Bill Babler

Couple of things about things. Thru the help of a very good friend I now am running Garmin on my Phoenix Bass Boat. What I have learned in the past two weeks, is that times have changed. Yesterday my boy and I were in schooling fish. At times they would push them against the surface and at times they would run thru them at depth. I could see the fish running into shad balls at 70' in front of my boat with my Panoptix Livescope We would throw a Dixie Jet flutter spoon to them watching the spoon sink and see them rise to the spoon and take it 10' under water. You could see the fish diving thru and coming up thru the shad balls 50' from your boat and no matter the depth. It reminded me of watching the gulls on the ocean diving thru herring. Unless you see this its hard to believe or explain. As for the Garmin trolling motor it is about as far ahead of anything out there as an outboard is over an oar. There is a pretty good reason these Garmin boat buddies are priced as they are. I got a great deal, but in my opinion they are worth the full price if that is in your budget. They have helped me catch fish I probably would have never seen, and I have only had them on the tub for a couple of weeks.

That was before Garmin threw their hat in the ring.😃

Drift.

Good Info. They also hit a lime green Chartreuse that Ducky tied when we ran out of all the others. Durn things are really fragile unless you use mop material and I don't have any white.

Not going to even talk about Thursday the 18th. I don't think there were any fish in the lake that day, they were hiding up in the woods. Yesterday was simply unreal even on flat water. Surface temps at 55 degree. I had folks that wanted a few fish for dinner so we fished inflated crawlers and pretty much caught from start to finsh Great people and threw back any fish over 13 inches and we caught a bunch over that number. They only kept two 13 inch fish each for dinner. John with a 22 inch Taneycomo Toad, caught and released in the Restricted Zone on a White Mega worm. Today I had Craig and John to fly fish the restricted zone. Water temps at 51 degree and low and behold there were 2 units running when we started at 0600. Just about as perfect a morning as you could want minus the boat traffic and I will tell you there was some. Didn't seem to matter the first 2.5 hrs but it did get pretty intense up in the morning, Ducky told me he had done well the previous day on the Mega Worm, and I only had enough white material to tie 5. We used those up quickly and the Duckster came along and saved me with 5 more. Fished a sanjaun and a scud, but the white Mega was the deal. We drifted from Andy's thru the dock at Fall Creek, with our best success prior to 9 am.

Neither is good. I tried Eagle Rock and the front wheels of your truck are 20 feet from shore. Even with a partner your going to get wet. If that's not a problem you can launch at Eagle Rock.

Fantastic report. I don't think your daughter had any intentions of touching that slimy thang.

I beat Ducky to the ramp this morning that happens very seldom. Hunter is leaving for the Marine Corps tomorrow and his dad bought him a trip to try and catch a big fish. We started with a 4:45 launch out of Cooper and were tossing the megabass by 0500. First fish down stream from the ramp came at 5:30 and it totally crushed the stick bait. We got 3 huge head shaking jumps out of it before it slung the mega bass back at the boat. Hunter was a bit unprepared and got the line and rod behind him and the fish totally whipped him. Would have whipped me too. Just a beautiful orange/yellow and red spotted fish that was probably 24 to 26 inches. Hunter's dad and grand dad were in the boat and their eyes were as big a saucers. The fish had the back hook in its mouth and the other two treble hooks were stuck to the side of its head, have no idea how it spit it with that many hooks but the battle was simply magnificent. Hunter's dad ran to the front and they were hugging and high 5ing like crazy. I was just sitting there with my mouth open, agasp. Next fish came at 6:30 and it was just about a repeat, only bigger. Hunter was keeping the bait moving turning its head like walking the dog with a Zara Spook and this one nearly took the rod out of his hand. As a matter of fact he said it hurt him. The big brown just banged the stick bait about 1/2 back to the boat on a full cast toward the bank. Fish came off the channel bank below Cooper. This fish was heavy wide thick and fat. On the strike it went down and then came completely out of the water tail and all. It was not as vibrant a color as the first, with more silver and probably 26 inches but really, really thick. After that jump it ran down stream and jumped on a tight line quartering away from the boat. Hunter held on as the drag sang. It then turned toward the channel and jumped again not getting quite out of the water but enough to know it meant business. The crazy fish then reversed its course and ran back the way it came. Hunter had been doing a masterful job up to that point, as he had the drag singing and a nice bend in the 6'6" falcon medium rod. When the fish turned back toward us his line just went totally slack and his rod bounced up and he quit reeling, thinking the big brown trout had pulled free. His dad yelled you still have him, and he is running at you and we both in unison yelled "Keep Reeling," at that very moment, the fate full 4th. jump came almost back where he stuck him on a totally slack line. I can still see that bait flying thru the air. I think after that one all 4 of us were totally silent and did not breath for 2 minutes, and that is a long time for me not saying anything. Never boated a fish this morning and this will still go down as one of my all time favorite trips. We sent Hunter off to serve his country with one of the most exciting mornings I have ever spent with a client outside of Alaska.

Just a slight bit or redemption this morning as they bit top water at Shell Knob to pushing 8:30. Nice chop on the water. We also caught a bunch on a 2.8 Keitech and I believe 8 on a jerk bait fishing to suspended fish in the tops of pole timber. Could not get the little swim bait thru it without hanging but the jerker was great, moving it really quickly. We were not able to fish a drop shot much as the gills were just tearing it up. No live bait but a Yamamoto shad shape worm and the gills loved it. Nothing on a jigging spoon either but several on a Dixie Jet. Only about 6 keepers but close to 30 fish on the morning run. They are not everywhere so when you find them stay and catch everyone you can. Don't leave fish to find fish or you will be disappointed. Good Luck

Gills and I mean big ones totally drove us crazy on a drop shot this morning using a Yamamoto shad shape worm. Kept pulling it down but we did manage to land a couple of just flat out dandies. There were a bunch of them at 32ft. and lots more in the 24ft. range at Shell Knob on gravel.

I simply cannot see how either can refuse such an offer.

We put a couple of good ones in the boat this morning but it was a for sure struggle. Wow, after this morning I'm about 2 trips away from putting in the application at WalMart for a greeter position. Becky thinks I would probably be better at that anyway and I wouldn't have to always be getting up a 4 am. I have to apologize to Sprint as I acted like a know it all the other day when I said just hit any windy gravel point and you'll be OK between Indian Pt. and Kimberling City. WRONG. Perfect morning with a nice gentle 2 inch chop on a ton of gravel when we launched out of Cow at 5:30 this morning. Zoomed across to the wind blow flat points and started with Mike on the Surge Shad and Jake on the Keitech. Not a sniff the first 3 locations and they all set up perfect. Had a couple of thumps on the swimbait but nada on the top water. Next several stops we caught some fish mostly small but did have six or eight good ones get on, and then off. We hooked fish in the tail, side of the head dorsal fin and under the jaw on a friggin swim bait with a size 1 hook. How do you do that? I'll tell you, they just flat did not want it. You could see them on the Livescope and they would chase it up and down and then melt off. I hooked 2 really nice LM on a Jewel jigging spoon and put both in the boat with a single skin hook in their upper lip that fell out when I grabbed them. Had two others come off right at the boat. Mike lost 2 jumping and spitting the bait out and one of them was a Toad. Of the fish that we put in the boat that were not foul hooked everyone of them came off in the net. It was just a struggle today after yesterday being so good. and as I had posted they had been eating it really good on wind from point 5 to point 9. The only fish that were eating it were small mouth about 8 inches long, and we probably caught a dozen of them. Tough day on the pond for me.

I'm about to the point that if I don't see a chop on it, i just keep driving. If you can get a little breeze and that is a tough If, you can catch fish. Couple of days ago, I went out of Cow looking for a top water bite and caught two and then it went to zero for a couple of hours. I then started seeing a nice chop on some gravel above KC and started getting bit pretty regular. Lots of young stuff, but they were munching on the wind. It died and the bite went with it. When it was all over I did end up with 5 that might have went 13 lbs. All Jaws and not a single K or LM.

Hit the water this morning with Lance and Nick from Bentonville. Swell father and son team, and both could handle a rod. Launched at 5:45 off H hwy. and headed for Campbell Pt. as there had been a quick early topwater deal going on up there. I had a great topwater bite just out on the White out of Baxter, but it TOTALLY dried up. I mean gone. Don't know how it could have gone so flat so fast but last weekend killed it. I'm guessing the shad moved but there are still some I can see if I get there at the crack. Just nothing eating them. Anyway it started like it has been this last week, i or 2 at a location and then might as well move no matter what First 3 locations we had a total of 6 fish, then I hit on a drop shot deal in about 18' up near the 39 bridge and we caught 6 more including a super walleye about 4 lbs. Caught all the fish on a shad shape worm. everyone of them in 18/22 feet, and I will point out that the water is pretty cloudy the closer you get to the Kings. It is also totally full of debris and man you have to be careful. I bumped pretty hard at least 3 or 4 times., enough to fill my speed odometer with wood that I had to drill out when I got home. At least no wake boats in the home of the Table Rock Lake wake boat. Caught 3 at the mouth of the Kings, one on a surge shad and the others on the shad shape worm. Don't know what happened but at 0800 as we were headed back toward Baxter I saw a main lake flat point that when we went up had two boats on it. The boats were gone and the wind was blowing a chop right in on it. I wheeled in and at this point I will tell you as I've said in prior times, its better to be lucky than good. Simply saying, It was on. As I pulled in I saw a feed, and Lance chunked a surge shad up there and it was engulfed. Nick tossed the 2.8 Keitech and he also was hooked up. This went on for close to an hour and the numbers were silly. It was the Wolf Pack I had not been able to find. Largemouth and K's and even some more walleye on the swimbait. At least a dozen keeps up to 3.55 pounds. Funny thing only 1 jaw and he was a squirt. Did see one Big, Big smallmouth feed twice but he was always just out of range. We had at least 4 doubles. and at one point had a straight Redfin laying in the water behind the boat while I was retying a swimbait and it got blasted just sitting there. Nick led the way with the 4 lb. walleye the 3.55 LM and another 2.85 LM. Great day for Dad and Son. Good Luck

What he said.

Ya that 79 bucks would not be legit. My VIP discount when I can wrangle one is 5 reels at 50% off retail so your still talking $115.00 on the CI4. BP is just about famous for this type of deal. Just when I get off their case the last few years they start pulling this stuff again. It is simply bait and switch. "Oh, we are so sorry, those are gone but we would love to sell you a Johnny Morris series that is every bit as good." i really miss those two guys that worked the reel repair counter in the Outlet Store for years until they job was cancelled. They were straight shooters and that is another reason their job was probably eliminated. One of them told me one day that he worked for this company and was loyal to this company but would not lie for them When asked about BP reel quality he would point out virtues with features and benefits. When asked about comparing two different reels from different companies he would flat out say which one was best. Not knocking the BP reels, but answering the question honestly. Can't ask for any more than that and if you expect a employee to purger him or herself for you your not the kind of company most of us want to work for or with.

Nice 18+ inch Jaw Randy caught on a jointed Redfin. Totally hammered it. Nice report, it has gotten pretty tough. We had 14 yesterday but it was totally over for us about 0800. Split hit it right on the head, no wolf packs unless you are lucky enough to get into some surfacing whites. Singles will come up between 5 and about 7 then you have to go to work big time. If the wind starts to blow that 2.8 Keitech will still get bit with some regularity till about 9 then best to put it on the trailer Drop shot fish are simply very few and far between. I took crawlers for the first time this year yesterday and we caught 2 on them, both dinks, they are simply not grouped and scattered thru the water column from right on the bank to 50' and then again at depth scattered thru the column.

Jordan Lee is kind of like my son, you could set a bomb off under his butt and he would just ask where the toilet paper was. Guy is always around Biggins. Came within a oz. of another 50g's day before. 28 yrs. old and I would assume he is pretty much already financially set for life with his endorsements not even counting his close to 2 million in tournament earnings. I am also going to say I bet the young man takes really good care of his money. Those type of people always do.

Gosh, I have 5 of them, bought them all on a VIP program the year they came out and have not touched a single one for anything one of the only reels that I have not sent in to be cleaned and tuned. I might just be lucky, but I have had a great experience with them. Especially at 80 bucks off. However saying that when these reels go on discount it seems they are then discontinued so there is that.

They have been all over me in the Baxter area 15' to 20' on any of the flat gravel points. Eating the tails off my swimbaits and messing with drop shot worms. I would think a good graph and some crickets and you would have no problem.

Going to have to take that back today as they had 4 over 8 lbs. and 6 more over 5 lbs.

BP is having a sale on Shimano CI4+ regular price is $229/$239 on sale for $149.00. Eight bucks off, that is just about the best deal your going to ever see on that reel. it says while supply lasts, and I did get into a bait and switch deal with them one time on Shimano, but its worth taking a look at if you want a very high quality spinning reel. Good Luck

Motor Sold. Thanks so much for all the offers guys, I appreciate it. Still without a doubt the most popular Trolling Motor on the Market

Wire was big enough, from what I learned they were just being careful with the 50 AMP breaker. My wire size from the TM to the Breaker is 4 ga. Never a problem with the Minn Kota or the Motor Guide but the Garmin is a Big Boy.

Yes I mounted it to the shaft with the prospective mount. After using it today here is some things that will save you headaches but not money I have a 2017 boat and at that time the electrical requirements were not what they are today. Today the Phoenix boats come with 15 amp fuses and a 62 AMP breaker to service the new electronics. In 2017 they came with a 50 amp main and 5 amps for electronics. As no one had thought of all this electronics at that time. Not going to work today. Minimum for the Garmin Force is a 60 amp breaker system. and the fuses for the 126 echo map hd. need to be at least 10 amps. Add another 126 or a 102 and you had better go up to 15 amps, as recommended by Garmin. Force will run fine on a 50 amp system, but not on complete high speed. It will blow the 50 amp breaker. No problem with a 60/62 amp as it was built for that.. Graphs need to be on 10/15 or they will shut down. I'll keep feeding knowledge as I get it.