Bill Babler

White River Outfitters Guide Service Table Rock Current Fishing Report Real Nice Table Rock Lake Spotted Bass 3.15 pounds. Picked up Bill and Jack at Mill Creek Resort at 0600 and headed for the mouth of the James. Fished around Point 9 for a couple of hours swimming a 3.3 Keitech in Pro-Blue and caught some very nice SM. Boat in 15'. Wind started to blow and we headed up the James, surrounded by MLF guys, which this morning all minded their own P's and Q's and we did not have to contend with them. Most of the locations I caught them on Saturday were high and dry We did manage to catch 4 up there 3 SM and 1 really nice K. One on a jig and the others on the Keitech. These fish were 15' and under. As I was coming out we saw Pete at the cut thru Island below Jackson and his client had a nice fish on a jig. Here is where it is much better to be lucky than good. I have not seen a schooling fish to speak of all year and right at the mouth of the White, thar-she-blew. LM, K's and Jaw's a plenty. There were big chops out there and they were blowing right in the waves. Here is the deal, we stayed on those fish for almost 2 hrs. Mostly catching them on a Fin and a swimbait, it was amazing. These fish were blowing in 90ft. plus and they just kept on and kept on. I never leave when they are biting like that regardless of time but we eventually left when it started thundering and wind blowing just to much. Have no idea of numbers but it was pretty stupid. Just some thumper fish with the 3.15 lb. K in the picture with Jack being the biggest. This post has been promoted to an article

It was a bit of a guide fest up the White today with Rick Lisek out of Baxter and Pete and I out of Shell Knob. Pete went toward Campbell Pt. then turned around at I believe Big Creek. I fished from the Bridge to Viney and late in the morning I saw Pete up there also. Lisek said the only thing he could catch them on was a 3.3 Keitech. At 9:00 I talked to Pete and he said he had a couple on a fin and a couple on a swim bait. I don't know how he finished up. Non of us could catch multiple fish on a stop. i think I stopped 9 times and we caught at least a single on 7 stops. The only multiples were 7 drop shot fish we caught bang bang that I saw while dragging the jig Way different day. Tomorrow will be interesting. I'm switching to a small 6" lizard Texas rigged in front of the bushes to start and see if I can catch some of the closer ones to the bank. I'm prepared to retie a lot. I know if you get in the right place they will just destroy a fluke, but they are really hard to hook on it as they drop it really quick. I caught some on it the other day but its hard for customers that don't fish everyday and can be frustrating. If you watched the broadcast they commented on Evers speed going down the bank, at least 7 or 8 high speed.. In 55 yrs. of fishing the only fishermen I have seen moving that fast were spoonbill snaggers. I guess he knew what he was doing cause he just barley missed the cut.

Different day and a way different result. Started at Shell Knob at 5:45 with twp KC boys, Larry Horseman and son. No topwater at all this morning with only 1 fish on a spook. Strong North wind from the get go just the opposite of the South wind we had yesterday. It was hard for me. We caught some quality but not many fish. I think we only had 17 but 12 were nice Keeps. No Jaw's this morning Caught two on a swimbait, one on the spook and the rest on a 1/2 oz Pig Sticker GPO with a Goby Smallie Beaver trailer and a drop shot. Jig fish were 15' and the drop shot fish were 22' this morning. Fished from Shell Knob to Viney. Saw Edwin Evers right when we were pulling out. He was fishing down a bank at the Bridge so fast I could not believe it. Fishing under 5' deep and it looked like a bladed Jig and he was flat you crankin it. If he missed one he dropped his power poles and pitched a jig. We saw him catch two but they did not measure and he went on. Must have had his trolling motor on at least 7 or 8 as he was just flat bookin down the bank.

Your absolutely right. If I'm fishing for fun it really does not matter to me where I fish. When I have clients it a different deal. They're paying to have the best options that I have and I try and keep them on them the entire time of the trip. Right now it does not matter as there are fish biting everywhere. As far as the Chamber my trips book months in advance most of the time to reserve a particular date or weekend, so anything they do is not a factor in my guide business, after close to 30 yrs.

From Church to fishing, money seems to matter. Let me know if you find something that is not involved with the all mighty dollar

Does not matter one hoot except he knew my clients were paying $500 to fish that location as he asked if I was a guide. Should not have came in on anyone

Have no idea and really don't care who it was. I thought it was pretty tacky however that you think the only place to fish on Table Rock is where a guide boat has been sitting with clients for the past 20 minutes. It is a hard place to spot so if he drove 65 miles just to fish it, he knows where at least some of them live. Reese cut me off really bad on Campers the other day too. We drilled a couple while he was watching just like we did today. Reese however left instead of begging for the location. After we left he quickly returned. He fished a while and when he left, Rose pulled in and caught a 4 pounder and 2 or 3 others. We were hammering on them across the lake so we got a kick out of watching the merry-go-round. I knew we could catch them where ever we went so really didn't matter to me. It was super nice of my clients to say let him have the spot. If your fishing right now and don't have a bite in 1/2 dozen cast. MOVE. your in the wrong location. The difference in this tournament and most is this is a numbers tournament or basically what the guides here do everyday. We strive to catch numbers and we are really good at it. In a normal tournament these fish that both the MLF guys and the guides are catching would get you a hardy handshake and a slap on the back thanks for your money. I'm going to say we probably had 13.5 pounds with 44 keeps, that is not a winning tournament bag in any format other than MLF which is a numbers game.. Our 62 fish would probably have pushed close to 100 pounds, as we had lots of K's at 2 lbs. or above.

Current Table Rock Lake Fishing Report Shell Knob, White River Outfitters. 5-19-19 Launched with Tom and Julie at SK 6:30 and it was on like Donkey Kong. First location with a Red Fin and we had 11 fish, all keepers off one location. As I was releasing our 9th. fish, I got pulled in on by a Bass Pro Tour guy in a Pee Green boat. We saw him coming and he pulled in pretty close. I was unhooking a fish and he yelled over he had driven 65 miles to fish that point. My lady caught another fin fish about that time and he yelled over again, and asked If I was a guide. I should have said no, I'm just getting in casting practice today and letting this lady catch the fish. I kept my mouth shut. About a minute or two later he yells over he is in contention to win 100 G. At this point my lady asked if he was going to cry if he didn't get to fish here. "She said its ok, we have caught enough here." I yelled over that he was making her feel bad and so we went else where. Which at this point really does not matter. Our next location we had 6 more fin fish and a bunch of Keitech fish. Fished a total of 4 location around the mouth of the Kings that right now has beautiful James River Green color. 68 degree and probably 6' visibility. We had 44 Keepers and 62 fish this morning and nothing would have been under a pound. It was catching this morning and not fishing, just reeling them in. Biggest fish today was a LM at 2.95, on the MLF scale. Julie with a nice Jaw and Tom with a short but over a pound K that they doubled on in the Photo. There are fish in the water column from 1' to 35 feet. and all the area in between. We would swim the keitech on a 1/4 oz. head Pro Blue Pearl 3.3 with the boat in 25 and when I would see a cluster we would drop on them with the shad shape worm. Probably over a dozen doubles. There were bass on the bottom and everywhere in between. From Baxter to Big M right now the lake is perfect color and just stupid with fish. Most are solid 15 plus inch fish. We had lots today in the 2.70 pound range. K's, LM and Jaws all mixed in and out. Lots, and lots of fish totally full of eggs, mostly K's and you don't dare grab them around the middle. Good Luck This post has been promoted to an article

Had to be real careful day before yesterday the K’s we caught shallow were just blowing eggs if you bellie grabbed them

Surface temps at 68 Mid-James and the fishing is just about unreal. So good its simply hard to believe. Full Moon and warm temps put the K's in full spawn and right on the banks in the flat pockets. Most of our fish today came in under 10 ft. and it was a day to remember. I'm saying 17 keepers and in an MLF format probably 25 score able fish with another dozen at or under a pound. Took off out of Hideaway at 6 AM and really the bite was still going at 10 when we quit. We fished from Jackson to Campers and every stop was "Fish On." We caught K after K with several spewing eggs as we released them. When you would catch on another one was most always trailing it to the boat. Saw Skeet Reese, as a matter of fact he kind of cut us off. We caught 3 fish behind him. He was throwing a small swimbait. We caught most all our fish on the 1/2 Pig Sticker in GPO with a Smallie Beaver in Goby as the trailer. Rod was a Falcon Swim Jig Signature with a Lew's tournament Pro and 15# Invezx Wish it was like this everyday.

I was watching a video of guys fishing a frog. They were throwing slack in the line on the take and then loose line snapping it. Good Lord, if I tried something like that I would wrap the slack around the rod tip break off the tip and probably throw a bird nest the size of a softball in my reel. I have found out with me if they can catch themselves i'm way better off. Redfin, Pooper, Rat, Spook, are about as complicated as I need to make it. They have lots of sharp hooks.

Just got clarification on the event. Starts at the dam at 6:30 first period goes till 9. 15 minute recess after each period with no check in. You can stay and fish till lines out at each recess and lines out for the day at 2:30, so it brings the entire lake into play. Only running factor is the start to get where your going to begin. Really nice that you can fish where ever you are till lines out and do not have to be back to the ramp, you just have to quit fishing at 2:30.

Yep it is confusing. BPT is the new kid on the block with an MLF format except every stage is know rather than kept secret. I think other than that and the practice days its pretty much the same.. Two days practice on the BPT, yesterday and today. Start time in the Morning is 6:30 out of State Park and from what I'm hearing that will be the starting location each day. Kind of some grumbling the past two days about the bite at the dam, this is where of course most are practicing. By the dam I'm talking today Long Creek to point 7. Reports are no numbers and you have to move a lot. Some fish shallow some fish deep with the majority of fish in transition scattered. By deep we believe these guys are saying between 15' and 20' so that's not deep. The Pro's are very quiet and cannot say much or ask anything, but that seems to be the "unofficial" rumbling. One of the guys was heard saying, "if this lake were a box of chocolates all the peanut clusters have been picked out."

You can bet your bippie that the MLF guys will be cranking it too.

Good question. for them to switch each period you would think the launch location would have to vary due to the size of the lake and getting to each arm. 3 launch locations would be fantastic as you could watch these guys ply techniques from shallow to deep in most lake sections. The information would be fantastic for the Table Rock fishermen.

Excellent article,thanks for posting. On another note go to MLF and read the fishing lesions a ride around with KVD. If the guy that wrote it got paid it is a travesty of justice. Horrible piece with absolute nothing of value to anyone. I guess I'm going to start fishing grass for staging and post spawn fish.

Looks like he choked the frog. Good Job. If I'm fishing it the frog is usually flying thru the air after i jerk it away from them on the take. I need a more sticky bait for topwater, my nerves just can't stand to wait.😊

Both. The flow will disrupt the creation of a thermocline through sheer volume of movement and really it has not been warm enough. With it being 86 today I'm sure we will see surface temps rising into the 70's. But on another note, it is time to see post spawn movement and they will again start to school and move onto main lake points and bluffends to chase

5bites, i worked pretty hard on the brush with a blade and a jig and maybe where I was flipping was wrong, but all my bites were out in front. Most where you would sit a boat to flip. I also had success almost paralleling, putting the boat in 15' and throwing ahead in front of the bushes and bringing it back that way. At the risk of getting in trouble here for trolling, I also as usual caught them dragging it likewise. 5' to 15' As always you know there are fish in them there bushes, but that is a slow go when you can just reel them in out in front and don't have to stand there and pick them apart. I have a feeling that friggin Hard head is going to be a BIGGGGG factor. In the James River right now you are not going to miss many bites. You get it in front of one that wants to eat it and your going to catch it. I just don't know if there is enough bites up there for this kind of a tournament. Remember several years ago when they were catching 20 plus keeps a day in that Elite here, up the White winding a wiggle wart? They were weighing 11 pounds or so. That is the same derby that Davis caught them on a Biffle Bug. I think thats the kind of numbers that will be needed. I just got to thinking, in any of the stained water maybe a bladed jig or a chatter bait might really catch them and catch them quick out in front of those bushes. So the James might come into play more than I originally thought. I'm usually terrible at guessing these deals.

I could be totally wrong on the James River, but I don't see it being a factor. As someone mentioned this is numbers not quality. James for the most part is very seldom a numbers bite nor is the Kings. White River always holds numbers and thats why 90% of the guide trips are on it year round. Watson had a pretty good Fall derby here several years ago, but I don't think a frog or a Wooper Pooper is gong to win this deal. KVD struggles here. I looked up his history of everything he has fished here and he usually comes in around 40th. That is over a huge bunch of tournaments from the Bush deals to top 150's to Elites to just about everything, including several BPS tournaments. Someone is going to find a concentration deep, that have just started to move. As we have talked about the banks have had quite a bit of pressure and its really time for the deep bite to start, especially with this hot weather warming the water column. I think the flow is the only thing holding that back right now.

I don't think Mike owns a Ned. They are just inhaling a jig lake wide, and a hard head now that the majority of moss is gone. That fishes a lot faster and numbers is what this is all about here. By the middle of next week, there are simply going to be a ton of 1# plus drop shot fish. I'm just guessing up and down and maybe top early with a lot of swimbaits thrown in. This is going to be a numbers deal. Everyone knows Mike's my boy, but Ike can be very dangerous in a drop shot extravaganza.

Launched at Aunts Creek, back ramp at 6:00, pulled out past point 10 going up hill and it was murky, not muddy but more than Ice tea. Lots of floating stuff, mostly up to Campers. From Campers up water turns into nice James River Green and not so much debris, but enough that I wore my life jacket anytime the big motor was running, all day. Started out fishing a blade thru the bushes across from Jackson and fished it to point 12, mostly fishing points or long runs. Caught 8 mostly K's and small LM. Switched to a 1/2 oz. PigSticker GP Orange with a big Nicholes orange craw trailer and it was on. Kept the boat in mostly 15' and under and fished it from in front of the bushes back and dragged it quite a bit. Most of my bites on the blade were out in front of the bushes, nothing in or behind them so I thought the jig might work, and it did. Had another 15 mostly nice 2.5 pound keepers on the jig. All most all of them were Jaw's with a LM thrown in, except for 3 keeper K's off one location. Fish were on the small points and shallow rocky runs, seems like the main lake points I fished did not produce quite as well. I tried some 45 degree stuff and steeper, but the flatter stuff was much better. The kind of banks that you are a full cast from the fronts of the bushes and still in 15' of water. Fished up to Cape Fair Marina and caught 3 off the ramp. All keeper K's. Don't know whats up with that, they don't usually live there as bigger critters patrol that area. About Noon the wake boats came out and for the life of me I could not understand people pulling children thru that debris, but then again I'm not all that adventurous. Lots of nice bites on a jig up the James with some very nice SM up to Cool Water. Surface temps 67 at launch and take out.

Nothing helps but to take it in and get it cleaned. REELS ARE NOT WATER PROOF! A selling point for some of the upper end companies like Daiwa and Shimano is their top of the line reels are water proof. Diawa also has a mid-level reel that is now water proof, the Ballistic Spoke to the guys at the rod and reels repair at BP and they told me that if the reel box does not say water proof, don't get it wet. Water resistant is not water proof. The initial factory lube on the old Shimano reels could not take even 1 drop of water, it made them bind. They had to be totally cleaned and relubed with as Wrench said only Silicone. Same applies today. Shimano uses Aerowave body shield and they are almost perfect. The Stella is perfect and without equal. The Diawa is perfect if it says water proof. If I even think its going to rain I put all my reels in the rod locker, except for the ones we have in our hands. Of course I'm just a little anal about fishing equipment.

7 or 8 yrs. ago, Phil and I were crappie fishing early one season up Long Creek. There were huge gar working near our crappie.spot. We hooked 3 of them on fly rods with white crappie jigs. As soon as they would feel the hook set they would jump completely out of the water, like Tarpon. It was crazy and pretty exciting. We never came close to boating one, but they were monsters.