Bill Babler

3 inches at Shell Knob. Muddy Mess

There is and has been quite a debate by stick bait fishermen on whether to use carbon or mono. Most feel carbon pulls the nose of the bait down and sink it. Very unnatural. I personally like mine to sink slowly and don’t mind the carbon. More astute pros like them to suspend somewhat tail down at the depth the bait was designed to fish. Almost all of the old time White River highlands Lake guys only fish mono. Two of the best jerkers I have ever know Buster Loving and Bill Beck were exact opposite. Buster likes carbon and Beck was strictly a mono guy. Both guys have waxed me more than I want to admit. I however have waxed Buster a couple of times. Beck died too quick and I never got any revenge on him. I needed an extra 100 tries. 🤪🤪🤪 Beck spanked me so hard one time early in Aunts creek I still have trouble sitting down. Durn Spro Blue Bandit.

Yep we have the tie breakers against Ky. And Tenner, beat them both.

All Mizzou fans are Razorback fans this weekend. We want a Hogs win badly over Ky. We also want Auburn to beat Tenner. If Mizzou takes care of business at home against Ole Miss. We are either a 3 or 4 seed in the SEC derby. If Ky and Tenner win we’ll be the 5 seed. Mizzou has lost 3 home games this year. A& M, kU and Bama. Knock on Wood. Ole Miss is bad, but that’s the kind of game the Tigers have lost in the past. Mizzou Arena is sold out so it should be rocking.

Was really surprised at all the fish the Pro’s broke off at Clark Hill this past week. Simply crazy number, I’m thinking a couple of dozen. Can only remember one other derby with that many breakoffs on the snap and in that one Otte DeFoe must have broken off 3 or 4 by himself. They also snapped a dozen rods in the same derby. Mostly because they tromp all over them laying in the deck. Lots of the guys, I’m going to say most fishing Sunline. I have never fished it but I could if I wanted. I know someone. I just can’t, or won’t stop fishing Invisx and Maxi. 5# Maxi is just simply my go to on a spinning rod, for any bait under 3/8 oz.

Yep no problem launching there. There have been dozens of boats up there the last few days. Not up there for a suntan. Good Luck It is a pay ramp. I think 5 bucks.

Have not seen any gulls up the White this year till the last several days. Lake seems to be full of them the last 3 days from Campbell Point up to Shell Knob. Probably 3 dozen in Hobbs Hollow diving the lake as I write this. Man it’s windy here. Wonder if the Shad have come to the surface or are having a die off as the birds are hard at work.

My go to this time of year if I have some sun and a bit of color in the water is a megabass French Pearl plus 1 with a custom painted belly and head. “ Tim Hughes” They would not have it, at all. Fished it for over 2 hours, thinking it was location. Switched to a plus 1 Table Rock Shad and caught 4 off the 1st. point I fished it on. They wanted that purple/orange. Caught a couple on the Keitech and a couple on a small 3/8 tungsten jig but the TRSjerkbait was the best.

Looked like Pete Wenners and Mike Webb had tough days. Oliverson did well. I went up the White Thursday looking for walleye. Caught zero walters but had close to 2 dozen bass. I did have 6 keepers but they were infants. Buck LM. I’ll bet the best 5 might have weighed 8/9 pounds. Caught them all on a jerkbait.

Different times for sure now. Only backup we had was none. Way too far from Camden or Benton County. Morgan Co. Was the best if you could find a deputy on a lake road. Back in my day there was just flat nothing from Pine Cove to Deer Creek, and not much from Rainey Creek to Bollinger Creek. Ivy Bend side was populated but Camden Co. Side was woods. Now there is a house touching the next from Warsaw to Lake Ozark. I had from the 71 Mike mark to the 42 mile mark. Geez that’s a stretch. They had a guy at Warsaw but he went up the Osage and Pommie. Before Truman. When Truman went in he came from Warsaw down to the 62. I went from the 62 to the 43. It started getting busier up there in 82/83/84.

Becky has me putting patio furniture together today. From the deck this morning 27 boats went up the White. Started getting here at 7:37. Not a one came into Hobbs Hollow. It’s just simply been beat to pieces this week. Guess guys knew it would be hard in here. I do expect some to taste test it on the way back to KC.

Black family owned that place for years and years. I think it burned down in the 80’s and they built another one a little further up lake. It was there when we built in 1961. Simply wonderful people. Grandpa, Grandma Two more adults and a couple of kids. I believe it was only open on the weekend. I think they lived in KC. Spilled BBQ sauce on my uniform in there one day and granny took it in the back for 20 minutes. Came back looking better than the dry cleaners. Turned into a food blog. Another place was Fawn Valley down past Coffman Bend. Would not take a cent from us. Man they had great food. I believe it also burned. First time I had Chicken Cordon’ blu. Sure I butchered the spelling. It was amazing. Back in the 70’s and 80’s Lake O. had just some flat out wonderful folks that owned the Mom and Pop resorts and restaurants. Made my job a lot easier. Probably it was just the times. Mom never charged the WP in the 60’s, when they came into eat either. Jack Reynolds was our patrolman he later became Lt. Colonel.

Fished it last Spring and I know what you mean. Going in on the right you can jump from dock to dock to dock. That creek and the one across the lake from it just below the Little Buffalo from 1970 to 1985 probably turned as many 5-6-7 pound bass out as any place on the lake. Total fish factory. What was the name of the BBQ going in on the right? Man it was so good. They wouldn’t take a penny for anything from Law Enforcement. At that time our lunch expense acct. allowed us $3.50 for lunch. I always tipped the little black waitress $5.00. At that time you had to have a water patrol boat on plane at 660 to get it in there.

Hobbs Hollow has easily had 15 maybe 20 boats in it today. 4 in here right now. Reminds me of Lick Creek on Lake of Oz, back in the day. I can remember going in there one March day when I was on the water patrol and seeing over 20 boats pounding it with wiggle warts and jigs. Just about the same size cove.

Yep. Beck never like to go up there during a derby. Mid lake you can go any direction. Up the river there is just not time to recalibrate. He also didn’t like to go way up the James above point 15. Been 100’s of derby’s won up there but 1000’s lost.

Thanks James. Last bass I kept on a guide trip was 1999. Catch and release the last 22 years of my guide service prior to retiring last May. Deep fish were never a problem to release. Caught 1000’s really without any harm except a stab in the lip. If deep fish are returned immediately to the water they are fine if you educate your clients and don’t horse them up. Dock has caught as many or more than I have and will attest. Really just about zero mortality on deep fish or live bait drop shot fish. You are just in contact with those baits and catch them as they bite. Biggest fish killer and I have taken flack on here for years is the C-rig, I simply would never allow a client to fish it. Especially with a Fish Dr. They will get a centipede down, but nothing like a Fish Dr. Bob Tindle won thousands of dollars on the Rock using a Zoom Fish Dr. His motto was let-em-eat-it. Said you should never miss a single fish on one. He was pretty right as if you give them a minute they’ll swallowed it to their small intestine. The next 2 baits you really have to watch are spoons, both flutter and jigging. Jigging spoons unless you are following it with your rod tip they snatch it on the fall and just get the durn thing down. If they are really worming they’re not tasting it, they’re swallowing it. Flutter spoon, same deal. You have to watch the line or let it fall on a tight string. They just get that big sucker down quick. About 15 years ago son and I were just hammering them on a flutter spoon. Whites, LM, K’s and even catfish were chasing in front of Wolf Pen. We would be there at daylight most every morning for a week. One day for the like of us we could not no matter what we did keep them from swallowing it. After about the 4th. one in a row Steve had swallow it he put his rod down. He said Dad, “I’m not killing another fish today, it’s turning my stomach.” I told him we can swim a Chompers C-tail but he said nope. They would swallow that too. I’ve had days like that, but not often. Son had the better judgement. I’ll never forget it.

72 degree here at Campbell Point. Sun was out streaming thru the clouds. Wind just picked up and it’s almost black as nite, now 5 minutes later We had a hail storm here last week and the adjuster said we needed a new roof. They are going to be here again Friday morning. From the feel of things they might have more to look at. Yiiiiikes.

Agree with you on that James. The Kings for the length of the river system that it is can really fish small, especially in the coming weeks with all the white bass guys moving in. I only trusted it a few times in derby’s. Sainato and I won one up there on a jerk bait in a Heartland, and that’s really the only time I did well on the Kings Run. Beck and I got a 3rd. One time out of Owl and RR early on a jig. Justin McClelland has simply won a boat load of cash up there. RR and up. Kelly and quite a few others have caught them in derby’s good in Owl and Viney. I also believe Brent Ehliar won a BASS in Owl and Mark Davis won one in Rock Creek There have been several good sight fishermen win lots of money way up above Holiday during the spawn. BFL pays big dollars so it’s not above the realm of possibility to make that haul. To far for this mature dude anymore. To many A-rig fish closer, if I’m casting for cash.

Looks like at least 15 baits on there. I’m like you I’ve had trouble with 5. Doing better now that I canned the braid and just throw it on Big Game. Still 1 or 2 casts out of 10 and Houston we have a problem.

Dock, are they dispersed much yet at KC? Friend fished the bank down there yesterday and had just a stupid bag of LM. Said they caught nothing over 15’ deep. They had a 5 plus and three more over 4 said 10 very solid keep LM Sounds like it’s getting close to time for the ole Floater.

Good Lord, enough Big Bite baits on there to buy me gas for a week

BFL seems to be the real kick off here. Not complaining but we durn near went from zero to extra seating in about a week. Cloudy and 70 degree bet the walleye are snapping today. Went to Fayetteville this morning and saw 6 boats from the 86 bridge up on the Kings Eagle Rock ramp was also really busy on the White It is possible for the BFL guys to be up there but that is a boat ride. Especially if it’s 40 degree and raining. I’m guessing it was locals. There have been some coffee shop talk about a few whites in the Kings, plus the Walters. If you’re fishing the BFL and run up the Kings to or past the 86 bridge or up the White to Holiday Island or past from KC, you’re really really mad at em.

Man, they were out in droves yesterday. We’re building a new garage so I was home most all day looking at the Lake. From daylight till sunset there was not a minute that a least two boats were not in Hobbs Hollow Cove. Did run into SK to Meeks and it looked like the ramp was over flowing. BFL this weekend so it starts. I’ve gotten 8 calls since Sunday noon for info. From the looks of it going to be miserable this weekend. Rain and highs in the 40’s. Good buddy and his grandson just hammered them yesterday. He is going to fish the BFL so can’t reveal any info. Good Luck

Realllly nice brown fish congrats.

There were latterly dozens of them a few years ago during BP’s rough fish tournament. Noise a night scared the Bejeebers out of the locals and they banned them due to Mo. noise restrictions policy.