Bill Babler

Guy's, I'm only going to have one comment on this. Take a look at Hilton's flag ship hotels, and convention centers, and tell me how many they have built for non-gaming in the last 10 years? You will find many hotels, and all are gaming. It's what they do. They are a multi-billion dollar corporation, and could care less about renting nightly rooms in Branson. They could care less about selling condo's, reguardless of price. They could care less about bringing in conventions to the Landing. They are after gaming dollars and that is why they are on the Branson River front. There would have been a million cheaper places to put a strip mall that dosen't utilize the water front. But, you must have the water for gaming in Missouri. This is the end of the story, and if you don't think it's going to happen, you are living in La La land. I have been told, it's progress.

Well, I got to the Landing. As most of you know, I have not been the biggest fan of destroying the Branson river front for mall shops, but I got there to take a look this evening at around 4pm and stayed till around 8pm. If you are not a stranger to this fourm, you know my wife and I operate a Bed and Breakfast Inn on Table Rock. We felt, when constructing the Inn that we would gear ourselves to people that would be willing to spend in excess of $200.00 per night for lodging if it were of the highest quality. It has been extremely successful and the kind of people we get as gusets, are looking for very upper end entertainment. We have had some 400 plus guests go to the Landing since it opened. NONE were very impressed. and most say they have never seen as many cheap crummy shoe stores in one location in the USA. Of our 400 plus guests that have visited the Landing we asked how many spent money, and how many would return. The 400 probably spent $2,000.00 total with almost all on food from famous Dave's. We have not had a guest that said they would return to the Landing. My impressions were that getting into the Landing were quite easy, as we drove right up to Bilks and parked and just walked right in. Hardly anyone on the streets. I thought the street brick work and the horticulture were very nice in the streets, but thought the buildings and the overall theme was completely out of place with the Ozarks, with nothing at all to seperate the various town sections of the Landing from one another. We have one neighbor on the North that has a 7000 sq. ft. brick house for sale on the lake for $650.000.00 They can't sell it. The neighbor to the South, just sold their 3500 hundred sq. ft. cedar and rock home for $850.000 thru the same realitor. The realitor was quite honest with the brick house owners, and told them their house though big and on a great lot, just had no curb apeal and I hate to say this but boring. This is not KC, or St. Louis, you must blend in or you just do not fit. The Landing just does not fit. Brick and Concrete are just boring. WE have friends that are operating 4 different shops in the Landing, and they say it is only a matter of time at this rate before they are gone. We counted 36 closed store fronts on our visit. Maby they are just not open yet? We had also asked people about the water display. Most said ho-hum just vertical up lifts with no cross or intrigated water features. One lady said the one in her yard at home was very compreable. It was ok, if you have never been to Vegas and seen the one there. I was also amazed at the ammount of broken or cracked concrete on the sidewalks. Probably 70 or 80 percent of the pieces of walk are already broken. Maby the Landing will fit a certain Branson crowd, maby it will attract conventions, but is it the people we want? I am sure time will tell and the Landing will be a great success, but for now they need to hang the designer up by his toe nails. It couldn't have been made any cheaper, cheezer or more boring. I am just amazed there is not a big walmart on the town square, they have a bass pro, so it would have fit right in.

Guys, the biggest key to power generation, is you have to be in a boat and drift the seams with the flow. If you are fishing a stationary position, your bug will only be working in a very small fraction of the drift, due to getting it in the correct colume of water. And hopefully having trout in that 30 ft. drift. During heavy flow, trout hug the bottom and your bug must be presented to them in a manner that requires little movement from the fish. Why move, when another bug will be by in a few seconds? Most all our large fish or fish over the magic 20 inch barrier come on heavy flow. Great patterns during the flow depend on the clearity of the water. Really clear water is almost the same as fishing flat water. The trout can get an eyeball on the fly a great distance in advance and naturals such as brown sanjuan's and heavy scuds in 10 to 14 work really well. On cloudy heavy flow go with red sanjuan's and egg flys. Also one of the great flys during this period is a red or an orange beaded midge in size 14 using a tungsten bead for the head. The stickbait fisherman really shine during this period throwing the rogues, rapalas, lucky craft and youzuri 4 to 7 inch stickbaits. A couple of the stickbait guides are catching over 50, 20 inch fish per year, on a normal year. And it used to be even better than that. The best day I have had is 10 fish over 20 inches, and that was a while back, but both rainbows and browns luv em. One of the Arkansas guides was up here last week and had 5 over 20 on generation. On the stickbait. Good luck

Might try Cooper Creek.

I think it must be someone coming over from the campground. My clients helped my throw rocks off the ramp today and pickup glass. Spoke to the gal that cleans the restrooms and fixes up around there, really nice person. Says you can't believe the mess and destruction I have to clean up on a weekly basis. Just goes to show you, you can even mess up concrete and steel. You would think someone would hear them throw down the rocks on the docks. They keep patching them but its a real shame. Not a big deal, but one day last week when I was getting ready to pull my boat, there was a family with 3 kids on the ramp, throwing as many rock into the lake and on the ramp as they could, while the parents stood there and watched. Guess they thought those rock had dropped in out of the heavens and it was ok to throw them into the lake and on the ramp. Another big WHY.

Man, after today, I need to be a Timex Watch, cause I took my licking, and I hope that I can keep on ticking. I had two fantastic fisherman from Tao's New Mexico, and you know what that means, Ya, the SanJuan. I just don't think it could have been any flatter or tougher for me. The water was extremely low and the only movement on it is when you would breath. Maby saw 10 fish midge all morning and that would be a real emblished estimate. We caught 16 and the largest was maby 11 inches, and again I am probably stretching him a mite. It was so bad, they were digging out 24's and 26's and couldn't talk them into it. We even waded abit on the gravel bar above fall creek next to the boat lane. Absolutely no fish at your feet. Fished midges and scuds from 14's to 20's and fished dry's in the shade of the bluff banks as long as it was there. Hung droppers off the drys, scuds and midges and that's how we caught the few we had. The 11 incher came on a big stimulator being used for the indicator. These guys were casting 40 ft. and laying it right next to the bluff. They knew how to fish and how to dead drift and just flat couldn't get bit. I had taken them a couple of years ago and we had a great day with water moving. They remember, we waded and had lots of fish at our feet,and had them eating the ginger size 14 scud, before it started to move and then we really hammered them on the moving water with Pink Micro Jigs. They said it was not uncommon to have over 100 fish at their feet and just down on the SanJuan, and Midging almost constantly. Of course these guys were completely catch and release and they just didn't believe a fishery as small as taney, could sustain with the removal of 4 fish per person per day. With the fishing prussure we have. Both commented they saw more fisherman from Lilleys' thru Andy Williams than they see in a week on the SanJuan. There was lots of folks out there today, i bet Fall Creek dock had at least 30 fisherman, and there were about 25 boats in the lower restricted area. With all the traffic just getting there in the fog,was a chore. Thats another topic. No wind and they didn't kick the generators until after 11:30. You could flat ring out your shirt with the heat. Where were the generators when i needed them. Maby tomorrow, I'm starting later.

Guy's the last few days at the Cooper Creek Launch have been a real embarrassment to me. I am bring clients into the area the the first taste they see of taney is the lanch site. Someone from the middle of last week, thru today has decided to see just how much damage they can do to this marvelious faculity. They have taken large rocks and broken holes in the plastic planking of the dock, they have broken bottles on the ramp, and they are not beer but pop bottles. They have taken large chunk rock that is holding the banks and thrown it in the water covering the ramp. There has not been a day this past week, when I have not cleaned something up down there. There is a crew that work very hard at keeping this clean for us, but they cannot fight this destruction alone. If anyone see's anything at the ramp, please report it. I am wondering if this is coming out of a neighbor resort as it may stop just as soon as it started. If it is not ongoing we will know it was probably some kids on a vacation, they didn't want to be on. My problem, is I just cannot understand Why.

Here is what I have heard very reciently. You know my sources. Numbers were not to be at the 04 levels due to new regulations to take trout to a larger size before stocking. Total weight of the stocking was to be the same, just not as many fish. Thus the limit reduction to 4. Drought period in 05 put a strain on the other state hatcherys that help furnish fish to the trout parks and growth and numbers at these hatcherys were reduced. Especially when the opening of the season occured, as we were in a state wide drought at that time. Shepard of the Hills helped furnish more trout than usual to the parks and the Shepard trout already on reduced numbers due to the new plan, did not grow quite as well as usual, for the same reason. ie, not as many or as big as thought for taney. You will get no one to admit to this, but believe me its what has happened.

Dano, I can't get any closer than the cable. Rumor has it from non-revealable sources, we are about 6 figures under the ammount normally stocked by this time. Maby, Maby Not Thats all I have on the stocking or I'll be in big trouble.

Gotya! Good a theory as any. Personally, I don't think there is a lot of fish in the lake to start with. I am a huge sight fisherman, and am just not seeing any fish. How can I see them on deep water? Hardly a day goes by when these fish won't midge a bit. Myself or any of the guides are not seeing much activity. I can usually tell when I come across the 65 bridge how my day is going to go, even in the restricted area. Most times I can see hundreds of trout in the railroad bridge area, thru 65 bridge, right now I see almost none, yet there are swarms of midges coming off. They are playing around your head from the time you get in the boat. If something isn't eating them, then I don't believe they are there.

ReRead what I have already told you and your questions will be answered. Also check out my current tablerock report. Good Luck

Wayne, I don't understand your post the way it is written. I'm sure your right, but take another stab at it, so an idiot like me can understand your thoughts. Thanks.

Location, sometime is way more important in fishing than realestate. Yes, the cold water will shock the fish, but not for an extended period of time, they acclimate fast. Right spot, right bait and you will get bit. Clear, Extremely Cold and Fast in the restricted area yesterday and they chewed the fur off the flys. Bait guys had a terrible time from Fall Creek to Branson. I wonder how many fish are in that stretch right now?????? Those bait fish seem to being staying tight together, and moving quite a bit. Just not lots of spread out fish. If we get a generation pattern, we'll be able to tell more. Last couple of weeks, they were in the short creek to riverlake area by the hundreds. Everyone knew this and limit upon limit was removed. Then the generation started and now that area is just flat. You would think they either moved to cooper or lilleys', But they might have also moved up during the generation. You cannot however see very many fish in the restricted area, but there are enough to get a pretty good nip.

We are using a 7'2" rod designed by the Rod Shop in Kansas City, it has an extremely fast tip, with a solid middle section and extreme strength in the butt portion, with extremely long cork handles. Before most all the rods that were used before this were ultra lite, but were extremely wimpy and buggy whippy. This rod is the real deal for jig and float. How to fish this method is probably our biggest topic at the seminars that Phil and I do and I will try to explain our setup. First off you need a full size spinning reel with good line capacity, I am a shimiano man and use only stradic's in the 1000, or 1500 versions, these reels also have a marvelous drag system. Spool the reel with 4 lb. fluorocarbon, you don't need to over fill the spool, just about 2/3 full. The fluorocarbon throws like a rock and remains memory free and is all I will use. Lots of good brands out there. From the main line, I place a foam strike indicator on the line and then use a no 12 swivel below the float. I will also insert a small finish nail in the bottom of the float or a small split to help it throw. I tried a tungsten bead on the line but it cut the line and would not work. Float colors of either chartreuse or flo-orange work best. From there, depending on conditions I use 2lb. fluorocarbon to my fly, judging the length of the tippet on the speed and condition of the water. For actively midging fish I usually go about 2ft. of tippet, on most other times I try and stay near the bottom If I can. On extreme fast water, i will throw 9 to 10 ft. of the tippet material on the 7ft rod with no problem, that's how I got them yesterday. This is where the swivel really comes in handy, when throwing this much line, it prevents twists in your tippet material. The main thing to remember is you have to stay in contact from your rod to the strike indicator, at all times and cannot let your attention be diverted, as the fish even on a fast flow, just will not hook themselves. Keep your slack picked up without drag on the indicator and you will catch fish. I am constantly shocking the indicator will little rod tip snaps, this tells me I'm on the indicator and ready for a hook set. If I twitch the tip and the indicator doesn't move, you need to pick up the slack. Start on no flow or soft moving water, and then graduate to full flow. On full flow, fish the fly down stream from the boat with no drag and you will have a blast. As a footnote for the most part, I am adding on weight to the line to get the fly down. I either use weighted nymphs or micro jigs. If you attach even splits to the tippet and they hit the bottom they will just add another element to the tippet to catch the bottom and foreign material. I have had way better success with weighted bugs. Fluorocarbon sinks and that also helps get your trout appetizers to the bottom.

I'm thinking about building a tree house on the island, kind of a How Stupid are you Inn. Brian is the farthers person I know from a Redneck. You had better rethink that. When your out there as much as he is things happen, and you just hope they will correct themself. It is a full time job just doing the right thing and keeping yourself out of trouble. A couple of years ago I saw a 12ft. boat going up stream with 4 generators, I told my clients those guys are going to be in trouble and I approached them to say Man that is way to dangerious. They told me to F-Off. 30 minutes latter the water patrol was on their way for the rescue. Yesterday I saw a small 3 or 4 year old at the conservation ramp by herself with her parents in the car and 4 generators running, she was down touching the water, If she had went in that would have been that. I was on the water patrol for 5 years and you cannot believe the stupid things people do. You cannot be responsible for others, you must take responsibility for yourself. I am extremely sorry for the poor fellow plight and would have helped him in a minute if I had been there, but I am not responsible for his actions. And nither is Brian.

The flats run on the oppsite side of the lake from Pt. 16 to Baxter. You can see the Marina from your fish catching spot. The entire flat is about 2 miles long, with underwater points and humps all along its length clear to the bouy point past baxter going up the white. good luck

Upper taney was about as good as it can get today, with the power generation, if you were doing the right thing. I am not seeing lots of fish in the river and I believe even though small, some of these little snots have been there long enough to know right from wrong. The generation rate was a bit confusing as I would no sooner make a run on the dam and it would seem, that there was very little volume or depth and a very fast flow, and I would have to back off. Be very careful during these conditions. You can get in trouble in a hurry. The water was running gin clear all the way to Riverlake, Bob Cline said it was as clear as he had seen it in 30 years in the area. During most fast flow times egg flys or bright sanjuan worms are more than enough to catch those tricksters on the upper end, but not so much today. Lots of boats and lots of fly fishing using bright patterns and they were just struggling. The drift boat guides were on the phones to each other, and I heard 1 say, don't come down here, we haven't caught a fish all day, its just horrible. He was in the tailrace across from Point Royal, and had beat the same stretch of water to pieces for about 2 hrs. When the generators come on line you flat don't want to be in a drift boat stuck behind an island. If you will move with the fish, you are in business, always a new customer. Rod and Will Sanders, a couple of my regular victims were with me today and we drifted size 10 and 12 weighted scuds in ginger, and the trout just ate them up. About 60 really nice fish on a 4 hr. trip with about 90% being slot fish. The fish were absolutely not interested in brights in the super clear water, they wanted real food. Ran the scud on both a drift rig on a spinning rod and also drifted it under an indicator on a spinning rod. The fly had to be on the bottom or you just would not get bit. With the current these fish had their belleys stuck to the bottom. On my spinning rods, I was running 9ft. of tippet in 2lb. vanish to the weighted fly with no additional weight, however, I don't believe extra weight would have hurt a thing. The drift rigs were 1'4 oz with the scud attached about a foot below a bright bead as an attractant. This pattern has worked for me more than once on clear fast moving water, It is an absolute staple in the rivers we fish in Alaska, on the very same water we had here today. We did not see another boat or fisherman catch a fish all morning, and from speaking to the bait guides, they caught from 1 to a couple of fish all morning. Try this pattern from the dam thru fall creek, when the water is running clear, fast and cold.

Freak, A really good area, is from goat island about 1 mile above point 16 all the way up to Baxter on the flats across from Baxter Marina. The fish were going up there early on topwater. You would see them break, and it was usually 2 or 3 Ky's. If you would hustle over there to the last place you saw them and throw topwater, you had a good chance to capture them. To tell you the truth, I was just fishing the flats in that area in that 18 to 26 foot range, and when the fish would blow up I'd hustle to them. Did this till my guys got tired of getting up and down, and then went just to the dropshot. I was up there for the whites that will from time to time blow up in that area. Lots of fish and lots of bait on those flats. You have to move around and I cannot tell you this strongly enough. Catch a fish or two and move or you will waste your whole morning. Even if you see a ton of fish, after the first couple they will get lockjaw and you will try everything you have for nought. By move around, I mean a move of only a couple 100 yrds. sometimes does the trick, or you may need a major move. Have not fished the Bluff Ends, but if I did, I feel they would be suspended in the 26 ft. range over a greater depth on the outside edges. I have only been fishing long points and channel roll/offs on flat gravel. Good Luck, let us know.

About like it has been. If you can catch a couple you are probably doing as well as the next guy. You have about a 20 minute bite and then its over. The bite I heard was from 6 to about 6:20 this AM. Heard Mike Webb got there abit late and didn't do any good. I would probably not run 9 Miles to risk it now. Most all the guides are saying the numbers just arn't there any longer as what they are seening is not schools, but singles.

Spoke to most of the guides that were up there this AM. Tony Wedele caught zero on live shad, Dave Welch caught 3 on live shad, Buster and Tim P. spooned with very slow results. I asked Buster if he thought the Generation moved the fish and he said he thought there was just to much prussure on them. Some days up to 16 to 20 boats with 3 persons per boat dropping spoons. In the next week, I'm sure if conditions remain the same the slot will become empty, it was a good 5 week run, for the pay for play boys. All good things have to end.

Seem's the White's were asleep at the slot this morning. Spoke to Paige and Beck and had comments from Buster. Paige only had 3, Buster 4. It may be coming to an end after 5 weeks of getting the early morning nip at the moonshine beach. It was a good run and we will let you know if it continues. Don't depend on it further. Both caught Ky's as we told you in our Shell Knob report, so it is probably time to follow those fishing location, and forget about the whites. At least we can get a little sleep and not have to get there by 5 am.

It's a gamble, but what ever it takes to slow her down. When they kicked on the 4th generator, I have never seen the ammount of muck and sludge that came thru. Rafts of moss and muck as big as a boat were floating in the upper section of the lake. Fishing was over, with no way to present any type of bait. Hope it has cleaned out a bit at this time, 7pm. May be tough on the morrow in the upper end with all the water, but I think the trout may be accustomed to the cool down. Even with the water running last night, by noon the upper end was well into the lower 60's before generation. When the temp is this hot, the water is heating like a fired furnace. I wonder what the temp is at forsyth.

Steff and Jean did it to me again. My clients said man those guys are really catching fish. My commment was when the strike indicator goes down you need to set the hook. I probably forgot to tell you that about 50 bites ago. If they catch 5 and you miss 5 it seems like 20, just hang in there. I had to get away from them as they were doing very well on the blood midge. Steff was even catching fish. MAN, was that water flat this AM. Fish still would bite but you had to be really on your toes. Just a shake on the indicator or a slight turn. After 1pm water was on and drifted egg flys. Caught fish with consistancy. Went to the dam around 2pm and drifted a san-juan worm on a drift rig and the really nice rainbows hammered it. Lots of fish in the slot till they kicked on 4 and then the water turned to muc and moss. Steff and Jean are here for the week and I am inviting them to the lodge for liquor drinks, hoping to convince them to stay away from my guide clients. Much love.

Steff and Jean are very tricky. I'm going to watch them today and steal their secretes.

From Cooper Creek thru Clay Banks, fishing has been on and off the last week. Have strickly been on artificial and not bait, but have not seen the bait guys doing a whole lot, while we were fishing around them. Size 14 to 16 either zebra or blood midge is probably the best getter right now. A gold or copper head really enhances the flys preformance. I am using one of my own design called a blood midge. I am tying this on an Orvis scud hook no 62KC in size 14 and 16, with the 14 probably catching the most fish and getting the fewest bites. This midge is tyed using a 5/64 tungsten bead and dressing the hook in black thread and them using red copper to segment the body raps. I am fishing it about 4ft. below the indicator when the fish are not midging and about 18 inches when they are midging. The orange headed sculpin 1/2 micro is still catching fish as is the gold headed ginger jig. Everything is working better on the wind. Alot of fish were holding from Riverlake to Short Creek, but most have been flushed by the rain and earlier power generation. These fish should bite from Lilleys' on down on crawlers and sunrise or bubble gum eggs. From Clay Banks thru Short Creek, go with the midge or the micro. Lots of fish on the hump in front of Fall Creek, up to the boat ramp on the jig. From the ramp to Clay Banks they are on the midge better. Tony Wedele has been using a tandem with a huge egg fly on a bead head and swinging a size 16 copper midge under it, about 4 1/2 ft of depth. He is catching limits on this pattern. He also uses the micro as the top fly and swings the midges under it. He said both work about equal, but the hook in the egg is stronger than the micro hook, for fishing doubles. They are hitting the big egg, about 30% of the time. Let us know how your capturing these trout in this area of the lake.