Bill Babler

I am not a huge fan on the baitcasters, 247 would know more than me about that for sure, I use it for frogs and spooks on a bait caster and fins on spinning and that is just about it. Again like you and 247, no leader. I have not had it dig in as bad on top water as it does on an Alabama Rig. I just flat quit using it on the A-Rig and I have talked and fished with a ton of others that took it off their A-rig rods. As heavy as an A-Rig is I can throw it as far as I need with 30 lb. Maxi and it is stronger then a tree stump. I don't think I have lost one in 2 or 3 years.

If your only using a short piece of mono as a leader the stretch you would get would be minimal. You also will have to knot it to the braid and hear that horrible sound of it blasting thru the guides. As far as the 20#, its cast ability. You can throw 20 a mile and 30 only a half mile. As I mentioned neither myself or anyone that has fished with me in my boat has ever ran a hook thru braided line on top water and thats using a spook, fin, yellow magic, wake shad or any other top water. If your repeatedly hooking the braid I don't quite under stand that. I can tell you to stop the bait as it decends toward the water rather than throwing it and letting the line fall and puddle all around it. That would be my only guess.

Sweet, very nice fish.

Why in the Holy Name of BeJeezers are you all putting a mono leader on a topwater outfit. If your going to do that just throw mono. I throw 20 lb. power pro on both spinning and casting with NO LEADER everyday and myself and my clients have thrown it for thousands of hours and never a single time that a hook got caught in the line, not once. I have had the braid slip thru the slot of the split ring. As far as the mono stretching, or a treble hooked bait, that is not a bad thing. On the braid you can have mouth tear outs if you don't have your drag set correctly. If your drag is set with the braid you are ready to go, just tie it to a speed clip or a split ring and go fishing.

Table Rock Lake Current Fishing Report June, 14 2019 Shell Knob, MO. White River Outfitters Perhaps the most perfect Top Water Morning, Just up Stream from Shell Knob. ss The Idea this morning was to fish out of Eagle Rock. I had a last minute cancel that I was not able to fill and have two trips next week out of Eagle Rock and wanted to get up there and see what was happening. Got to the 86 bridge at 5:30, and knew I was in trouble as there were boats and rigs parked everywhere. Didn't want to fight the mob, I'm guessing a pretty decent size derby. Didn't want to waste a perfect morning so I booked for the Shell Knob Bridge Ramp and there were only 2 rigs there at a little after 6. Lots of boats flying by from up stream so I'm guessing the ER derby crowd was headed downstream to big water. Mistake for the most part. I headed upstream right into the teeth of them. Boats on most ever dock and major runnout from SK to Carter, all right on the bank or flipping any dock they could find. With the cloud cover slight drizzle and little chop you could not have ordered a better Top water morning. Fish were absolutely blowing everywhere at depth. At first I thought they were whites, but nope, mostly LM with some really nice K's and several Jaws mixed in. I petty much caught big keeper fish cast after cast from 6:15 till 9:30 on a Fin. I have fished here in the good and bad times and today for me was for sure one of the good times. Wish my son could have been out with me, he was here last week and we caught fish, mostly on a jig but today was special as it was all about the Top. A couple of guys that were fishing a dock came out and pulled up to me saying that had seen me wacking them and did not mean to intrude but wondered how I was catching them. I asked first off did you catch any on that dock and they said no. They had watched the MLF guys catching them early in the mornings on a shad spawn under docks and thought that was the deal. I said it might have been a month ago, but those fish were long gone and out here for me to catch. I tried to help them, but It just was not going to happen,so I wished them luck and they pulled off. About that time the fish blew up again. I was sitting in 106 feet of water. Message to self, I don't think White River bass need to hide under anything.😎 Just about every fish I caught and the numbers were a bit silly, were keepers. With the way they were feeding this morning, I'm guessing they probably will not eat again until sometime next month. I just got really lucky being in the right place on the right day at the right time. These fish were chasing schools of shad and also schools of fry. There are just millions of tiny fry swimming in big schools around the Knob. Some shallow and some deep. Just have no idea how many offspring are out there this year as I think we had a fantastic spawn. My boat was so saturated with poop, fry, shad and crayfish that I had to take it to the car wash and wash it out to prevent from grinding it into the carpet. Lots of Daddy's in them also, just about the size of a 3/8 oz. jig Put lots of fish on the board, but for the most part just gave them a smooch and sent them back to the briny deep to continue on their feeding binge. I did catch 1 on a jig just for kicks and grins and a couple on a drop shot and a spoon, but the Fin was the deal by far on this perfect top water day on Table Rock Lake. This post has been promoted to an article

Just FYI, the past several days I've been on Taney, but the entire week last week thru Sunday I was on TR. Did not have a single trip that my clients did not catch between 3 and 5 walleye in 4 hr. trips. Have for the most part been fishing topwater for bass thru the prime eye time and then still fishing for bass, either swimming a Keitech, fishing a 1/2 oz. football jig or a 3/16 ned we are catching the walleye. I believe my last 7 Table Rock trips we have had 23, all keepers, fishing for bass. Seems like from Point 9 on the White to point 22 on the White fishing gravel flats and runnout points in the 15' to 30' range you will catch them. If your targeting them with bottom bouncers or trolling, I think it would be fantastic. Lots of SM and K's in that depth, but not near the worm robber bluegills as on Bull. On another note traffic has not been bad thru the week and on Sundays. If your a little afraid of Bull right now give that mid-section of the Rock a try and I believe you will be eating some crisp walleye fillets. Only kept one of them, a nice 23 incher.

8-13-19 For the past 3 or 4 days the trout bite has really varied throughout the day. Most days have been starting with cloud cover, a bit of breeze and flat water. Both Guide Rick Lisek and myself have been fishing 1/2 micro jigs on this flat non-moving water, with really good results. I'm using either olive with a green head or olive with an orange head. Rick has been using ginger almost exclusively. We are fishing these with 6X tippet about 7' under an indicator. If it starts to get bright they really get fussy if the water is not moving and you may need to go to live bait. Some of this depends on your ability. If your not comfortable dead drifting a small fly and working it ever so slightly, then go to the bait. The past several days I have had 3 clients most days and maybe one will fish the float and do it well, the others catchem better on the bait. When the water starts to move you can either drag crawlers or fish the powerworm with some weight deep on a float or dragging it on a drift rig. Rick told me his afternoon trip today was fantastic using a small pink either full micro or a 100th. oz. pink jig under a float at 9' drifting the flats from Cooper up. You can still catch them on the Powerworm, but don't put all your eggs in that basket. A couple of the local guides that just get to taney on a limited basis really struggled with it the past couple of weeks. Although success has been had with it the past several years, it is just a tool and not "the tool." There is a time and place for it as there is with all your baits. Fish your baits to fit the conditions. On flat water naturals and natural colors are always best. On moving water brighter colors come more into play. Good Luck

Nope, no fizzing required if you get them right back in the drink.

Chris Tetrick ie Mid-Lakes Guide Service caught them yesterday in that Baxter to point 10 area as deep as 40 plus. Said the bite was entirely suspended at 35 to 40 feet over depth, no structure, just sitting way out off the gravel breaks. One of the solo pro's from last weeks derby told me he caught them on a jig and a C-rig on the bottom as deep as 35ft. on Sunday, dragging right behind the boat, so don't hesitate to look deeper than you might think. When catching those deep fish, if possible don't fool with to many pictures, get them back in as soon as possible as they will blowup. Take your time bringing them up and enjoy the feel of the tug, after all that's why we're out there.

Really nice. Thanks for posting

Sweet. Great morning

MAKE OFFER. ANYTHING REASONABLE WILL BE ACCEPTED. I have for sale a 2018 bow mount Motorguide X5 36V 50" trolling motor with 105 lbs. thrust. Digital with Kevlar shaft Motor was new this past January and only slightly used. It has an extremely hot new transducer that I'm only running on 58% IT has the following add on's in addition to the transducer: TH Marine Equalizer lift assist TH Marne Prop Anti-vibration Nut Machette Prop The add on's are worth over $200.00 I also have the original prop and prop nut unused. This is not a GPS pinpoint unit, it is a straight 36V trolling motor that is almost new out of the box and works perfectly. If you need one or just a spare and don't want to spend a couple of thousand on a Minnkota or over $1,500 on a new one of these you can buy this one for. ANY REASONABLE OFFER ACCEPTED Call or send a PM 417-332-7016

I didn’t see any fish But man that is a nice one you caught😉

I don't think they can combine the two especially BASS and MLF. When the top 80 parted ways, I think it was probably like a bad divorce. Wife got the kids and the house and the guy got to keep a little of his future earnings.💀 They could however fish FLW as it is a pay league and all you have to do is pony up. I bet some will do this. As for Wheeler, the dude is a Complete Hand. Shallow, deep, flippin brush, docks it doesn't matter, dude is a total stud with a fishing stick in his hands. If you watched him throw a spook in the first movie and then watched him flip docks in the encore it is pretty evident that about 1% of fishermen in the world have that type of talent. On top of that he knows where they live.

He was not throwing a wake shad. It is a jointed shad shape bait. He was throwing a bait that was not designed to wake

I think there are some of these guys that will go back to BASS or FLW. This format may just not suit their style. I knew when it went to morning and no dam generation that KVD was done. To bad, but just not what he does

We are reading the same book. Thanks.

The right fin with the right modifications can be reeled at any speed and any rod angle. About 2 out of 50 at best. An OK fin can be reeled at slow speed with the rod high at its furthest point and rod lowered and speed increases as it gets closer. 10 out of 50 if modified correctly Berkley Surge Shad works out of the box. It’s about 1/3rd. As good. Still needs rings and hooks. It will get about 2/3rds. As many blow-ups and about 1/2 as many hook-ups

Branson, Mo. Table Rock Lake Report White River Outfitters Guide Service Amy with a fantastic top water Table Rock Smallmouth bass Due to an emergency cancel from my today's clients I'm home after just an exciting last few days on both the Rock and Taney. Bass fishing on the Rock from end to end is really setting new standards for quantity and if your work it some very nice quality. Numbers of fish on guide trips is just outstanding with most 4 hr. trips averaging 35 plus fish, and if I can get people up, about 1/2 of those will be top water. Shane with a nice Redfin fish. Best top water bite even on clouds has been 5:30 to 7 AM. There is now a real solid shad spawn going on the bank,and it is over about as quick as it starts. The progression is very interesting, and you can follow it out just watching the chasing. At first light its on the bank behind the bushes and then works out to depth as the sun rises, or really just as the morning progresses. Best top water for me and mine, remains a wide wobble top water wake bait. I just am getting very little love on either a spook a chugger or a pooper. Not saying they won't just tear them up, but not even close on the number of strikes right now on the wide wobbler. Every once in a while something really special happens. Amy made it work with a double on the fin catching this super LM and Jaw with one swing of the fin. Lots of times you can get two on but getting them in for a photo is quite a different matter. Good Work Amy. When the topwater deal winds down, I'm going with really 3 presentations, and the drop shot is not one of them. When they are still up there shallow and under 10' I'm going with a Ned. I'm using GP or PBJ any natural variation in the clear water, In any of the off color water and there is still a lot of it, I'm using orange craw. As the morning moves later, the swim bait is still just simply on fire. Don't get caught up with only a paddle tail, the C-tail grubs are at times producing better. Pictured are a Chompers smoke pepper, Yamamoto smoke red fleck and of course 2 from the Keitech family. All of these are on 3/16 Keitech tungsten ball heads with 2/0 hook. I'm talking here after 8 in the morning and you will still see some chasing. Don't let these get away. Put on a heavy spoon or a tail spinner that you can throw for distance and keep after them, as they are just always out of reach for a top water bait. The hooks on the Little George are trash and if you don't upgrade you will be sorry. Most of these fish are remaining under 25 ft. right now and instead of dragging the Ned that deep I'm fishing a 3/8th. to 1/2 oz. Pig Sticker Quick 5 in GPO. Trailers are plentiful, but the smallie beaver is working fantastic for me right now and it has just the right amount of orange already in it. Yes,the pro's and some others are catching them on bluffs. With clients this is pretty much impossible as they are paralleling and that does not give everyone a shot, These fish are on the long gravel points. One of my clients on his own last week had 36 off on point. He said they were just stacked in 17 ft. He nedded the heck out of them at Shell Knob. Visibility is ranging from 2' to 12' depending on lake section. Surface temp is pretty much 75 lake wide with a little variation. They are biting, get out there and enjoy it. This post has been promoted to an article

This is a pretty sticky Wicket right now. I will tell you that my national rep for my bass boat has just had a dickens of a fit with his bird. My two best clients both have birds and they both have had trouble plus I think their pictures are complete crap. My good friend and sometimes tournament partner has birds on his new boat and said they are impossible to master and have to be continually updated. I'm staying with Lowrance and taking a very close look at Garmin. A-Mart gave Hummingbird a very good advertisment in winning a drop shot eye in the water war, but even with them having a pairing relationship with Minn Kota I don't want one . Right now you can buy HD Elite units at fantastic prices. This is year old technology, but absolutely fantastic sonar picture quality and excellent side imaging. Remember this. Everything out there for 2020 will be old news in 2021 so this is a battle that is never won. Let your pocketbook be your guide.

Get rid of the hooks and split rings as the first thing. They are galvanized Salt water hooks and the split rings are size 5 when they should be size 2. All that junk weighs a ton and sinks the bait. Use the lightest wire size 4 or 6 hook on it you can find. If you boil it, its toast, it will completely deform very quickly. This bait is not designed to be a wake bait. It is a subsurface crank bait designed to be fished 3 to 6 inches deep. You fish it like a wake bait however holding the rod tip high and right over it. As the bait nears the boat start dropping the rod tip but continue pointing at the bait. You want a slow wide wobble on it right on the surface. I fish it on 30 pound braid and just throw it out and reel it in slowly. I fish it on a 7'4" spinning rod and can throw it a mile. The bait should not be worked, it is just thrown out and reeled in. If a fish eats it, never set the hook, just continue to reel and he will impale himself. You jerk it and either you or the bait is done as it is coming your way fast. If you only bought 2 and one of them works, go quickly, I mean run or drive as fast as you can and buy a lottery ticket. Good Luck.

I know where that is😀. Two of the best jointed ones I have ever had got broken the same day. One got hook set jerked back and hit the side of the boat. The other got its side caved in by a 2 pound Jaw. The plastic they’ve made of is thin as Egg Shell

Great for the NuTech. Nice fish as always.