Friday Am

[Bill Babler]

Had a couple of the nicest older gentlemen in the world today, and they just had no business fishing the Rock. Part their fault, mostly mine.

Becky had spoken to them several times and asked about there fishing ability and how often they fished. A couple of times a year, the other once a month or so.

I'm not going to say she begged them, but she strongly suggested they fish upper taney for the extremely large trout we a catching. That would not do. They wanted to fish the Rock.

Knew we were in trouble when I got to State Park parking lot. Counted over 50 rigs already on the water at 7 Am. Looking over the lake you could not see a point that had less than two boats on it. Every Island 4 to 6 boats on them all morning, One boat would pull off and another pull in right behind the one that just left.

Wind blew at first and started out with 6 good fish with one fair size keeper, all on the grub. Wind went dead, and so did the fishing, I could not find them anywhere.

Time after time the grubs flew to the top of the trees, to be broken off and retied. Then while pulling a grub from a tree, I broke a rod. The gentleman, said" I'm glad I didn't do that. " I wanted to say, "How do you think the grub got in the tree to begin with?"

Heard rumors of dragging rigs, and catchin some. Plowed lots of furrows and nothing but split-shot rigs, being wound into my prop shaft. It got as flat and still as a gym floor out there and I just could not figure it out.

When we did get a good fish on, I asked them to please keep prussure on the fish, as you could not ease up on these bass or they will get off. Both let 3 or 4 off by just creating too much slack in the line. The one said " walleye in Canada, don't get off like that" Cripes, what a morning.

The one older gent kept asking me why we had to cast so much, he preferred fishing in Canada where he could catch walleye right under the boat. He kept saying take me to your "Honey Hole" "I know you have one." "This type of cast fishing is to hard, I don't like to cast." No Kidding.

I do, have an easier place that dosen't require you to cast, it is under the dam on the other lake. My wife and myself suggested it about a dozen times. Not quite drop shot time yet, however, I tried everything else, and should have had crawlers with me.

Why does everyone think they have to bass fish? These two guys would have caught and released 40 to 50 trout, up to 3 or 4 lbs. They would have had a day to remember instead of a day with bad memories. They were not capiable of standing and casting to fish on the rock and it was a real shame, I didn't have fish that they were able to catch today.

I will keep working at it.

[jay bird]

Had the same problem with the weather yesterday. Great bite until the wind shut down and the lake turned into a post card image. Great to look at ,but hard to fish.

[Phil Lilley]

You got good ones and bad ones... it's the way it is, buddy.

I'm going to the dam and drag some red SJ worms. My son in law graduates from college this weekend and his family is here- and we're going fishing.

[MOBass]

I have to respect the guys that make a living taking the general public fishing. My hat is off to you all. Bass are the glam fish and the Saturday morning TV shows make it look so easy. I would give those shows partial blame for people having skewed expectations. Hopefully these guys understand what happened and will come back and follow your recommendation next time.

50 rigs at state park by 7AM? I am going to test my sanity and go down Memorial Day weekend. Guess I better put in the night before and sleep in the boat.

[motoman]

I think this would fall under the ole adage, "You can led a horse to water, but you can't make 'em drink."

-

Since the mrs. tried and tried to get them to fish Taney, but they refused.............there fault. But hopefully they realize their mistake after the fact, and don't think it's anything you did-or-didn't do.

-

I don't know how you do it Bill, having that kind of patience with the general public. Hats off to yah.

[Tom Spence]

Their fault Bill, not yours. You showed them the easiest ways to catch fish on the rock and thats all you can do. Hopefully they have the humility to realize that and don't blame you. I help out with a kids fishing thing every summer and know the pain of breaking off tackle in trees, picking bird nests out of SPINNING reels, etc. Like Billy Bob Thornton said in Tombstone...."Its like playing cards with my brother's kids!"

[tucker]

I had to laugh at that story because all I could picture in my head was the movie "Grumpy Old Men".

[Bill Babler]

Very seldom, to I have days like this. Usually with clients I can find a way to get them bit. On taney they would have had the most wonderful day they could have ever wanted. And they would have been capable of fishing it very well.

Phil said the good with the bad, and thats not quite the way it is. They are all good, and I love them to pieces, but Table Rock Lake bass fishing can be a very sobering reality.

Old shcool fishing does not apply here with the prussure we are having and the extreme lake levels. You had better be a fisherman and ready to take advantage of every bite you get. If you start blowing off strikes, and let the ones you stick, jump off, you will be in deep kem-she pretty quick on a 4 hr. trip. Place the 1/4 oz. grub, in tree after tree, and cannot cast an arms length from the boat, with a carolina rig. The Rock might not be the place for you at this time.

Other guides got bit today. Chris Tetrick had a single client, and had 32 fish with 10 keepers on an 8 hr. trip. Chris said his guy didn't throw in any trees and would both vary speed and depth on his retreves with no problem. Really good fisherman.

About a week ago, Chris and I had a day were we had about 40 fish with 22 Keeps up to about 4.5. Nither one of us hung up or lost a bait all day. Took a set of clients on the same path and Lost 14 grubs and all the line off 4 reels. We caught fish, but nothing like Chris and I.

It is the LAW people have to throw that bait in the trees and bushes. Not next to them or under them mind you, IN THEM. Getting baits loose and running in over the fish pretty much kills that location. I will tell you there arn't that many good spots.

Never fear, it will be night crawler and drop-shot season in about 3 weeks and then it dosen't matter if they can fish. I just look at the Lowrance 37C and say" You should set the hook, you have a fish on.

[crappiefisherman]

Look at it on the bright side Bill, hopefully their check wont bounce...

[Don House]

Bill, man I understand I had one last year just like that, I tried everything and it was drop shot season, this guys wife was just catching fish and having a blast, but he was not and it made him a very unhappy person and all my fault! He made sure I knew it also. Lucky it was only a 4 hour trip, twice I almost took him back to the dock and said have a good day and forget the pay... Wife was great he was a grumpy old man, I took them back to the dock he bitched about everything and walked off, she left with him and then came running back down to the dock and tipped me and thanked me for the best day she has ever had and told me she was taking him home and apologized for him being such a jerk to me.. Strange day indeed!!

But your right it is that time of year where you better know how to fish on the Rock, and I try every trip to talk the non-fishermen to go over and play with the silver fish.. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not.. I've been lucky this year so far, but try to put people on fish in 4 hours and then spend three hours getting baits out of the top of the trees..

Nature of the Beast!!

Good Fishing Everyone..

Capt. D