Bill Babler

Extremely good points. Most fishing especially for bass you are targeting locations that are not at an extreme depth. And, for the most part are very seldom making vertical presentations that require you to see structure, fish and if your lucky presentations. That is why a whole plethera or electronics are on the market. Frankly If I were guiding anywhere but on the White River Chain or in a deep sea environment, I would not spend the big bucks. Absolutely meant nothing demeaning about the hummingbird or any of the other units, its hard to teach an old dog new tricks. On the White River Chain, counting Arkansas for Stripers, there are over 150 full time guides operating. To my knowledge every one to a man runs Lowrance. Everyone of us could be on one prostaff or the other, but something to always remember, there are no deals and nothing is 1/2 price, dealers cost, or free. In the long run you more than pay for everything you get in the fishing business

Guy's I have no interest in seeing what is not directly under me. I personally don't feel any unit that Hummingbird offers is an upgrade to the X15. Like SK, I have a buddy that has a 967. Way out of bounds for both of us. It's on ebay now and he is back with Lowrance. I can see a 256 oz. micro jig at 100 ft. on my Lowrance. You got better? That is not much more than the size of a fountain pen head. I always cringe at people on Pro-Staff deals. As most are, I really paid more, than I should have. National Team Deals are, We pay you $10,000 to use the unit for a year and tell us what you think. Free or partial payment of fishing equipment means nothing, except you owe somebody. If you are not getting a W2 from the manufactor, you flat don't have a deal. One of our local Pro's is on a great Hummingbird deal that pays 5 figures, he fishes it every tournament except Table Rock. He says, mostly because it dosen't matter, what he fishes shallow. Fishes a 115 Lowrance on the Rock. Go figure. Believe me, I have done it all in the last 30 years fishing 300 days a year and I will pay for what I want and what works the best rather than be on a Pro-Staff. I would pay Lowrance twice the price for their units and think they were a bargin. But then agin, I make my living putting people on fish. Typo on 67 instead of 87, me bad. Good Luck

BIG G. I think you get it. Great post.

Guys, most of you are out pounding the bank from June to September and wondering why your not getting nailed. Let me say this about that. GO FISHING NOW. Table Rock is at it's most vulnerable point as we speak and in the next couple of months it will litterly give up all her goodies. GO GET THEM. I don't want to hear crying about not catching big fish in the Summer. That is not the time to fish the Rock. That time is now. If you are a bird or deer hunter you don't hunt in 90 degree weather, why think the fishing is good, at that temp. Water temps on the Rock are in the 45 degree range and the fish area eating. No crowds at the resorts or lodges and the fishing is fantastic for BIG FISH. Lot's of information about how to catch them, now is on the web, so get out there. We should be seeing boats on every wind blown bank everyday, and I bet you, you could go from Eagle Rock to Baxter tomorrow and not see but 1 or 2 boats. You boys watch basketball and Sk and I will have a ball on the Rock. Come on down.

Gary, always great to hear from guys like you. SK and I will keep pumping out Table Rock stuff, but in the long run it's all on the reader to get out there and put into play what were talking about. I promise you we will keep it commin! Good Luck.

Thanks G. Will keep it in mind. Very nice of you. appreciate it. Bill

Guys, thank you so much. It seems were split about right down the middle on this. I do believe the lenses I have will fit a Nikon D50 so that is one step in the right direction. All i need is that dad-gum 10.5mm for the 700 clams. Oh!wouldn't it be nice if money didn't matter. Excellent response can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

Would really like to know if anyone has purchased any equipment off the web? Been reading lots of reviews some bad and some good. Some nightmares and some great experences. The prices for this kind of upper end equipment are extremely tempting. Not ridiculas but lower for sure with no tax for the most part and depending on your dollar size of the order no shipping. Really looking at Calumet Would hate to make a couple of thousand dollar mistake and not get my stuff. On a $2,000.00 dollar order it would roughly cost you $2,700 at Lawrence and you just can't get these types of lenses at BB or CC. Thanks

Fishing has been off the last week, due to the cold, just not getting out. If I were after the fillets, I'd go up Long Creek to where it and Cricket divide and as Phil stated start prospecting the flats. Put your boat at the edge of the channel break and start casting the swimming minnow toward the bank 12 to 22 ft. let it fall to the bottom and just barely creep it back to the boat, maintaining the minnow just off the bottom. Try different colors and locations and learn as you go. It won't be fast, but I bet you catch some. Also as your boat is in the channel keep checking your graph to see if there are any concentrations of fish on the bottom in the channel, or suspended. I like to keep a maribou handy for this as I feel the feathers work better on a vertical presentation. Just take your time and if you feel you are fishing slow, slow down even more, its cold out there.

Have been keeping a close eye on both Bill Beck and SKMO, Beck out for pay and SKMO out for play. He has a diesease called fishbitus. I think alot of us have milder cases, but with SKMO it's terminal. Reports coming from Perkins Hollow to about Big Creek indicate a pretty good to excellent bite on a Bill Norman fleck or purple and white rogue, fished in main lake pockets on transitions banks. SHALLOW!!!! Also a fairly good jig bite is coming shallow in these same locations if wood is present. Quality fish most all being largemouth. SHALLOW!!!!!! Deep fish are still present in the major coves if you can find the shad. They seem to have shallowed up to the 40 ft. level, with lake temps ranging from 43 to 46 degrees. Very tough to find. The James River arm, Kimberling, Dam including Long Creek seem to be laging somewhat behind with really extremely poor results both on deep fish and on stickbait fish. These larger bodys of water, not including the James and Long Creek have lots more hidey holes and seem not to keep up with the White River arm this time of year. Would love any info on Long Creek as I have not been getting as much play on this area. Yesterday report on the James was double bad. Can't get really specific on where the major bite is but I will tell you its going on. You can pretty much look at this post and see the area I have deleted and figure out that may be it. There is as good a rogue bite as about your going to get EXTREMELY SHALLOW!!!!! in this White River area. 5 reports in the last two days with 1/2 day trips weighing their best 5 bass at 16 to 22 lbs. Not lots of shorts and almost all blacks with quality fish on the suspending stickbaits. SHALLOW!!! If SKMO wants to be more specific on location thats fine, but you didn't hear it from me. You should have the depth pretty much down. Guys, they are out there and now is the time to shop if you don't like the isle your on, start looking down different isle's. You will find them if you look. Stickbait article still coming, however SK hit it pretty good. Now is the time to catch 4lb. to gosh nows how big get after em!

Guys, thanks so much for all your help. I have also spoken to seveal pro's with several doing nothing but interiors and to a man or woman, they are all using Nikon Nikkor 10.5 mm fisheye lenses for all of their close up interior photography. No distortion at a 180 degree field of view. The durn camera is not the problem, this lens is $700.00 Guess I'll spring for one as it seems to be my only option. I need my photo's as crisp and clear as possible for the lodge. Also Phil took the interiors with a 12mm fisheye so that is pretty wide on the angle shots. Thanks again guys, really appreciate it. Have any of you purchased anything over the web? Prices seem to be very good for the same equipment they sell at Lawrence Photo..

Guys I have a very good 35mm SLR Nikon that I purchased about 6 years ago with a varity of lenses. Here is what I want to do. Take both broschure quality photo's and also completely rephotograph all of our lodge rooms for display on our various internet websites. Do I need to purchase a digital camera and the appropreate lenses all new or will I just need the correct lenses for my SLR? What steps would I have to take to reduce the resolution of these film photo's to make them come up quickly on the web? I'm sure I would then need photoshop or some other program to adjust this for my computer. I am in a pickle as this stuff ain't cheep. Thought about professional photography, but with constant updates and the price of the pro, I could buy my own equipment, so I want to get what would be best. Please take a shot at this Thanks Bill What whould you do?

Very nice trip to Ark. yesterday. Great to catch-up on stuff you just don't talk about too much on email. Seem's to be alot more guide trips going on at the bstailrace than up here, as it appeared there were 3 or 4 trips going on when we got there and a guide pulling out at the ramp as we were lanching. None seemed to be catching them as well as PHIL and i. Notice the caps for a reason. When you put that guy on a streight line jig he is deadly. I had to make a quick switch to a jig and float in some slack water, just to make it respectable. You don't have to catch 50 fish to have fun. The day was beautiful and the company great. WE did see several strands of what appeared to be flesh floating in the water and I believe the gulls may have been diving on this. We saw no shad, but the health and the fullness of every fish we caught was amazing. All most all the guide boats were fishing flyrods, but for the most part down there they use a tecnique that we seldom employ on taney. It is little more than a flop out and you for sure would not need a flyrod to do it. A canepole or switch would employ about the same fishing style. Most were fishing a white either streamer or jig, or egg pattern about 6 to 8 ft. under an indicator. If their rods were 9footers they were probably fishing with the indicator about 9ft. from the tip of the rod. They just leave that much flyline out and never pick it up or cast it. After they drift the area they choose, they just motor back to the spot with the fly line dragging behind the boat and when they get to their desired location, they just make a hard overhand slam and drift it again and again. alot of times their strike indicator, will be drifting within 4 or 5 ft of the boat. I have seen a couple of the Ark guides on taney and they also drift like this during generation, only with maby 10 to 16 feet of tippet below the indicator, seems to work, as their clients catch plenty of fish. They will fish it right under the boat with no cast at all. Their clients after the drift, will pull the flyline in till the indicator reaches the rod tip, and then pull the tippet in wraping it around their hand. When they get to the desired drift location they will hand drop the tippet and fly just over the side to float the strike indicator, they do have to mend from time to time, but that is about the only fly fishing manuver they make. I like to watch myself cast to much for this presentation, and is that really fly fishing, just because your using a flyrod? Just a question, not a critism. All in all, what a great way to spend a 32 degree February day.

Wayne, I really agree with ya. The X-Rap is a great stick, that throws with ease and never needs a tune job. Depth range between 4 and 6ft. depending on line size, and length of cast. It varies from the custom suspending sticks in the fact that it won't achieve the depth that the rogues achieve. 6 to 14ft. with the same variables. As the water warms and the fish tend to rise in the water column, I really like it along with all the pointers. We'll analize all these baits comming up toot-sweet. Thanks, Great imput.

Bob, check out the archives posted by administration on early season tablerock. Great info, even though I wrote most of it. Also check out the post on table rock from now on because they are going to be coming in heavy on stickbait fishing. Am just about to do a Spring article on the art of the stick with lots of great input from other guides and lots of pic's. You could not spend your money any wiser than to take a guide trip with some of these great Table Rock guides that fish the stickbait. It is truely an art. Buster, Bill Beck and Tim Paige are as good as they get. You will see not only color but most important presentation. It will work anywhere in the White River chain. Good Luck

It's hard to get much out of Buster, if you arn't a buddy. I'm not saying it's impossible, but he is very selective to whom he sells his baits. You can always give him a try as his baits are extremely custom, being reworked from the bill to hooks to weighting and color. These baits don't simply have a slick paint job, they are indeed the works of an excellent lure crafter. 417-335-0357. They are fish catchers. Glad he's my buddy. Tim Hughes has been hand painting all varities of hard plastic and wood baits for years. Tim has a complete stable of tournament pro's with many wins fishing his baits. The painting and the colors without question are works of art. www.hughescustombaits.com Custom Stickbait Rods can also be purchased from The Rod Shop at 816-668-3026 Extreme light weight, with sensitive tips and flexibility thru the rod top with enough backbone to fight a quality fish. Best I have ever seen or used. The stickbait rods are also wonderful for working spooks or chugbugs in the warmer times making them a duel prupose rod. They are fantastic. In the next couple of weeks, I will put together the primer for White River Stickbaiting and will get it up with lots of great info from some of the best Stickbait throwers on the system. Stay tuned

Beck,Lilley and I took a beating trying to catch muskie "ER" I mean walleye on upper Bull this Am., So Beck and I decided we couldn't quit on such a sour note and headed the fishing caravan to Eagle Rock. WE both had a couple of places we wanted to give a whirl for early season stickbait bass. First stop on Bill's second cast he caught a really nice 3.5 lb. Largemouth and that kind of just got the ball rolling. WE only hit 4 total spots in the couple of hours we had to fish but caught fish where they should be this time of the year. Water temp, up the river 42 degrees. Lot better wind day today than last week, and where the wind, sun and chunk rock met the bass were there. We both believe they would have taken a crank if worked slowley, as for the most part all the fish came no farther than 10ft. off the bank in probably 5 to 12 ft. of water. Boat was sitting in 22 to 28ft. We ended up with about a dozen bass, all Largemouth with several very nice keeper size fish. Bill was using a custom Tim Hughe's purple fleck suspending rogue and I was using a custom Buster Loving Purple Back white bellie, suspending rogue. Both worked very well. Most all the fish came after the initial jerk down during the pause. Some were just there and some nearly ripped the rod out of our hand. You just had to be ready for the soft-strike and be glad when they slammed it. We both missed several fish, but for the most part we were on em. The walleye were tough to come by, but the home lake bass we glad to see us.

Bill Beck, Phil Lilley and I hit the water at 7am on upper Bull and motored to the pothole. Threw Stickbaits swimming minnows and jigs for a couple of very cold hours this AM and caught 5 rainbows and one huge carp. Credit Phil with the buglemouth. Ran on down to the Barker hole and fished the transition end for about 20 minutes with no bites. Should have been there yesterday in the clouds as it was as bright as could be today, not a good walleye day. See today on tablerock and Bill and I went to Eagle Rock and got into a very nice bunch of stickbait largemouth.

I have started seeing some rigs parked on the bluff's just before you get to the Kings River Bridge on 86. All most all with Arkansas tags. Most of these guys are fishing the last deep hole at the bend just before the river goes into Arkansas. They are for the most part tightline fishing creek chubs. Low light conditions are by far the best bet. Most fishing is usually from 2am until 8am and from 7pm until midnight. If you wish to fish from a boat you can lanch at Happy Hollow and work your way up stream. Fish the last bluffend before the bridge and the flat between the bluff and the bridge going up stream on your right. Last year drifting gold fish and shiners, as chubs are really had to come by, below the riffle after the bluff caught quite a few walleye. Outside of the naturals suspending stickbaits are by far your best bets, with clown or a gold sided full size rogue working well. The hole just above the bridge is also a very good spot for live bait presentations. Motor oil and redfleck swimming minnows on a 1/4 oz jig head will also get some attention from the walleye and the crappie and whites will also be attreacted to these offerings. You really have only about 6 weeks up there as about the second week of March, they are for the most part spawned out and leaving. This is your best bet on Table Rock, Roaring River also holds a catchable run of walleye, but not to the extent of the Kings. Bull Shoals is much better. I'm heading over there tomorrow and give it a whirl, will post on the Bull Shoals sight on how we did.

Right as Rain on the Speed Clip. I love em for fishing stickbaits, spooks and redfins, it allows total movement of the head of the bait with virtually no weight. Also makes for quick changes. Spot of photo might directly coralate with the spot of the catch, who knows? We may also have forgotten our camera in the truck and had to run to the ramp to get it. Either way, she is still swimming in the briney blue. Good Luck We are after Walleye on the morrow will let you know on how we did on the Bull Shoals report tomorrow afternoon.

Good to see a few of us out stiring the pot a bit. Sounds like you guys had a great day. Again, would not have thought of a streight line worm bite at that depth, this time of the year. The fish are simply where you find them. Usually don't see a lot of bass hunkered to the bottom in that shallow depth this time of year. Most seem to be either deep or wandering suspended getting ready to pull up. Great Job.

Polock, to answer your questions from the message you sent. Yes there are guides working the entire year. Yes, they have Winter rates, they are usually higher than in the Summer as we have to get our pinkeys cold. Just kidding, same rate all the time. Yes again, when your here the bass will be giving it a go. Talked to Bill today and he fished this morning and caught fish deep in the 50ft. range on vertical jigging 4 inch grubs. Yesterday, we threw the bank with suspending stickbaits. You are coming to a great area of the lake to crappie fish. crappie are being caught up long creek as we speak. Fish seem to be coming from the main creek channel in about 20 ft. on the bottom. Minnows as well as Swimming minnows and jigs will produce. You just have to work to find them. There should be some more posts on the crappie with better locations by the time you arrive. One problem, is almost all the crappie in that area are coming out of Arkansas you you will also need a Ark. permit to fish the long creek area. You can get a three day. Also spoke to some crappie fisherman in the Baxter area and they are starting the catch some really nice crappie suspended in the trees in that same 20ft. depth range. To my suprise most reported to be catching them on the main lake rather than in the creeks. Hope this helps. B. Babler White River Outfitters

Ham, you must be new to the fourm. All fish are released back to mother nature. With cool water temps, and fish coming off the bank a short areiated ride in the Champion livewell gives them a nice oxeginated jump start to go about their personal day to day chores. No animals were harmed in the making of this movie.

Bill Beck and I made it out on the Rock for a while yesterday morning. Determined to make the fish bite on a stickbait, it was about all we threw. Air/Temp. was 22 degrees at 7:30 when we flew the ramp. Story begins about 3 weeks ago when Bill had found some deep fish in a major lake pocket between Kimberling City and Baxter. His nephew was fishing Ahoy's winter tournaments and Bill had told him about the deep fish in the cove. Nephew tried the deep fish and nothing so switched to a clown rogue and started down an interior cove chunk rock bank with lots of pole timber on it. Long story short, he GOT BIT, big time to the tune of his best 5 weighing 17.5 lbs and he also lost a monster that jumped several time and then broke off. He told Bill he was sure the fish weighed between 9 and 10 lbs. Said he could only get bit on a stretch of bank that was about a city block long. Post Script/// When we pulled onto this stretch yesterday, there is no reason that I would have ever fished it or stopped their. Bill just said this is where his nephew said they were. I could find no reason to see why it was special. Go's back to the more you know the less you really know. We fished down the bank about 40 yrds. and Bill pointed out some structure on the Bank and said his nephew said the fish were only from that piece of structre to the interior point. My second cast into the Honey Hole, I caught a K of about 1.75. While I was unhooking the small bass, I heard bill say, Oh My Gosh. I have got a monster. I throw my bass back and look up front and his rod is in a complete 1/2 moon and the drag is just singing is short zips. Shimano Cronarch. It pays to fish the best. I look into the deep green and see the side of one of the biggest bass I have ever seen on the Rock, it is a complete toad. Bill is fishing 8lb. maxi on his stickbait so everything has to work perfect for him to get this fantastic fish to hand. After a real lengthy battle we get our mitts of this complete tablerock giant. A threadfin shad under 9lbs. Think it was the fish his nephew was talking about. I would bet the farm and also the grave plot. Caught 3 more fish on that stretch of bank with another really nice 3.5 lb. K and fished about 3 hrs. on other locations without a bite. Just was to flat with no breeze. Water temp at the start of the morning was 44.7 and when we quit at 1pm had gone up to about 46. It won't be long. Included are a couple of bait photo's and a couple of shots off our lodge deck. Man the lake is just beautiful this time of year.

February of 06 was excellent in the Dam Big Cedar area. By far, one of the best eary bites we had in years. This year it will be much, much tougher with 10 to 12 feet of additional water that wasn't here last year. Still, target transition banks, long flat points leading into cove mouths, and gravel banks off main river channels in that area. I know you said Big Cedar time shares, but don't let the locals or the accual Big Cedar folks here you talk like that. They call the Time Share "Wilderness Club". They will be quick to tell ya, its not the same. Check out the nightly rental prices for both Wilderness Club, and then Big Ceder, and you will know doubt see the difference. Good luck with your fishin in the Big Cedar Area of TR.