Bill Babler

One of Table Rock, Bull Shoals and Taney’s best and longest professional guides pasted away this week at a way to young age. Buster Loving guided all the lakes, starting in the early 90’s. He was known for his expertise on Bull Shoals with a jerkbait as one of the best walleye fisherman to ever fish that pond. On the Rock he was just as deadly catching bass with homemade modified jerk baits. In the early to mid-2000’s Buster and Tim Sainato were perhaps the most deadly team in SWMO either competing on Bull Shoals or Table Rock. Buster was a good friend of mine and we fished together and competed against each other. Buster and I also fished in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and most all our Missouri lakes on fishing trips He continually asked me to come go fishing with him in recent years. I wish I would have done so more often. Never had a bad day with him in the boat Buster was also just flat deadly on White Bass. When others could not get them to bite Buster would produce limits for his clients. Mostly in the last 10 years using small stick baits that he worked in an erratically power fishing motion. Buster was very good on Taney also however he just really didn’t like to trout fish. His clients most always had limits. The past 5 years due to crowds he just basically didn’t fish it much, preferring the solitude of Bull Shoals. Buster also loved catching Taney Bass. He had 1 double digit and many 7 to 9 pounders out of lower Taney. Buster loved to go to Lake Fork he had 2 fish there over 10 pounds and boat loads of 6 plus pounders fishing his 5’ pistol grip rod and 10 lb. test line. Of course with his signature home made jerk baits. No one and I mean No one ever soaked a stickbait longer than Buster. When Bull is in the mid to high 40’s, that bait stayed WET and still. Buster worked his bait in a rhythm that I copied but have never perfected. Yes, I catch them as many here do, but not even remotely approaching his ability. A true Master of his craft. His equipment and techniques will not be taught as they go against the norm, but I’ve never seen his equal, at any level with a stick bait. Buster leaves behind 2 daughters and a son. Rest in peace. Buddy, I’ll think of you often.

Can’t beat that 2D Lowrance picture. Clear as a bell. Your in amungust more LM than I am. Man they look really nice. Congrats and thanks for the post.

Nice day Jeff. Got some vittles for your effort

Good buddy one of the best crappie guys on TR said he can’t even get them to bite a minnow much less a jig right now. He is doing about the same 1/2 dozen a day but he won’t keep them under 12 inches. Said he is catching maybe 15 total on a good day currently. I don’t have that kind of patience with Flat Creeks, fish lunch special under 10 bucks.

Thanks. I goofed that up it was 7 pounds 1.5 oz. I’d have called it a 9 if it was 7# 15 oz.🤪🤪🤪🤪

I kind of forgot about that front quarter and corner of dock deal. Still works good on Grand and Lake O. I like most everyone have been concentrating more on the back corners, stalls, shady sides and ramp. I will say I did catch one of my biggest bags off docks this year on a bait that will remain nameless. Of course my biggest fish of the year did come off a front corner on a swimbait. 2.5” Keitech, with 4lb. Maxi. Fish was 7.15, but they were chasing out front, and I don’t know if that counts. My goal for 2024 is to catch 25 fish over 5 pounds, and 5 over 7 pounds. That’s pretty lofty for me but I think I’m newly educated and armed to do it. Had some great days last Spring and I’m going to work at it this year.

Them’s probably “Fighten Words.”

Looks like Champ has been watching way too much MLF. But, I learned something from his post. That’s what it’s all about here. Why not drop shot docks? I’m going to try it. He might have let the cat out of the bag. 😁😁😁

I also noticed that particularly the LM I caught were very lean. Mostly caught them out of Shad schools so hard to understand. Couple of those LM were 18” so I have no idea why they were not fat, or for that matter had no belly. Just long and lean. They did however pull hard and a couple even tried to jump in 53 degree water. Maybe males but James is correct, sometimes the White River fish just don’t have as much bloom as up the James to Cricket Creek/ Longcreek LM.

Got to the H. Hwy. ramp at 0700 and was not the first kid on the block. There was a slight chop on the water so I threw a RK Crawler for about 30 minutes. Moss was so bad I gave it up and went to the briny deep. Fish anywhere from 45’ to 65’ some on the bottom some suspended. I had to have a Wolf Pack to get bit. One’s and two’s didn’t want either the spoon or the Dimiki rig. Caught 15 with all being solid keeps. No monsters but really hard pullers. It was fun. Water temps stayed around 52/53. Fished till about 10:30. Good Luck out there.

Wow! Thanks Dock.

Just put in at Old 86 or if your coming from the South at Cricket.

If it was a A-rig deal, you know what they were doing.

Both companies are great. The little difference is Garmin will try to solve your problem over the phone. . Power Pole most often under warranty or not just sends you a new one.

Going totally thru my 2015 AlWeld. I have installed new Gatorhide, new tires new batteries and the motor is at the Mercury spa. Started going thru the PP Blade shallow water anchor system and saw it could use some up grades. Ordered new hydraulic hoses, new fluid, new spikes and new pressure caps. Total charge was $31.00 shipping. Everything else was free. You are not going to find a better company in the Marine industry to work with. The spikes have a lifetime warranty, but the other parts don’t. Didn’t matter, they sent them no charge. Wow!

Forgot to mention, there is another bite going on. I’m pretty sure you know what it is and some biggens are munching it.

Been out a couple days this week for quick bouts. I have also spoken to friends that have hit a lick or two. Here is what is going on in the Campbell Point area. Surface temps ranging from 53 to 57, main lake the warmest. Water has about 8’ to 10’ of visibility, in the Main lake with about 1/2 that in the creeks. There is a decent crank bait bite, but the conditions need to be good. Overcast and some wind on the steeper chunk banks. Bites are from right on the bank to 8’ to 10’. Jig bite has been winning some tournaments. Mostly around docks. Really helps if there are Shad in the pockets. Jig bite has been 15’ to 20 plus feet on the shady sides and in the stalls. Best bite is the deep bite, and they are not all K’s. Lots of LM out there. Key is finding Shad on the bottom, either the large cove guts, creeks or main lake flats. There are Shad as deep as 80+ but the best bite is 50’ to 55’ on the bottom. I am just not getting bit good fishing suspended Shad even with bass in, above or below them. If you can see them knocking holes in the schools you will get bit. Best baits are the usual suspects, but mostly the Dimiki rig. Don’t get impatient when looking for the deep fish. You may have to check a dozen places to find them. Also it seems the deep fish are much hotter in the afternoon. I’ve tried from daylight to late in the day. Noon to 3 has been my strongest deep bite. Best shallow bite has been earlier if you can get that breeze. Going to be nice again next week so I’ll give her another spin.

Great reports guys. Thanks so much for the info. Going to be pretty nice this week, I might get out.

Just from what I can garner from the interweb Brady Cook, Luther Burden,Chris Abram’s Drain, Enis Rakestraw, all make more individually on NIL than the entire collective of the Arkansas football team. I can tell you for 99% of these kids it comes down to the money. Winning and a program on the rise is great, and you need that. Upper 6 and 7 figure incomes at 18 years old means more.

I believe the Arkansas BB team will improve, but after the Memphis loss, they are out of the top 25. As good as Mizzou was at BB last year they lost to much with 3 of last years players going pro. Thats a yearly deal for the Hogs and they just reload. Every recruit knows Sam is not surviving after next year. This is going to be a really brutal time for Razorback football. They should have just cut the cord. Also, Arkansas just does not have a lot of help with NIL. Like it or hate it that’s what college sports has come too. They seem to fund the men’s BB program, but that seems to use up the allotted monies. From the transfer portal to high school, Arkansas is going to be robbed like a bee hive without a queen. A few years ago Mizzou got a donation just for the basketball program of 3 million a year for at that time the next 25 years. That helped to take BB off any NIL monies. The majority now goes to Football with some of course going to non-revenue sports. Mizzou has exceptionally strong NIL support. Also, being able to pay committed high school athletes is a major factor for NIL in Missouri. For some reason Mizzou also keeps developing 3 star players very similar to KSnake. I don’t know if it’s just a choice of kids that they know will mature or what. Arkansas usually recruits a tiny bit better than Mizzou on the high school level, but their player development is not as good or even close. Going to be so much harder for them now with the NIL. Another factor is Mizzou and Drink are very good in the transfer portal. Very good. I’m assuming lots of this is due to NIL money that Arkansas just does not have. Saying that Mussleman is also good in the portal. I just simply love the Natural State and always cheer for them when not playing our Tigers. I’ve had good friends that have worked for the football program and to this day am a Mike Anderson fan. Hope this turns around for their football program, but the near future is pretty bleak.

White bass and walleye are full this time of year too. Just developing.

Pretty much a shallow victory. Arkansas is very poorly coached, (and I like Sam.) He is a journeyman Oline coach that has trouble with all aspects of the game. I wish he was my brother or uncle. I just love the guy, but he is way out of his league. Jefferson was done after the Auburn game. He is way, way out of shape. Ark. fans are saying he is 275 pounds. He looks fat as a pig, no pun intended I knew he would be knocked out of the game, just surprised it was the first series. That program has regrettably regressed so far I don’t think they have a guy that could make Mizzou 2 deep. It will be no better with Sam next year it’s more than time for them to cut bait. Sorry to say. On Hogville they said Sam couldn’t win with Andy Reid as OC. Unless they figure out NIL, probably right. Drink is and will be Drink, but the next time a Hog fan says he is a Dork or makes fun of him they need to take a close look at their bb coach that tears his shirt off and runs around like a total idiot. Musselman makes Drinkwiz look like a Rhoades Scholar.

Beautiful fish. Glad Taney was good to y’all. ZOU.

I’m not one that believes if we are down and they are up it’s our Super Bowl or visa versa. I don’t think the kids think like that. We won’t know till Friday evening but if you listen to Hog fans the team is ready to go home. Jefferson has been sacked 40 times this year and is simply beat to pieces. The Oline is in shambles and their top RB is out. They are a power football team and that does not bode well for them, against a more physical Missouri team. Pittman words. Missouri has both SEC caliber O. and Dlines. Mizzou will have to make mistakes in the red zone and bad turnovers for this to be close. Kind of like the Chiefs against the Eagles and Broncos. Anything can happen but Mizzou would have to just flat lose this one. I don’t think they will, really motivated to win 11 games and a New Year 6 bowl.

According to ESPN. Mizzou has accomplished a feat that has never been done in the history of NCAA football Not Ohio State, not Georgia, not Alabama nor any other team has ever had Simi-finalist for the; Davey O’Brien, Doak Walker, Biletnikoff, Thorpe, Butkus and Bednarik awards in the same season Congrats to the Tigers. Hope they play the Hogs strong Friday.