Bill Babler

After a full hard week on the trout it's nice to have a buddy that has a handle on the rock. Great trip today on the middle section of the White River arm of Table Rock lake. SKMO may not say so but he backed up what he told me yesterday. Blue Bird day, and some competition on our spots, but a great day on the water. I'll take that anytime. When your dealing with KY's and Smallies this time of year, you are dealing with critters on the move. What's good for you today may be completely wrong the next. If you have a spot holding fish, there is probably not a greener pasture around the bend, don't leave whats working. We worked a great location 3 times and it paid off on the second helping. Good advice. On the wife deal, God bless both of us.

If Don and Rick are catching fish in the 7 to 10 lb. class, they are the ones to go with None of the rest of us can even touch that. 6 lb. smallies and 6 lb meannouth, are all near lake records. All the rest of us poor guides have a lot to learn. I would never tell anyone that I can produce those type of results as it would come back to haunt me forever. 30 years on the rock and I have only had 3 fish in the 9lb. range. Even in its absolute hayday this type of fish was extremely hard to come by. As Bobby Tindle has said to me, if you even tell someone they can expect a 5lb fish here, you are going out on an impossible limb. Yes they get caught on a simi-regular basis, but I sure wouldn't say I could come up with them on a guide trip. What I can catch and what the average client can catch are two very different things. No one can beat Bobby Tindle for large fish on the Rock and even Bobby would never tell you that kind of fish is possible. Good luck, we'll keep practicing.

FliTrap, I will try and get one up today. Phil if you have a small 1/2 micro in archives please put the pic up. Thanks Bill

Truth be known, I believe thats what the Hilton is counting on down the road. Lets not get in a stew, It's not happened yet.

I'm sure you are right and that's the best way to look at it. We all are afraid of change and like the status-quo. I know we will continue to do all we can to make our guest feel like family. Most of this right now is speculation and we are all very concerned about upper taney which for me is one of the main reasons besides our wonderful native people for being here. We could have built anywhere but love our neighbors and friends in the branson area. It is truely home.

Try Lake Fork in Texas for the 9 lb. If it happens on Table Rock, I want your autograph.

Sorry Phil, you should have said it. I was agreeing with Brian.

Guys, as most of you know, my wife and I just completed a life long dream of a bed and breakfast out on Table Rock. Now with the influx of condos it really makes it tough. There are adds Running out there for 2 bedroom jacuzzi condo suites with fireplaces, show tickets and SDC tickets going for $250.00 per week. We have even seen 3 nights stay for free, with the same free tickets. All they are looking for is numbers, like Phil said it is new money with new ideas, comimg from corporations that losses are fine as long as dollars are generated. Breakeven is more than good. High prussure sales are the norm and complaints are rampaid. We have had both Taney and Stone county officials at the lodge and they say the complaints on the high prussure sales are huge. The deals are so good just to get the folks in that they can't refuse, and once they have you, getting away is a nightmare. I think we are in for a wild ride

Amen!

You guys are making my skin crawl. This may ruin one of the best fisheries in the United States. I would take 100 casinos in Rockaway over this Branson Project. We need to run a fence across the lake at monkey island.

Guys, from what I'm hearing the snagging is going at an unbelieveable rate. Spoke to Tony Weldele one of our Taneycomo guides and he reported he guided Flat Creek yesterday and limited out early. For those of you that don't have the equipment and would like to give these big boys a shot give Tony a call at 417-294-7335. I also believe that Don House may guide for paddle fish. It can be some work but fresh water halibut as they are known, if cleaned properly are fantastic table fodder. If you have never went after these behomoths, give one of these boys a ring.

Fished upper taney the last couple of days with excellent results from fall creek to lookout. Lots of guide boats in the restricted area on monday and lots and lots of fish being caught all day. Best catches still seem to be on the 1/2 sculpin micro jig, this jig is a 256 oz. Yes thats little, it is a bout a size 14 in fly terms, or a straight line sculpin 1/32 sculpin jig. On monday with the cloudy water spoons and inline spinners were also taking large numbers of fish. The water really cleared on tuesday and the chase fishing slowed down quite a bit, but the jigs keep really producing. Didn't get out until 2pm but Buster started around noon and said they had really hammered them before I got up there. We found it pretty slow for the first couple of hours, then the swithch turned on. About 50 fish on the trip with most coming in the last 2hr's before dark All on the sculpin micro jig. Did see one guy really hammering them on a beaded egg fly. He was doing at least as good as we were, maby better. Drifted 3 different scud patterns during the slow time with very poor results. Don't know why, but as soon as you switch to the micro, it's fish On!

Tons of good guides are fishing the White below Bull Shoals dam. Email some to see the type of fishing they prefer and see if it matches your experence level and how you want to catch the trout. Are you a fly fisherman? Do you like to bait fish? are you only wanting to target big fish? Do you just want a day on the water catching lots of trout? they should have a very good idea of their catch rates per day and tell you within a few fish how you will fare. If you want to spend a day in the Branson area and fish taney, Check out Lilleys landing, one of the best fly shopes in the area with loads of fishing information, for both pro and novice. Our guides are currently, and consistantly catching 50 plus trout 4 hrs. and 100 plus catch and release in 8 hr. trips. Either artificial spincast or fly. You may also retain a nice limit of these great eating fish from upper taney. All Lilleys' guides have years of experence on taney and you can read their articles on this fourm. They guide most everyday during that time frame so call early. Good Luck 1-800-lilleys.

Haven't seen Dale in a while since he quit guiding and went to coaching. Had lots of nice trips with him in the mid to late 90's. Don't know about the other guys. As for the whites there are some guys that are just marvelious on those critters. I'm not one of them during the spawn but a terror pre-spawn. People think they are good in March and April, but they are very sensitive to weather before and during the spawn. If you can consistantly get them you are good. After the spawn lookout as they are great in the Baxter and Shell Knob area. Don't know about the guys you mentioned. Have heard of the crappie guy.

Great point by petertherock. Now is not the time to cut the bouy points. Slow down and stay in the channel. I am however seeing quite a bit of structure that is going in the old memory bank for future use. Be Safe.

Had a great morning with SKMO. Not a lot of crappie but sure nice quality. I believe the muddy water got to us a bit. I thought it would clear out by the end of deer bluff, but it was muddy in SKMO's best spots. We'll get them next time. Loved your technique, I'm going to get one of this big poles and give her a try. Boy when the wind started to blow it was fun to hit the transitions with the stick. I believe if we would have had some time we could have gave them a wippin for a change. But you know how it is when you have to work for a living. Ha! Thanks again SKMO best time I've had in a good while. PS Becky is thrilled with the sign. Many thanks.

If I'm not mistaken, the first warning came out in 2001. There may have been a problem before this however that was not detected. The reason for the detection was a huge raw sewage spill into the James River in 99 and another in 2000. At this time a bass kill occured up the James river as Phil had mentioned, and this was the first area affected. for the non-consumption of bass. This was in 99 and a lot of people thought we had largemouth bass virus. Bill Anderson our fisheries biologist at the time said the virus was never documented and the LM kill may have been the sewage. As you all remember this was the last time we also had really low water. After the spill for the next couple of years we had huge alge blooms and off color water. The kill manily affected the LM but the spots were also hit to some extent. I think when they were studying the dead or dying fish they determined the fish also were carring the heavy metals. From what I understand quite possibly from tons and tons of fertilizer run off. All our northern brothers that are moving to the lake region over the past decade, feel they need to mow grass on rocks and red clay that were never meant to have grass. Huge quanities of fertlizer will not penetrate our nonporious clay and simple runs into the lake. I know we have also changed our farming practices and have many, many poultry farms in northern Arkansas that drain into the white river basin. It is simpley an accumulation over the years, of use and miss use. I am also sure that the fossil fuels probably have made a contribution. People have been asking why the bass are the most affected? The 3 Black Bass species we have like crustations and are the biggest crawfish eaters. The crawfish are the first affected with the metals and it is just a progression. I have fished on the upper kings river since the early 80's and I used to able to catch 100's of crawfish in the river. Now there are some but nothing like in the past. I used to catch them by the bag full in Flat Creek. Now you have to work to find a hat full. I guess this is the new world. I liked the good old days.

Sorry, thought he said he was going to tablerock and wanted to know what the whites and smalleys were hitting on. If you have an established pattern on any of the ozarks lakes at this time frame for the whites, I'm sure everyone on the fourm could really use some help. You don't need to give away your honey holes, just more info on depth bodies of water and what they may be eating on a constant basis for grub. All good information is really appreciated. Word is out that nice walleye are being taken out of Bear Creek up Tucker Hollow on creek chubs. A few Whites and Crappie have also been taken in that area of Bull S. Other than that not alot of info.

I knew there was something on those sneaky white bass as last year Bryant Ward checked us up the Kings River and asked how many we had of a perticular size, we didn't have any that big and I just kind of blew it off. Great info guys. You can bet if we would have had over the limit of those big boys it would have cost us some hushpuppys. Check out MO.Gov/NewsAndPublicNotices Go to Mo. Dept of Health and Social services 2005/2006 State Wide Fish Advisory Table Rock Lake, Lake Wide. Mercury Warning Women who are or wish to become pregnunt or nursing O consumption of bass from Table Rock Lake. Children 12 years of age and under O consumption of Table Rock Lake bass. Adult males no more than 4 oz. per month of Table Rock Lake bass. No Consumption of bass longer than 12 inches. For any sex or age group. This is an age factor for the fish. It has been determined that fish that are longer than 12 inches have accumulated a larger dose of mercury. I guess that pretty much takes care of us as the legal length limit for keeping Black bass is 15 inches. Here is another question? If we as guides knowing this, actively harvest fish and the fish being consummed by our clients cause or are health risks, are we liable? Even if the clients are aware of health waring and comsume the fish at their own risk? Even though people know that smoking is harmful and a warning is published on the pack, the cigerate companies are still being sued and having huge settlements. I spoke to an attorney friend of mine and he said you bet your bippy. You are the first chain in a liability suite. Don't think it couldn't happen either. If a pregnunt client consumed fish and had problems I guarantee the guide would be first on the list. Personally for me, I have been totally catch and release on Table Rock bass for the last 10 years and will continue to do so.

Boys, I agree with you to some extent, but have fished both lake Barclay and Kentucky Lake during the same period and if he is looking for that kind of size and quality action on TR, it ANINT GONNA HAPPEN. We have had a tremendious resurgance in our crappie in the last 3yrs. but it is still not the type or kind of fishing that other bodies of water even in our region have. According to lake shocking studies up until about 3yrs. ago TR had the lowest number of crappie per acre of any of the major Mo. impoundments. Haven't talked to willie anderson in a while but I bet the numbers in the last couple of years have came up dramaticly. If he is staying at the point and wants to see water a little more similar to the southern lakes I would tralier to either viola or to cape fair. The virgin bluff area has just been outstanding the last couple of years at that time frame. Also in and around the mouth of flat creek. Another real good area is the Big and Little Indian in the Baxter area, This area is known for really nice crappie and the whites are usually in there around that time. There are a group of guys that stay at shell knob during the first week of april and fish that baxter area and the strings of crappie they bring out are fantastic. I have spoken to them over the years and most of their fish, even at that time of year come in the 15 to 20 ft. range around cedars. They are not bank fishermen. They say the clarity of the water is a real factor. They seem to think the crappie hang about 3 to 5 ft. under the visibility line in most instances. I'm not going to argue with them as they are the best i have seen on TR. I do know they catch most of their fish on maribou jigs in the 16th to 32nd. oz size. They use no tube jigs or soft plastics and for the most part fish up and down, even at that time of year. May or may not help.

You are to early for the whites, in any consistant numbers or patterns. Try looking up the kings river around royal point. and using your electronics on channel swings in the upper kings.

You might check that white bass limit. Seems to me there is a certain number over a certain size that you are able to keep. example: only 5 over 15 inches or something like that. Please check, I know there is some kind of length regulation, or there has been on tablerock. Also if you would please don't kill largemouth or smallmouth bass. It wasn't very long ago that we were having real ploblems with water quality affecting the numbers of these fish. It has only been in the last couple of years, that we have seen a nice rebound. If the water remains like it is all that could be gone with a extremely poor spawn. there is still a mercury warning and heavy metal warning for the comsumption of bass on Table rock.

May be a day late and a buck short, but just wanted to comment on the quality of fishing in the lower section of the restricted area on Saturday. Had to worm my way thru quite a bit of traffic to get up to the area but the fishing and lack of fishing activity in the zone was great. Only 3 or 4 other boats were in the stretch from Andy's to the Fall Creek boat ramp. I have never seen the ammount of midging activity that was going on in the zone. Shallow to deep for the 2 plus hrs. I was up there, it was fantastic. The size 14 tungston headed blood zebra midge was taking fish as soon as it hit the water. The fly would not have to drift more than a foot or two before it was nailed. Extreme action and it seemed the other boats were also having excellent results. Just a word about the traffic. I have fished taney since the early 70's and that was about the maximum carring capasity of traffic for the area in front of Fall Creek Marina. The number of boats BLOCKING THE CHANNEL ON THE LEFT BANK WAS OUTRAGIOUS. The traffic in front of the working marina blocking access to the dock was just unreasonable. On the way out of the restricted area at 12:30, I counted 35 boats in this very slim stretch of water, from Fall Creek to the end of the dock. From Fall Creek to about the gas pumps of the marina, directly in front of the marina, a delta of rock and gravel has accumulated over the years and the water depth is not measured in feet, but in inches. The channel is on the extreme left bank going up stream, and this area needs to be kept clear of anchored bait fisherman. If we run over your tight lines or mess you up, we have absolutely no choice. For goodness sakes, why people think this is a trout gold mine is crazy. Believe me, there are much better places to fish than infront of the Fall Creek boat dock. All Phil's tournaments are being won down stream. Everyone seemed to be very curtious and allow boats to pass up and down stream without much fussing, but last week these channel fisherman were gripping. A great idea would be to anchor on the shallow side and fish to the channel. Probably to complicated. The folks at Fall Creek are very nice but they have to make a living, just like the lower resorts. Please leave their dock open to traffic and don't block the channel on the left. This is the one area that I can see a problem on the lake. If we don't want further government regulations, we had better just plain use some common sense or some one will make the whole area in there a nonfishing section of the lake. Come to think about it that wouldn't be a bad idea. Good luck.

Between Phil and my wife Becky, I need a few more bosses. Had a real nice trip out of Eagle Rock on Friday. Started around 8:30 am and worked from Big M to just before Holiday Island. Loads and Loads of Crappie fisherman on the water, all seem to really be catching fish, weather it be shallow or on the deep docks. I think we are going to have a Crappie year to remember. Bass at that end of the lake, just like the knob, were on transition banks and it was just a fantastic morning. All largemouth on main lake transitions, every bank I hit, I caught fish. Had a big fish pull off right at the boat after 3 jumps. Got the best out of her but would have loved to have had her smile for the camera. Every fish was caught on a Tim Hughes Purple Shad transparent rogue. Boy is that a mouthfull. About 15 fish with at least a limit of quality keepers. At 10:30 the wind switched to the North and that was all she wrote. Fished until about 1:00 and not another bite. I had started with a pull over sweater on and was going to go to a short sleeve T-shirt, when the wind switched I had to put on my coat. The Prussure change and the temp change can really nail these fish at this time of the year. I have never seen such a good bite stop so quickly. It was just like a switch had been turned off. I really think it was Buster's fault as he called and as soon as I talked to him the fishing got bad. He probably put the wammey on me cause he was home baby sitting. For those boys that want to fish in April you could sure do worse than Eagle Rock, Viola, or Big M. Great, Great early fishing for multi species on the Rock. Good Luck

Excellent Point by Simsmarine. The safety issue is always first. However, checked with the MO State Water Patrol and there is no state or federal statute concerning kill switches and life jackets during fishing tournaments, other than those pertaining to every day water craft activity. The kill switch is a great idea and the pfd has to be readely accessable. No statute to even say it has to be worn. This info comes from the headquarters at Jefferson City. All major bass tournaments require the kill switch and the pfd to be worn, but it is not state or federal law. These are just tournament regulations, and a great idea.