Bill Babler

Condolences, When you posted about this gentleman last year I thought what a priveledge it would have been to not only fish with, but just meet this fine gentleman. Thoughts and Prayers

1 fifteen pound bag. Man that is a hard day. For those of you that are struggling on the Rock, look no further than this PAA event. For Cripes sakes we have some of the best local pros and Bassmaster Elite pros and they are just flat stinking it up. Lots of these Elite anglers are coming in with 10 pounds per day and LESS. You catch a 15 inch K that does not weigh 2 pounds and 4 ounces and he is a FREAK. Got a feeling some of these 8 pound 5 fish limits are skinny buck LM. It is just as hard as it gets here.

You know we do everything we can and for the most part there are some wonderful guides on Table Rock Lake, but yesterday it was a complete disaster. I'm more than sorry I let my feelings show. I just cannot accept not putting my clients on fish. Folks work hard for their money and when I don't show them fish on Table Rock I feel like I have been kicked in the gut. " And Lower." Thanks Bill

I guess its the top 15 that fish tomorrow, and on the Walmart boat deal if indeed it was Strader, they must have been throwing back shorts cause he did not have them today. I didn't get close to him but he and his amateur were sure catching fish, that looked nice from a couple of hundred yrds. Been great and I wish it would have been a topwater bonanza.

Matt Jones has won the last several derbies on the Rock and is fishing this one. Everydays fish count toward the total, and if only 10 boats fish tomorrow, nobody and I mean nobody is sandbagging. They are flat trying to catch every fish they can get a hook into. I think there should be several 15 pound bags today, cause it was quite abit better out there.

Nice post and great information. We learn something every day if were smart

On another note, I was told yesterday that the prize payout is predicated on a Full Field of 150 boats. There are 65 boats in this derby, so the payout is not full, only partial in justification with the amount of participants.

He had 9.5 yesterday and was in 33rd. Am I correct in saying only the top 10 fish tomorrow? I believe they caught them today so it might be a stretch to see him out there, but with these low weights you never know.

Thanks, we'll see if he has them He was catching fish one after the other, if they were the right kind.

That crappie question always scares the bejeezers out of me. Docks are a possibility also, but be prepared for disappointment.

Ya Quill, it was 10:45 a.m. when I rounded the bend and saw them blowing. Kind of reminds you of Jason Christie on Bull doesn't it. The other Pro's that I saw fishing were throwing a FB jig. Most on gravel roll offs. Did not see a tournament boat within 5 casts of the shoreline. These boys were setting right on the breaks of the gravel flats where the gravel broke into the channel. Got a feeling lots of these guys were just shooting the moon after yesterdays results, just trying to get bit. Right before I gave up the farm yesterday, I saw quite a few swirls just on some channel seams. Thought maybe I could get on them early this morning but for me no. My best deal was just those dozen or so community holes up the White. They were there this morning.

Lot better day on the Rock with 24 fish and 12 keeps today. Caught some really nice K's and one 3.5 pound LM. Fished with Jeff and Steff. Started on the jig and caught them on a jig, dropshot and a spoon. Depth perhaps was a key for me as yesterday I may have fished first to shallow and then to deep. Up the White River the fish were pretty much locked in the 16' to 20' range. Most on chunk rock 45 degree stuff. Saw lots of chasers, but they were singles until!! After my trip I pulled into the Kings River and at the Twin Rivers Turn I saw fish blowing everywhere. There was a PAA boat right in the middle of them and he looked to be culling. I was about a 100 yrds. from him and asked if they were whites or LM he said they were bass and I saw him and his co-anglers, both throwing what looked like keeps off the side of the boat. There were some pretty big explosions going on so I am assuming they were good ones. Be interesting to see if we can identify him and see if he caught them or if I am mistaken on size. His boat at one point was setting in 150' and they were both throwing spooks. Don't you just love the Rock. Saw 6 wrapped boats today, including the NetBait boat again headed up the White River past Viney. All the others were in the Kings River and on the White River around the Shell Knob bridge.

We still catch big spots, but not the numbers we once did. Simply as stated there is tremendous pressure on this fishery, as with most every other in the Midwest. AS the previous lake biologist told me, the reason there is a bass limit on Table Rock is not to prevent over population, but to make sure there is a population.

I have only ever seen one over 5 in my life. Lots of 3.5 to 4.5 however.

Am I looking at the correct website for the PAA. I did not see a 20 pound bag. Saw Shane Long had 17.5 but did not see the 20.

White River very seldom is a derby winner. I can think of only a few times in major events that it has come thru and those both are in the Spring. Neither time was either derby won above Owl creek. Sometimes some of the early sight fishing events have high place finishers or the very early wiggle wart events. Most times up the James or from Kimberling to Cricket Creek.

Invisx is my go to line, this is less money. Yes, I did see the NetBait boat early up the White River. He traveled a long way in the fog, and looked to be running pretty fast for the conditions. I'm sure he was on GPS. Went to the weighin page of PAA and saw his name was Vinson. He struggled with 6.62 pounds. I believe there are only about 70 boats and Table Rock will just eat 70 boats. My buddies at Aunt's Creek this morning didn't see many either, but heard several running in the fog.

"The to make matters worse and even using live bait comments made me think that not to mention the "They must be stunted sentence." Sorry I misread it.

I'm trying out a new seaguar line, that red label stuff. Got 12 pound on. We got hung up in a dock and straightened out a jig hook and it didn't break. Next location, we had 2 break off on hook sets. That has been bugging me since it happened. My guy in the back broke one off and I broke one off. I hardly never break off a fish. After some thought, and I wish I would have looked at the line more closely, but I now believe it was walleye. It was bang, bang for both of us. Both on the same throw. My middle guy was running a dropshot at the time, and I bet we both hooked a Walter. Makes me feel better thinking that anyway. My guide buddies from the Dam area to up the James, to me up the White River really all stunk it up today. Man it was hard. Most were using live bait and still could not get them caught. I hate to struggle with good fishermen, it puts me in a foul mood. Sometimes however newbies are easier as I can just dangle a crawler in front of the fish and get the best results. I'm hoping for an intervention tomorrow.

I'm off my band wagon now, but boys you got to remember that this lake is not stocked and it never will be. With more and more pressure and more and more bass fishermen with bigger and better equipment every day, we had better be happy with what we catch when we catch it. That NetBait boat is driven by Greg Vinson. Looked like he slaughtered them today up the White River with a whopping 6.62 pounds. On the PAA website another couple of numbskulls were talking about just slaying them in MDC Brush piles. Don't think that worked out either. Later information I found out one of the Rumdumbs was flipping docks, and not even fishing the piles. I just hate misinformation. Don't get on the internet and lie. You don't want to tell what you are doing, Don't, but don't make up stuff. Guess I was not quite off my soap box. I am now. Good Luck

Man what I would have given for a bunch of those 13 to 15 inch spotted bass that seem to be bugging people to death. 8 Hrs. on the White River arm of the Rock this morning with 7 short fish and 2 scrawny keepers. Fished with some pretty good hands from Devil's Dive to Cedar Creek. Water is an excellent color and surface temps at 6:30 a.m. were 83.4 and when we got off at 2:30 were right at 85. Water was slicker than slick. Started out fishing LM with a jig and a big worm and ended with nothing much to show for it. All my humps and channel swings were pretty much void of life. We pitched some docks with jigs and by 11 a.m. we were hunting deep Kentucky's. Fished deep trees bluffends and runnouts up the White that I always catch fish on and just could not get bit, or even see fish. Did have about 10 huge bluegill on both the dropshot and on the jig. I'm sure someone caught them in the derby today, but it for sure was not us. Did see the NetBait boat go past Owl creek at 8:30. I'm at Shell Knob all weekend, so I hope to heck I can figure this out by tomorrow, but right now, I'm struggling just to get a bite.

You don't like catching 13 to 14 inch spots and want to kill them. Better think twice about that. It takes 7 yrs. for a K to reach 15" on Table Rock lake. We have discussed this many times, all three black bass species do over lap, but occupy for the most parts different locations on the lake. In tournaments you can pretty much eliminate the number of Kentucky bass you catch or for that matter you can target larger Spotted bass by the locations you fish. If the limit gets reduced under 15" then we will hear bitching that all we are catching is 11 and 12 inch spotted bass. The Kentucky will live and spawn in Table Rock Lake at an earlier age and due to its slow growth will live and reproduce longer than either a Jaw or a LM. Our forage base here is fantastic, with plenty of forage for all, lets not go crazy talking about killing one of the most fun fish we have swimming here. As I have stated when I was in college we could go out and catch 50 to 100 3 pound K's just about any day. We could walk the banks and catch LM just about any day. Those days are gone and gone forever. Someone had a good day catching some fish and then complained about it. And then some of you jumped on the start killing bass band wagon. I am just scratching my head. Nothing on you Quill, I just piggy backed you to put in the 7 yr. on the 15" deal.

Quill, thanks for posting. Kind of like they read it here first. Did not see one item that has not been on this forum in the last 3 weeks. Ought to be fun watching. Good Luck

Those pic's are extremely clear. What gear did you take them with. If that is with an Iphone you did a great job. Thank goodness the Summer Holiday weekends are over for this year. Yippie.

Mike, don't know if you have a mold like the Yamamoto 4" slim sinko, but I use that bait for just about everything now. It seems to be a real fish catcher in just about any of the natural colors. Kind of picked this up 3 or 4 yrs. ago up on lake O. Lots of the best derby guys up there just wack the tar out of them using this bait as a shaky head, a drag bait or any bottom presentation. GP. watermelon candy and the lamenents are all good.