Bill Babler

If you have been monitering the goings on here, I can't believe you would ask that question. There is more info. here than you can shake a stick at. Good luck. If you have a specific question, that has not been commented on in the last week, fire away.

Sfiser, AS you know, that is my old stomping grounds. The largest jaw I have taken was in that location and was a catch and release 6.1 pounds. Not alot up there however. You are in the relm of the K's and the LM. Great topwater action from Roaring river to the Knob. Topwater in the Big M area is just about as good as it gets during cloudy conditions or before the sun hits the water. Bluff ends, pole timber and long flat points area holding hungry bass, just looking for a spook. Drag a fry in that same 6 to 16 ft range when the sun kills the topwater bite. Keep an eye out for chasers, as they seem to be going at any time of the day. Wish I could be up there this week, but am locked in at the dam. May make it on friday, with a trip out of the knob.

mrcold, check out my weekend report and also any of the past reports over the last week. Smallmouth in your area of the lake near your lodging are hot to trot. Smallies are in full spawn and K's are joining the party. Grub swimmers on windy days are collecting lots of nips on flat gravel and on the long points in front of the spawning coves. Water is NOT GIN CLEAR, in the Kimberling to dam area, it is at Shell Knob. The clearer the water, the farther they can see your bait and come and get it. Table Rock guides love gin clear water. There is about 10 ft. of visibility,thats really good to catch fish, in the dam area and up to 22 ft. of visibility in locations up the white river. Topwater early and grubs and french frys later, on chunk rock and shelf. If it is clear and no wind, go play golf or go to the mall. If it is windy and overcast go and get-em./

Huge weekend to report on the rock. Two major guide extravaganzas, both featuring up to 15 guide boats each. Thats about all of us. I will give a lake section report and the goings on of both parties. This was the first major boating weekend, with lots of lake activity other than fisherman. Shame the season of the boater has arrived. We have to share now. Dam area, this weekend when the wind was blowing was very good for the smallies, as both smallmouth and K's are in full spawn. I believe for the most part the Largemouth have finished up as we caught quite a few spawned out females in that 20 plus deep water range dragging a rig, and also captured a few on topwater and swimming a grub off the major lake points from Longcreek to Point 5. Midlake section, from Kimberling to Campbell Pt. seems to be just on fire with the small jaws, as long as the sun is behind a cloud and the wind is blowing. Topwater early on the spawning flats and then if wind is not present, back off a mite as the K's will continue to bite in the 14 to 18 ft. range on any shelf or table rock. These fish are still in full spawn and as fat as pigs with extended vents. Some of the Jaws had red tails and you could tell were working over the nusery. Most of the K's were just fat and ready to go. Have caught them spawning, as late as the last of May, so they are still up too baby business. When the wind kicks, move back onto the shallow stuff and get back after the brown bass. Splits and shakeys seem to be the ticket, with a hula grub, being a close third. Nice catches are also being reported on green pumpkin tubes. Look for the wind. Shell Knob to Beaver Town, Excellent split shot bite in 6 to 16 ft. with topwater gone wild in the early mornings. Major chasing activity going on in cove mouths major creeks mouths and bluff ends. Spooks, fins, and sammey's will get you snapped. On overcast continue to throw the top, but if the sun comes out and the water flattens, start dragging. Look for topwater chasers, and don't pass them by, while you are doing any kind of fishing or just motoring from location to location. Had two 4 pounders on just little swirles this weekend. Kings River, James River and Long Creek, Pretty nice topwater bite early then that great little money maker Jewell 5/16 pbj is catching em. Fish still seem to be in that 6 to 14 ft range. The doctor, is also still in the house as my best bite in the Kings is on a dr. Fish seemed to be locked in on the drag at 6 to 14 ft. I keep trying a blade in the wind and on banks with lots of breeze on-em but for me I am just getting bit better on a rig.

MDC data on two seperate stages has pointed out keeping 12 inch K's would be a disaster for tablerock. See my article last year. These bass in no way compete with largemouth or smallie, for forage. MDC worked their butts off on this and they have the data. Most times of the year they occupy totally different sections of the water column, and although they eat daddys, when they can get-em, they are roving shad chasers, unlike the largemouth and the smallies most of the time. They are in more competition with the Whites. Due too their very slow growth rate they have a very long life extectancy and can live and produce fry well into their teens. You want to hear some crying or make this lake a total disaster,not be able to catch a fish 10 months of the year, you would see it within two years, Table Rock would be in serious trouble. This whole piece, stems from not keeping or sight fishing and eating bedding fish. Guys, as phil pointed out, if you want a K or two for supper, by golly have at it, but not while they have a belly full of your next generation of bass. As far as the smallies, they are kind of like pets. AS far as turning anyone in on game violations, I haven't seen any. Fileted fish under a dock, is no violation. There are 20 slips in that dock, and I would assume 20 slip owners. If they all are using the cleaning table that is not even a 1 day limit. No one broke any law, they just broke my heart.

Nearly froze my Patokee off this AM, but boy did they bite topwater. Couple of bronzbacks in the 4 lb. range and some wonderful K's eating the fin. Total catch and release fish in the mid-lake section was 22 for the 4 hour trip with 14 fantastic fish over the magic 15 inch line. Caught fish, swimming the grub, throwing the fin, and dragging a cenepiede. Boat in the 16 ft. range and working the wind. Would have thought a blade bite would have been in order, but no takers. Fished 12 spots and caught all the fish off 4 spots. Have saffued them in every location we tried in the last couple of weeks, but they seem to be going in and coming out. If you catch one on a spot there is a pretty good chance you will get a running buddy.

Personally I feel there is a very great difference in keeping a few crappie during the spawn, or a few whites, vs the bass. First of is the crappie and the whites are not pursued with the shear dollars or the flaming intensity of the bass. Passion, may be a better word. For most of us, as soon as the crappie move off the bank they are pretty much safe, as crappie fishing all but stops. It is the topic and the target for about 3 months per year, and then pretty much forgotten. If 1 crappie were never caught again on Table Rock Lake, it probably wouldn't affect anything one single bit. Whites are extremely self sustaining in the fact that they are without a doubt the most unpredictable fish we have in the pond. If you do get lucky and get after a few its fine. They have been known to spawn in main lake pockets, riprap, rivers, creeks and even on points. Here one day and gone tomorrow is their moto. Surfacing in 100 ft at daylight, or suspending under shad in 60 ft. they are too hard to catch on a consistant basis to really worry about. Great fish. Bass on the other hand are the most sought after game fish on Table Rock, and are pursued relentlessly 365 days a year 24 hours a day. Lots spawn in full view of us predators and after the spawn will eat almost anything. They are high flyers and each and every smallie I have ever caught has a personallity and a look all his or her own. They are exciting. They will break your line in a second, they will jump roll and throw themselves into the air in summersaults. They will blast a topwater bait completely out of the water or come up behind it and dive on it like a duck on a junebug. They are magnificent. The Largemouth is a brute and acts like the bully on the block, he will challange you not only to catch him but to keep him on after the hook set. K's are my love affair. Table Rock walleye 2ft. of water to 100 ft. make no different to them. They love each other and I love them. Don't get lots of that from a crappie.

Ouick Update, Cloudy, overcast, windy, nasty and raining. Sounds like Small Jaws to me. The smallmounth, are just full of eggs, and are nesting or getting ready to make babies. Good success on such a day was had yesterday. Be careful and release these fish after the photo shoot. Anyone killing these fish is an absolute IDIOT. Funkin Waggnal describes this as a Very Foolish or a Completely Stupid Person. Hula Grubs and singletails, up to the big 5 inchers, were getting some really good attention. Smallie's seem to be in the 10', an in range with nice K's being at 14' and out. On extremely windy days, a 1/2 oz or bigger blade is really getting some big looks on chunk for the Big Blacks and on the Smallie locations, you will get bit. The K's are in full spawn mode also with big raw-tail females coming to the boat on the grubs, Shakey Heads and Split shot rigs. Had one Numbskull tell me he kills everyone he catches as this is the only time he can catch any. Abunch of the fools around Baxter love the spawn. They can throw live night crawlers or crawfish on the beds and kill the spawning females better like that. Anyone that sight fishes, catches and kills a bedding fish is a true danger to this society. If you can do that, I would put nothing past you. Saw at least 50 carcauses of our three varities of bass under one dock in the Big Indian yesterday. Hope someone dies of a bone in the throat or mercury poisioning. Egg sacks were hanging off the dead lifeless skin and bone piles. What a shame. It just flat chaps my rear that people kill these wonderful animals in the spawn, while they are trying to replenish a lake that is completely abused by the Corp, the Area Cities, and is punished by astronomical fishing prussure 365 days a year. In this day and time, we all know better. My generation is going to go down in history as the greatest users of natural resources and the first, me first and only me generation this country has ever had. You wonder where the good ole days went, I'll tell you. A Black Cast Iron Skillet.

Are you forgetting the 4 games I won on Sunday? You won 2 so I am up on you 20 to 18. Don't forget it. It's only going to get worse. I am improving and you are at your peak. I have even thrown down the gaunlant to Buba, and we both know how your match with him turned out. White River Lodge will be the scene for the throw-down. Bring your wife for support and supper. The challanged has been issued.... PS, don't give me that brown nose stuff or I will have to give you a wipping on the fly rod also. How can I be so good at everything, its a wonder. Maby its all in my mind. You notice I didn't mention a straight line jig. You might be better at that, but only quite a bit.

There was diffinatly no butt kicking. I had 7 keeps, but Tim Paige took honoers, with a 3.5 lb. LM. I can catch keepers, with anyone, but the big boys like Beck, will smoke me every time with quality. Just edged them out today, with numbers. It takes a different mindset and a lot of lake knowledge to catch the big, big, boys and Bill has that as well as anyone. He can do it. I didn't say his clients could. You have to be able to catch em. Bill is the Best and I am not in his league, Period. If I fished 10 tournament against Bill Beck and won 2 I would think I had kicked some major bouty, He is the best. On numbers of 15 inch fish, I may be able to catch a few. After all. I am, a Shell Knob, guy. Water temp was 60 and we caught all our fish on a 3/16 oz shakey with a Watermellon Candy Cenepiede. Depth ranged from shallow to 22 ft. 4 guide boat had from 15 to 30 fish today, most dragging a rig, with either a dr. or a cenepiede. Clients caught all the fish as this was a tournament and guide fish didn't count. Continued tomorrow....

For the last week, we have been completely covered up. Ton's of guide trips with varing results. Good average is 10 to 15 keepers per day, depending on location. Shell Knob, White River area does not count, as you can catch more up there. They just don't recieve the prussure. Long Creek to Campbell Point you will catch lots of fish but Quality is question. Big Corporate trip the last few days, with an average ot 8 keepers per day, topwater early and draging late. Fish seem to be in 14 to 22 ft. Work very hard and fish lots of shelf rock, not bluff or flat gravel, but transition from shelf to gravel. Pole timber seemns to be a key. Swim a grub or drag a soft plastic thru the timber and you will get bit. You will also hang up. Be prepaired to loose gear, and you will be fine.

Very small. Be sure to take some topwater baits, as reports have a pretty good topwater bite early and late. Swimming that grub for BS smallie's is a given, so take plenty of 1/4 oz heads and lots of 4 inch single C-tails. Good Luck

Sam, the Big Cedar Guides did particular well yesterday, near to where you were, but not. These guys are all swimming grubs between Indian Point and Big Cedar. Most in that area are sitting the boat in 25 to 35 feet. They are making an extremely long cast and counting the grub down about 10 seconds before they engage the reel crank. They are turning it so slow, it makes you sick. It is a full time job to make your clients pay attention to reeling that slow. If the fishing is slow, we all tend to speed up. That is an absolute killer right now. All most all are flat gravel, some with a bit of chunk. They are starting to catch goggle eye, so if you are not catching the gog's you are in the wrong place. A buddy told me yesterday, he was sitting in 30 ft. and that was about two casts length off the bank. That should tell you the type of slope they are fishing in the dam area. He had 35 fish with 16 keepers. Reports today, was just about 1/3 of that, as the bite was really off, from yesterday. I know this to be a absolute fact...

$250.00 total that includes two fisherman. Any of the guides can fish you right from your dock, and show you the best way to fish your particular area of the lake. That is for a 4 hr. trip. 8 hrs. is $325.00. Some of the guys may have it the other way at $225.00 and $350.00. Keep trying on your own, and if you decide to go, think of it as a very fun gift. I am fishing the dr. a little shallower than I am swimming the grub. That topwater bite is on us, but unless you have clouds, it dosen't last very long. Early and Late when the sun shines.

Doug, missed your post earlier. Was looking at what FF had to say. If you tried all those different baits in that ammount of time you are going ape. I rarely use that much stuff in a month. That area is like real estate, Location, Location. A friend of mine fished Big Creek and no other section of the Lake for 1 year, just to learn the creek. Be patient and use what we have been talking about and only that. SLOW DOWN I am putting my boat in 25 feet of water off the flats or main lake FLAT points and swimming that grub, as slow as the reel handle will turn. When I think I am going slow enough, I'll slow down further. Try and follow the contour of the bottom to the boat. If you can see your grub, without reeling it straight up at the boat, you are going too fast!!!! I am draging the same locations only a little shallower, as painfully slow as I can drag, Pull the bait with the rod and pick up the slack with the reel, let it set a couple of seconds and do it again. If you don't catch-em, book one of the boys, and doors, will open up. A half day guide trip is $250.00 and you will learn 10 times that in location and science. I have fished all over this country, and TR is without a doubt, one of, if not the toughest. We have the best guides in the world and they will expand your area of thought like you won't believe. Bill Beck, Buster, Tim Paige. Pete Wenners, Chris Tetrick, Mike Webb, Eric Prey, Rick LaPoint are all great. And I have missed a bunch. Good Luck

4 guide reports in and all did well in all areas of the lake. Swimming the grub and dragging seem to be the key with my boys all coming in with middle 30's on fish and great quality with 10 to 20 keepers, catch and release per boat. Fish seem to be at the same depth lake wide and either wind or calm seem to be producing. The bite just turns on and off at random. Just get out and fish.

RS, I went to the weigh-in but they didn't have a active leader board, I watched Buster weigh-in and then headed for home to bring in our lodge group. I heard later it took 22 lbs. I didn't see any fish like that while I was watching. Best string, I saw and I probably watched 50 weights was 14 lbs. Did see the guy with the 14 and they said he was in third. It however could have ended anyway and I would have missed it. Sorry for the lack of info, but I will bet they have a website and I have just not been there.

Can't Expond on the way FF described it, and the way he fishes it. That is the standard. Guides affectionatly call it a turd worm, or a green bean. It is very small and very thin. GP,Watm,and CC, and Watm C. are the colors we all adore. I will some years, use 100 packs. Some of the other boys will approach that 200 pack range, as they will fish it 12 months. At times the cenipede, will beat it, but not often. Lots of the boys are using it on a 1/4 oz. shakey head for smallie's and it is great for gog's. You can use it twice, turning it end for end, but they are really soft, and if you throw it a couple of times and it slides down the hook, it is time to chuck it and put on a fresh one. If a bass swallows it, and they will in a heart beat, make sure you pull off the worm before you cut the line and just leave your hook in the bass. If you leave the worm, on the hook it impeads their throat and makes it hard to get real food by. If you pull it and cut the hook off they don't seem to know the difference. Most of us fish it on a no.1 worm hook. I did not say 1.0. I am dragging 8# maxi. Green. 7' Falcon Med-Light,with a syemetry. 1500, or a systain 2000. Have not fished the knob, or Basin or Mill since Thursday, but I will guarantee you they are a snappin on the Zoom fish doctor. Got bit everywhere I went up there last week, and the locals are catch and releasing 30, or more a day. As far as the swim baits, I am fishing them on the long points and am using an Ospry 3.5 inch. Or, a Casitac Shad in 5 inch. Note... You will not get a lot of bites, but they are always good ones. If you just want to have fun and catch fish, don't throw this as it is a big fish bait only. I am throwing it some on guide trips, and my folks are catching lots of fish behind me. If I were swimming the grub or fishing the Dr. I would be catching fish they might catch. This way, I can still play abit and not hurt anything, and every once in a while catch a golly wopper. As far as the soft jerkbaits sluggo's or floating worms, if you can work a spook, you can work these baits, as the technique is very similar. Topwater bite is fixin to explode in the next two weeks, keep those splashie baits handy. FF, did you get a turkey?? Wish I could go, but I am just covered up.

Fog really locked us in at the start. Meet Chris Tetrick at the Baxter Ramp at 7 am and the two guide boats were going nowhere cause of the fog. Both boats fished that general area for at least two hours, cause we just couldn't move. Did susprising good on the extreme flat water, dragging the Dr. Our fish were in the 6 to 10 ft. range, with boat in 15 to 20. Unlike Frekie, we had some pigs. 5 or 6 really heavy K's in the upper 3's, early, on the flat water. Buddy, I think you were just fishing used water, and it seems there are no do overs. The best bite is the first bite, and then the little,ens get it. Sorry Wind started to blow and Chris Called and said finely we are going to really get them swimming a grub. I went two hours without a bite after the much loved wind started. Gosh I am stupid and wish I knew what made these fish bite. Everyday its something different. It sounds like excuses, but fact of the matter is, I just flat don't know. Around 1 PM, after lunch, it started. Chris, Beck, and Pete Wenners, had all been calling all morning, saying where are they, I had been doing the same, and then I saw a couple of chasers. Just a flick, in the middle of a wind blown cove. I hammered her back there and we caught 2, 3.5 pound blacks and a fantastic K. It is so funny, while we were catching those chasers, my phone rings and its Beck, fishing the dam and he says "Just got a 5 lb. smallie". and then Oh!! back seat guy has one on. It's starting. and he hangs up to net the fish. It seemed to start all over and was just great from that point till when we pulled off at 3;00. Ended up with 23 fish with 15 solid keepers, with a 23 inch spawned out smallie and several K's pushing 4lb. along with the nice black chasers. Best 5 would have been pushing 19 pounds. By the way, those 3 chasers were in the middle of a pocket and the water depth where they were feeding on top was 96 ft. I was paying attention too my surrounding and just by watching, we caught 11 pounds of bass in a 2 minute period. Thats the Rock. Pour Dennis, did the samething on Fri. Sent Phil some pic's to resize and he will post them when he can.

I got the 9 and the 7 Right, didn't I. That's pretty good for me. SKMO, you may have noticed has not been on the forum in a while. He recieved a very serious injury, falling down some steps. Dislocated Shoulder and torn Rotator Cuff. He is doing better, but is still not hitting it as usual. I know he also has a very heavy work load, he is trying to balance with his injury. This is the only day I have off until May 24th. Might see you on the water somewhere's. 21 ft. Stratos Pro-Elite, Red and Gold with a 225 Yammy. It's that time of year, that all we can do is just hang-on.

Couple of pretty nasty days we are having and I am in command central. Big Group from Comsumer Testing staying at the Lodge and we have several guides out. I was yesterday, but my guys the head honchos, choise not to freeze today. Poor Me. I have been delivering lunches and coffee and listing to the movements. Yesterday even in the rain 4 guide boats managed to catch about a 12 to 15 fish per boat, with at least 3/4 of the bass being good solid keepers size. Biggest around 5. Pete Wenners, had a good one today that everyone thought would have gone over 6 that tore off. Fishing today, much slower and the fronts are just piling on. 3 boats out today and at noon they only reported about 15 fish combined. I am going over to the BFL weigh-in and see what Buster and the Pay to fish boys have come up with. You would think with all the yucky weather we would be catching smallie's, but lots of LM and K's. Lots of guides started out with a blade on the windy banks and then went to swimming a grub, and the stick. Not much until they started to drag. Slower presentation. All reported the bite as extremely lite and lots of pick-ups and drops. IF it comes out tomorrow with extreme high prussure and clear, I believe it will be like pulling teeth to get bite. Our guides and guests are in for the day, and it didn't get much better. Probably under 20 fish for the day. Gosh, they really worked hard and the bite was just really tough in the dam area. I believe on the morrow, we will head up the White away and see if we can generate any interest.

First question, would have been touch and go, with a big maby Second, nothing serious I hope. Can't wait too see them.

Good for you Dennis. 5 keepers in 1/2 a day. Keeping your eyes open and watching whats going on is a fantastic way to catch fish. As they say, "You have come along way". Tons of guys would have driven right past those chasers, your learning well. Never, Never pass up a chance to catch a fish. Appreciate you letting us know how its going. Keep up the good work. It's really fun when it works out. Great Trip.

You'll have to drive, so I can take a real first hand look at that 967. I have found out I am never too old to learn. Good fishing boys.

I bought them on the net. I just typed in Swim Baits after I had seen the brands they were using in the Elite. All of mine were 4 in or less. The Castaic are truely expensive, and the others are very pricy. I have been having good luck on the Osprey in Shad. 4 inch.