"they Are Here"

[Bill Babler]

"Brace your feet." "Put on the Lifejacket" "Hide the women folk'" The FLW and Heartland Derby boys have A-rove.

Our little pond is being besieged by about 500 out of towners getting ready to deal the just awakening bass a serious caloric misgivin.

When they thought they were awakening to a crayfish and threadfin buffet, they will be getting hard steel, as these boys are slinging and playing for pay. Stickbaits, grubs, rigs and jigs will be Pounded, Hammered, Tossed and Flung from the Youcum Split to Beavertown. From Flatcreek to the 86 Bridge, fish look out, it ain't what your thinkin.

Hard, hard prussure and lots of boats on the water, to say the least. Bet us locals can catch some right in amoungst them if we try.

However, it may be time to head back to Bull for some of those whites, or a "eye" or two.

Or maybe our own crappie, whites and walters, will get it cookin this week as the temps warm.

I will try and remember that I don't own the lake this week, and it is sound advice for all of us.

They have to leave, we can stay.

Be Patient out there

[Sam]

I've often thought maybe we could have Deer Tournaments, too. Deer are a public resource just like bass are, conserved and managed by tax dollars for all the people - there oughta be some way to bet money on them, too.

Everybody in the tournaments could hunt with tranquilizer guns, and every effort would be made to avoid killing any (many) deer. They could be hauled to a central weigh-in, revived, and released miles from where they were shot. They'd probably have to fight other bucks and have a heckuva time ever getting back to where they came from - but hey, we wouldn't kill them.

[FishinCricket]

Boy I hope the bass don't read this report! Your giving away all our secrets! LOL

I really enjoy your descriptive writing style, you make anything you say interesting and entertaining..

Have fun..

[RSBreth]

I really wanted to fish the "co-angler" (amateur non-boater) side of this, but ironically if I take the time off work to fish it I won't be able to afford to, if that makes any sense. So I'll be fishing the BFL event in April instead. Bummer. I wonder if the stick or the crank or the jig will be the winner?

The last time Bassmaster had a spring event here on the Rock didn't Greg Hackney win it with a shaky head finesse worm in Cow and Little Cow Creeks?

Should be interesting.

[FRENZEL]

If those boys head up the james they might want to lookout for the massive surge of spoonbillers comin in Getting ready for midnight 15th... Could get interesting.

[Whack'emGood]

I'm just glad that we are going to be out of town this weekend. Good luck fellas!

Whack'em

[Bill Babler]

RS, you got the bait right, but the location is abit off. He fished one day with David Mangelsdorf as his non-boater, and another with Jim Thompson, who now ownes Central Pro Am.

He was flat all over, with the most of his fish, comming from the SK to Baxter Area. I know one day he ran to the mouth of the Kings, caught a limit, then went up the James to Buttermilk to try and catch a bigger-in. No doing, he ran to Kimberling City, then turned around and ran clear back up the White River to where he caught his first limit.

Jim Thompson was in his boat and he said he nearly wore him out running the lake.

Had a limit the day Jim was fishing with him in 20 minutes off point 21 on a Shakey Head. About 14 pounds, I believe. Those are big for SK area as far as K's go. Had a 3.5 today up there, but for the most part Shell Knob K's don't run as big as down lake. Don't get me wrong, you can catch a very good one up there, but its hard to put a 3 pound 5 fish bag in the tank up there.

You put 13 pounds of K's together from Shell Knob bridge to Eagle Rock, and you got a good bag of them. Good bag of K's from Campbell Point to Kimberling City will be 14.5 to 15.5. Best bags are from Kimberling City to Gage's Marina. 15 to 17.5. Might get lucky this time of year with them full of roe, and put an 18 pound bag together, but if I did, I would probably just retire and live on my laurals.

Dave told me the day he fished with him he ran to 21 and had a limit of about 12 pounds in about 40 minutes, on the Head.

I have fished pt.21 for 30 years, and never caught them that fast there. Great Crawler location in Summer, and a very good spot for chasers early, but to load a limit off there in under an hour, I have never even come close to that.

After the derby, Jim and I fished it and we caught some, but nothing like he did.

I believe this is right, but you know how fishermen are!!

[RSBreth]

Cool, thanks, Bill. I never really got a handle on what when down that time. Now I know. More info is always good.

I know what you mean about the Kentuckies, I've had days where I had 14-inch "Spots" all day long, and you can't weigh those in, even though they may be 2- 2-1/2 pounds each or even better on some of the more "football" looking ones. Such is life on the 'Rock.

[Ealy]

RS, you got the bait right, but the location is abit off. He fished one day with David Mangelsdorf as his non-boater, and another with Jim Thompson, who now ownes Central Pro Am.

He was flat all over, with the most of his fish, comming from the SK to Baxter Area. I know one day he ran to the mouth of the Kings, caught a limit, then went up the James to Buttermilk to try and catch a bigger-in. No doing, he ran to Kimberling City, then turned around and ran clear back up the White River to where he caught his first limit.

Jim Thompson was in his boat and he said he nearly wore him out running the lake.

Had a limit the day Jim was fishing with him in 20 minutes off point 21 on a Shakey Head. About 14 pounds, I believe. Those are big for SK area as far as K's go. Had a 3.5 today up there, but for the most part Shell Knob K's don't run as big as down lake. Don't get me wrong, you can catch a very good one up there, but its hard to put a 3 pound 5 fish bag in the tank up there.

You put 13 pounds of K's together from Shell Knob bridge to Eagle Rock, and you got a good bag of them. Good bag of K's from Campbell Point to Kimberling City will be 14.5 to 15.5. Best bags are from Kimberling City to Gage's Marina. 15 to 17.5. Might get lucky this time of year with them full of roe, and put an 18 pound bag together, but if I did, I would probably just retire and live on my laurals.

Dave told me the day he fished with him he ran to 21 and had a limit of about 12 pounds in about 40 minutes, on the Head.

I have fished pt.21 for 30 years, and never caught them that fast there. Great Crawler location in Summer, and a very good spot for chasers early, but to load a limit off there in under an hour, I have never even come close to that.

After the derby, Jim and I fished it and we caught some, but nothing like he did.

I believe this is right, but you know how fishermen are!!

Did he not fish in Spring Branch? I swear I remember them saying on the Bassmaster coverage that he was fishing in there. He had supposedly been catching them on a wart, but ended up having to throw the shakey head to catch 'em later. I'd rather them say "We don't know where he's fishing" than to lie!

[Bill Babler]

Ealy, the ammount of misinformation, they feed us is only equaled by our nieve'tae to believe it.

With the sponcerships you can bet that any one thats wins or even finishs in the money is fishing those baits, weather that's what they caught them on or not.

A few years ago, one of my tournament partners was sponsored by Lucky Strike. Every time his name came into print related to Lucky Strike, he recieved $500.00. We never fished a Lucky Strike bait all year. We fished 12 derbys and he collected 6 grand, cause we placed or won everyone.

He said we fished the baits, so I guess we did. I did not see any of the sponsor money.

As far as locations go. These guys are back all the time and they will not broadcast their locations. I just know about Hackney from 2 of the boys that fished with him.

As long as this go on, fisherman will lie about baits and locations.