Bill Babler

Bill Beck and I weighed 6 K's in a 6 fish derby that weighed 21 pounds and change. Glad they were not in the skillet Check the results of the derby Alex just fished. Those last 10 teams that didn't weigh in a fish, probably would have been pretty happy to have 5 that weighed 18 pounds. Since they have taken the lake completely over they should not be to hard to come up with. When I was a kid here in the 70's they were thick. Not so much now, by any sense of the imagination

Not true, both were made in Harrison Arkansas by Rock Creek in the same factory. Mandrels were totally different as was the graphite composition. There were also a number of other blanks made in the same factory. Owner of the Harrison plant got Alzheimer's disease and it took about 2 years to clean everything up. Falcon got their Mandrels back and Reformulated their rod composition, tweeking it a bit more. As I understand it, Academy purchased the All Star Mandrels but have no idea about their graphite composition Common misconception that the rods were the same but totally not true. I have been to the factory a bunch and all the Mandrels and materials for each maker were kept totally seperate

Great report. Wish I could have been with y'all. On another note you take the K's out of here or mess with that 15" mark and this pond with the pressure it gets would, go to H-E double C-K IN A New York minute. With this being a no stocked lake, these free roaming shad chasers have more than carried us thru thick and really thin. I just love them, be they for clients or ripping the paint off a Red fin. We are totally blessed to have them

Lake O. Fish always look angry. I just love them Thanks for the Pics and report.

Nice report Jeff, keep them coming. Got back home from Columbia today and am feeling great. Wish I could have done this years ago. Just did not have the insurance.

Great report. You guys look like Nanook of the North.

Guys I have a couple of the new Cara's in stock. Made in USA. Rod is even more redefined, using non wrap/tangle free K guides for those using braid. These new Fugi guides are slick as snot. The rod is also lighter if you can imagine that and has a totally new reel seat. Same number 1 Portuguese cork handle. I'll do a pictorial write up coming up and should have some of the more popular models in stock soon or if you see one you like let me give you a bid before you buy it. I will let you know up front these rods are for the discriminating buyer, totally the top of the line and the price will reflect that. I should have a price sheet soon perhaps with some early discounts

Those are some super fish. Almost looks like point 10 area. Really I think the rig is the deal if you want to catch them. It's legal, it's fun, it catches big fish and they just hammer it. It will catch them wind or no wind. Currently with the sticker or cranker you have to have a chop Great job and thanks for showing us those beauties.

There are problems all over the Rock with these small resorts. Lots and lots if them changed hands and are not even open. Becky is getting calls from BFL guys coming in and that is usually not our deal. Seems like several in Fisher Creek and the Indians won't even answer the phone Its tough out there.

Been in touch with a bunch of the local pro's and they are fighting it too, big time. Best deal is a jerk bait on any transition with wind or Spro RK Crawler. Not a ton of bites but really nice fish. Deep ones are hard to find, and as scared as chickens with a fox in the hen house. More likely to run from the bait than bite it There are some A-rig and under spin fish showing up. Last year 1st week of February the Rig was huge. We get a warm rain or a few days in the 50 to 60 degree range. That miniscule deep bite will be over Pete had a great day last week on the jerker on the Rock I know Champ and Donna fished the Knob this weekend, James might have something for us. That's all I know.

The cameras are great depending on the visibility. Upper James most of his time is the wrong place, kind if like upper Lake O. or Truman. Minnow can't see the hook he is caught on. Fishing Trauman and upper Osage you did not even know what you had till you lifted the fish out of the muddy water. Yes I think the bandit trolling in this neck of the woods is not much older than 10 years but they have been doing it down South for years and years.

Buster says its been extremely slow in the K dock area so far and like 24/7 he just loves mid- December thru early February

Watch Mike Baker's current Lake if the Ozarks video on 1-9-21 open water crappie with Live scope Thousands of docks and structure and they're catching them at depth suspended around and near nothing. Mike is one of if not the best crappie guy in Missouri. On a previous video in Sprung when we were all fishing the bank and structure he was catching monsters both pre and post spawn suspended around nothing. Just staging, similar to the way we catch bass on the Rock, Beaver and Bull. One of the big deals now is trolling bandit or similar size 300 series crank baits to suspended crappie after the spawn On one of his vids I heard him say for every crappie you find on structure there are 100's that are not Don't get me wrong he also fishes structure as he says its easier to find fish than spending time searching open water, but to this he only fishes structure with quantity or numbers of fish or big schools. Just cause lake O has docks does not mean everyone of them has fish. I also heard him say about 1 in 50 and they move. Just cause you caught them there once does not mean they will always be there in numbers. He is also a terror on Truman and Stockton. Very well equipped Nd knows how to use it Nice mess of fish Phil. Bet you could have caught those really good on a spider rig also but I know that's not your deal

Don't know but Old 86 was also covered, bout a ft of water over the dock. If you have a bow protector NP

NP, Good Luck and good fishing to everyone

As you said, they are constantly on the move conditioned by time of year, flow and light. It took you years to crack the code, it is not an easy fishery to master, with disappointment being much easier to bag than fish. I don't think by any means I've thrown out the baby with the bath water, especially speaking about a lake section that spans miles and miles of fishable water. This is the time of year your buddy will see the traffic, so that is not unusual, but if OA is drawing that kind of attention I'm going to have to hit Phil up and get on the payroll for a fairly vague post I'd get fussed at if I made a post like that on the Rock. I would get asked what I'm hiding. Just so it won't be hear say ill sneak down next week if I can and see what going on. Till then and maybe after our lips are sealed.

More than absolutely understand the thoughts by Travis and totally respect them. That's why I was pretty vague on location, just putting the fishing downhill from the Gold Mine and Rockaway. He is totally correct on the fragility of the area That being said and respected, since the early 1970's there has been 100's of articles written on bass fishing from Roark creek to Powersite. In today's world, bass fishermen are 99% catch and release especially on big fish. The lower lake has for years harboured weekly and monthly tournaments along now with the Kayakers that make Taneycomo a more than regular stop on their circuits. There is info on Facebook right now showing lots of big fish and talking about the fishery. This is a fishing forum and Lower Taney is a part and for the most part the topic is bass fishing. Taneycomo is not a stocked bass fishery and catch and release should be practiced. That again being said, just cause bass are there does not by any means say they are easy to catch, quite the contrary. Lots of time and effort goes into successful bass fishing on Lower Taney. Time on the water there is important to be successful. It is a fun diversion from Bull, The Rock and Beaver, as long as it continues to be taken care of. For the most part this really pretty much only comes up in the Winter when the other bass fisheries slow down Can't tell you how many folks get fired up, go down there and don't catch em and never go back. I'm guessing about 10 X as many that catch that 7 pounder. I've been here since 1972 and Bass Fishing was not a secret even then as Rex Grady fished it with numerous celebrities and it was featured on fishing shows along with being advertised as a big bass fishery on all the resorts information flyers. Its never really been a secret, just a local gem, that really is an afterthought Good Luck

I don't think that Mike Baker takes a ton of stuff from any company, but I might be wrong. He says he does not in his videos and as far as fishing Truman and Lake O. They are by far the best out there. Guy knows how to get around fish and once he is there how to put them in the boat. And yes, he is a tech. Junkie, and for a dude our age he knows how to use it.

I've had several Striper guides down there take me back to the dock at 9am as they have said its impossible to catch one after 9. 😂 Glad you proved them wrong, but I'm going to suggest early and late are probably better fishing. On another note go when you can. Not many of anything caught from the couch

Yellow Perch in Bull for the most part seem to be a catch that is ancillary. I personally don't know of any anglers on this upper end that solely target them, or for that matter if its even a possibility I think as far as Bull is concerned they are a bonus while targeting another species such as walleye or crappie. Bass fisherman also will tag them on occasion Guys please correct me if I'm wrong and you know anglers that pursue and catch them in numbers as their targeted species.

Good point in speaking with these guys they are saying from the Gold Mine down, that area also includes Bull Creek and fishing the structure in the Rockaway Beach proper area, to Powersite dam. That's all I better say if I want anymore info from them

Yes, this is a State deal with very little Fed involvement. Fauci said the government is staying away and just making recommendations. Hunter53 wife is a Doc be interested in what he knows. Today is Dr. Day and an orthopedic doc also called to book his groups Spring trip. He said in Missouri its a total cluster ----. I might be mistaken but I thought KY3 said the other day that Springfield Mo. had 100,000 doses on hand and the front line folks were already taken care of I might be off base on the numbers.

This is on the TR forum because its news from a friend and Dr. In KC that called to book a May fishing trip. I was told this morning there are over a 1/4 million doses in KC area hospitals just sitting there not being administered do to state regulations that the general public and non " High Risk persons" cannot be vaccinated until May 1st. Even though he is a front line worker he says this is totally egregious. He said the vaccine not only prevents you from catching covid it also keeps people from spreading it and should be immediately administered to anyone that wants it. He equated this to the exact thing that happened on the Titanic. If they had loaded the boats first come, first serve 90% more people would have been saved. He said it is exactly that scenario. He told me that front line and high risk persons that want the shot have taken the first dose. He is also amazed at the numbers of those individuals that have refused the vaccine. He encouraged me to call the governor and my representatives to get this as he said totally stupid mandate changed as people are dying and getting infected when they have the means to slow this down just sitting on Ice If this is on the wrong forum administration please delete or move it.

Stone and I fished the dam for a couple of hours messing with his new boat and live scope. These fish have really, really gone deep. Most of the shad were in 100' plus with some bass hovering above them in the 80' range. Tough day on high pressure slick water. Surface temps at the dam still 48 degrees and water is super clear Mike and Justin fished mid lake and said the fish and shad were in the 40' to 60' range with the bass right in the shad balls. They looked from Pt. 9 to Campbell Point and only found fish and shad in one location. No birds on the shad they were lucky to find them. Justin Mcclelland. Is a Garmin wizard and was twerking Mike's unit. Mike said Justin really helped him yesterday. Not Mike's deal for the most part but the water was so calm yesterday it would have been hard if not impossible to do anything but look deep. Wish I had a better report. Goid Luck

Some of the local guides have been fishing the lower lake for the past two weeks and catching huge bass and lots of them Heard of several over 7# and not on the Stupid Rig. These big catches have been jig fish and using a BIG SWIMBAIT Good Luck if you go.