Bill Babler

Give us all the skinny on your marshalling. Looking forward to your thoughts.

Jeff, Wheeler has a video comparing the two. AT and LS. Looks pretty much like apples to apples with the exception of the additional range of the Active Target. The best deal about this is 2 companies pushing each other. The bad deal is paying to play with this stuff. I will tell people thinking about purchasing either of these total boat electronics packages and worrying about a learning curve or not being able to utilize it. Don't be, Its really very easy to use. The first day I had mine I was able to fish locations that had been off limits before as they were a jungle of trees. Not now, I can swim a bait over under, around or thru with no problem.

Congrats that's putting the Hammer Down. Sorry about the TM. Looks like a great morning there this morning slight breeze and overcast.

I got a feeling he hopped the dam from Beaver.

This technique has not fully bloomed on TR. Lots of fishermen are still drop shooting for walleye in that 30' depth range using 1/4 to 3/8 drop shot weights. Not only depth but bottom configuration and speed have a lot to do with weight size. Most of the guys I know catching them here are not trollers, but up and down fishermen. The ones dragging the bouncers are just bumping the trolling motor out the points or flats at probably for the most part at under .3 mph. Most all are finding them on forward facing sonar and just fishing over the top of them Good Luck

Six or 7 years ago I read a comparison of the cost between using a 4 stroke vs a 2 stroke and was amazed that the 2 was less yearly cost if you followed the service recommendations of the manufacturer. This was on Yamahammer and Mercury. At that time I was running a 250 ProXs and Don House was running a 250 4 stroke hammer. We were talking at the gas station and he was spending about twice the fuel cost as I was and that didn’t include the 4 Stroke lube and maintenance. I was changing my own lower unit gear oil. I guess moral of the story is ya got to pay to play.

Mike, your right. The purchase price Is the tip of the iceberg.

We’ll, Bite my Tongue. Just looked online and the Mercury Lube kit for my 4 stroke is $114.00 plus hourly shop rate so I guess that’s what it cost. That’s on Amazon and that’s what they charged me. Actually $112.00 for the kit and then labor and tax. Never Mind. Did I mention I was old and foolish?

Couple of different reports this week, but both sound alike. Fishing gravel from point 8 on the White to point 19 on the White and fishing gravel from point 9 to point 12 up the James these guys are hammering the Eye’s. Only difference is depth. Both dudes using 1 oz. bottom bouncer crawler harnesses. One guy fishing 30’ plus the other under 20’. Both said that 20’ to 30’ range seems really slow to dead. Not even many bass The guy dragging under 20’ was catching a total load of 9” gills to go with the walleye. Both reported 12 to 20 walleye a morning with about 1/2 being keepers. Biggest was a 5 pounder caught at 32’. Maybe I can try it by September 1st. Sure hope so. Good Luck.

What’s a fair price for a yearly oil change and lower unit grease change. No impeller. Book says 1 hr. Labor plus parts. I was out in about 30 minutes but still got the labor charge of 1 hr. Took the prop off first and started the grease draining, changed the oil and filter while that was happening. Refilled the grease and tightened the prop back on and that was it. Total wrench time 20 minutes MAX. $249.00. Parts and labor. Im just old and don’t know what things cost, but at the Chevy garage oil change, tire rotation and grease is $59.00 and it takes a heck of a lot more time. Dazed and Confused

Drives me nuts, but I will say that he is never begging the lord or asking for fish. Just being thankful. On the Ankle deal they started doing that surgery in the late 1980’s. You can see it and the recovery online. YouTube on about 100 channels When they started doing it the surgery took 1.5 hrs Mine 45 minutes total 6 stitches lots of surgeons glue the incision, but Klieber is old school and puts the stitches in My knee replacement was glued I had broken my ankle in High School and it has always bothered me very slightly since. It got worse after my knee surgery on the other knee as I thought I put more pressure on it. Doctor said no, it had just deteriorated from the previous break and arthritis. Again Columbia Orthopedic Group Dr Klieber this time did the ankle. 45 minute surgery at Boone County hospital in Columbia Mo. Home the next day in a soft splint for 2 weeks, then a hard cast for 2 weeks now a walking boot for the next two weeks and then a slight ankle wrap as needed. Took a total of 6 pain tables after the operation for the first 2 days and have not taken any meds either Tylenol or aspirin since. Remarkable. My next thing will be a brain transplant as this one is really starting to wear out. Good Luck

I waited for Medicare to kick in and my supplement is Mutual of Omaha. Total bill for both surgeries and therapy is approaching $120,000.00. It cost me $176.00

Thanks Nick Yes they continually step on rods. No reason to have 20 plus rods on deck. I’m betting that is a contributing part of breaking them. When you walk on small diameter graphite tubing it’s going to break, and they all do it. All 80+ of these guys are great fishermen, but very few fish and treat equipment the way we have to. Boats and equipment are expendable tools to them. It’s a life of hard work and savings for most of us.

I really like Thrift, he is around fish all the time. I don’t like his equipment or the way he always seems to be totally out of position when he has a fish on. The tip of his rod moves like a willow in the wind and he raises the rod up under his arm to reel them in. Yesterday his hand came off the reel handle 2 or three times as he cranked fish in. It works for him but you sure would not want to teach it like that. Bobby and Chris Lane are also terrible with fish on, at times completely turning their back and fishing behind themselves. There both extremely strong and have caught zillions of fish and that lets them get away with that. They fish just alike. If we tried that we would lose 6 out of ten fish. Probably the most rods I have seen broken in any derby I have ever watched. Poor landing techniques, but the Lews and Ducketts took a beating. At least 3 of each.

He is great with electronics, but like I said. Really doesn’t matter, he catches them everywhere using a multitude of techniques Anyone that thinks he is most probably not going to win at St. Claire better rethink that. Total Hammer on any pond I had my ankle replaced middle of July. Back in action September 1st. It’s doing great. Right knee in January so 2 major surgeries in one year. Have not felt this good for 20 plus year. Finely, no pain in my legs. Thanks for asking.

Defoe drives me totally insane. He is going to need at least 30 lbs. in the final period. He will have a lot of thanks to give to get there I really doubt the Lord cares if he ever catches another one.

I started out fishing at 6 years old from my parents resort on LOZ, where we had 3 guides working for us and progressed to the Rock and Taney with Bull Shoals thrown in Alaska fishing and guiding since 2000. I have seen some if the best in the world in KVD, Denny Brauer, and Gido Hibdon. I don't care about AOY'S or longevity, I have never seen a guy that can find and catch fish in any format, deep, shallow, clear or muddy water, structure fishing or just open water like Wheeler. From Texas to Canada and from Florida to California he is a guy your stupid not to choose in any tournament. If it's swimming, he knows where it lives and what it wants to eat. Dude is totally unreal.

Dutch is right, but they are SNOWED UNDER. I think the current wait is probably at least 3 to 4 weeks.

James, as you know I love Mike to death, but there are just some ways he won't fish. Trouble is in this format that's the way you catch them. Also he is so loyal to his sponsors he refuses to ever fish a bait he is not sponsored by. He just will not do it. He has great sponsors including Spro, but at times for the water and conditions there may be a better mouse trap. He is going to come in last up there this week and that's a shame. I don't know if he is sick or equipment problems or just did not get on them. He was doing great on the Tackle Warehouse circuit in 14th. but he had a bad derby last week also. He did make the championship so I'm saying a little prayer for him. Good Luck

Thanks much, WWM. We are all really looking forward to your thoughts. Really appreciate them. Just heard Jonathon VanDam, say don't waste valuable time on fish that won't bite. This hammers Wheelers thoughts home. Also these guys are saying 10' deep and shallower or 25 feet and out. Dead zone filled with perch, walleye and non-biting bass in the 10' to 25' range. Full of fish, but waste of time. This had been a derby of runs, the guys that are doing well are fishing fish that will bite a gold unbaited hook, they are actively biting fish. The guys struggling are the ones switching baits and trying to make fish bite that aren't feeding. The guys that are doing well are using one or two baits. I don't think its about the bait, its totally about the mood of the fish your fishing for.

I think that also had a Jason Christie frog rod like that. I don't see it in the new Cara line. Closest they have is the Head Turner.

"Just cause you can see them doesn't mean you should fish them." "You can't make them bite." "There are a zillion fish in here but you must target active feeding fish." I've never had opportunity to fish up there but when I do go I'm following that advice. I think a lot of guys are finding fish but they just won't bite and they stay with them way to long.

Yep, its a Head Turner.

Did anyone mention Cedar Creek. 😁

They have shown a smoke tracker map on both national and local news and the jet stream is putting it right on us. It kind of goes North above Colorado and then drops back thru Nebraska right into Mississippi and we are in the middle of that southern flow.