Bill Babler

Snake, great to see ya Buddy! Thought about the soft jerker, but not enough time for everything. Probably would have worked for me today too, as I had a couple of sticks, with me. Probably the best basser's I have had this year. Great Father and Son duo. Think how good you would have done if the boss would have been along. Thanks for the report and always great to see ya on the pond.

Thom, Gary, both of you boys hit it right on the head. Do you think they ever take into consideration the damage they are doing with all the false and inaccurate statements they have been putting out? When I was a kid, Springfield was a country town with loads of common sense. They have more than turned city, and really have no idea of what honesty is all about. It is only rating that matters. We know the truth and we have a very big guy on our side. God Bless and Good Luck

Wednesday, June 1st. Quite a bit better day today, not with huge numbers, but some nice fish. 16 bass to the boat, all on tubes, with 6 keepers. Also had 3 whites just flat smash the redfin in a pocket up the White River. Nate and Mike caught-em and did good. Got hot pretty early, but the overcast kept us comfortable. Did get a report of dropshot fish being caught today, so it is getting to that time. Good Luck

YEA! I want that Kim Johnson for a partner. HUBA! HUBA!

We appreciate it. Springfield Mo. TV has done more to damage this area than immagenable. I think when push comes to shove, they will end up doing more damage in loss revenue than all the real flood damage caused. They just keep on pounding and pounding. They are still showing flood and high water damage pictures as late as yesterday of taneycomo, while talking and reporting on Table Rock. Some of the video they have been showing on taney was done a month ago, and they keep calling it Table Rock Lake. Just flat stupidity and irresponsible reporting. A true travesty. Really have no idea why they just keep on busting our chops. I'm sure someone's dog or cat is lost in Springfield and they could have a field reporter working on that. In Branson, we have just about had a dose of everything Springfield.

Fished with Phil Lilley and Brent Frazee long time Sports Editor of the KC Star last thursday. Brent is a super guy and a very good fisherman. He was here to get the real scoop on the water, and report what the fishing and the area was really doing. He was not here to sing gloom and doom or to say the lake is unfishable and dangerious, as is still being put out by Springfield, Kansas City and St. Louis news outlets. Man could he have picked a colder day. Did not get out of my coveralls or hoody and rain coat all day. High air temp for the day was 48 and the surface temp in the strong wind dropped to 62. Did manage to trick a few. Not what we had been doing, but enough to show that fishing and boating on the Rock is alive and well. Nice to have someone in the news media, accually come and report the true facts, rather than sensationalize a bad situation. Thanks Brent

May 31st. 2011 What a perfect morning on the Rock. Slight breeze and very overcast. Just knew when I picked up my guys at 5:45 AM that we were going to get all over them. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! Could not have been tougher for me and a couple of my unnamed cohorts. I scratched, clawed, chunked, drug, swam, jerked and sputtered my way to 14 bass with 1 nice keeper and 1 gogg. WOW it was just a bear. 5 up top on a fin, and the rest on the tube. Started to see some fish congregatng out deep, and am thinking it may be time for the drop shot. "Please tell me it Ain't so." First location was an interior runout I have been catching at least 9 on every morning. NADA! Next location, the same number and we had 3 up top. Next location, 2 up top and then we were in trouble. I was fishing the dam area, and I am sure some of the guys caught them, but on my junk, they were not munching. Beck however did catch them really well up the White River on top and then on the tube. I believe he had 20 with 9 solid keeps, up to trace pounds. Good Luck

The boat tow away deal was a monster problem, both here and on Lake of the Ozarks. Some of my friends lost all their gear and baits. Some were not replaceable as they were custom made and painted. They have even set boats on fire after stealing all the gear inside. The untied towed boats were pertty much trashed. Most had locker bars and the crooks just pried the bars out with a crowbar breaking out the sides of the boats. Complete disaster. They just left the boats floating and then banging onto the rocky shorelines. This is not a current problem or a conviction on our society today, this has been happening on our lakes for 50 plus years. Don't expect it to end in my lifetime. Told the story many times of all my gear and electronics being stolen from the boat at Shell Knob, while I was eating friggin lunch. Including custom Coats with my name and guide service written on them. Only thing we can do is be responsible for our stuff. As long as they keep having easy success they will keep on keepin on. Please do not leave anything in your boats in slips on Table Rock Lake. Lower Units? Now that is a problem.

Jason, great report. Don't know why folks don't explore this resourse, fantastic. Have you thought about tryiing some limb lines in the flooded stuff? Would bet you a nickle a man could do really well. Would want to bait them late however, to keep off the turtles. Thanks for the very nice Kitty Katchin Report.

I have never had a problem with the satalite module on any of my Lowrance units, and know of no one else that has. Have had some troubles with the sonar tranducers, but nothing on the GPS. Call or take it by Marine Repair Center in Springfield, and they will have it fixed immediatly. Of course, make sure all your wires are properly connected and nothing has frayed. I would bet your antena is bad. Good luck and let us know what you find out and how it gets fixed. Thanks Bill

Fat Boy, you have as much right as anyone. First come first serve. I would have been howling thru my tooth too.

Been out everyday and just have not had time to post much. My phone has 72 pic's of Jaw's on it waiting, but who knows. I am using a 3/8th. either Football or round. Mine are supplied by Pig Sticker Jig company, but the best ones are round ones with extended top head eyes that most of the tube guys make themselves. This longer extended eye, helps to poke thru the head of the tube without cutting the tube. Beck and Lisek, make them. Not For Sale. They did have hundreds at Table Rock Tackle and Marine. I cleaned them out today. They will have more pronto. Put on your memorie caps and remember when the lake was way down. Picture the long flat gravel point that run out hundreds of yrds. on the rock. Right at the end of these runouts where they break off into the channel are where these post spawn and pre spawn fish are holding. They are reloading daily. Most of these spots are adjacent to big flat spawing coves, and allow the fish to feed on both shad and crawfish as the current washes over these points. The Jaw's also hunt these ridges for the seafood, most being full and running over with crawfish. had one puke up 4 daddies bigger than the tube this morning, and I could see more down in his craw. We had K's yesterday that were just full and dripping eggs. Really don't know if they will spawn or not, but they have a belly full of babies. Here is a very quick method in removing the hook from a deep tube hooked bass. Holding the fish in your left hand by the lower jaw, place your right thumb on the head of the tube. run your index finger down the tube to the hook bend, usually in the top portion of the craw or the beginning of the throat. Push down with your thumb and pull up with your index finger, rotating the tube front to back, or simply turning it around. It will come out without hurting the fish what so ever. If it is extremely gut or gill hooked it is just as easy to cut off your tube. If you make it bleed and you know it will die, do what you think is best. When fishing the tube, be extremey sensitive to the bait. Working it or hopping it like a jig will get it down the throat quick. Tim Page has his people just drag the bait with the rod and pick up the loose slack with the reel. Just like you were fishing a rig. This is the best method I have found to keep it in their lips and roof of the mouth. If you work it like a jig, they will just flat gulp it. Also be very sensitive on the cast to watch the line to the bottom. Lots of these fish will rise to meet the bait and if you are a line watcher, you will have a quicker set and keep it out of their guts. Good Luck

Age old topic, If you have it someone else wants it. It is a lot easier to steal than work for and if big boy toys are left unattended for extended periods of time they will be taken, or vandalized. On our Missouri and Arkansas waterways, this dock theft has been going on since the impoundments were first filled. 50's and 60's theft from docks then and now. Seems to run in spurts. Mostly during Winter and Late Fall from just before Christmans on to May. Fewer people on the water. A few years ago when Shell Knob was being hit hard, a Stone County deputy that took my theft report visited me for a while and here is what he said. You will not like it but this is reality. First off, congratulations on owning a boat slip. What that does is give private access to a public faculity and allows you and your family an easy way to enjoy the water. First you can go to the dock and swim. Second you can keep your boat there and not have to launch and relaunch everyday you are on vacation, or while you are here. Buying a boat dock or a slip in a community dock is like a farmer buying a cow. That initial cost is just the tip of the iceburg. There are monthly fees, insurance, maintenance, damage and theft. All this ammounts to additional thousands of dollars for the owner, or owners. Slips are also like commodities, their value rises and falls with the economy. Because you gave $20,000.00 for it yesterday, don't for a second believe that it is what it is worth today. A slip is a luxury, and nothing more. Like all luxuries, they come with a hefty price tag. Now for the Rat Killin. Do not Winter your boat unattended on Table Rock Lake Winter boats in a locked storage faculity or at your home garage If you are going to leave you boat in a slip for an extended period of time a Stone County deputy told me this is what they tell people. Put boat in the Slip with a minimal ammount of fuel. "This is contrary to what a mechanic will tell you, as they want the tank full to cut down of condensation." Remove your propeller Remove your batteries Remove all electronics Remove everything from the boat Do not cover your boat or lock your boxes Leave it open and accessable, so a potential thief can look thru it without slitting your cover or breaking open your lockers. Well lit docks have not been a deterent. Now with a great portion of docks floating away from the shoreline and the water in the trees behind the docks, it has made the viewing even harder. He also told me if you have one thieft it is on the bad guys as far as the insurance companines are concerned. If you have a second, quite possibly it is on you. Locking your boat and covering it is not a preventive measure once you have had a claim for the same type of incident. Lets hope this year this is a one of a kind incident, but for cripes sakes, do not make it easy for these thives, don't leave your stuff. Good Luck

Gosh that is terrible. Being a former Water Patrol Officer, on Lake O we saw this all the time. This is a thread that has been opened time and time again on this forum. Folks, if you don't want or care about your stuff, buy or rent a slip and leave it there, thinking it will be there when you return. Better yet, just drive it down to East St. Louis or the East Bottoms in KC and leave it there for the Winter. You cannot leave personal property unattended on any of these lakes and think it is safe. Since 1960 it has been proven not to be. This is a Corp lake and views of docks and property from people living nearby is not good. Your property is just there for the taking, and it will be. Remember a couple of years ago when gas was high. We had this same topic, with not 10's but 100's of boat dock thefts. I like alot of you and my family have had our dock in the Shell Knob area robbed 3 times in the last 10 years. Enough is enough, we leave nothing at the docks unattended and for goodness sakes never Winter a boat in a dock on Table Rock Lake. Voice of experence. It is a sad state of affairs, but it is reality. So Sorry and I hope they catch these crooks.

Yesterday in the dam area; Bill Beck trip 30 fish with 12 solid keeps Chris Tetrick 26 fish with 12 keeps Buster Lovng 30 fish with 15 keeps Bill Babler in the Baxter/ Aunts Creek 30 fish 15 keeps None of us could hit the bank with a rifle shot. If you can hit the bush line you are to close. They are way out on the gravel rolloffs. put the boat off the extemly flat points in 32 to 38 for Jaws and deeper for K's. I'm not on the LM as you can tell by my derby results this last weekend. Could not get the Jaw bite in the wind, but if I can get on these long runouts, that is the ticket. Best LM bite however has been reported to be up the White and James river off the points in 24 to 34 on a FB Jig. Good Luck

White River Outfitters Guide Service May 24 2011 Current Table Rock Lake Fishing Report Bill Babler Welcome to Rainy Season and Smallmouth Central. Surface temps on the Rock have fallen and risen like an elevator in the Empire State Building. Temp as of today was 66 degree. Down from 10 days ago when it was 75. Water clarity at the dam is very good in the 6 to 10 ft. range, staining as you proceed up any of the river arms. Level as of this writing approaching 933. Fishing is off the charts. Table Rock is very safe to navigate, with very little floating material from Pt. 22 to the Dam on the White River and Point 12 up the James to the dam. Fish have remained for the most part on the old bank line, with schooling action in the coves early and some LM being taken up shallow and in the bush line. Spotted bass and Jaws have however remained where they were before all the waterworks. Personally I have never had a Spring approaching this for quality Jaws, and nither has most of the guides. All of us are catching numbers and very good quality. Chompers Watermellon green/Red flex tube and the Green Pumpkin/Pepper are both catching very good strings of Jaws and K's. Most all these fish are in the 28 to 32 ft. of water range. Fish the gravel runnouts, or where they used to be dragging and hoppng the tube. Most all of us are using a 3/8th. tube jig inside the shell. If you can find a ramp, get in and get ya some.

Yes!

Had an absolute monster day yesterday, before the lightning. I believe both Stone and Taney County recorded record lightning strikes for the day. Simply not wise to fish thru those conditions. We were suspose to go to noon, but went in at 11. Just flat scary and unsafe. From 6 AM till 10:30 AM we had 26 fish total with 16 keepers. Best 5 at 20 pounds, on a Chompers Tube and a Zoom Cenipede in watermellon candy. Boat was in 38 to 40 ft. fishing the old bank line. Fish really turned on at 10 AM right before the storm. In about a 30 minute period, we had our 7 best keepers, all off the same point. All the big ones were brown, but also had several nice K's. Beck, had fished it right before we got there with the exact same gear. He only had a couple of shorts. They just simply turned on. We got lucky. If I had known he had just left the point I would not have fished it either. Just goes to show, timing and luck mean a lot. Good Luck

John, DUDE!! That is ONE Spectacular Fish. A 5 pound Jaw like that is just about the ulitmate on this pond as far as excitement. Heard Capt. Don, had a 6 plus pounder yesterday. those are some sweet fish. Hope Donny will post a pic of her here on the forum. He had a huge meanmouth he posted a few years ago that was just about as nice a fish as I have seen. From the news in Springfield, K.C. and St. Louie, you would think that all the fish here are gone, and the lake is unusable. Quite the contrary, it is great! Good luck out there and thanks for letting us see that wonderful fish.

Rule of thumb, is to really slow down. Lake temp drops, also will put the fish pretty tight to structure, ususally solid timber rather than brush. I know yesterday there were people that struggled, and also folks that caught huge bags. Tube, jig and shaky head with a 4" sinko type bait in green pumpkin presented tight to timber were the ticket. Hop it several times around the timber and then toss it to the oppsite side. No bite, move on. I think it will take 18 plus today in AIA, would not however be susprised to see 20 plus or 17pounds either. Will be interesting. Good Luck

Denny, I think your blade should work today in this breeze. I for sure am glad to see them on the jig. That tube bite has been great, but for the life of me they just devour it, and you just don't feel them. The jig on the other hand is a much better way to fish for me if they will eat it. Thanks Denny for the great report, follow it up with what happens today. I am on the Rock everyday next week. Headed for Taney, good luck all

White River Outfitters Guide Service 5-13-11 Table Rock Lake Fishing Report Launched at Cow Creek this morning, hitting the water at 6 AM. Pulled out on the first point and had two keeper LM the first 5 casts, swimming a fin right up against the bushes, on the outter points. Water visibility excellent, I'm saying 6 to 10 ft. Surface temp at 72 degree. Went to the back of the Big Indian to pick up Darrin for our 6:30 trip and saw chasers all the way. Had just put him in the boat when Denny called and said was covered up with Jaw's on a spook. Of Course! I Beat Feet over to help him. He is getting along in years and those Small Jaw's can be quite dangerious jerking on the arms of a man of his maturity. Thanks Buddy. It is better to have friends than it is to be good. Lots of eyes on this pond is a blessing. When we got there he was winding them in one by one. We pulled up an immediatly starting catching K's, all very nice. Fin and Spook. We had 8 nice fish on the top, and I caught 1 on a smoke grum and one on a tube. Told Denny to go find us somemore and went to fish the point 5 to point 1 main lake area. Caught an additional 15 on a combination of smoke grub, Chompers watermellon red tube, and a watermellon candy cenipede. all these fish are easily reachable from lauches at State Park, Indian Point or Cow Creek. Denny called again and had indeed found another bunch of active fish. It was getting breezy and choppy on the main lake , and I chose to just fish some pockets, as we had gone and gotten Darrin's 8 yr. old Chase, and really didn't want to bump him to much. Right off the bait on the splitshot rig, Chase caught a very nice K. He did a great job Winding Him In. I had been using the term to just "wind them in, and Chase being a little sponge, told me later, if he got one on, he would wind him right in." "That a boy, and he did." I believe we could have caught them all day. Fish are everywhere and on an overcast day like this you can caych them all around Indian Point and the Dam area in 12 to 30 ft. of water. They are just lovin that tube. Did get several and some goggs, on a cenipede, but the tube was by far our best down bait. Good Luck

Viney Creek the steep ramp prior to the check in station.

What a balancing act these engineers have. They can say something one minute and circumstances dictate that they change it the next. Probably why they for the most part keep their mouths shut, as much as we will let them. A completely thankless job. I mean completely. Of course then this breeds speculation and hearsay on our parts. You all who have been around, know how I felt about us NEEDING the Branson Landing. I can tell you now, I do not believe it had even the slightest consideration in what the engineers did this last couple of weeks. They did the minimum they thought they could and still get by. 4 city blocks of business on the water front in Branson do not have a lot of pull on the enitre White River and Mississippi water shed. If the corps thought the dam was in danger, at anytime, you can bet your last chili dog that Bass Pro Shop on the Landing would now be sell their junk in forsyth at River Run Park and the resturants at the Landing would now be servicing upper Bull Shoals. I'm on board with Phil to the hilt on this one. We all knew with the flooding on the Mississup, that our water was only going to go to a managable level. Just like 08 we are going to have this for a while. Most of the resort owners, should still have their extended ramps from 08. Speaking to the resorts I guide from, most have already extended their ramps back out, and their docks are working and functional. The Corp of Engineers have to look at the total picture, it is extremely hard for us to do that. This water shed is over a million acres, and it all got wet. Just hate to see the millions they spent on all our beautiful parks gone, but that is the price of doing business on the largest water shed in the Eastern United States

Current Table Rock Lake Fishing Report OzarkAnglers Table Rock Lake Forum Have been out quite a bit as has most of the guides. Surface temps have risen to 58 to 60 degree. Best fishing water is the clearer water from Kimberling City to the Point 2 area of the dam. However, the lake is clearing fast. Water is blue/green and streaky in front of the lodge this morning. It was quite murky a few days ago. Lots of fish being caught on the origional bank line, with one of the best SM bites I have seen in years. Fish with the water rising, have moved also into the first set of bushes or trees above the old bank line. Spinnerbaits, flukes, or sluggo's will catch them. Best bets for numbers and size are either a splitshot using a watermellon candy cenipede, or by far the best right now is the Chompers Watermellon/Red flex tube. The Green Pumpkin tube is also hot. Fish these drag or hop baits on points adjacent to the spawning pockets, on secondaries in the pockets and work your way completely thru the pockets. There is alot of timber that is not visible right now, and you will lose baits. Topwater is also starting to take some fish in and above the bush line. The Jaw bite is to the point of unbelieveable. Buster-Saniato-Beck-House- Paige and some of the other top guides are catching these fish at remarkable numbers and size. Full day trips are producing 30 to 50 SM with top fish in the 4 plus pound range. Bigger fish are deeper and most of you are setting your boat on them. Most of us working the Tube are setting the boat in 35 to 42 ft. of water. Best fish are coming directly behind the boat. Rig is catching lots of fish, but by far the tube is producing bigger fish. The Tube bite is really tricky, as they are eating it and swallowing it. Be prepaired for a very soft bite, and just a heavy weight on the line. Most often, there is no tap or tug at all, they just have it. It that tube is down to far, do not extract it. Just cut the line and if they are a keeper, put them in your well for 30 minutes with full oxygen. 90 percent of the time they will cough the tube up in the livewell, and you have it back. For short fish you just lost the bait. Don't for one instant think that a deep hooked bass cannot be released. most will cough it up or pass it. They will take the tube head first and the hook in pointed in. they can cough it right up and out. On my guide trip tuesday, we had 5 swallow the tube and 4 coughed them up in the well before they were released. Tim Paige had a very similar result the same day. In a 3 hr. trip, I had 27 jaws with 9 keeps. Don't let the high water keep you home, the fish are biting, and that is the way it is suspose to be in May. Good Luck