Flw Pre-Tournament Pairing Meeting

[Bill Babler]

Not going to put names on the participants, to protect information on locations, but had supper with a good friend that is fishing on the coangler side this weekend. He brought another coangler over with him that he is bunking with and I really got some good information. These are St. Louie boys and really nice guys.

My friend Dave drew a very nice young pro that started on the tour last year. He has never won an event of anykind just loves the fishing and the competition, and has all the money he needs to do it. He told Dave to buy an Arkansas lic. He said he is on some fish and thinks he can catch a limit, if he dosen't have to much competition. His fish are in a very small area. Probably just enough for 1 person, for 1 day. He weighed in a total of 34 pounds in all last year. His best tournament was here, with 12 pounds. Dave said he is really nice, and he thinks he can catch fish behind him. We will see.

Dave's friend, the other coangler that was here at supper time is a fishing tackle distributer from St. Louis. He sponsors several of the Pro's and prefished with one last Friday and Saturday. He said they caught way over 20 pound bag each day, with an 8 pound fish each day. The Pro, told Dave's friend that he was going to win this and thought he could duplicate those numbers, or close to them everyday, with the tempretures rising. He is a big name, and I'll tell you who it is after the derby. Over 80 pounds in 4 days on Table Rock is a fairly good ammount. I would be lucky to catch the 20 pounds in 4 days.

Dave's Friend and the reason I am not naming him, is I did not ask his permission. I don't believe he would have given it to me anyway. He drew a 23 year of Pro, that has never fished in a competitive tournament in his life. The first tournament that was cancelled this year would have been his first. He is from California, and has never fished the Rock. He did not catch a keeper in practice.

Some of the Pro's reported very good bags, and others reported not even a bite. Stickbait and Wiggle Wart were the only things these two heard mentioned.

Did hear that there is stiff competition for water among the Pro's. Not fish everywhere and from what they are telling me there have already been some confrontations among the combatants.

This might be one of the most interesting tournament we have ever had on Table Rock. Maybe another huge 1st day bag. I'll try and tell you how the one Pro is fairing during the week.

[Bill Babler]

Day 1 DAve and his Pro, caught about 25 fish, fishing Long Creek. For some reason the Pro was targeting what he called fish getting ready to bed. Kind of beats me, but they caught some. Dave had no Keepers, the Pro had 2 at 6 pounds and change. All jig fish. Fished 5 foot deep and under in small pockets. Dave said it was a Zoo up there. I counted 44 boats by the Lodge this morning headed for Long Creek.

Dave's Buddy and his Pro, caught 7 fish and each had 2 keepers, Daves buddy is at 8 and change and his pro was 6 and change stickbaits.

Both Dave and His Coangler friend say their pros for the next two days, both skunked today, so they are kind of bummed out. Especially Dave's buddy, as he has two really nice fish on the Coangler board.

The Pro that had the huge weekend before the cutoff, Not so much today. Don't believe that 80 pound 4 day bag is going to happen, unless he can catch 75 pounds plus in the next 3 days. If I were a betting man, I would not bet the Lodge on it, but I would bet my truck and boat.

I'll keep you posted on how my coangler horses in the race do.

On another note, one of our area guides, had a very rough day, and blanked. He is a great guy and I hated to see it. Oh Well, thats Table Rock in the Winter.

[roy_eros]

Thanks for the updates Bill!! Great to hear a little of the inside scoop..interesting to hear that many boats running towards long creek, be interesting to see how some of these guys holes hold up over the next 3 days.

[redbud]

Fish getting ready to bed? Are there early spawning fish here that I dont know about?Has anyone seen fish this early in the year ready to bed.We went out Sat. and caught 4 keeps on stick bait and small cranks way up the White.We went back into a couple of creeks and didnt see a fish anywhere not even a minnow.All our fish were in timber in main channel cuts.

[steveearle]

They are just running up the creeks to get to stained water that is a little warmer and where they can fish relatively shallow ...The clear water on the main is 39 in the morning...Its still in the low 40s up the rivers. The earliest I have seen fish try to bed was in the spring of 07 (I believe), when we had 70-80 degree weather around the last 1 1/2 weeks of March. The trees were blooming, the water got to about 61, and big big females were roaming around shallow (they looked totally lost). A week later Easter weekend (about April 1st) in was 19 degrees in the morning and blowing 25-30. Water temp went to 51 and we blistered the fish on a grub (after the 10 minutes it took to get the boat unfrozen from the trailer). Lost the trolling motor both days about 3:00 and they were still biting....

[TRRANGER]

Bill In an earlier post you said you counted 44 boats past your lodge headed toward Long Creek? I thought Long Creek was just past 86 hiway toward Arkansas? I thought your lodge was over on the White towards the Kings river area. Just asking what the pros are thinking and doing to catch fish. TRRanger

[Bill Babler]

TR, Our lodge is across from Big Cedar on the west side overlooking Clevenger Branch. We also have a home on the Lake at Shell Knob, and I'm up there quite a bit.

Don't know what the guy was thinking, these fish are at least 5 weeks out on the Baby Makin.