't try was topwater, sluggo's or foating worms. I know they had been on these baits, but they seem to have pulled out a mite since a couple of weeks ago. I did see a couple of chasers in that 50 to 90 foot range on top. They were in the top of the water column chasing however and that would really not count as working a shoreline topwater. Be careful with these sows, as they are so full of eggs, they are ready to burst. If they deep swallow the split shot rig, just cut it off, don't try and extract the hook, they will be fine, as long as you don't stick pliers down their throat or try to get your hook back. We have fine high water, and I believe we are going to have a teriffic spawn with all the bushes and timber in the water. Be gentle with them and in the next several years, we could be getting back to pre-fish-kill days. Lots and Lots of Big Largemouth Females on the main lake White River, and we just ain't seen that in a spell.

Hunter, that was a very good day for that ammount of wind. It's a wonder everyone got home safe. I told Phil, sometime experence and thinking you can do just about anything clouds your judgement. Good equipment and knowing your limitations are imperitive on a day like that. I am swimming either a 3/16 th. or a 1/4 oz. head. I have not been up the James River yet this year, further than Aunt's. I bet someone has and will respond. I finely broke down, after watching the Bass Elite tournament in So-Cal and bought $300.00 worth of swimbaits. "That's not that many". Roughly a few over a dozen. Caught 2, K's over 4 lbs. on em. The bait was completely destroyed after the second fish. They sell a glue kit, but I am hoping just fishing or super glue will fix it. Nice fish but can't afford for two of them to tear up $20,00 baits. Gosh, how fools part with their money, to see if they can catch a silly little fish.

Reports are just about the same over the entire lake, with water temps anywhere from 50 to a high of about 53.4. Can't believe the huge drop. Fishing remains very good for not only LM, but K's and Smallie. Swimming a grub seems to be the very best bet, as these fish have pulled off and suspended and others are getting ready to make a sex run. Lots of fish staging. Have heard good reports of early and late topwater bites from reliable sources and know it to be a fact, but I'm not one as my fish are ranging suspended from close to shore to about 17' some suspended at that range over 30' with lots suspended at 15' to 17' over 25'. These fish are in the mouths of major coves and off long flat points getting ready to go in. And the one's that have been in are there to socialize and look for goodies. Rogues in crome and Lucky Craft Pointer 100 in TR Shad are also doing very well for me. Wind again is a huge factor. Not as much as today, as I took two over the bow and my trolling more was flying high, more than it was in the water. I'm at the Knob, tomorrow, and will give you the run down from the White River, after I have flung around up there. This bite has not been consistant for me as I am having some great periods and then some extremely slow times. Speaking with other guides, they are getting the same results. If you find them they will feed very activly for about an hour, and then go flat. Best bite for me is 9 AM till about 4 Pm. Have tried early and late with the topwater stuff and also the sluggo's and floating worms, and the Knob is the only place I can get a reaction on this stuff. Good Luck

Alaska, Fisheries defines them as the same. Regional and Reproductive color cycles may be different, and I have also found two distinct spellings, both they say being correct. Dolly Vardon, Dolly Varden both are correct. Arctic Char or a Vardon Char according to their dept. Are the same fish. They are also called Dolly Vardon Char. On another note. Great Pic's. Gentlemen, and I cannot stress this enough. If you have or ever want an Alaskan Adventure Trip. NOW thru either Phil or Jim Johnson is the time to go,period. Don't wait, Don't put it off till next year, Don't put it off till the kids are out of school. You will never Go! Your not getting any younger. You or your family will never regret you going and you will talk about and remember it until the day you die. I will guarantee you the price that he has on these wonderful fishing, bear viewing adventure trips will come to an end. They have too. He is just flat to reasonable. For the services you get, his price is ridiculas. Almost all lodges anywhere in Alaska let alone on one of the best Rainbow rivers in the world are priced at $1000,00 a day, and worth it if you can afford it. Jim's price for an entire week with meals, lodging and guides are under 2 thousand total. YOU READ THAT RIGHT. In my Alaska float trips, 5 years ago, I was paying guides,$1,500.00 a week. A 5 day Alaskan float with tent camps was $5,500.00 and I was sold out every year. Do not delay, if they have openings, Book this trip. If you never catch a fish, the trip would still be worth twice the price. You will catch fish. Period.

Man what a drop. Haven't been up there for about 8 days, but Pete Wenners was yesterday and said water at Baxter was 52.5 When I was there 8 days ago we had some surface temps at 69 in the back of some of the shallow wind blown pockets. Temp at the dam yesterday afternoon was 55. Fish were biting as good as they could possibly bite.

My brother-in-law had a comtainment system to hold in his golden retrievers. He also had rabbits in the neighborhood. When the rabbits came thru, the dogs would start crying and howling even before the electric shock began, and then just take it and run right thru. Don't know what brand it was. Rabbits, were his only problem. This was two years ago, and I bet they may be better now, but his dogs would just take the pain. After a while, they knew the barrier width and would run and jump at it like an invisable fence. He never could get it to hold them.

The last several days the lower restricted area from about Andy's to Fall Creek, has been producing excellent catches of both quality Bows and Browns. Several Browns in the 20 to 22 inch range have been caught and released using straight line jigs in the 1/32 to 1/80 range Fly rodders and jig and float guys are getting 100 plus bites per day on any of the olive, sculpin or brown pattern micro's or 100th. oz or smaller maribous. Most are extreme quallity fish with lots in the 14 to 20 inch class. For the most part there is very little traffic up there this week, and all the guides as well as the waders out of Fall Creek and Point Royal are having a agreat time of it. Water temp yesterday afternoon at the ramp at Fall Creek was 47.4

This time of the year, I always have one tied on and let the fish and the conditions, tell me wheather to pull the trigger on it.

Water temps have dropped from mid to upper 60's to mid 50's. Bite yesterday was stated as very good on dragging split shot rigs and swimming a grub, lake wide on flat gravel and interior secondary points.

Guys, I knew I was going to get a reaction, but this is great. The cut offs, were a problem, but the Bass Pro Stuff was poking fun at a lot of my buddies, that have no choice but too fish it. You may notice none of them took offense. This is BP country, and if you want to guide for BigC, as one of them says, you have to drive a rickety sled. Gentlemen, I have been in the boat and resort business all my life. Owning over 50 boats of almost every brand. I have been a boat safety and operational instructor for the Mo. State Water Patrol, I have also served as Water Safety Instructor the the Mo. State Hiway Patrol AS well as a training instructor. We have owned 7 Bass Trackers, 1 Sun Tracker and I have guided and fished from Nitro's since there inception. I have spent 1000"s of tournament hours and Practice hours in the BP boats. I choise not to own them. BP marine is the master of the fishing package boat. They are market savey and they not only want the boat sale, but any ansellery business, ie all your tackle and gear. They price afforable packages, with a target market and this comes from their marketing department, for first time, and occosioal boater. Repeat business is a very low part of their marine revenue. First time and origioal sales is their bread and butter. Everyone has a market stradgity. None are good, or bad, Its just how a company wants to do business. It works great for them. Why do people buy certain boat lines? Some are extremely educated. Some very price specific. Lots, great sales person. Some great resale, and very knowledable local dealer. Some by reccomendation from friend or past experence. Some want the best money can buy, Some just want to get by. For me safety is number number one. Durability and Resale are by far very important. I trade every two years and will use that rig about 600 commercial days in that span, it has to be good. I will put between 1200 and 1400 hunderd people into that rig and it has to maintain. Do you realize how many people that is walking on carpet and steping on seats and generally treating that $50,000 boat like trash? It has to hold up. Some boats will not hold up to this, but again, they were not designed too. One of the origional boat lines I started with other than the BP Stuff, was Charger, again, probably because they were made in Mo. Everyone I owned I used and guided out of for several years, and sold the boats for more than I paid for them. I have owned Ranger, JD Power awards out the kazoo, Safety upmost. Extreme low profile, great in the wind. Rides so rough your back hurts for months. Any cross wind and spray in the face is an all day thing. Made with the finest materials money can buy and absolute top of the resale market. Champion, Safety, turanbility, quality personified. Everything on these boats is what a fisherman needs with none of the crap, just to sell the boats. Fantastic regional resale market. Safe at any speed. Stratos, Complete top of the line materials go into this boat. Only company to employ Chemical Engineers to analize every structural material. Without a doubt the driest boat on the market, low profile, and safe at any speed. Fantastic national resale along with the JD power awards. Bass Cat, A family owned company, that truely builds them 1 at a time. Inovative, Extreme Quality, Attention to detail, Top of the line resale, Most people just hand them down to their children or sell them to their best friend. Dig deep and you will have one of the best rigs on the market. Skeeter, One of the origionals with a history and a preformance record that is as good as it gets in this business. A complete joy to fish from and maintain. I would own one in a country minute. Triton, Probably the most inovative boat builder this country has every known in Earl Benz. From the Rod Storage systems to the astetics the boats are very popular, They tend to have a few too many sales toys and bells and whistles for me. There are also edges that bite. If you cannot find a boat and a price that suit you in one of the above mentioned brands, you are just not looking. \I can really go deep on the metal boat, deck boats and pontoons, but thats for later. No hard feeling, Nitro guys.

Don, Your right as rain. I guess I just have to let it all out once a year, to keep my sanity. Last year about this time, Becky and I went up the Kings, and tried to launch at Viola. Mid-Week, and the banks were just loaded with boats and trailers. What got me started so much on Monday, was waves over the back of my boat from people plowing by in narrow coves and then pulling directly in front of me while I was going down a bank. Thinking about it with a cooler head, some of those boats may have been rentals from Big C. I told 3 different boats, if I can cast a 1/64 oz. crappie jig into your boat, you are getting to close. It was so bad, I just went and pulled the boat. I don't own the lake and the Good Lord has granted me the opportunity to make a living doing something I love. It was just a tough day and made me grumpy. PS I'm not grumpy now Have a great day

5 or 6 years ago, in August, I can remember having a water temp of 39.8. I am sure Phil monitors this more than we, but I cannot remember seeing water in the 42 degree range very often on Taney. I am telling you, that is even fridgid for Alaskie. Tim Paige did have a good day in the restricted area using 126 oz copper headed sculpin micros under a float. Lots of fish. I believe they just wanted out of that Ice Water.

Thanks, Here, Here

Tight, you and I have been there and I don't think we are going to get to go back. It just hurts sometimes. Wish everyone could have see those day's. I am extremely sorry for my first post, but it is just getting the better of me. People book guides and wonder why we can't produce as they remembered as fishing was when they were kids. It will never be so, and those that expect that are living in a dream world. Our resort on Lake O, took 2 to 5 guide trips per day 120 days per year and never ventured more tha a couple of miles from the resort using 15 ft. Richline and Lund guide boats and 10 to 30 Hp motors. We always caught fish, in not only numbers, but size. Sometines I would guides for days in a row in Rainey creek on Lake O for Whites and would only see 1 or maby two boats per day. Now, there are hundreds seeking less ammounts of fish, and willing to do anything or get in anyones way to catch ONE. I'm old and its a sign of the times. next post, more upbeat.

I have fished Table Rock since the early 70's and Lake O, since the ealy 60's and we have just about reached maximum satuartion point. At one time Monday during a trip up Long Creek, I counted 42 boats in site, all fishing the same patterns I was. Somewhat. If you are a Tracker Boat owner, God Bless, but you need to take a fishing ediquite course. I was cut off by 5 different rig, pulling, no more than a couple of boat lengths in front of me. All Bass Pro Junk. No, One,that really knows anything, fish's anything that Bass Pro has to offer. The Johnny Morris moto is if I can make anything cheaper and more worthless than WalMart and sell it for less, I am the Top Dog. Cheap is better than Cheaper, and someone will buy it, No matter how worthless it is. A really good friend has worked in the sales dept. of Bass Pro for years. and commented to me, for every one we sell, we get 100 complaints. Johnny said that's great as long as we sell em. If we can make any disclamier or void any warranty we will. Just sell boats. The quicker they deteriate the quicker we can sell them a new one. Our last year with the resort, my mom bought 5 trackers, we had always used lunds. The dam things didn't last the year and if it had been up to me we would have taken them all to the dump. Had three sink due to suckie welding and cracks. A ten year old Lund with no warranty is so far superior to a new tracker that it should be 5 times the price. Don't mean to step on toes, but facts are facts, and I have been there, on the commerical level. I have never had a problem with a person in a Lund, Alumacraft, or Crestliner. Wonder Why? I am just venting, but junk is junk. And anyone fishing junk is almost always a problem. If you are trying to get on the water as cheap as possible, maby you should stay on the bank. Even my dearest friends that guides for Big Cedar, and have to Fish JUNK, hate it. I mean, just physically hate it. It's all about money. It is just what they feel they have to do to make a living. One thing to think about is these guys are using Bass Pro junk for free. Are You??? Are You???? Crappie were harder to catch and I am mad that so many 35 year olds don't have to work during the week anymore. I am just venting. The cove our marina and resort was in on Lake of the Ozarks had 9 boat dock with only 3 fishing boats in the docks, when I was a kid. Mark Mauss my best High School buddie was up there last week and said the cove had over 100 docks and it was just filled with fisherman. Everything has changed and I am telling you , it is not for the better. I am very perplexed. Sorry. Take what you can get, and be darn proud of it. I am wondering how much longer any fishing will last. How can any species sustain with everyone trying to catch them during procreation. and trying to completely eliminate a species. Let Er Rip, I know I desereve it. I just could not be sadder than I am at what I am seeing in the boating public and the way things have become.

Gent's, especially Growler, thank you so much for the info. Spoke to one of the pro's at Lawrance and got somewhat of an answer and then he said to have fun with it. Took 170 photo's. With various interior lighting and various app's and F stops. Got more than fantastic results with an Apature setting of 125 at F10. Vibrant beautiful blue lake with a completely shadow free extremely well lit room using, a 12mm dx lens on a Nikon D70. Room was in full sun as well as all the florecent lights on and a SB600 Speed flash. Put the photo on Nikon's picture pro, to see how I did and the program came up with no enhancement possible. I believe I got it right. Color and especially sharpness of closeup room is fantastic. Exterior lake thru the window in full sun, looks as if you are seeing it live. Thanks you so much for the valuable information. Sincerely Bill

Boy's just a quick question. Now that I have all this durn high priced gear I need a question answered. We would not only like to show off our suites from the interior, but also get a image of the blue lake, just out the window. This is not happening. We can either stand at the door and get a great lake picture, or move back into the interior, use lighting and get a good room picture. Is it possible to get the interior or the room, using artifical and natural light, and also get the blue lake outside??? Or do we have to just create the lake with photoshop or one of the other mediums. When we use the correct ammount of light for the interiors the lake is just flat grey. Help!!! Or Becky says the windows are just white. I would assume reflecting the flash and light back into the room. Another question, if I were to use just lighting without the flash, would that work. I may have to rent some light.

Heartland was here again this past weekend for it's prestiegious Elite Series. This is basicly a winner take all tournament with a $25,000 first prize. Havn't been to their website, but was at the weigh-in. Freaking!!!Unbelieveable the size of the fish and the bags that were weighed in. Hundreds of pounds of fish and 5 fish limits of 15 to 20 pounds were everywhere. Local boys, not so much, as the fish had moved so far so fast, I believe it hurt our local guides. Don't take me wrong, they still had huge limits, but I don't believe we had any top 10's. SK from Shell Knob, reported he also fished a bit on Saturday, and did fantastic on topwater action. Sunday was a new day for their teem event and it dosen't take long for Billie Boy to learn where they went as Bill Beck and his partner Rick Lysic won the event, with over 20 lbs. Water temps dropped 3 degrees over night and put these fish back where they were on Thursday. All the local guides fishing the derby's were full last week because of spring break and just had not had time to prefish and keep up with these rapaidlly moving and shaking bass. Guiding is not prefishing, it is having your customer catch fish that are available to them. They don't like that 6 bites in 8 hr. stuff, even if they are the right bites.

You need to read my post more closely. 1/80 oz. White, the same jig you and I were fishing for the trout yesterday morning. I just started throwing the jig and float rod we were using for the trout. I was only allowed to catch 4 as she just wanted enough fresh for supper. Caught two up close to the bank, and just ran the jig and float past a couple of deeper trees, in probably 15 ft. of water and the fish were suspended about 6ft. down and ate the jig. They were really nice size, and to tell the truth we didn't even eat all 4. Have 1 left for lunch. OH, Pics were bad due to west sun. I am headed out to take a couple more this AM. She won't be along so I guess I'll just have to try those crappie again. I have just got to relax, I'm working way too hard.

Anything munching on them?

Becky wanted to try and take a couple of photo's of the lodge from the bass boat this afternoon, and I gave her a condition. We had to take an hour and run under the Long Creek Bridge and up the creek, to try and catch 4 crappie for din-din. Got the ok, and after the photo shoot, motored up past Gages, to one of Lilleys secret spots. Ha! Buster had a great trip this AM with some really nice sows, about 6' on timber. I gave it a try with an 80th. oz white jig, under a float and I am just now wiping the mayonaise off my lips. Two fat crappie sandwiches fried in Zatarans fish fry with a squeeze of lemon, and some chips and Homemade salsa and "Let Me Tell You What" 12 ounces of St.Louie's finest with just a little frozen on the top out of my 29 degree fridge, and man it just don't get no better. Hope you all are enjoying this great weather and exceptional fishing.

Your in the right spots. Don't hesitate to chase any of the main lake K's that are chasing in the deep stuff, main channel. Usually a white or two with em and they are the good ones.

I'm Jelious. Great Job.

Crappie and Dan, No problem at all guys. Phil, thinks I should take trips off the forum, but it makes it great for me when people book all their play day fishing trips, thru Lilleys'. Even a lot of my direct calls I have either go thru Lisa at Lilleys', or have them call the Lodge here and Becky will take the booking. That way we can have some seperation between church and state. Love to help. As far as the Lodge goes, that is another matter for a higher authority than me, when it comes to discounts. We have a great view of the fireworks on the fourth and I believe she still has rooms open for the holiday. She always has a BBQ, and all guests and friends are invited. She will book full and turn folks away, so if you have a hankern, let her know. You can sweet talk her on any discounts you may want later in the year and see what you come up with. Hope you have better success than I do. Our lodge website is located at the bottom of my byline. Good fishing Lodge Phone is 800-544-0257 Local 417-779-1556