Bill Babler

Just to add a final touch and we'll close the topic. As far as the comsumption of bass this was never the issue. The point was guides killing spawning and short fish. Most of us could care less how many bass Sam eats. I have never met Sam, but he falls into a demographic of the 50 and up bunch. I would bet my seat on the lifeboat that he is over 50 and has served for us in the military. In the last 15 years I have taken people that have came up rough and believe anything they catch is due them. It probably is. If your a fisherman and like to eat bass, by gosh do it. My folks never met a fish they wouldn't eat. Their theory was its due them. I have cleaned trout, crappie and white bass for clients that just had to have them and about 90% never eat the fish. There is always an excuse, they went bad or my wife won't let me fry fish in the kitchen and we threw them away. Only about 10% of the clients returning want to keep the fish the next year, they only want the fun of catching them. A few years ago up at the knob, I saw a guy trolling a flat and catch a huge brown fish. I motored up to him to see what it was, thinking it was a fantastic walleye. I weighed the fish on my scales, it was a 6lb 10 oz. smallie. He hadn't put it on a stringer yet and I offered him a small legal walleye and 10 really nice whites, if he would throw it back. He said if it was the last fish swimming in the lake it was his to eat and told me where to get off. He told Bryant Ward the same thing a few days later when he was arrested for keeping short bass. If you believe for 1 second that the bass limits on table rock lake are set for population maintaince and control, I have a wonderful piece of lake front property in Arizona you can have cheap. After the fish kills in 99 and 2000, I asked the lake Bioligost why we just didn't lower the limit or close the season. He said if it was up to him steps would be taken, but the economic damage that would be done would be in the 100's of millions of dollars. Everything in this area is geared to table rock bass. From manufactoring to sales, fuel, lodging and national exposure. To say that the lake had a bass shortage and adversley effect any of the above would be catostropic to the region. The bass is the king, if we would have had a similar situation with the crappie, the crappie limit would have dropped dramatically, as there is very little economic prussure on the fish, and a reduced harvest would have been used for population increasement. They view the crappie as a consumption fish and the bass as a sport fish. He said the powers that be, would not have it. Any change in the limits or status of bass would not be heard. MDC's number 1 management tool for table rock bass is that over 90% of the bass fisherman practice catch and release, this is the tool that the MDC uses to justify the creel limits. they realize that we are just not going to kill them. As far as removing 100's lbs. of ky's bass to lower the competition for forage on table rock, nothing could be further from the truth. You take out 100 lbs, and it is gone forever. The caring capasity of predators in the rock is far below the forage base. As far as the ky's dieing before they reach the legal length limit, Sam is right. Acually the majority of all three species die well before 12 inches as they are at that time on the lower end of the food chain. MDC did a 5 year study on ky's and found that the majority of the ky's that reached the 12 inch mark, did make it to 15 inches. They also found that removing the fish between 12 and 15 inches took a valuable predator that consumed threadfin shad from the already narrow predator base, that is why they refused to lower the limit size to 12 inches, table rock needed the fish. It was also found that while slow growing, the life span of the ky's was extremely long. Females were able to spawn into their teens, and add new recruitment to a lake that had suffered two major fish kills. Although there is some overlap in territories, the 3 black bass species operate with totally different intentions. All, at times can be caught in the same areas, on the same baits, but you can also catch and fish for each of the subspecies using particular lures in home ranges of the species that really segrate the three. Ky's prefer to occupy deep offshore structure and love to suspend in cove mouths over deep water, and they love company. They are threadfin eaters. It is not uncommon to catch them schooling and chasing shad in 150 to 200 ft. of water, on the top. Not really the prefered location for largemouth of smallies. Ky's for the most part are not ambush feeders, they are chasers. They can live everywhere and nowhere, they are nomads, the only home they have is in the water, unlike a largemouth that lives in a particular cove or area the majority of the time, and a smallie that lives on state park beach, These guys like to travel. A few years ago, I caught the same fish 3 times, I knew her from a complete cut off top fin, and a huge slash on her tail. I caught her the first time off wolfpen on a fin. A couple of weeks later, I caught her on a split shot at Campbell Pt. and later in the year I caught her on a hump up the white. There was no mistaken identity possible, she was clearly marked. Three different clients had a wonderful time catching her and as far as I know she is still swimming. Their actions at times resemble a walleye. Channel swings, mid-lake and deep humps hold these excellent fighting fish. They also love to push the threadfin to the top over these humps, where they can seperate the schools for forage. Again, where there is one, he usually has a friend or two. The largemouth bass is the ultimate ambush feeder. Large portions of its day to day diet, come from blue gill, crappie, sunfish, frogs, other bass, small turtles and crawfish. He is the top predator in his hiddy hole and while it is not uncommon to have several largemouth in the same area, it is not for the most part the rule, he can be a loner. They prefer cover and water depths not nearly as extreme as the ky's, however they will adapt as temps fall in the winter and move away from the bank. That is why the river stretches of the lake hold the majority of these fish. To even remotely think that removing portions of any of the bass species will enhance or add to the range of the others is just not how these fish operate. It will not happen. Oklahoma Fish and Game a few years ago did an experment introducing Florida Strain largemouth to Grand Lake. It was a total falure in the aspect, that even though introduced as fry, and larger fish, they had no capasity to move off shore to deeper water in the winter. The Florida strain is an extreme shallow water predator and simpley could not or would not adapt to deep water. As the forage base moved to deeper water or thermocline and bass would not follow, and when the summer base forage was depleted in late fall the bass died off to a large extent. Smallie's on the rock, love flat gravel and all the goodies that are found their. They not only will nibble any shad that comes by, but love the crawdaddys that live in these areas. They are also huge consumers of insects and small invertibrates, along with shore minnows and any unlucky tadpole or critter that falls from above. They are now and have been for years found over the entire lake system, mostly in seperate areas from the other two species. They love flat gravel, with no structure on it. Just wide open shallow flats. Not enough cover for the hiddy hole largemouth and not enough water over their heads for the ky's. If we as catch and release fisherman give these wonderful fish a chance to procreate and do our best to let them spawn, Sam should have plenty of fillets to keep him happy. He is in the minority rather than the majority, and that is what MDC is counting on.

I can't write anymore, I have to vacume and clean a couple of tolits. You may be righht!

I won't even go there. Come over and help serve breakfast on Sat and Sun while I'm working. I know it will cut in on your beauty sleep, but it will do you good getting up before noon. Oh! I forgot, you have to get up by 9 on Sunday to make Church. Don't worry, you can still make your afternoon nap.

SD, I agree. The biologist say that bed fishing dosen't hurt the population, because only a small percentage of bass bed are where they can been seen. I still think it really hurts for the reasons you mentioned to drag these fish 50 miles to another location during the spawn. On the Rock, the smallies and the KY's sometimes will bed clear to 20 ft. and this is just not visible to the site fisherman. They are however easy prey to the drag fisherman. They are easy when they are chasing shad in the cove mouths getting ready to make their spawning runs. I have no problem with a fisherman keeping a fish to eat, I do have problems with guides killing these fish for sale. It is not that they are doing something special, we all know where the fish are. Most of us just choise not to kill them. They are easy and I will tell you there is not an unlimited supply. You know this if you have been here a while. I reminds me of someone coming to your home and seeing a deer grazing in your back yard and paying you $100.00 to shoot it out the back door. If a guide feels he has to do that to make clients happy and the only way they will be happy is by eating fish full of spawn, that is where I see the problem. I won't comment on it any further, everyone on this fourm knows how I feel on the subject of killing these wonderful creatures. It sickens me. It is fantastic though to catch and release them and they are really available for that right as we speak. Get out and enjoy the great fishing.

Guys, thanks for the kudos. All of these spots are spots myself and other guides fish when we are in those perticular sections of the lake. They are excellent spots. Some seasonal some not so much. They just hold fish. Tom, as far as living in the Long Creek region, over Indian Pt., it is all determined by your budget. Indian pt. will for the most part be in the higher rent district. You will also have to deal with crowds, whereas in Long Creek or the Blue Eye area, you have a clear run to either Branson, Shell Knob , or Harrison. We live down Happy Hollow Road directly across from Big Cedar and it is a fantastic neighborhood. It is but a short romp either way to hit LC or IP. For current fishing conditions in the IP area, check out my ramblings of the last couple of weeks, as I have just not had time to post on a regular basis, with the spring fling going on. Lots of fish on the bite.

Just got a moment to catch-up abit for the last couple of weeks. Most of the guides, myself included have been working the Rock extremely hard as this is the time you have the best chance's to capture some of these great fish on camera. The clients range from young to feeling young and most have had great fishing not because of what I have done, but because it's just that time of year. It's easy to be a guide when the fish are biting like they have been for the last month. It is the time however that we must be a careful with these magnificent critters as we can, because lake populations live and die with each years spawn. It saddens me to hear rumors of a guide fishing the Shell Knob area and filleting spawning fish. I know it's true as a strange guide boat in the area has been reported and voices even overheard, as they throw these wonderful bass in the livewell to be butchered. We have no place for guides killing bass during the spawn. If you have to do this to be a guide, you had better look elsewhere for work as you just don't have to do it. It simple means your not good enough, or you just don't care. Probably both. If you do it at Shell Knob, they know who you are and the word gets out. It is a small town and they really care about the fish. On a brighter note. Fishing from the Long Creek area of the lake to Eagle rock is pretty much the same. Siwm a C-Tail grub on flat gravel, in the color of your choice, it really dosen't matter, they will hit a rock if you throw it. I am using 6 lb. line and swimming the grub on a 3/16 oz. head, putting my boat in 15 to 20 feet of water. Smallies are eating it up. They are still really clean and full of eggs, so BE CAREFUL WITH THEM. Spotted bass seem to be in the pockets or on abit steeper stuff. They are also off the main lake pts. and seem to be schooling some times, if you can catch it right. Sammy's, spook's or a fin will catch the schooler's. It don't matter, just heave it in front of the chasers and you will get bit. The Shell Knob area has had lots of spotted bass working the main lake points. No one is a hero for discovering these secret spots, as they are not a secret. Any dummy that has fished the lake for a year of two knows the spots. Don't kill the schooling fish, some have spawned some haven't, its hard to tell by looking at them. Lots of spots are being caught on a frech fry and again it really dosen't matter which one you use right now as they will bite most anything that is drug thru a bed or thru a staging point. Boat in about the same depth of water, as you did with the grub swimmers. I am also having nice success on a floating worm. Bass Pro's chartruse floater is catching really nice largemouth in the wooded coves and in the back of the spawning coves. Alot of these fish look to have spawned but some haven't. I have caught spawning spots clear into June. so it is not over. When you don't see the schooler's and just want to catch some topwater fish, try the bluff ends and also the wooded pole timber on the inside of the points going back into these spawning coves. Nice way to catch a good black. Try the flat gravel early with the fin or sammy, fishing it right on the bank and down the banks in under 8 ft. of water for great topwater action for the smallies. Come to the Rock right now, and if you have any kind of boat there is absolutely no need to hire a guide. You won't need one if you can hit the water with the majority of your casts. Enjoy, because July and the jet skiers are a commin. Good Luck

Will be in that area on the morrow and let you know. Shouldn't be any problem from Big M to the Kings river. I would guess there would be some trash around the Shell Knob Bridge. Thats about as far as it usually gets as most piles up on Momosa beach up the kings. I'll be really accurate tomorrow.

On Table Rock lake, about 90 percent of the topwater action occures as bass push bait fish to the surface to break the schools into smaller groups or singles for consumption. And I must preference that we are talking about Table Rock. The majority of our topwater action is on spotted bass and whites. Other topwater bites can occur on shallow gravel and bluff ends in the timber or the cedars. Usually the gravel means smallies and the timber means either blacks or spots. When the spots are pushing the shad, it's usually early or late and the topwater bite on the gravel or the bluffends are the same. This is due to low light situations in which the predators feed on a more consistant basis. It is not uncommon at all for the bite to disapear at the knob. It will be back however it is not the predominate way to catch those shell knob fish. You have to keep the boat traffic down for a good morning bite. With all the shriner traffic it is just to much. Good Luck

All most all the ramp docks on the lake are COURTESY docks, and are not provided by the Corps or the Govt. They are provided by dock building companies. If they are a bit tardy in moving them for our convienence, at this water level, we may just have to put her on the bank. I'm just glad they work most of the time. I guess that's why the hamby bow and keel protector were invented. I know one time we fussed up at Shell Knob, and that was the end of the docks for the summer as they just sat there on the beach. Lets just keep a low profile and hope they will service them soon.

Yes boy's there has been an osprey working upper taney. In the last week, I have seen him and also 1 current bald eagle. The osprey will dive and hit the water with such force, you would think he would break apart, He is eating live fish. The eagle picks up mostly dead or injured trout with its talons. I don't believe the osprey will eat carron, and the eagle would rather have it if he can get it. I have seen osprey nesting in the dam area for several years, There has also been a nest near Baxter for about as long as I can remember. I believe they must use the same nest year after year. The Osprey's probably live up on the rock, and just have a hankering for some fly fishing.

What do you mean by shallow? There are lots of fish being caught in that area, and the flat coves on the east side headed back toward the White River. Most of the split-shot or rig fish are coming in the 12 to 18 ft. range. I never fish much shallower than that. I bet if you had put your boat in 15 to 20 ft. of water and fished any of those areas that have the least ammount of wind on them it would maby have worked. A little mixed chunk rock and gravel have been holding alot of pre-spawn fish. It is also time to throw the fluke or slugo. Fish are being taken on a sinko also. The fish will rise to any of the floating plastics, so depth is not quite as critical as the drag baits. Thats a great area this time of year. I bet you get them next time

Three really nice trips on upper taney Thrus. thru Sat. Lots of great fly fishing action in the lower restricted area. Fish are midging, with hatches coming off none stop. Sight fishing is fantastic. If you can see em you'll catch em. Size 16 zebra in red, black or bronze will take fish all day. If you stop getting bit, simple move the boat looking or hunting for feeding fish. Lots of browns jumping all day in the fall creek area, thru Andy's. Saw several in the 2 to 4 lb. class jump several times, but didn't connect on the browns. Fished the bluff bank from FC to Lookout with a royal humpie size 10 today and had really nonstop action up against the bank on very quality fish. This is really pleasant as most of the midgers are somewhat on the small side. Geoff, and Colleen Steer were on the dry fly case and Geoff, had some really nicely colored up bows with the big dry. Colleen had the big bow of the trip, but of course we didn't get its photo, before it squirmed out of my clumsly paws back in the drink. Maby 15 dry fly fish with at least that many misses, and all the midgers you wanted. Not bad fishing for the conditions.

Can in noway top SKMO's day, but reports are flying in about one of the best topwater bites in years. Tim Paige with Ozark Mountain Guide Service, reports the Long Creek Arm, to probably Point 5 was outstanding today. Most fish were taken swinmming a broken back minnow on top. Fish still seem to be on flat gravel pts with some chunk. It is really nice if there is a bit of standing timber located on the pts. Swimm or work the top water in these locations on the entire lake system. Tim reported 63 dereees in his fishing area. I know it is much warmer up the river systems. Fish are also really being caught on a split-shot rig or a traditional Carolina rig, using a zoom french fry of the color of your preference. Tim had 1 small jaw a bit over 5lbs. and he said a largemouth flushed his clients bait that was just flat big. Swing and a miss. Trout are on dry flys. Crappie on the bank. Bass on topwater, I'm going insane.

Those spots always hold big fish this time of the year from January till the middle of this month. I just have a hard time catching them on anything other than a stick bait thru those docks. I have pulled some goodies on a red floating worm. No 8 pounders though. Great fish and great pics. Try the deep trees in the middle of that one cove for some crappie. We caught a couple of really nice ones in there the other day. Keep moving toward Table Rock dam on the same side of the lake with the big log resort in the back, I'm sure you will like what you find. I haven't been out that early with a spinner bug, but the old boy that used to own the viola boat dock caught the tails off them at night on a twin spin, this time of year. Great fish, I'm envious. You Big fishing fiend.

Have no idea why it was so crowded up the Kings except word is out that the fish may be on the bank. SKMO, arrived at about 4pm at the viola ramp and simply turned around as it was a mad house. Spoke to a couple of guides that were working the Missouri side of Long Creek and they said all the coves were absolutely chocked with boats. Sam you must have just been at the right spot at the right time. Spoke to Bill Anderson this morning. Bill was our lake biologist for a long time. He is now the cordinator of our warm water hatcheries. Most of the crappie we are catching are coming from a couple of good back to back spawn years. A keeper is basicly a 4 to 5 year old fish. What I could determine in speaking to Bill is the number of shorts should well outnumber the keepers for a viable population, as at legal length, with the fishing prussure we have, the majority of these fish will be harvested. Contrary to popular belief, wave after wave of crappie don't come into the bank, spawn and move away, as another set moves up. In a given period of time the spawn will occur. The majority of these keeper fish will be there at one time. When their gone, there gone. Yes there is some constant movement, but it is the same fish going and coming in search of the right conditions, not another group of fish. Most of us can remember the low decade of the 90's. Don't forget it, as Bill said, with the harvest that has gone on the last couple of years and the extremely poor recruitment of last and for sure this year, we had better enjoy them while they last. Can catch and release of these bedding females make a difference in our future harvest. Bill says not likely. The recuritment of crappie spawn is manley due to lake conditions. With depressed water levels, and warm clearing conditions, the new hatched crappie will have a rough go of it. If the microscopic organism's that the spawn consume are present and we get rain to promote cover for these young we may continue to have good seasons like 05, and 06. But look out 3 to 4 years from now, thats when we will see how good it really was in 2006. On a bright note. Sam, put some Zatarain's Creole Seasoning and lemon on those cleaned no red meat white fllets and cut them in long strips, like cat fish nuggets. They will be tasty. If you don't want them, give a Hollor. Good luck, great fishing and get them while they last.

Anytime I have the opportunity to talk Becky into going fishing, I take it. Got a call from SKMO saying the crappie were on the banks in the Kings River and that the white were chasing late in the day. Must have been a conference call as I have never seen the like of fisherman. Roared into the ramp at viola at about 3pm and couldn't believe my eyes. The lot was over flowing and rigs were parked up the entrance road. I counted over 90 outfits. Went ahead and lanched the fish catcher with the thought that i may have spent my time better painting the porch. Headed up the river past the Sweetwater ranp and Becky commented, what are all those trucks up in the woods? Told her they were fisherman that had parked after lanching at the ramp. Between 40 and 50 rigs their. I have never in the last 20 years seen over 5 cars at that lot. I have a little spawning bank up the Kings I like to fish and headed that way. I have never seen another fisherman on that spot, basiclly because it looks like it would never hold a fish. Completely flat gravel. 31 boats were on the bank. I had 66 boats in view from the ski bouys thru Deer Bluff, training the banks, it didn't matter weather they were on flat gravel or complete bluff. Stopped between two docks to fish and had two other fisherman pull into the same cut, both were within 10 ft. of my boat. There is a small deep cove with a nice spawning flat up above Royal Point, that I like, there were 16 boats in the cove and everyone could have casted into the next boat. Spoke to about 15 fisherman on these spots and none had more than 4 fish, and most had been out all day. Just flat to much prussure. I will not go back to the Kings River again this year. This was my last outing for crappie. Spoke to Buster and he said Long Creek and Cricket were absolutely swamped with crappie fisherman and they would not hesitate to pull in front of you to hit any kind of bank. He said he had 25 nice keepers on his guide trip, but all the traffic made it about as unpleasant as it gets. I have guided and fished Missouri and Arkansas now for almost my entire life and have never at anytime seen this ammount of boating traffic. I was on the Mo. State Water Patrol for 5 yrs. and can't remember traffic being like this even on holiday weekends. This is the middle of the week. Good luck to you guys, I'm going back to Taney, and never complaining about the boats again.

After the schlacking I took yesterday by SKMO, I needed the front of the boat with a full schedule of Table Rock Guide work this coming week. Put in at 86 about 10;30 after helping serve breakfast at the lodge. Was only going to fish until about 2 and then check out the Masters. Noticed immediatly that the surface temp had dropped a bunch from yesterday.51.8 today and that put me back on the stick. Caught two quick smallies just across from the ramp and then went to the main lake. Lots of wind and surf in the Clevenger Branch area and fished the War Eagle for about 1 hr. Caught 3 shorts, 2 smallies and 1 KY. Bite kind of died by noon, so went back to the stick and my first cast caught a really nice keeper smallie. Contimued to throw it on chunk gravel 45 degree type banks with wind, mostly the East side of the lake. Picked up another really nice keeper smallie and a 17 inch KY. It was about time to go in and I stopped on 86 point and give the stick a whirl into a 30mph wind, it went about 30 ft. but decided to work it anyway. Check out the pic. This is the biggest KY I have ever caught. I know people have caught lots larger, and many claim 5 to 7 lb. fish, but this if my biggest. 20 1/8 inches long 4lb.14oz. I have caught thousands and thousands and have seen that many caught, and have only seen 1 bigger in person. It was caught off the island in front of Big Cedar on a crawler during a guide trip. 5lb 6 oz. This fish had the largest extended stomach I have ever seen. It was completely full of eggs and threadfin shad. It was spitting shad as it came to the boat and spit shad all over the deck. Was done and on the trailer by 1;30, not a bad morning after my fishing lesson yesterday. I thank the teacher, and wish he would have been there for the big KY.

Way to kind on the fishing report. While I was giving myself a backache with the stickbait, SKMO was boating fish after fish on the War Eagle. I feel if we would have had a net, my time would have been served better. Instead, I was a whitness to proper spinnerbait presentation. When you get in a grove like that you just have to ride it. I assure you I will make a come back. Maby.

For crappie, try the following locations, and I am sure you will have good results. Basin Hollow: Go to the back of the left fork and work your way out thru the pole timber on both sides of the hollow. Fish a swimming minnow or tube jig. If they are in close a jig and float may also work. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL BOATING IN AND AROUND BASIN HOLLOW LOTS OF ROCKS AND TREES. Mill Creek: right across the lake. Go back in both arms and work your way out thru the same timbered locations. Hobbs Hollow, Try both arms, I know Dan Langley was catching crappie near the mouth from the cedars using a swimming minnow just on the outside of the trees. Take lots of baits as you will lose them playing around these trees. Bait colors that tend to work best are white, blue, chartruse, and white pink blends on maribou jigs. SKMO, should be frothing the waters in that area for bass, and I'm sure he will be able to give you some great tips, later in the week. Probably should stick to the crappie as most of the bass will probably be suffering from oral surgery and respiratory problems from being jerked from the water by SKMO and his guest this week.

Don't let sleeping beauty know how much fluorocarborn was on that reel, or she'll have you super gluing the pieces back together. That would definatly make a dent in you $300.00 worth of fishing equipment. I thought I would die. Becky dosen't even ask amymore. Of course I have a legit excuse. HA HA

If you uncle caught 2 over 6lbs. you had better be asking him! Please review the current posts by our professional and local anglers and all your questions will be answered. Also please check out our pinned topics Thank you for coming to the fourm

Maby you should Mount the backlash. I have 2 Chronarchs that I just retired because of the quality of the lashes in them. I knew I probably could never get a better one. Great day. Glad what we spoke of worked. Seldom does on those type of tips, but I think they will bite anything right now. Jerk, Spin, Drag, Crank, Top. Thats the way we like it Excellent Report.

Hugh and Hugh Mellans of Chicago visited out little piece of heaven on Friday wanting to give both the trout and bass a fling. The great part about this is Hugh Sr. is 97 years young. We started on the trout. Both Jr. and Sr. have fished the world over and Sr. at 97 had no problem seeing and reacting to his strike indicator in the restricted area of upper taney. He had 4 fish in the boat before I could even get Jr's fly line soaked. Lots of trout in the Andy section of the lake. Most coming on that stinky micro. Saved enough for Becky to prepare them for breakfast for the guys. Hard to beat rainbow for breakfast. At noon, we switched to the rock, lanching at old 86. I haven't fished this area a whole lot as Shell Knob has been so hot I have been trailering up there. Was suprised to find water in the 55 degree range. Jr. had been on the fourm, reading about stickbaiting, and wanted to give it a try. I knew Sr. would have trouble with the stick and tied on a grey 4 inch. chomper single tail for him to swim. Went looking for gravel and wind and when I set them up, I started with Sr. See results of his 3rd. cast with the grub. We fished about a 1/4 mile stretch of gravel in the Clevenger Creek area for 3 hrs. and caught and released 2 smallies,6 Ky's and 1 5lb. channel cat. This was middle of the day. All the fish were at least 15 inches and that dosen't happen often. T. Paige had told me he also had a really nice number of keeper fish in the same general area on sticks earlier in the day. Guys, I have to admit to ya, when Sr. caught his second nice Ky on that grub, this old crusty guide had a hard time chocking them back. Jr. never did quite get on the stick, as he tended to move it a little too quickly but man it was great watching his dad catch those fish. This a absolutely the reason I'm out there and this was my second 97 year old in the last year. No matter what it takes or what work is involved it is the most worthwile feeling I have as a guide. These fish are biting, LOOK FOR THE WIND.

Guys, hope everyone is enjoying all the up to date info on Table Rock Lake. There has never been more comprehensive, and seasonal up to date information published on the rock. Locals that are out there several days a week are contributing with clarity and absolute fantastic up to the day information. More info. than I can even believe on hard to find locations and baits. Please to keep cluter down and keep topics fresh, if you are a new comer to the fourm look and browse the topics already in play and the archives before asking for further information. Plese don't repeat your questions in every species catagory. IF Don or SKMO has a current topic dated the day before you are coming or even several, you can bet the patterns have remained the same. To ask for Table Rock reports the next day after a post is probably pretty much a waste of time on our part. If something new comes up, the way this fantastic fourm is working, you will hear about it quickly. Plese enjoy the fourm, and we'll keep that info. coming from guides and seasoned fisherman that are on the water everyday. Thanks a million, we love having you.

Guys, Buster and Paige hit it pretty hard in the Dam to Kimberling area the last couple of days. They both did have nice quality keepers but both reported the bite was a lot more active from Pt. 16 up the White. Get a nasty day with some rain a little wind, not a gale and the smalljaws will kick it in, in that dam area. Lots of males getting active up the White and that accounts for good numbers of fun fish. won't win you a tournament but their girl friend will if you are in the right place at the right bite. It.s just starting to kickin.