Bill Babler

Stacy said they were catching them, a lot of K's but the moss was just terrible. I saw them slapping neds on the water after every cast and that just gets old. Fishing the ned gets old. I'm to the point I just can't do it. Becky planted some new herbs here on the porch and I'm going to watch them grow this evening to help me with patients fishing the ned. Just kidding, I'll do it if I have to but when they are eating that swim bait like they are there is really no choice, especially with the moss. I'm pretty sure with the cloud cover and the wind they would have eaten a jerker, just was to lazy to get it out of the rod box.

Pro Choice is what I meant. Luke owns the place.

Man that is a great weekend. Thanks for the report and seeing all those beautiful fish. Did you buy your boat from Luke at Anglers Choice at Warsaw?

White River Outfitters Guide Service Report 4-27-2020 Kimberling City to Cow Creek All I can say is it was the right kind of a day. Last couple of times I've been out the Rock has been "Very, very good to me." Could not have asked for a more perfect day with surface temps in the low 60's, slight chop and overcast with a bit of spitting rain. Kind of sounds like a Sm. Jaw day to me and boy was it. Kind of started slow the first hour till I figgered something out. Not really, I saw some chasing, and that always helps those that can't help themselves. It did get me going and really put me in the right location and on the right stuff. KC to Cow is pretty mossy, with probalby 8' visibility. If you put much on the bottom, its going to get slime and get it bad, out to about 15' Some pockets are worse and really the main lake is worse than the coves. I had been fighting it with the jig I caught them on early last week and it was just an effort in futility as it came back a green sock every cast. I had two options, a jerkbait and a swimmer. Once I saw a feed and tossed the swimmer and got munched my decision was as clear as bath water. Fished from 6:30 till 2:30 and had about 25 keeps and half that many shorts to the boat. I said to the boat as I jumped at least 8 to 10 off. They are angry and as soon as they feel steel they come up to see who did it; Of course I jumped off the two biggest fish of the day, one LM probably 4.5 and a solid 4 pound Jaw. Lots and lots of 3 plus pounders made it to the lock up however to be measured and fin printed. They all had good bondsman and were sent on their way with a promise to not do that again. Everything I caught was on flat and I mean FLAT GRAVEL and swimming in 12' exactly, pretty tight to the bottom. Saw the chasers on a do nothing flat gravel bank in that 10' to 12' range and that got me going. I had been fishing some spawning stuff and every boat that I saw fishing today was doing the same thing. Did not see a single boat on gravel and as I said I would not have been there except for the clue. Fish wanted the 2.8 Keitech on a 1/4 inch tungston head swam just above the bottom slow. If it dropped to far it was messed up in moss. If you swam/pulled it slowly over the top you got hammered and there was no doubt that someone was knocking. Lots of guide boats out today and saw Stacy King. As we met head on I caught one in front of him and then behind him. He was fishing with two buddies and they were throwing a ned. I saw them cleaning after every cast and he said they had done fair on the ned except for the moss. All the SM keepers I caught were solid if measured properly between 18" and 19" and those are nice Jaw's for just about anywhere. The color range was from almost black to a tan brown and some of them being striped like a tiger, really a mixed bag of colors. I had 1 nice LM and 1 K to go with all the brown fish. Good Luck

Nice report. That is a fine day.

Headed for Lake O. this morning to distance at Turkey/Deer camp. Will post some on the Lake O. forum as we are going to crappie fish and do some jug fishing for blue cats. Probably be gone a week and then when I get home we will see if the State and the Taney County bans have lifted. I think Becky wants to reopen the Lodge if so on April 24th. If she opens I will start guiding again that weekend. If you need lodging for a quick get a way she is still going to distance at the Lodge with breakfast times and you can always go fishing with me. Table Rock is really starting to stir and of course Taney has had thousands of fish dumped plus lots of trophy's showing up and nobody playing with them. Good Luck

After looking a little at facebook and reading what Quill had to say along with speaking with a few others, I think yesterday was just a fish feeding fest lake wide. Just about everyone that dangled a lure in the right place and maybe not so right got bit yesterday and got bit a bunch. Everyone also said that the fish were really running quality size. Not a ton of giants yesterday, but almost all 15 plus inch fish. Seemed like they were really grouped up on staging locations and feeding heavy. Same type day today so its probably going to continue. Brian D. would have tickled me pink if it would have been you. Kind of like finding a bunch of mushrooms, those days are silly especially when they are all 2 plus pounders. Good Luck

Excellent. They were starving today

Table Rock Lake Current Fishing Report Mid-Lake 4-15-20 Fat Jaw got me started. Got started this morning pretty early for me in this cold weather. Launched out of Baxter at 7:30 and fished till 2. Little hazy at first then the wind swept in about 8:30 and it got super bright and windy. Surface temps this morning 56.1 when I launched and the water is kind of a green tea color with visibility about 4-5 ft. After these last few cold nights I almost didn't go but thought maybe the same jerk bait fish I caught Easter morning would be hanging around. Started on that 50 yrd. point stretch that I caught most of them on Sunday. I also almost went to Taney. First 20 minutes I threw the Megabass in pearl and had zero bites. I could see some fish relating to the bottom and I moved out from about 20' to 30'. Nothing on the jerk bait but I continued to see fish not on the bottom,but maybe a foot off and suspended. I pulled back out on the point boat in 20' and picked up the Pig Sticker 1/2 oz. in GPO with a Reaction Smallie Beaver on it and chunked it up into I'm guessing maybe 8 to 10 feet. Big Brown fish caught it, then another and another and another. I lost count but I think it was about 15 to 20 straight throws with a keeper.either a jaw or a K. As the haze lifted, the sky brightened and I never caught another SM. K's continued to bite like they were at the last supper. Another 4 plus Toad brown fish. Continued to catch fish just drifting around this point in the wind by then, bout 9:30. I was not catching them every cast but I was kind of shocked at some point when I didn't get a bite. I left them biting. Pulled back to a really similar interior gravel point going into a big deep spawning pocket put the boat in 20 and there they were again. Cast after cast on the Pig Sticker. I tried a jerk bait and a Keitech and I could catch one on it but it was just not the deal, they wanted it on the bottom. They thought the Pig Sticker was Food. Next location same type deal but I only caught two on it. One nice K and the other a solid LM on a Megabass. Caught a few on a stick bait and a swim bait but it was just not the deal. Next spot same similar gravel run and it was totally Ri Dick U Lating. Every throw was a 15 to 17 inch K on the jig. I bet I didn't catch 5 short fish all morning and I'm just spit balling but probably 50 plus keeps. That is super conservative, as the real number is not a number, it is nonsense. About 1:30 pulled back on the original location and caught 5 more in 5 casts and put it on the trailer. They were just inhaling the jig. I've had great days here catching really big fish. I've had days catching literally hundreds on a drop shot, but I have never had a day on a jig like today. They wanted nothing swimming or really cranking as I threw a Rock Crawler to try and get them to eat it. I would catch one on a jig, pick up the jerk bait and throw it. Nothing. I would pick up the swim bait and throw it. Nothing. I would pick up the Rock Crawler and throw it. Nada. I would pick up the jig and throw it up there and "Thump there she is." These fish were totally packed full of crayfish. I don't think I caught a single one that didn't have at least one in its throat. And these were monster craws. Two big SM over 4 were the champs of the day, but just the sheer numbers of quality K's was something to always remember I'm going to say the best 5 at just under 17 pounds, so not a tournament bag but for sure the kind of day that keeps up getting up early and going back out. Best K of the Day. Only Bummer of the day was I lost 2 very large walleye right at the boat. I had my net out but both had the jig back deep and both cut the 10 lb. line before I could get them in the net. Man would that have made a day catching supper too. I get to fish a lot and I'll catch them good again. Probably not like today but I wish one of you all could have had this day. I was going to say I wish my son would have, he loves to fish a jig, but he would not have hung in there for that many fish. He is a 2-3 hr. guy even if they are tearing it up on a Redfih, he just won't fish that long. The rest of this week and into next might be record breaking, so if you can get out there and enjoy it, by all means do. This post has been promoted to an article

She served the fish bone in so I'm sure there were some big ole ribs in the pieces. Not near as big a fish as Dave's wife caught, seemed like most of the fish were 10 pound type of fish. I can remember her saying you don't fry carp, you either smoke or can them. She said she didn't like them one bit except canned and served as fish pattys. I can remember Pat asking her about carp and she turned her nose up. I think if I remember correct she told him Buffalo and Catfish were for the restaurant and carp were for the fish market. Any of you all remember the flood in that area. I can't remember the date, but I do remember there were coffins floating all over the place that had popped from the ground. It was terrible.

Back in the early 80's I was working the Missouri River for the State Water Patrol. There were quite a few commercial fishing operations around Hardin, Richmond and Carrolton Mo. Several of them had small shacks on the river and sold fried fish. Pat Byrne and I used to eat a one owned by black lady and her husband out of Hardin. It was just a small screened in building and she cooked the fish in a 1/2 dozen Fry Daddy's behind the counter. She served us fried buffalo, cream corn, fries and hushpuppies for lunch and I think it was only about 3 or 4 bucks, I cannot remember. I do remember we always got seconds. Fish was just outstanding. I believe that entire area later flooded and washed most everything at the time away around Hardin. She told us the only better fish to come out of fresh water was flathead catfish and the way she cooked that buffalo, we believed her. Meat was snow white and she cross cut the fish and served it with the back bone still in the piece of fried fish. Been 40 years ago and I still remember her. I probably told that story here before. Nice fish.

It’s Fixin to get Lively up there. Congrats. That’s how I hope to spend next week with the exception of perhaps a feathered friend early Monday morning

Terrific day, sounds like those fish were about the same depth as Baxter 8’ to probably 18’. Really nice fish. Thanks for the area report

Good to know. I used to think the grey mushrooms stayed small till my father in law let some be and they became big yellow/golden rooms. Now there are several videos on the web showing time lapse growth rate of the 4 morel types we have in Missouri. If it doesn't get to hot they can grow for 21 days. Very interesting video, showing little grey ones turning into big yellow ones. Hope he keeps them coming.

Hit Big Indian really quick this morning prior to Virtual Easter Service. Becky and I went to the Arley United Methodist service at 10. There were 5 rigs when I launched at Baxter at 7:00 and another 1/2 dozen over on the H. ramp. Had 13 fish with 6 keeps all K's on a Pearl Megabass plus 1. Boat sitting in 25 and throwing in front of the bushes on any wind. Had 10 of them in one 50 yrd. stretch that was pretty choppy, so that helped as I only fished less then 2.5 hrs. I did go back and flip a jig in and in-front of those bushes and had two bites but they dropped it so fast I could not get on them. All fat spawners but did not look really ready yet as they showed no signs other then being plump. All of them were 1/2 way back., I'm guessing running the bank in about 15' They totally hammered the jerk bait. Wanted it medium fast but always took it on the first head turn after the pause. Imagine that. Surface temp at 60 water kind of weak Ice tea. 4; visibility. Talked to one guy flipping bushes and he had not been bit and he was at the ramp when I got there. I could see the bottom where he was pitching, so if you can 't see them they ain't there. Hard to understand but to each his own. I did take a minute and run 2 pockets looking for beds where I usually see them and only maybe saw one but not sure. It was about 3 to4 ft. under a tree. God Bless you all and Good Luck

James River green. 57 degree to 61 depending on what time of the day you are there. Probably going to drop back in the high 50 range and stay there fora while next week with the cold snap they say is coming.

Tks. I've still be catching them in Long Creek, about 15' on the flats. Lots of shorts.

Fish, if you don't mind me asking, how deep were the crappie?

Betcha 10 bucks the big fish you were seeing were Stripers

Just ordered some stuff from TW this morning and received an email that express shipping probably will not work due to virus. All order are running late regardless of shipping mode.

One thing on Whites this time of the year. They can be extremely fickle. Others, with more knowledge of white bass, please correct me if I'm wrong, but very, very seldom will they bite early after a high pressure cold nite. During high pressure bright days its the same deal. Middle of the day is for naps and golf, not fishing. Usually right before dark or if you get some cloud cover and especially just a twinge of breeze they can go. At times you will see some surface activity if they are there, not feeding, but just some swirling and movement. I believe your post is in the correct location. Good Luck

Thanks Wrench, it is shallow. I've launched my tunnel hull flat bottom Alweld there at 57 and under several times. I was not thinking about mud bar in front of the ramp. I bet it has kept the bigger boats out. Last year around Turkey season it was just packed with both crappie fishermen and snaggers. Low water might stop em. I think it was 58 last year. Not a lot of ramps on that Climax side if you want to fish around the 58 to 62 mile mark.

You need a reward for a post on Lower Taney. Thanks a Bunch

Any of you river rats heard anything on Brown's Bend access at the back of the Golden Goose? I'm sure its a zoo with the snaggers. There is a small ramp in Pine Cove and also one in the back of Rainy but Brown's is closer to our house at Deer/Turkey Camp.