All I'm Going To Share

[Bill Babler]

Guys, sorry for being a bit cranky yesterday, but stuff started to ware on me pretty heavy. My wife recieved about a dozen phone calls on our lodge business 800 number for fishing information, and I recieved just about the same on my cell phone, while guiding.

These were not for guide trips oR lodge information, they were for personal fishing information. Due to the great tournament results and the high water, people wanting personal FREE INFORMATION, has reached an all time high. For the most part, yesterday I believe was BFL.

I and the rest of the guides on this board do an exceptional job in making general lake information available. Contrary to popular belief we are not PAID BY," Ozark Anglers" on this. Myself being a Moderator, is just a title it is not a paying job.

One guy told me yesterday no one in is right mind would do that much work or give that much information, without being paid and since I was paid it was OK for me to give him lots more personal information.

I had two beligerent calls yesterday that "Told me I was being paid to provide this info". WRONG I was told yesterday since I posted my cell on an open forum, it was ok to call me on it for the info. It may be ok to call, but please not while I am helping people that are paying me to help them catch fish.

Guiding is how I make my entire living. I frankly don't give a hoot in heck how well you do in the BFL this weekend and for that matter calling me while I'm working for free fishing information, on exact baits and exact locations takes more gall than a Momma Bear with Cubs.

Just venting abit, but I never recieve this kind of attention, during normal times. What's strange, is the lake is fishing for the most part much easier for the dirty water fisherman types. You can see by the large strings of winding a SB and Cranking a wart, they are catching way more than normal.

Another alarming trend, is people fishing for MONEY, wanting free information. Here, I have to hand it to Rick LaPoint. He saw the writing on the wall years ago and stopped most of this foolishness, by selling maps and subcribing to his pay for information news letter. I'm sure he still gets the questions, but he came up with an answer. Forward thinking on his part.

After the day I had yesterday, I'm about a sneeze from joining him.

Good luck out there.

[Fishin' Freak]

Bill,

I don't blame you for wanting to vent. The large majority of us who follow this site realize you do it for nothing and you are providing a huge benefit to us--the novice anglers. We appreciate what you have helped do with this site and we say thank you.

Freak

[CMAC]

Ditto!

Don't take this the wrong way but the information you provide is way more than what I would expect, so thanks, especially for giving some of us who aren't on the water as much as you some direction.

[Don House]

Bill, it is up for me also. I don't mind a little here and there but not this everyday thing, and were did that guy get the ideal that we are paid for this? Man I missed that check, I guess I was too busy trying to figure these fish out myself and eating gas at 3.17 a gallon... I'm very impressed that you even talked to him, I would have dropped the phone. Well hang in there Bill.

Good Fishing

Don

[captmac]

Bill, you are right, with a little knowledge, the information gladly provided on this forum by you and others will help formulate a plan as to where and what to fish, Thanks to you and others for your dedication to the sport of fishing. Next time I see you I would like to shake your hand. A comedian once said "you can't fix stupid" That was for the calls while you were working keep up the good work.

[denjac]

Bill, I bet if you had free guide day there would be people who wouldnt even offer to pay for gas!! Your to nice if I had got those calls I would have responded, book me for a trip and you will find out where and when. We have people come in our store all the time wanting us to show them how to make there curtains, thats what we do for a living! I tell them we would be happy to make them for them, for a fee. You would have thought I slapped them in the face. Some people, ARGGGGG!

[Danoinark]

I had two beligerent calls yesterday that "Told me I was being paid to provide this info".

Man it takes all kinds....what are people thinking these days. I am just amazed how rude and somewhat obnoxious people can be. You gents are right on.

Dano

[Champ188]

To Bill, Don and other guides/local experts who post here ... this tournament fisherman thanks you all for sharing what you do. I have guided myself in the past and I feel your pain. It doesn't come natural to most of us to get nasty with people, but there does come a time when enough is enough. Again, thanks for what you guys do share here. Anyone who knows much of anything at all about fishing should be able to take that general info and make it work for them. But therein lies the problem, they don't want to WORK at it. Personally, I get as much joy out of the "work" part of fishing as I do the catching part — examining the conditions, making an educated guess as to what the fish are doing, going back to the blackboard when it doesn't work, and hopefully finally putting it all together. Guess that's the difference in true fishermen and those who just want something to pull on their line.

[Hersh]

Bill, you don't have to apologize. You were more civil than I would have been in your response. It seems these types are everywhere, while out on a lake one day I had a guy ask me to give him the lure I was catching bass on so he could catch a fish too. If he would have asked me "how" instead of demanding I give him I would have been happy to show him how to.

[97procraft]

Bill, don't let these guys get you too frustrated. All of the people who read these boards on a regular basis know what you get paid for and are thankful for what you give away. I check these boards every day when I get to work to see how you guys did the day before. I enjoy knowing someone is catching fish even if I have to sit behind a desk.

I have been coming down to the rock at least twice a year for the last 8 years and have been reading your's, Phil's, Don's and all the other's posts for probebly the last 6 years. They have helped me find all kinds of fish all over the lake. If I can find the fish using this board so can they. Tell these guys to book a trip or pound sand. You guys who guide on the lake will not lose any respect from us if you brush them off.

Phil thanks for setting this website up. This is my favorite web site. Bill and everyone else thanks for posting what is going on at the lake.

Keep up the good work.

Jeff