Bill Babler

Since the Ned came out myself and my clients have spent 1000’s of hours with it. Probably the lowest mortality bait I use because of the small size and the single hook. Maybe a drop shot is less hurtfull but that would be the only bait I can think of As for barbless I would pretty much have to retire if my fly fishing clients were barbless as they would get about 2 out of 10 fish to the boat Terrible piece and it shows you how little some of these guys really know

Donna those are great memories. We still love to watch them but also like to taste them. Had fried back strap with mushroom gravy last night. Also just being together with either friends or families during hunting season is so very special to me.

Chip is a Navionics. Yes I will throw the A-rig at times. Now thru March if your in a derby and are not throwing it you are not getting a check. I could catch the deep ones on it but when there biting like this it’s more fun fishing a single hook Oneof the Big Cedar guides told me he had 5 Jaws yesterday on the rig that would have weighed 20 pounds. Fishing it pretty deep. 30’ plus.

Wow, great day. Must have been a blast. Nice K's.

12-26-19 Table Rock Lake Long Creek Would have posted this yesterday but again picture problem. Had to wait for Becky to get home to get me squared away. Started to a beautiful sunrise and clear slick water at 50 to 52 degree. Lots of birds all over from old 86 to the Arkansas line and the best thing is just to follow the Loons. There was one flock of over 30, could not get the best count as most were scuba divers and man can they travel under water. Started out dragging a Pigsticker in green pumpkin craw and immediately started catching keepers. I was fishing a channel swing with a long ridge. Fish I caught were 28' to 35' along the ridge had 6 keepers. Saw a small concentration and dropped the Wareagle down and caught one on it. All 6 were keeps, with 1 lg. 1 Jaw and 4 K's. Could not see anymore but went to a similar ridge and did the same deal and did not get bit. At this point about 8 am I started looking for birds as I was not seeing any deep fish either on the usual spots. Could not find any bait or fish. Traveled and graphed quite a bit before the birds put me on them. Saw the aforementioned group of Loons and it was on like Donkey Kong. I just pulled right into the middle of the flock and looked down and there they were. Here I'm in 90 plus feet with a group of Shad up near the surface. There were gulls and Loons diving on them. Most of the trees here are topping out at about 50' and I did a couple of deals to catch these fish. First I used the Ice jig. and second I started swimming a Keitech 2.8 on a 3/8 jig head. I was counting it down to the depth of the fish. Here only about the count of 15. Most of these fish are suspending in the tree tops in that 50' or so range and then bolting up and thru.the bait. In this picture I caught one at about 40ft. on the Ice jig and am bringing him up. There is lots of movement in the water that is both shad and fish. It's easy to pick out the fish, they are really bold. Here I'm in about 90' and the bottom is very thick with cover and bait. There is a small group of shad and the bass are moving over the cover and raking thru the shad. On the extreme left of the screen you can see the trail of the fish I'm holding. Again in another graph shot the bass are suspending in and around that 50' depth level and the shad are in the trees below them. This is very thick but mostly uniform so it is easy to swim a keitech. This allows you to cover lots of water. I was counting it down here to about a count of 50 and just pulling it back. I never got hung up a single time so I'm guessing I was in that 30 to 50 foot range with the bait. Here is a similar shot of the fish working above the trees. Gosh it would be great if you could always see them like this. I ended up catching more than I deserved and left with them still biting. And yes there were some other Heathens like me out there yesterday, I was not along. Most of the boats however looked to be crappie fishing Good Luck out there.

Steve, we are seeing them deeper in the last 5 years, and this is simply because the bait has chosen to go that deep. I have a Christmas morning report with some great graph shots to show, if I can get them pulled up. I'm having a hard time. One day I can pull them off the computer and the next day It won't give them to me. Just don't understand it. Again as Champ said they are shallow also, and they are a bit congregated as well. I had 5 nice keepers yesterday off one long hog back ridge and they were all under 30' on a Pigsticker Quick 5 jig. Just flat hammered it. Kind of one of the strange things to me the last few years is the depth of some of these Jaw's. As I stated I caught 2 the other day flat on the bottom 89' below a group of shad. I have all ways fished deep, but until the last few years have not caught SM that deep. Lots of biggins suspended and on the bottom in 50' plus.

Nope, if you get them right back in they are ok. I also think they are really moving in the water column, going up and down. If i would see a bad one i would however, good point.

I just love the "Shallower Water part 50 to 60 foot". Nice report Bobby.

Not done yet, I'm probably thinking about retiring next May of 2021. We'll see, my licenses expires in May of 22. Talked about it for this coming year if Becky had wanted to sell the Lodge I probably would have, but she wants to keep going for a spell longer. She had a really good year at the Lodge. My SS date is this year on my birthday, but if I go two more years it will increase a bit, so we will see.

12-22-19 Table Rock Lake Fishing Report Got our early out of the back ramp at Cow and all was quiet except the duck hunters that were banging away. Surface temp was a smooth 52 degree and the water in the Cow Creek/Spring Branch area is very clear. I could see my white spoon at 20+ ft. Checked both the backs of Spring Branch and both Cows for bait and found some scattered but really very little, with but a few fish suspended and they were mostly singles. I did catch one on a flutter spoon in Spring Branch as it was chasing up near the top and I heaved the spoon and he snagged it in under 5' of water over 100'. Started looking on the main lake deep flats and started to find shad with fish in them above them and below them. DEEP, DEEP, DEEP. Really I got lucky, I saw a pack of 11 loons that kept diving and diving and I charged right into the middle of them. Here is the deal, they were on shad, but the shad were in 60' to 120' on the bottom. Caught 2 brown fish at 89' on the bottom and they really thumped the Ice Jiggin Rap. These shad were in an area, probably the size of a city block and the loons would streak clear down to them. When they loons would get in them it would break them up and you could see the bass tearing thru picking up what ever singles they could. Saw something I have never seen. There were two loons that were diving and swirling and they were not going deep at all. They were perhaps going down 20 ft. They were by the boat and I could see the shad they were diving on and could see the loons with my eyes feeding on them. It was remarkable. Reminded me of Nat Geo . and the penguins going thru bait. When they would come up they would have so many in their mouth they would spit 3 or 4 out about every time. I had a couple of dozen shad floating around the boat that they had coughed up when I moved off a bit the gulls went crazy on them. I also saw a Huge Golden Eagle. It was a fantastic morning. Caught 15, and everyone was a keeper. Every fish came on the Ice Jig except the one on the flutter spoon. Shallowest fish I caught was at 40' suspended and I saw her and raised up and she snached it. Did the best just holding the bait really still and the jaws slammed it but the K's just loaded on it. Tried the jigging spoon but not a single bite, kind of a no brainer this morning with the Ice Jig. . Going to be a great week out there, give her a whirl. Good Luck This post has been promoted to an article

Never take women or children that want to be there. It is a no win situation. Especially the gals.

Thanks much, bout my time of year to head your way.

Where in the frig did they go. I got out yesterday morning and caught 3 stinking fish. Looked from Baxter to Viney Creek. Did not see a shad in a creek or main lake channel swing. Did not see any surfacing fish or a gull anywhere. All the loons were just sitting in the middle of the lake and none were diving, just sitting there. You talk about a vanishing act. Just flat crazy that I can be seeing millions one day and 3 days later cannot find a single one. I'm thinking they were totally stuck to the bottom or tight in the shallow trees. Only thing this dummy can think of. No the dock deal, here is way different than Lake O. At times these dock folks will come in and just take over the ramps and parking lots. Don't know if they need a commercial permit to monopolize the entire facility but they do it here way to often. I'll listen off the air.

Remember a couple of years ago when my truck was pounded by a ballpean hammer over there. Not a lot of fishermen carry those. I would bet the farm the dock building crew tapped it on the tail gate on the way out.

Good luck with that. This time of the year deep fishing and catching multiple species is not uncommon, really its very common. Deal is for folks that don't deep fish to find them. Not so easy, there is a lot of water out there. I'd pack my tube jigs and head for Lake O.

From the Kings River up, in all my years on the lake I just have not done very well on a deep creek bite up the White. I can at times find a very good deep channel swing or flats bite as far as the deep ones are concerned. I have done well on roll offs and humps, but it seems that part of the lake just fishes better shallow and I'm talking 35' and under except for the main channel. If I want to deep fish I fish from the Kings to even up Long Creek with much better results. Might be just me but very seldom do I see them in the deep creek channels up the White. Kind of the same up the James, you can find them deep but most of the time they are main lake James river and not in any of the major deep pockets or creeks. Just what I have found but I'm sure others will tell you they have had different results and there is no doubt about it.

Got out at Baxter yesterday and my graph showed a similar type of picture. Really could not clean it up and I'm usually pretty fair at that. Started late, close to 7:30 am and should have been out by 6:30 on a clear day is not to early. Fished 3 different creeks going up the White and fish were schooling and chasing on top in all 3. Seemed to be pushing small groups of pretty big shad to the surface. Schools of 25 to 50, 3" shad. There were huge schools in all 3 creeks and the fish were cutting out small pods and pinning them to the surface. Totally everything I saw yesterday was no deeper than 45' suspended or on the bottom. Got some good pictures but for some reason my old computer is just not taking them from my camera. I can text them to others but the computer refuses them. Time for a new deal. Had 4 fish in the Big Indian 2 on a spoon and 2 on the Ice jig. All 4 were keepers and were suspended in about 30' over 55'. Next creek I was stumbling around looking at the graph and kept hearing splashes and after a bit started looking and could see they were feeds. Grabbed the swimbait and it was on. If I could get in range of a chase it was a done deal. I also caught them on a jerkbait when they were chasing. Really after about a dozen I started looking for another deal and had a 3/4 oz white Dixie Jet and started throwing it. Totally hammered it. Multiple fish would follow the one i had on trying to steal the bait from its mouth. These fish would have eaten up an A-Rig. They stopped after a while and I moved to Big Creek. They were chasing in there still a little bit and I caught 2 on the jet. Did not try topwater but it would have worked. Water in Big Indian, Big Creek and Pig Pen was 54 degree and perfect color. Saw quite a few fish in Pig Pen chasing close to shore, so I believe a crank bait or a jig would catch them. It was clear and bright yesterday and cloudy today so I bet today would have been fantastic. It was pretty much done by 10:30. I fished to Noon but no bites either chasing or deep after 10:30. They were going when I got there so I'm guessing early is best. Lots of folks fishing yesterday and quite a few pleasure boats both pontoons and ski boats.

Super screen shot. Thanks. Old School

Nice to hear from you James. Keep catchin.

Nice, very good report.

Try Tall Pines Lots of houses and real nice with access out of Blue Eye

Lew's in Springfield

Must have been a small trout tournament out of Cooper Creek launch facility yesterday as when I got there the parking was very limited. Looked like about 20 teams. Picked up at Lilleys two very good fly fishermen and we started at Andy's with a slight flow. I had about 9' of 5X on with a beaded Y2K in size 14 on top and a beaded size 16 scud on the bottom. First two drifts thru Fall Creek were crazy and then the water hit in volume. Man it was just churning. Duane was up there and said the water is just flat out flying. Bite really slowed for us when that volume hit. I deepend up to 12' of 5X and increased the fly size to 12's on both and put on one BB and we could catch usually 1 or 2 and miss that many on each drift. Just like Duane the best bite was on the golf course reef the lower reef and the hump in front of Fall Creek. At one point there were 5 boats anchored in that narrow channel from Fall Creek clear across blocking the channel and that is just not good. When the water hit hard they were gone as I'm thinking their anchors would not hold. Fishing remains to be stellar with lots of quality. I'm having a hard time getting my pictures to post as I'm getting error messages from my computer for some reason but when I get it working I'll stick up some beautiful bows. Backing up to my Friday trip, my clients out of Lilleys were keeping trout so we fished below the restricted zone using crawlers. The fish i cleaned were totally chocked full of size 10 to size 18 scuds and I mean their stomachs were packed and their mouth and throats were full. Unreal how they would still bite a crawler. Message is there are lots of scuds from Fall Creek down. One day last week we were catch and releasing on pretty strong generation and the clients were dragging a size 14 Y2K and a size 14 scud on drift rigs using 3/16 oz. wt. We caught fish from the dam clear to Lilleys on this method, I only made 3 drifts in 4 hrs. to catch and release dozens of very nice fish. Good Luck

I take my rods of any brand into Sportsman's Outfitters and they have them professionally repaired. I have yet been able to spot the repair it is so perfect. It is so reasonable that I usually leave a tip about the cost of the repair.