Bill Babler

Nice. Thanks for the report.

Agree completely.

Wow, nice 4 fish limit. That's the way to put em in the boat. Congrats.

I’ve been out everyday this week and they seem to be getting a little more discriminating as the week has progressed. Yesterday I was running both a double scud on a float 13’ under the indicator and also a drift rig. Take your fly size down to 14. On both double rigs the size 14 and 12 produced but the 14 was flat out producing the 12 so I dropped to two 14’s. Indicator out produced the drift rig. Spoke to both Steve Dicky and Rick Lisek and both thought the banging bell sinker was the culprit, as there are hundreds being dragged in the restricted zone Steve and I had traditional pegged floats, but Rick has developed a slip float method and was fishing his tandem at about 18’ under the indicator he seemed to be doing better than I was in the deeper runs. Capt. Doty was catching his on shallower inside runs and at the narrows. I think we had a fish every pass we made there yesterday and I know for sure that Duane did.

What Trav said. Lionel is just a super guy. If he had not lost his wife it would not have been on the market If Phil and Marsha are full give them a try.

I've gone with them many times and it's always at night. Did you ask them what they were up to? I'll listen off the air. Thanks

5-18-21 Current Table Rock Lake Fishing Report. Shell Knob. Loaded up Howard and Richard at 05:30 under somewhat dreary and foggy sky's, daylight just beginning to creep in a bit. Started at point 19 and fished to almost the 39 bridge, just point hoping. Did not fish a single location that we did not have either a big jaw or LM on the Berkley Surge Shad and missed way, way more than we got to the boat. Surface temps at 63 after the last couple of warm nights. Top water bite lasted till 7:30 kind of correlationing with the shad spawn. From 7:30 to 9:30 they just destroyed the 1/2 oz. Dixie Jet, getting a bite every other cast or so. I didn't say catching, I said getting bit. We had a terrible case of the droppsies this morning but it didn't matter as there was another bite coming. They also bit the Keitech with a 1/4 oz. Head in Thread Fin Shad but not as well as the flutter spoon. This pond is crazy. Fish hammered them on The bank with the blade and out 100 yrds. behind him we took them to the cleaners this morning on the deep stuff and on top early. This was my first real topwater deal of the year. It was foggy so excuse the poor pics. It wasn't hard this morning. Man this lake is impossible to figure out at times. Hero to zero pretty quick out here. I'm sure I'll pay for my success today, next time out. Good Luck.

There is no better GPS lock as far as immediate, quiet and dead balls On than the Motor Guide. No one has even came close and its been that way. for the last 10 years. I'm running full Garmin and its wonderful. The sheer power and speed are what makes it for me along with the complete ease of 1 finger retract and deploy. Its also whisper quiet. It will skoot across a cove at 4 mph lugging the big Phoenix with me and 2 clients. Just have to remember to turn the power down so as not to buck the riders out once ya get there. Right now you can't go wrong with a Garmin, Lowrance or the new Motor Guide. That's all I have to say about that.

If you could see your blade and the fish smack it it must not have been really muddy? I'm up there tomorrow. Rick Lisek guided out of Shell Knob Friday and said the bite was great on a swim bait with the water being off color but not really mud. Only good report we had. Thanks

No problem with 31’s at 1.5 you should go all day long.

Nice job buddy.

We celebrated,

Here is a picture from Climax Springs of my Best lifetime buddy Mark. We went to high school together and have spoken at least 4 time a week ever since. This is a LM from his pond that I originally caught in Bollinger Creek in the Spring of 2013. It was a squeaker keeper that was hooked deep and bleeding like a stuck hog. We threw it in with the crappie but when we got home it was swimming like a gold metal winner in the live well. He had just had the pond behind him cleaned and deepened and we tossed her in it. Since then he stocked it with hybrid blue gills, blue gill and channels. I caught her again in 2017 and she weighed just a shade over 5 lbs. Again we tossed her back. Mark caught her last week and we did not have a scale but she measured exactly 25" long. Photo, and back she went again. As far as we know she is the only bass in that pond and it is just full of small gills and tadpoles plus he feeds the fish every day. She is not only long, but heavy. I guessed her around 8 pounds. We had not seen her for 4 years. I'm thinking she has to be at least 12 or 13 years old. Might be the last time we see the Ole Gal.

Got a last minute cancel on Taney for today so I hit the big pond. Wish I wouldn’t have got canceled Second cast of the day on a huge Shad spawn and Wham a 4 pounder hammered the white 3/4 oz. jackhammer. There were Shad spawning as far as I could see down the bank so you just know I was thinking, going to be one of those special days. That was at 0600. Next bite was at 0830 on a flutter spoon off a bluffend and then the dreaded drop shot. Caught some suspended and some on the bottom, both pre and post spawn. 35 friggin feet deep, that’s just not right for this time of year. Fished out of Baxter and it was crowded. Surface temps bounced from 59 to 62 on the main lake. Nights are really keeping the pond cold. Spoke to some guys pitching and fishing shallow along with a plethora of guides and we all stunk it up. Shallow guys had not had a bite. With the lake plummeting that shallow bite is tough, as was every bite for me Spoke to P. Stone he said all he could find was a deep swim bait bite in that 30’ to 40’ suspended range over depth. It’s hard to count that Swimmer to 30 before you start reeling it, but today you had too. Total was 1 on a Jackhammer 2 on a Dixie Jet. 2 on a swim bait and 5 on a Morning Dawn 3.5 inch drop shot worm. I fished for about 6 hrs. Maybe not fished but had a line in the water part of the time. Beck would have asked if I was fishing or just throwing it out and winding it in. I think probably the latter. Good Luck

Lake is approaching 919.7 after this weekend's rain. We had dropped back to 919.35 so I'm guessing with Beaver dam running and the rain it may get to 920. Slight chance of rain tomorrow, but then dry for the next three days. Weekend into next week looks like it may be another rain event. I know my hay raising buddies are loving it as their fields look beautiful, and they all know the heat will come to make it grow.

Jig and a buzz bait might be the deal. There were some nice fish caught in the derby this last weekend on that pair.

Since yesterday morning 2.5 inches of new Part-tis-a-pation here at the Lodge. Buddy at the Knob just told me they have had close to 4.5 in the same time frame. Don't see the pond dropping much this week unless the open the gates a bit more.

No problem with the water whatsoever. Up to you all about the weather. Major Derby's this weekend so there will be fisherman on the water.

On the passing of Marsha's father Dave, yesterday. Our prayers, love and thoughts are with you. God Bless

Guys. Thanks. I use a really long tag, at least 3’. Top scud right now is a size 12 peppy or UV Grey. Bottom is usually a weighted same material, right now with all the flow I’m using a size 10. I use the Peppy if it’s cloudy and the UV in bright sky’s. I’m using 3 lb. Maxima mono and tying a palamar on the top fly, and here is without a doubt the major secret, after you tie the palamar , go back thru the hook a third time with the tag end and it will maintain your hook up and increase your catch at least 50%. Bottom fly is about a foot below the top fly. Weight is interchangeable with depth and current. Good Luck.

Watson caught his 2 biggest LM off the bed and all the rest on a small swim bait according to Robbie Dotson who is one of his best buddies. Don’t guess it really matters.

You need to dream bigger. Ha! Ha! Ha! I’m in trouble now.

Bite this past weekend was totally insane on size 12 and 10 Grey Scuds, drifted from the dam thru Short Creek. I had 2 trips and the numbers of fish and the size really let’s you know for the most part when the gates are not open that we are not even touching these quality fish. Been fishing here since the 1970’s and have never ever, not one single time had 2 fish on a tandem rig, not once. Sunday 4 times durning the morning trip, we had doubles on the tandem scud rig. Didn’t get them in the net but none the less in 50 years and thousands of fishing trips on Taney I had not had that happen a single time. Got one in 3 of those times and the other time the top trout broke the line and we lost both. I’ve had great catch and release anglers all week If you can see it to get away the next few days and come down you will not be disappointed

Good point Mitch. I have never seen Brown fish bed that deep, but the K’s will without a doubt. The water was super clear till the heavy rain hit. It has colored up now to a degree. I’m pretty much catching staging fish, now pre spawn, but any day post spawn fish will start to appear. These fish are just getting ready to move up. After they spawn they will move right back out for a bit, and really gang up. Just like the K’s at times where a huge portion of fish in a lake section will be congregated in very small areas.

Thanks James. I wasn’t going to dignify it with a comment. As everyone on here knows the only time I get that close to the bank I’m either launching or pulling the boat out If you don’t know it by now, I’m a clear deep water fisherman. Always have been, always will be I post exactly what I do, and how I do it, good or bad. Good Luck