Bill Babler

Mizzou one of the top defenses in the country loses it’s DCord to LSU. Blake Baker recently signed a contract extension with Mo. a 3 year deal at 2.1 Million a year making him the third highest paid coordinator in salary in the nation. Baker’s wife is from Louisiana and played D1 sports at LSU. Brian Kelly offered the Baker’s a chance to come home with a 3 year salary of 2.5 million a year making him the highest paid coordinator in college sports They also paid Missouri a 1 million buyout. He will be missed, but it’s nice he goes home with that much money. LSU however loses a Heisman Trophy winning QB and the majority of their offense. They’re projected to finish 7 th. In 24 in the Revamped SEC. BK’s job will be on the line.

I’d have scared to reach in and pull him back out of my pocket. Those little rascals have sharp teeth.

Nother quick Buster story. I believe it was in 94-95. I had one of my first Taneycomo guide trips it was either out of Scotty’s Trout Dock or out of Branson Trout Dock. May have even been out of Main Street Marina and I think it probably was. I can’t remember which. Another guide old Charlie asked me if I knew Buster or Tim Sainato. I said I knew of them. He said they’re outside go introduce yourself. They were sitting in a boat and I walked over and told them my name and that I was going to start guiding Taney. Buster looked over at Tim and said, “another darn fishing guide.” Buster was kind of a profit as he looked me up and down and said., “ Probably won’t be worth a darn anyway.” Again first time I ever saw the guy. Think I miss spelled darn closer to Dam Saniato cracked up and said “he hates every body welcome to the club.” They both stood up and shook my hand. That started almost a 29 year friendship with Buster. Tim and I are good friends. Never as close however to the relationship I had with Buster.

You boys are hard core. I do know of a couple of TR Lake guide trips that went out today. After Buster’s service several of those guys were headed for the pond. I know Phil Stone was out fishing FFS on a guide trip and from what he told me it was pretty amazing.

Went to Buster’s memorial service today. Really nice service. Probably close to 100 in attendance. Family had some really nice stories. After the service I spoke to Buster’s mom. Such a beautiful lady. She told me Buster had mentioned me to her many, many times. Sure put a lump in my throat and meant a lot to me. I could have gotten up and I would still be standing there telling Buster Loving stories

I think Penix may be one of the best QB’s I’ve ever seen at that level. His ball is a thing of beauty. He can throw a total laser anywhere on the field or feather touch it between defenders. 1st. Washington game for me this year. Should have watched them all. Kid is amazing. Totally reminds me of the Snake only with a little bigger arm.

Watched every tOSU game this year. Listened to their pod cast. They have over a dozen a day 365 days a year. They have over 20 fan forums some with as many as 7,500 comments to a single thread. These people are fanatics. You can spout and post all the BS you want about who is and who isn’t or what is and what isn’t an opt-out. If you don’t like Mizzou. That’s fine, but do a little bit of research. I’m sure the experts here have researched the Buckeyes and know all this 1st. Their Oline has struggled all year. 2nd. Have not seen a word about their starting center not playing. Why, no research. He was benched for speaking up for the transfer QB McCord. He said both the fans and Day were being unjust to McCord. Day benched him. Day is a total idiot, control freak. 3rd. Day told McCord he was not starting the bowl game as they wanted to take a look at his backup and the freshman. He would be the 3rd. Stringer and that he would have to compete with the other guys and whom ever they were to bring in for a job next year. McCord said screw that and transferred. What would you do? He was also threatened with bodily harm by the fan base after throwing the pick in the Michigan Game. Again these folks are crazy. 4th. No mention of their All American LB that didn’t play. Hurt. Marvin Harrison Jr. opted out to avoid injury and prepare for the NFL. Running on the bottom line as late as this morning on ESPN. No other opt-outs on either team other than Harrison Gosh I haven’t seen anywhere that Missouri had both their starting LBer’s not play due to injuries. One being all SEC. Or maybe everyone forgot to notice their All American All SEC cornerback projected late 1st. early second round NFL pick didn’t play due to injury. I guess Georgia should have just went out and got a group of high school kids to play Florida State. You play who you have and who wants to be there. What the heck else can you do. This late in the season with the opt-outs, portal and injuries, no team is a full strength. If tOSU has everyone including Harrison, Eichenberg and McCord. I think they might have scored. If Mizzou has their Backers and NFL quality corner, who knows. That’s not how it works. My last words on it. Have a Happy New Year.

Opt outs are just going to happen. If your a 1st. Round pick, that’s millions upon millions of $. I have no problem with it. The Portal and NIL are attempting to level the playing field. Missouri, Kstate, Arkansas and Kansas can now somewhat compete. If you have good coaches, good facilities and a great donor NIL base, you can prosper. You have also got to be putting kids in the league You have to meet that 4 headed monster criteria or the portal and NIL just really aren’t there. Mizzou and Old Miss. have really embraced this as is evident in the Portal ranking for non-blue blood schools. Former schools that were good 20/30/40 years ago but fallen from Blue Blood status are getting their chance. Nebraska/ Tennessee. Year before last tOSU, Alabama, Oregon, and Georgia had enough 4-5 star recruits just sitting on the bench that never got in a game to form 2 full teams. These kids don’t have to do that now if they don’t want to unless there is an allegiance to a school. It gives them opportunities.

The swimming squirrels were a real thing. Some type of a migration. Taney, Bull and the Rock had 1000’s upon 1000’s of both swimming and dead squirrels. Seems one was trying to get in his boat or did and then tried to bite him. I forget the details.

That list is incorrect. Most of those players either went to the portal or were seldom used. Only player of significance was McCord and he was not an opt out he went to the Portal. He was truly hated by Day and the fans. Had to fight for his job every game. Went to the Portal. According to both ESPN and tOSU the only true Opt out was Harrison. Portal entrances or injured players are not considered Opt Outs.

Just a little follow up on the Goggs before Church. The guides have really used them as crappie to keep their clients from wanting to butcher bass. Hearts were in the right place. Trouble is there is a lot of pressure on the little guys right during their spawn. Really cause for most of us that’s the only time we could find the elusive little dudes. Frankly I don’t know if the fishing pressure has caught up with them or what the reason for the decline is. They are yummy. They have a bit of fish flavor somewhat like perch and walleye. Crappie have always been to me, they taste like what you cook them in. Extremely mild, unless you spice them up. I know most disagree, that’s fine. In recent years due to the decline I’ve started treating the Goggs like bass. I give them a smooch and send them on their merry little way.

For some reason if you get much above the SK bridge they are really hard to come by. Really Campbell Point is the starting spot for them. KC to Long Creek gives you the best shot. There is a bit of a concern however as their numbers seem to be dropping in the last 5 plus years. In speaking with the biologist several years ago he said they were extremely hard to monitor or know a lot about.

In the 70’s after graduation from the School of the Qzarks I was accepted in a Masters Degree program at the University of Arkansas. At the same time I had also applied to the Mo. State Water Patrol. I was accepted actually at the Mo. Conservation Commission also. I had 3 HUGE decisions to make. I chose the MWP at 21 years old, just due to the Money. It started at $14,000.00 and that was a big pay day at the time. Due to my affiliation with Arkansas and other friends from there I’ve alway been a secondary Hog fan. Their program has been in a terrible place since Mizzou joined the SEC. For some reason they continue to make uneducated poor decisions. Bringing back Bobby Petrino and retaining Sam gives them a coaching staff that is between 60 and 70 years old. How in the Heck do you expect to compete in todays market with coaches that are on Medicare with one of them probably having the lowest moral character that has ever been involved in amateur athletics. It’s not a question. Yes, they Hate Drink. He refused an interview to the dumpster fire. They call him Dorkwitz, Drinkexcretion and other disgusting names. His players love him. He has huge national respect. He is young, smart and innovate. He puts 17 and 18 year old kids on bill boards thanking them for playing for him. This is not the 50’s-6O’s-70’s-or 80’s. The young recruits love this guy, he is one of them. I love it when Arkansas is competitive. They’re not and they really seem they don’t want to be. It’s a total shame. I know it takes a while but the longer they wait to burn it down the longer it will take. Sorry for the ramble.

tOSU only had Harrison Opt out. Their No. 1 QB was in a battle all year with the kid that started against the Zoo. They simply hated the starter and the entire Bucknut Nation was glad he left. Would not have mattered who started for them. Mizzou defense was the best they said they had seen in the last 2 years, including Michigan. Biggest, fastest and most athletic. I think Mizzou can say the same about tOSU defense. Even Georgia could not hold Mizzou like that. Here is the deal, the Zoo is loaded again for next year and probably 25. Drink has a big snow ball rolling down hill fast. 7th. overall class right now including the portal. All the Cords. coming back and all the elite offensive players minus Schrader. They did get a top 5 RB in the portal and a top 5 high school back. Loaded. They will start next year as a top 10 team and I’m guessing make the playoffs. unless they are decimated by injury.

Nice report. Thanks. My neighbor has thrown a big glide bait the last several days for quite a few hours. He has had a few follows but no takers. He is persistent so I think it will eventually pay off with a big one.

That’s the deal with Humana you have to be in network. Our deal is the deductible has to be covered prior to the plan kicking in. We can go or use any Dr. after the durn deductible is taken care of. I just had no idea what the cost really was for the eye exam if it was out of pocket.

Nother Buster story. Several years ago and by this time Buster wasn’t painting anymore he was having Tim Hughes paint all his baits. Buster was just strictly using Megabass plus 1’s He called and said come over. The walleye are slow but I’m catching some really big LM and some nice crappie while I’m bass fishing. He said just bring your JB rod, that’s all we’re going to do. I hummed and hawded but said OK OK I’m coming over. We launched at the park at swan and fished the little points and cuts down to the Barker Hole on the left side going down. Buster caught a white and 3 pretty nice crappie. I missed a tick right in front of the Eagle nest and that was it till we got to the Barker Hole. Right after the little pocket just before the BH, I got hammered. It stayed down and we both thought it was a big Walter. Buster was back there with the net with Andy’s Red dripping from his lips when a really really nice LM Wallowded to the surface. 6.5 pounds on his beat up scale. about 5 cast later I was hooked up again with Buster hovering over me net in hand and crisco dripping off the net handle. Another 6 pounder of the green variety. Buster said, “I told you I been catchin biggins.” My next 4 fish out of the back of Buster's boat were all over 4 pounds. I mean I had a total MONSTER sack and Buster had a dinky white and 3 crappie. I think I was pushing 25 pounds using a custom painted Tim Hughes Megabass plus1 He got super quiet and man you could tell he was more than bearing down. About that time I caught another bass around 3 pounds and by then he is not even attempting to pick up the net. He was just groaning in the front seat. He threw down the JB rod and picked up a swimming minnow. I was feeling pretty good about myself by this time so I said, thought we were just jerk baitin.” This is all within 100 yards stretch on the Barker Hole. He said let’s cross over and fish the other side going up and I had no problem. That little bluff stretch just up and across from the BH is where he started. My first cast I caught another 3 pounder. He turned around and said. “What the Frig. I guess you got to win some of the time.” If I remember correctly it might not have been frig. I came back with your the one who invited me. Ya, he said “and it might be the last time.” Good Luck.

That rod is pretty durn heavy. It is a totally fantastic rod to throw any top water ploppers or spinnerbaits. Also throws a 3/8 to 1/2 oz up to 3/4 jig really well. I used them in my guide service on TR bout every day, for clients that did not throw baitcasters. It is a specialty deal however. It will also throw a lite A-rig. Good Luck.

Just pretty much got a huge shock. Becky and I went to the Eye Dr. for an exam 3 weeks ago They were extremely prompt and we were out of the office by 2:25 on a 2:00 appt. Neither one of us needed an upgrade we both were fine with our old glasses. Charge was $60.00 each. No problem. Turns out that was really not the charge. We each got a bill yesterday. Becky $279.00 and me $239.00. WOZZER. We had no idea a 25 minute eye exam was over $600.00. They said it was because we had not used any of our Medicare deductibles. Our plans don’t kick in till the $500 deduct is taken care of. This is just a heads up and I know everyone has a different plan. I just had no idea it was that expensive.

Couple of quick Buster stories; 1. Years ago we fished the Homer Sloan out of Shell Knob. Derby got started late due to fog. It was back in the day you weighed in 10 fish. We fished around SK for about 1/2 the day and didn’t have squat. Buster picked all his rods up put them in his box and said we’re going to the dam. There might have been 4 hrs. left but maybe not. I knew we probably would not get back for weigh in but we were in his boat and off we shot. At the time he was running an old Nitro with a 200 and he had it floored the entire way up and back. That boat was a squirrelly as a red squirrel crossing the road. All over the friggin lake. I was a mite nervous and white knuckled to say the very least. We didn’t slow down till we stopped at the ridge running from the Branson Belle to the island out in front of it. Buster pulled two rods out of his box and said this is what we’re doing. “Just do it.” He handed me a spinning rig. with a 1/4oz. Split shot and a GP Fish Dr. he said cast the S—-t out of it and we’re dragging to the island. First run out we had 3 keeps on the way back in we had 4 keep and the way back out we limited at 10. This stretch is about a city block long. 2 jaws and 8 K’s. Had time for one more run and culled both jaws with 2 more fat K’s. Wound up the Nitro and made it back to check in by the skin of our teeth. We won beating Marty Conrad and Lefty by a landslide as it was just tough as heck that day. I Fished with Beck the next year and Buster won again. Bob Tindle was his partner. Fann boys came in second and Beck and I grabbed 3 rd. I don’t think he ever fished it again. Pretty good record. 2 for 2. 2. Either the first or second year the A-rig came out we fished a Winter derby out of Buck Creek. Buster said he was totally tearing them up and it would be an easy win. Only problem was he was catching them between Beaver and Swan on an A-rig. Boy’s, that’s a boat ride at 6 degree that you just don’t want to make. It was HORRIBLE and I was driving. Bout as cold as I have ever been. Buster laid curled up in the floor both ways. Some buddy! We were fishing A-rigs with his bait dejure 3 swimming minnows. Buster knows where there are crappie piles all over upper Bull and we were going to run the rig over thru and around them as he had been doing. My first cast I caught a 7.3 and we said this deal is over. Buster later caught a 5# LM. Then he caught a 3 pound jaw and then I caught 2 keeper K’s. The K’s were just keeps. We weighed in 19.15 and never sniffed a check. Guys that won it were fishing in Arkansas and using 5 Storm 9” Wild Eye shads. What a friggin load to throw. I think they had 26 plus. There were another dozen bags in the 20 plus range. We didn’t even get big bass X3 as I think that was 8.6. Then 8.1 then a bigger 7 pounder. Day was just getting started at this point cause then Buster locked my keys in the truck with it running on the ramp. Got Becky to bring my other set and she got in a wreck trying to bring us the keys. We both also puked several time riding in the back seat of a smoked fill truck with a whisky drunk driver driving back from Buck Creek, but that’s another story. Hope you enjoyed.

Sardis Baptist Church. Forsyth, Mo. January 4. 11:00 am.

All of Buster’s children are grown.

In the build up to that derby Buster, Tim and I had been catching them really well on the Rock on that little swimming minnow. That’s why I remember it so well. Flat gravel. It all started catching a pile of small jaws on Bull with the same pattern. It kind of all goes back to Bill Beck on catching big fish on small baits. One day Bill caught a 6.5 pound LM on a tiny bait and I said “man that’s a big fish on that little bug.” Bill said without blinking an eye “I’ve heard Elephants eat peanuts.” Charlie Campbell, Bill Beck, Buster Loving, JD Fletcher and some others. Real pioneers on the White River impoundments have pasted in the last several years.

Frankie if I remember correctly he was fishing a swimming minnow down there. I believe he won that derby. Been a while back and I had totally forgotten about that one. Thanks for the memories.

Congrats, heck of a fish.