Bill Babler

CKJACKS, please refer to administration for some great tips. Check out early spring and late winter bass on the rock. I did indeed use a countdown at one time, but there are much better catchers to fish this time of year than the countdown. Lots of info in the above mentioned stuff, if you haven't tried the suspending sitcks before.

I have some, and Tim Hughes will paint them in any crawfish,shad or color pattern you want. My best luck is when the water reaches the high 50's with the warts. The suspenders are nice as you can hit the bottom, or an obstruction, and then let it suspend around the structure. I have never been able to beat the old color 38.

At least your not a Gizzard Shad. I guess I am part of the forage base and that is probably better than I deserve.

Po. So sorry the week turned into the artic for you, after all the research and time you had put in getting ready for the trip. Come again, it can't be any worse. Much regrets, Bill

CMAC, Thank you so much for the great pieces of history, I haven't had a chance too look at it very closly yet as the lodge is full of love birds, It is the season, but when I get a minute, I'm going to take it apart. Would you know if any of those guys are still kicking and throwing lures?

Shaky Head is a standup jig head with no skirt. They come in various sizes, colors and configurations, some with a flat spot on the bottom of the head that makes them standup, some weighted and balanced to achieve the same position, more of a cannon ball shape. Usual presentation is to attach a finess worm, fish dr. or most any french fry and let the bait free fall to the bottom. When it hits, the soft plastic will be in an up-right position and you just bounce or shake the bait in that location. You can also drag or hop the bait. Works great here at times. Some guys are real masters and have lots of confidense in it, as it too has alot of tecnique involved. FF, I would say has got it figured out real good. This is a farily new method, just started to catch on here in the last couple of years, but nothing is really new. Ralph Lambert, the owner of Kings Harbor Resort at Shell Knob, has been using it for as long as I have know him. At least 15 years. He has been pinching the barb down that long also, as he believes he gets better hook penetration. Probably way more info than you needed. All the local bait shops carry the heads.

CMAC, Whould there be anyway possible for you to post abit of any of those news letters or tournament results. The history of fishing the Rock would be a very interesting topic to everyone. It sounds like you have pieces that would be very interesting to the Ralph Foster Museum, for history of the region. I know I would go anywhere to read such pieces. Extemely exciting post. Thanks

1308, We would love to hear of your night fishing excursions. SK sometimes hits the Rock in the early AM such as 3 AM or so, but we never really get the scoop from nite time fishing. Give us a primer of the locations you look for, the baits you use and how you fish them. Any special nights or just the best time to go is when you can. I can tell you the whole TR Forum will really look forward to this fantastic info. It seems night fishing slowed down a bit after the fish kills, but with the way the LM are responding, I think it is coming back for front. Look forward to your participation.

Thanks alot boys. SK and I threw ourselves on the knife today for being so positive about whats been going on. Glad it was us that had to bite it. I bet we'll find them next time. WE really appreciate your interest, and will do our best to keep you informed. Good and Bad You have to have these kind of days to make the good one's seem so sweet.

I think everyone is ok with eating a walleye, I do understand Tight's point. He is the type of guy you want on the river. Don't know him but would guarantee he would never take to much or waste any of what he took. Didn't mean it to sound like I was a know-it-all, far from it. I am just interested in what the fisheries managers keep telling me. Who knows, they may not really know either. Times are a changin and most usually not for the best concerning us outdoor types. Good stickbait colors are Purple top white belly, Purple over Chartruse, Clown, Black Back Gold Side, and traditional Black Back Silver Side. Others will have lots more favorites. I have also done right well on a rainbow pattern at the pothole.

Tight, I have been fishing said area since 68 and although we did catch nice Eye's then, the last 10 years have been far better. I know that's only 39 years, and you do have me by a few. I just think if a guy wants to eat a walleye, he should be able to without riducule. as they are a stocked fish. Unlike the bass. Why do the brown trout and the rainbows make a spawning run on taney? Crazy Fish. Why do the Walleye make a spawning run up the White river and the James river and don't hatch any fry? Crazy Fish. Why do the paddlefish make a spawning run on Truman dam? Crazy Fish. Why is the Kings River the only known river on Table Rock that produces Fry? I'm not a biologist, I just make an effort to try and keep up with what is going on. 40 to 50 years ago was quite a different situation as far as all the spawning area's are concerned. 1 small philoplanctin that may have been present can vanish, and take with it an entire spawning population of fish. That's not from me, thats from warm water fishery biologist, no one knows. As he said, just cause they did it years ago, don't mean its happing now. The only fish I keep anywhere is 2 or 3 walleye a year maby 8 crappie and perhaps a couple of limits of trout. When these fish are stocked as the walleye in Bull are, and the trout in taney, I believe that a guy has a right to eat a couple. Maby I'm wrong, just hate to see some guy jumped for eating a fish that is being stocked for just that purpose.

I can now understand! It was brutal today. Gary buddy, I hope you got em, cause they sure turned the table on us,so as to speak.

I have really been struggling in the dam area right now and Indian Point is classified as the afformentioned area. You really have two shots, one to find shad most are in the 40 ft. depth range right now over gosh only knows how deep and vertical fish a spoon or grub in the shad ball, or throw a suspending rogue on the bluff ends, cuts or transition banks in that area. You can go to the back of either of the Indians till they narrow down and then start out the guts and look for the shad balls. If the weather is in the 50's and warming, the fish will start in that area, if it remains cold and the water drops in temp while your here, good luck. Have been doing extremely well up the White river with the rogue, but had a poor day today. Sunshine and wind will help at Indian Point. Fishin Freak, may be able to help, as he did have a med-depth jig bite in that area, don't know if it's still on or not.

Ham, for the most part we are wanting wind and most diffently sunshine. Water temp is not really a factor and the fish will eat the bait in extremely cold water as long as it trys to increase a few degrees throughout the day. For example SK and I threw the bait for 6 hrs. today and only had one fish on a very cloudy flat smooth day. During this past week in the sun and wind, everyone was having them eat the bait. When we started today the air was 27 and the water 43.7 When we stopped the missery, the air was 38 and the water 42.1 flat on breeze, We had a horrible day. Hope others did better. We did devote about 90minutes to walleye, but they didn't like us either. If we would have had the least ammount of wind and a slightly warming surface temp. they would have bit, reguardless of the water temperature

Gary, SK and I will be in a Red Stratos up the White, probably in Ark. If your up that far, look for us and we'll compare nonsense. Probably be no more than 1/2 mile above Beaver Town. Be careful up there, it can be tricky.

Can't wait to read your piece. A bunch of the older guys are around that can tell you of stickbait fishing here in the early 60's. Rick Holmgren, Dan, Langley out of Shell Knob. J.D. Fletcher out of Devil's Dive up the White, Charlie Cambell, Bobby Tindle, Stacy King, Ralph at Kings Harbor, And many, many more. I do know that one of the largest selections of homemade sinking and suspending stickbaits were a collection that burned at the Campbell Point Marina, I believe in the late 60's or early 70's. Many of these baits were impossible to find and hard to get. Most of the bodies were imported as floaters, and then transformed and modified. I know they leased the baits per day just like you would a rental boat with a very hefty deposit in case of damage or loss. The bait was about as much as the boat, to hear the ole boy's talk. I believe if you lost one, even though you had to pay for it, you never got another and were black balled. You might contact Tom Koob out of Shell Knob also as he is a very good historian on the region, and I would bet he would have some juicy info. Great Stuff. I may be showing my age, and being nostalgic, but I just love that type of information. Appreciate you RS

Thought I was the only nut that threw a stick sometimes on a spinning rod. I do RS. I just can't make myself use anything other than 8 lb. though. Where you fish up the James and around the cedars, you are no doubt the wiser of the two of us, with the heaver line. Do you remember when the floating Rapalas came to Table Rock and a few of the boat dock had them. They would drill and pour lead into the floaters and wrap lead around the hooks. Dan Langly tells me that when he ran Campbell Point they would rent these baits. Have you heard these stories? Freak, I use the old style lowrider.

Thanks Rolan, I think that is the way I'lll go.

Both Myself and SK, absolutely meant no disrespect to either J.E. or Hummingbird whom he represents. We are old dogs, me imperticular and by gosh looking at these units 1000's of hours a year. We have formed oponions and have a fair grasp of what we need in a unit. There is no further information that my lowrance can give me to assist my fish catching, I am 100 percent as SK, is satisfied. {But I could be wrong!} Our's is for the most part a completely unbiased oponion, as we are not getting paid to use, or representing anyone's equipment, and not profiting from any equipment that you may buy that we talk about on the fourm. We try our best to keep salesmanship from our recommendations and if it seems as if we are trying to sell you guys something, Please Call Us On It. I pay for everything I use, and will always use what I deem to be the best product for what I'm doing. I will no longer owe anyone in the fishing industry, I have been down that road. I don't have to pay for anything including my boat if I choose not too. All of the full time guides here can have most any deal they want, but the price in the long run is way to steep, we have all learned that the hard way. Again J.E. Sorry my writing style really misled what I was trying to say. Foot in Mouth. Appreciate you on the fourm.

Just a quick note to some walleye movement and I don't really know if you call this White River or Table rock. Most of the locals over there call it the White, so we'll go with that. Most everyone thinks the Beaver town bridge is the start of the lake. Last 3 days they have caught 9 keeper walleye up to 28 inches, and several shorts, didn't give me the total number but said it has been really good. Fishing the flats on the Holiday Island side before you reach the big bend at beaver town, they are also fishing the flat just below the bridge in front of the beaver town hotel, and the flat just above the bridge. I don't think I can get anymore precise than that on locations. He said he didn't care as he thought it would be too cold for anyone to bother him. Caught 3 trolling shadraps and the other 6 on suspending rouges in clown color. Hope to get up there and try it in the next few days. He was fishing early and late. Couple or hours in the AM and a couple or hours just before and right after dark. Most of the fish came in the first hour and the last hour. Good Luck

Don't mean to tinkle on anyone's parade, but according to one of our biologist, I don't believe they have ever found any natural recruitment in Bull, or very little at best. Very similar to Taney in the fact that there is a spawn and a spawning run on several areas of the lake. But like the trout there seems to be no or very little natural fry being produced. You ask why are certain areas closed during the spawn? Simply because there are a high number of very accessable fish in those locations that are very vulnerable. Also Swan is a major gathering point for the dept. for walleye sperm and eggs to be reared off the lake and then reintroduced as fingerlings. If you catch a good walleye and you want it, for gosh sakes thats great. There is a stocking program in place, to replenish walleye. None for bass however hum.

Freak, did you get to go up the White where the fish live, or were you guys playing with electronics on deep fish around Kimberling? Billy told me he had a trip he had to work really hard on last week. I use a custom rod made by the Rod Shop out of Kansas City. It is a medlight. I also have a med. and and medlight Falcon that I really like. The Rod Shop Rod is by far the cream of the crop. 816-668-3026. I'm sure they could get you one about as soon as you wanted it. Would also be glad to let you take a look at mine.

Thanks again, your info has just been outragiously great. Would be interested in the D100. please email me at whiteriverlodge@platwls.com or give me a call at 417-779-1556 and let me know what you want for the body. Also, have you ever done any interior wide angle photography? Would be interested in some bartering if your interested. Thanks a Bunch Bill

Greg, Xnay on the line and for the most part most of us are fish medlight on the rod action. I use the same rod that I work a zara spook with. 6ft. fast tip, spongy middle and good backbone at the handle. Reason for the Rod. The quick tip allows you to move or twitch the bait while maintaining it in the same location and not moving it toward the boat, just altering the head position of the bait in a back and forth movement. Soft middle section is always what you want when using trebles as on the lift or hook set it will keep you from tearing the small hooks out. Same reason a lot of the pro's are still fishing glass rods on cranks. The butt section is self explanitory. I an most of use stickbait freaks like the long handle. Everyone except Buster and he is a master. He uses a 5 1/2 glass rod with a pistol grip handle. He has two and if you tried to buy one it would cost your house. He just flicks his wrist to alter the bait movement. Line is pretty much set a huge seceret is most stickbait fools, use 8 lb. either Max. or 8 lb. P. A few guys like SKMO use floracarbon, I will if I want the bait to sink slightly as the flor. will sink the bait. Most guys use mono because it will stay in the same position as the bait. I have had the flora. sink at a greater rate than a neturally boyant stickbait, if I'm letting it set for long periods, and this is ok, unless I'm fishing cedar, where I don't want the bait to get hung-up. It's all good with the line, but try and stay in the 8 to 10 lb. range if possible. If that bait is attached to a well rope you just won't get the action.

P. If I were just going to crappie fish I would just grab a 3 day Arkansas Lic. Most everyone right now is fishing Ark. The Mo. side will be good soon, and I'm sure you could catch some in Mo. but I'd put my holiday money on the Long Creek, Cricket Creek split and work up both creeks from their mouths, which is all in Arkansas. According to the way SKMO is catching bass in a bit cloudy water, pitching a jig shallow, the same area's would be good for that tecnique also, as the water will be somewhat off color. You have also defined your search area to a managable ammount of water, that holds both the crappie and good black bass fishing. To only be here for a few days and try to manage this lake is a pretty tall task, work that Arkansas water and you will get bit.