Bill Babler

3-28-16 Table Rock Lake Current Fishing Report In my 24th year as a guide on Table Rock lake, this has turned into my biggest March ever. A lot do to trout and Lilleys, 9 trout trips in 4 days, you would think someone of my maturity would know better. but also 20 Table Rock trips this month, and its not over yet. Table Rock is hovering almost lake wide at an average of 53 degree, even with the super cold weather we had for most of last week. I am home this morning because of the cold. I had a trout trip scheduled but I'm still taking Spring Break kids and it is just to chilly. We will get them at 9 in the morning. Water is clearing but is still retaining somewhat of a James River tint as it did for most of last year. I'm thinking it is going to continue to be this color that is just about as good as it gets for the crankers and spinnerbaiters. Fished from Eagle Rock to Long Creek repeatedly the last couple of weeks and the water is very similar throughout the main lake section. I have not been up the river arms. A-rig bite has slowed down somewhat but is still out there. Not seeing any shad on the surface but the gulls are still diving in much lower numbers lake wide. This bite is on and off quicker than the weather. Really the best deal for me has been the wobblehead, jig and really swimming a big Keitech Swimbait on the bottom similar to slow cranking the wobbler. Another bite that is out there is a big Spinner bait bite. Big as in No. 7 Willow Leaf blades with a 5" Keitech trailer. This bait won at Lake of the Ozarks last week and it caught fish here this week. Mostly slow rolling it. Not a dink catcher, you have one hit this and he is going to jerk your junk. I've been using a big Pig Sticker in 3/4 GP with a 5 Inch Nicholes Craw and catching good fish. Best 5 on Saturday would have been 23 pounds. Not catching numbers at all. The Elite Anglers have been here most of the week, and most have been cranking and stickbaiting. These guys have not caught numbers. Most are catching a dozen to 15 fish per day, but nice bags of 16 to 20 pounds. With all the guides being out and also the Elite guys I am pretty skeptical when I hear a guy is catching 20+ fish a day. If you are, you are doing extremely well, or your math is in question. I did hear thru the grapevine that the little guy is staring to work really well on Bull, so as we all know it is a numbers bait. I'm sure it is always worth picking up. The crankbait bite and stickbait bite is so on and off it is crazy. One minute you are catching nice fish and a minute later it is over. I threw both an RK and a Wart for 4 hrs the other day and did not get touched from Cow Creek to point 5. Went back and threw an A-rig right in the middle and caught a 15 pound limit in 30 minutes. Next day on my guide trip I set my clients up with a rig and went back to the same windy banks and not a bite. Switched to the swimbait and the jig and caught them really good. Go figure.

Rat, those are simply wonderful fish on a very well written report. You just try and find a report like that anywhere else, and I'm telling you, you will be hard pressed. Thanks a Bunch.

Why?

Wonderful photo, thank you.

Nice report, Thanks. Glad to see the Dr. getting some lovin.

Usually don't have spawning fish here in March. Just a bit on the early side forTRock Fish.

This has been way more civil than I thought possible. I commend everyone that has participated in this thread. FishPond also makes just a super catch and release very soft rubber net. I believe it was designed for trout, but works well for bass. Appreciate how everyone has responded to this topic. It has made me much more aware and I will for sure keep them off the rug. Good Luck

I believe you all will get it in. Looks like Sunday late before it hits again. Good Luck

Pretty close in color to that Honey Bee or what ever it is.

You will, it is just to early.

Great report, thanks. Both Bill Beck and Rick Lisek guided the Aunts to Kimberling area yesterday and said it was like a kick in the privates. Both reported only way they could catch them was on the Rig. Bill had a mature fisherman that had to throw the spinning rod with a very light A-Rig and caught 6 with one over 4 and another several very nice keeps. Rick said his crew had 9 total all on the rig with a couple over 4 pounds. There are lots of Elite anglers here practicing for Bull Shoals. They reported it to be extremely tough yesterday. Lure fishing was pretty much a no go for most of them. Bill said if he had not been able to fish his client with the Rig, he did not think he would have caught a fish. I postponed my trip this morning, with all the fronts and the wind howling, we are going to try the dam area in the morning.

I believe from what I heard yesterday there was another big one caught by one of the Kansas Bass Clubs this past weekend. I know they had some really big bags cranking the RK Crawler. I guess each contestant can only weigh his or her own fish and there were some boat limits near 35 pounds weighed in. Just unreal. Best lake section by far is KC to Clevenger, no doubt and not even close to being a debate. These Kansas boys fish here every year and know their stuff. They always come about this time and do very well. They are power fishermen Water from KC to the dam might be the best crankin and blade water color I have ever seen. About a foot of visibility and if you get a breeze blowing into those pockets it might be on big time. 50 to 54 degree yesterday.

Two things scare me there. Against the Bank and Muddy Water My guys Friday promised me they would not tell anyone we fished a stretch of bank. On another note, fish live in the water muddy or otherwise. We can all remember Steve McBasser hanging it on them in Big Creek during their Yickie event. Good Luck

Sounds just like him, what a great story. We were down on Taney drifting eggs the other day for trout. I was in the middle of the channel with 4 clients in my Bay Boat. All were hooked up. There were 3 guide boats drifting around me, not catching. We were all using the same orange power eggs, I was just drifting thru a tight school. Believe me it was nothing I did. All of a sudden I hear 3 trolling motors jerked up and engine fire. Buster zooms by and just rolls his eyes up at me. Sometimes your the windshield sometimes your the bug. I been the bug a bunch. Thanks James that was super

Stress and cameras or the lack there of create a totally different scenario. I only met Rick the one time, 40 years ago and he was a young man living his dream. There are always stories about all the pro-fishermen. I heard a guy say he coanglered with Rick one time and he sat in the middle of the lake and chanted for an hour during the fishing day. Everyone marches to a different drummer. Rick has been very persistent and worked hard staying in shape for 50 plus years. I got nothing but respect for a guy that can win an Elite tournament, or for that matter the Classic as Edwin did. It takes a little luck and a whole lot of good old know how and guts.

Not surprised in the least Don. I know Rick kind of goes off the grid at times, but I have never heard of him ever not being a complete gentlemen. He probably will go down in History especially with this win as being one of the greatest ambassadors for the sport.

I might be off on the date, so don't hold me to it. I met Rick I think in 1977 or 1978. He was about to fish a Bassmaster event on Lake of the Ozarks. I came home and told Becky that I had shaken the hand of Rick Clunn and he had shown me a great new lure and I just had to get some. I was sitting at the Linga Longa Marina boat dock talking to the owner. He launched his boat there at the mouth of Rainy Creek on their ramp and pulled over to the Marina dock and filled it up. He was pre-fishing for the event, and was very excited. He was fishing a lure we had not seen called a Lunker Lure. He talked to us for at least 2 hrs. showing us how the lure worked. He said it was a top water spinner bait or what they, he said "Now call a buzz bait." He caught about a 3 pounder off the roped swim beach while he was showing it to us. The LM just exploded on the lure. He was just tickled to death, and jumped up and down. We all 3 laughed like kids when the fish hammered the bait. He asked the owner if he wanted the fish to eat and the guy said sure. It was amazing. Said he had been catching 50 plus bass a day on it up to 7 pounds, just throwing it down the shoreline like you would a crank bait. My how times change. Several points here, and by the way Rick has been one of my favorites for decades. 1st, how many guys pull over to a Marina and gas up.. He did it out of respect for being allowed to use the ramp no one charged for ramp usage in those days. Very Classy 2nd. he really wanted to talk and visit with us. Simply Unreal by todays standards 2 freekin hours. 3rd. he not only showed us the bait he was using, but how to use it and how many he was catching on it, and where. 4th. the complete joy of fishing and sharing it with a stranger. Rick Clunn jumped in the air and laughed so hard he was in tears about catching that fish with us watching. 5th. he gave that guy the fish to eat. Different place and a totally different time. Oh Ya, I'm very happy for Mr. Clunn. If you all remember he was really close here last fall. On another note I heard he gave his non boater a WP to fish with. Your near the lead of the derby and give a bait to a non-boater, where not 1 fish, but oz's make a difference. Pretty special guy.

I think you may be right.

White River Outfitters Guide Service Table Rock Lake Current Fishing Report 3-20-16 This Table Rock lake fishing report is brought to you by the letters Burrrrr! We have had just a cold and misty, rainy week here in the Ozarks. Fishing has been fair to excellent for the bass species. Lake level is at 916.5 with the majority of surface water ranging from 52 to 58 degree, depending on location. Surface clarity is also just what it is for the area you are fishing. We currently have water that ranges from very clear to aqua to deep green to brown to muddy. Beware of the muddy, everything else is fishing pretty well. Fish are currently being caught in just about every manner you can think of in the non-muddy water. Crankbaits in the rear sections of pockets, and on secondary points. Jerk baits in the clearer water up extremely shallow to suspended in pole timber staging off the coves mouths. Spinner baits on wind blown flat gravel. 3.3 to 5 inch Swim baits off the bluff ends and to chasing fish in the rear sections of the creek arms. Both jigs and wobble heads on gravel/mixed chunk banks and of course Alabama Rigs just about everywhere. Fished with Jerry, Matt and Don this past week and just had a ball. It is very special for me to be able to show good fishermen a good time. Folks that are enthused about the sport and treasure their time on the water and with companions as much as the catching. It is just super when the catching goes hand in hand with the rest of it. Don gave me a lesson out of the back of the boat today on how to be observant. Good buddy Matt told me Don throws at anything even resembling a chasing fish. Sold me as Don saw a big swirl behind the boat and placed the Keitech Swim bait just where he needed it to be. After some serious drag pulling this beautiful nearly 5 pounder came about the big Phoenix. I'll pay attention now no matter what time of the year. Had a great trip with friend and client Jerry as well. Jerry had been struggling in Aunts Creek (Join the Club) and wanted to see some different H20. We started at Mill Creek and fished to Cow. He pretty much showed me how to do it again chunking the Swim bait. He nabbed this extremely fine "Meany" and another double handful of assorted 15 plus incher's on our morning outing. Both Pete Wenners and Rick Lisek have caught them shallow on a Wart a RK Crawler and a blade in the backs of pockets. All in all it has been a very nice week for size as well as numbers. We are really starting to see a lot of fish surfacing and working the billions of shad in the creek arms. Now is kind of the time to power fish so those of you that like to throw the big boy toys get out there. I don't think this colder day today will mean much, they are really wanting to bite. Good Luck View full article

Ktchn. thanks for posting, fishing has been spotty here and your son and his friend did a great job of figuring it out. Table Rock forum for the Black Bass Species on the Rock is a catch and release forum to share information and activity on your bass fishing trips to the Rock or to ascertain information about fishing here. I enjoyed seeing how well the boys did. Lets all take a step back and not make assumptions about the disposition on photo's On the other hand lets take and share photo's that show fish in a natural catch and release setting on the water, away from land. We are not going to get into any debates on the subject this year. We have been operating at an extreme high level and we are going to maintain that. We more than welcome any new members and always love to share or hear stories of great catches as well as those days we just go fishing. Keep er going guys, we are going to have a fantastic year. Good Luck

Dogwoods are not doing a thing in the Branson area yet, not close. We have a dozen in the yard. The Serviceberry trees are in full bloom along with the pear's. Redbuds and plums are just starting and the Dogwoods are usually at least two weeks behind the buds and the plums. It's coming however so get yourself ready.

I know they have caught two larger in Bull Shoals than the one Jeff caught several years ago. I just don't know if some formality did not allow them to be registered. I know there has been quite a controversy. There are several caught in here each year, and has been pointed out, they have snuck thru Beaver. Nice pic.

5 you and your group was missed and we wondered about you. If I remember correctly you all had some nice fish on a spinner bait last year.

Just a huge shout out to Quill, Muddy, and his wife Little Muddy. This is two years in a row that Muddy has went far and beyond and it is not only great to see him but really appreciate all he does to make this event the success it has been the last couple of years. I really like the format of launching where ever you wish and then just coming to the weigh in. It allows folks to fish home waters and also I believe it helped with our big fish. The Kings has been for the last month probably the hottest area on the lake. You can get there from Eagle Rock, but it is a pretty big boat ride up and back to the middle or upper Kings. Big fish was caught on one of Bo's jig's so we kept it in the family. Also a huge shout out to Dave Reeves for the gift certificates for Ned Heads. Thanks Dave We had fish caught with just about everything from a float-n-fly to a jig to a blade to a sticker to a cranker, and probably something else It was fun to hear how the participants caught them. Food was just off the chart, thanks so much for all that contributed. Again, another great derby in the books. On another note, I am looking for a new partner, after all the disparaging remarks from my current non-boater so anyone that would wish to apply, please send a resume. Good Luck All