Guides Perspective

[Bill Babler]

When you all see information, posted here by guides that are on the water everyday or close to it, there is a for sure reason for our advice.

Unlike the majority of the viewership here, Don, Eric, Chris, Capt. Joe or Myself, cannot or will not give you Might Be-Able To or Maybe if you find my secret tree. Types of Information.

I cannot afford even 30 minutes of my clients day looking for something that I don't already know. I can't say, Lets spend two hours of your 4 hr. guide trip checking and searching for fish that are very hard to find and not always there.

I have guided here the better part of 17 yrs. and I have only skunked 2 times. Once on a July afternoon, with a couple of drunks, and a 1.5 hr. bass trip a couple of weeks ago, out of Chateau fishing some Sports Writers from 2 PM to 3:30 Pm.

I cannot give maybe advice or you might advice. I have to give patterns that are working,"Right Now."

When I give post on different regions of the lake and different areas, its not what I think is going on, or what should be going on, it what is going on.

I know this or I wouldn't post it. I fished there or one of my guide or local buddies fished it.

No, we don't always catch a boat full, but I post that too.

I don't speculate, I only operate on the Facts Mam!

[techo]

I like the patterns post. Secret spots are great, but they don't seem to work for me. I fish a little different than the next guy and so on. I have never once fished any of the Shell Knob spots you showed me. I have a friend with a cabin near there, but we always fish similar spots, not yours. I will tell someone from out of town how and where I caught some fish, but locals can find their own locations using patterns.

With that in mind....I often look on the map and try to see where people are fishing. It makes it easier to relate to similar structure or bank types in the area I fish. It also helps me learn the lake better. An example would be the buttermilk or whatever you called it. I have never heard of it and I thought I knew most places between point 10 and point 13. Of course we have our own pet names for places. We have one really nice place to fish that we call "that place you accidently kicked your brand new rod in the water and never got it back" place. One of my favorites is the "one where your Lucky Craft is still forty feet up in the tree" place.

Patterns help me eliminate water. Trees or rocks and how deep save a great deal of time. Even when people are catching them on stickbaits...I often fish with the jig. I just know to have a slower presentation.

Thanks for making my fishing time even more fun!

[Rolan Duffield]

Thanks Bill. Your reports are always appreciated and factual. I really enjoy them.

Rolan

[denjac]

I like the patterns post. Secret spots are great, but they don't seem to work for me.

Me to Techo, I cant do well fishing another persons fish. I do take the info and glean it to my style and areas. Bill may correct me but I think Table Rock is 4 differant fisheries. If Bill is catching em on the stick around the knob they wont hit it around the dam area, ( most of the time) . Adapt, move or get out of the way.

[patfish]

Thanks Bill. Your reports are always appreciated and factual. I really enjoy them.

Rolan

and the rant last week about "what could have been" was excellent. I bet you felt so much better after that. Everyone has been there at some point, just needing to vent. I have never fished with you but you did hook me up with one helluva guide and I appreciate that immensely. Keep the info coming Bill.

[gabe]

Bill: Your reports are always informative and the next best thing to actually fishing. Thanks for the time you spend posting the reports and allowing many of us to experiance Table Rock from many miles away.

[Whack'emGood]

I know I really appreciate the accuracy and honesty (good or bad) in your reports Bill. A BS or embellished post full of misinformation would be counterproductive. I know when I read a report from you, Bill, that I can take it word for word straight to the bank (so to speak).

You will never truly know how much the vast majority of us appreciate your tips, info, and reports. Thanks.

Hey Techo-- me and dad have one spot that we call "Lookout." It was a spot that we found on the map that we had never fished before and wanted to try. We were night fishing and it was very dark with no moon. Long story short... dad was driving the boat, got disoriented, didn't realize that we had already arrived, and almost run us right up onto the bank getting to the spot. I yelled "lookout!" and he got it shut down just in time (I still don't know how)... hence the name of the spot.

Whack'em

[Trolling For Walleye]

i'm confused as to the reason for the original post. were you accused of giving improper advice?

[Bill Babler]

Walleye Troller, Not so much. It was on another thread.

My post is that I cannot give information that is guess work. That is just not fair. If I'm not doing it now, or don't know how to do it, I'm not going to post it.

You-all all have the luxury of telling folks, if you try here or there you may catch some, if you are here at the right time. This is fantastic information that the locals provide. I just love it.

I cannot post that type of information. I have to deal in reality how to do it Right Now and be successful.

I deal in facts of what I know. I tell of my experences and those of my best friends that are on the water everyday.

Not all great, but accurate.

At our seminar, I took every rod and reel set-up with the exact line and baits I use everyday, and handed them thru the entire group for everyone to look at. Over 15 setups. This is as accurate as I can be and my post are the same. Not exact spots, but locations, and how to fish them.

How many guides are posting entire guide trips? The reason for the post was to show a time-line. Look at the expanses in our catches. I posted this for people to go to those same James River areas and catch fish. Not with me, but on their own.

This is just how I look at things.

I want to help people that have never fished here. You should not have to come to our lake and hire a guide. IF you want to that is a totally different story, and we appreciate the business. It should be on a want to and not a need to basis, and I will continue to post in that fashion.

[focused fishing]

darn, ya go out of town for a couple of days and stay off the internet and ya miss allot.

Bill,

I agree with you, I try to post general pattern information to assist fellow anglers catch more fish, it is a rare occasion that anyone complains about the lack of detail but it does happen. I try to convince those anglers to hire me, you, Beck, Chris or Don for more spot specific info. As a rule most don't, these folk seem to want something (or everything) for nothing. I doubt it would be a fun trip anyway with the attitude they have. After all it's about having fun, no more no less. The more fish an angler catches the more he / she will fish, the more they fish, the more people they will bring to the sport, their kids, family members etc...

Charlie Campbell once said it is more important to bring people to fishing than to win a tournament (paraphrasing).

Just like most things Charlie says he is right.

BTW, should have new report up today, allot of good general information but no exact locations........

EP