Bill Babler

I'm definitely not a fan of the BBT, but I do believe they absolutely do their best as far as fish handling. Over crowding, boat operation and just plain on the water fishing etiquette are the main problem they really need to address. Their main problem is for the participants, its all about ME. The College and High School tournaments are just nightmares as far as fish care. In efforts to get as many youngsters on the water fishing a lot of the platforms these kids are fishing from are really inadequate to provide proper fish survival. In the past around State Park to Indian Point its looked like we have LMBV after a college or high school derby with all the dead fish floating. Not been a problem with the BBT. Of course some don't make it, but that's fishing. At some point we're going to have to follow the examples set by the Bass Pro Tour and the Kayak fishermen and release these fish where they are caught. Especially pre-pawn, spawn and the heat of the Summer. Good Luck

Dock, very astute, Rick said they saw most every bite on Active Target.

Table Rock Lake 4-7-22. Guide Rick Lisek. One on the left 3.65 lbs.. Right side fish right at 4 lbs. Good buddy Rick Lisek sent me these pic's. of a double he had today on his guide trip. Said they boated a dozen over 3.5 pounds. You got to find them on your own.

We both ran Champion. Mike McClelland, Dan Langley, Kelley Powers, James Gilzow, and many , many more.

I'm guessing you don't use a financial advisor for your investments, or any life professionals to assist you along your journey.

Just ran across these while loading stuff to move. We were guiding a tournament for some dentist. I had an absolute monster day. My guys had 5 fish that weighed over 19 pounds. One of my best life friends had a better day. His guys had 5 that weighed 26 pounds, with 2 Jaws over 5 pounds. I'm balling like a baby looking at this. Hope you enjoy. Without a doubt the best ever on Table Rock Lake. Lord called him way to soon, he had lots more to teach me and way more fish to catch.

Yes if the tournament allows it. Most all do. I know Rick LaPoint has been active in this market and really thought of it. Wise move on his part and I believe he has done well doing it. Maps and way points. These guys for the most part are fishing circuits where not only pounds matter but points. Anything that is Legal they can get to help is on the table. We all have made good money, especially on the FLW tour as they booked all the guides full when ever they came. Bo worked with and helped derby fishermen for years and years. He didn’t do it for free.

KVD was the one that pioneered it when it was legal. Guides, marked maps and local info. Still is on the Phoenix Bass Fishing League. ie BFL and tons of other circuits. Most circuits in fact. I’ll still take 20 plus trips a year with tournament anglers and lots of the other guys do as well. It’s a big part of our business. All the old guides here have helped tons of the pros in the past. Pete Wenners, Bill Beck, Bobby Tindle, Buster Loving, Tim Sainato, Myself. I know Eric Oliverson has and Phil Stone. Rick LaPoint has guided them and marked maps This is not a new or uncommon thing. Never has been. Guides all over the US on every lake there are tournaments take or help participants.

I think it was a one day deal I’m not sure

I'm a bit surprised there was not a mega bag. 21.14 then a 21.02 then 20 then down to 17.14. But, from what I heard there were not a lot of places to fish. The guys I guided had a rough tournament said the lake was simply full of fishermen from KC to Shell Knob. One of my guys said it reminded him of the BBBash there was 2 and 3 boats on every point. Both said it was the least fun they had ever had in a derby win, lose or draw. Totally a ridiculous amount of fishing pressure on the lake yesterday. Both of those guys live on Lake if the Ozarks and said it never gets that type of Pressure except the BBBash. Don't know what's going on but every bank is also boat full this morning. Race track out here.

Only 5 boats headed up Long Creek this morning. Amazing considering a 250 plus boat derby out of KC. James River and the White River are going to be loaded. You can tell where they caught them in practice.

Didn't guide yesterday in the High pressure blue but one of the guys I took the day before had a 5.11 Small Jaw. Bluff end on an Arig. He had 5 other keepers in the KC area and thought his best 5 would have been a shade over 15 pounds. Said he only caught 8 fish in 10 hours, all on the Rig. Robbie Dotson told me last week he had friends catching 4 plus pounders all Winter. Must be a year or two class of good small mouth spawn that is producing these 4 plus pound fish. Probably 2016 and 2017. I guess in the past Winter derby a lot of them were weighed in fishing deep. Good Luck

Wow!!! Beautiful Brown. Wily, 3/4 is fine. I’m using a 5/8. You really don’t fish it like a jig, you fish it like a crank bait and stay in constant contact with the bottom. Wind it just like you do a wart or slower. If you lose the bottom stop and let it settle then start slow cranking it again. Jaws yesterday were under 10’ and the bigger K’s were in 15’ Bite is you mostly lose contact with the bait or it gets heavy. Not traditional jig thump. Good Luck

Could not get them to touch it today. Everything on a single hooked bait. Even a couple on a Jerker

This K was 18.5 inches and weighed 3.12 on my MLF scale. It would have been culled if these guys were in a buddy tournament. Two BFL clients split a trip today full 8 HR. trip. We were rained on, snowed on and sleeted on. Had 22 keepers on the best bite I have had this year, by far. Water temps at 47 and holding steady with the air ranging between 33 and 41 degrees. Fish Were right where they should be today, transition and in front of the spawning pockets. Caught everything on either a Wobble Head or a 2.8 Keitech. Fished mid lake. Best SM were on the Wobble Head. Best 5 if they were in a buddy derby would have been 21 pounds. Individually one guy had close to 15 pounds and the other pushing 17 pounds. Weight came from 6 jaws that were all over 4 pounds. Perfect Small Jaw day. I'm still shivering. Man it was cold.

At 0500 it was still 70 degree here. Its 52 now, almost a 20 degree drop. That will stir up the storms this time of the year.

Wind was really harsh. I tried the windy banks but no luck. Wanted it a bit more calm, and really the fish were about 3/4 to half way back off the main lake for me so that helped with the wind deal.

Shell Knob 3/29/22. Current Report Well if someone is going to catch 25 plus pounds on it, it would not be me. No lacking of bites this morning, caught one on the first toss. 30 plus fish to the boat this morning out of Shell Knob, but only 7 keepers and if I were fishing a derby I would not have wanted a single one of them. Best 5 for me would have been that ever so popular 12.5 pounds. 😜😝 Saw Joe Lane at the ramp, and I think he was going to throw it some so hope he did better than me. Had one thumper come out of a tree and eat it but he or maybe she pulled off. Watched the entire deal on my Garmin live scope. Shucks. Most of the fish I caught were relating to small cuts on steeper banks back in the big coves. Could not get bit on a point or transition. Surface temps started at 48 and had climbed to 50.5 when I trailers at 2 pm. Tried a RK Crawler and a Hard Head, but Shell Knob is a total moss fest, so just kept the A-rig wet. We'll see what the weather does to us the rest of the week. Tons of boats on the pond with the parking lot at SK full to the brim when I came in. Good Luck.

Shriners had a derby out of KC this weekend. Had two different sets of clients to fish it. Rig bite lake wide was beyond crazy. From bluffs to fish suspended in trees or just going down a bank or fishing again for suspended fish at the long spawning cove points, hundreds of fish were caught on it. Both sets of clients were in the 15 pound range and that did not sniff of a check. One of them had a 4.74 jaw and that is a dandy. Both teams caught in the 20 keeper range on Saturday with 35 to 40 fish per boat. I know most here hate it, but it is a fish catching machine. I can remember Jimmy Houston telling me when the Carolina Rig came out that it made hero's out of zero's and he would never fish it as it was unfair and the biggest fish killer besides dynamite. BFL is here this weekend and they will rip them on the Alabama Rig. I expect to see a 23 to 26 pound bag and maybe several in that 21 plus weight frame as they will be flinging the umbrella all over the lake. Good Luck out there.

Guided all day today out of Old 86. We cranked some, swam a swim bait some, threw an A-rig some and grinded a hard head some. We caught some. Nothing big but 10 keepers on all the above mentioned baits. Fished from point 5 to the Arkansas line up Long Creek. We probably had close to 30 fish. Like Bobby said, amazing watching them reject your bait on live scope. I threw a jerk bait but I'm not counting that as I haven't gotten a bite on it all year. Where we caught 1 we caught multiple. Lots of zero stops. By far the Wobble head was the best bait for both bites and size, boat in under 20' most all day. Man that cold wind was a Monster.

Absolutely don't know, however the DQ was for a third party directing the team during tournament hours to locations and providing what baits to throw on those locations. Via phone or personal contact that is completely against the rules in any derby. Let alone one for that much money. Haven't fished a derby in years or one that involved the Blevins so don't have a dog in the fight.

I get it. Should have had my specks on. I thought the world was coming to and end. Stella's for 50 bucks. Sign me up.

Hearsay is that young Blevins was in on it helping during tournament day. And that is pretty much substantiated. That's why he was DQed. AIA needs to get it together.

Will add pictures coming up. I'm retiring and Becky says I can only keep 1 boat. 24 volt Ulterra, 2 HDS7 Gen 3 Lowrance graphs. 2 10' blade power poles. Complete Spider rig bow mount system. K2 60 quart cooler. 3 live wells timed. Complete in closed and lockable rod storage system both sides. Boat also has planing stability pods extending it to close to 23'. Extremely stable, its also a tunnel hull and turns on a dime no skid or slip like a flat bottom. Tandem Haul Rite trailer. Platinum motor warranty till this time next year. $30,000. Call, text or message me for more details if your interested 417-332-7016.

Where is this. A Stella cost $700 bucks and is the best spinning reel on the planet. Where did you see that $50 price tag?