Lots Of Patterns

[Bill Babler]

After the MSWP derby debockle, I have been on Taney, so today was my first day back on the Rock. Got started out of State Park with Matt and Larry Thompson, from OK. Two great guys that have fished several times with me. Started on a fin and a fluke, and went to the grub when the wind got up.

Our best fish came on bluffends over deep runouts and pole timber. 14 fish with 7 keepers and they were the right kind.

Matt incarcerated this 8 pounder on a fin. She just Mounted the durn thing. I sounded like a train wreck. She jumped twice and he kept the prussure on her the entire way to the boat. "Where were these fish on Tuesday?"

This Okie, said she was his biggest "Blackie."

Check out the girth on this gal next to an 18 inch spotted bass.

Matt and Larry with a nice Table Rock Grand Slam.

All fish filmed in this movie were kissed directly on the mouth and returned to the Rock, a bit wiser, but for the most part unharmed.

[Gary Lange]

I bet you caught that same 8lb'r back when it was growing up and returned it then also Bill. That is really a nice catch and that guy will wear that smile for a long time.

[zzjonze]

Those Okies done well. Good job Bill!

Think I'll dig my Eskimo Joes sweatshirt and OSU shirt out and tie on a Redfin. LOL! Wait I already got 2 tied on.

And a "Thank You Guys" for taking pics and turn them back to the wild.

ZZ

[Bill Babler]

Thanks boys. That thing was so big and her mouth was so big she could have eaten that 17 inch Jaw that Larry is holding. I have caught a lot of fish on a fin, and seen a lot more caught, but I have never seen one eat a bait like that. The fin was completely gone in her mouth with only the line coming out. When I first saw this it almost scared me to tears, thinking it was in her stomach. It was not. It was crossways in her mouth in front of the crunchers, with a hook on each side of the inside of her jaws and a hook in her tongue. She would have never gotten away. She just flat ate that jointed fin completely. Caught her using 8 pound maxi on a 7 ft. Falcon Spinning rod and of course a Stradic. And let me tell you the drag got a work out. Two heart pounding jumps, "They are just wild right now." and about 3 strong runs.

We also had at least a 1/2 dozen other big fish "Boil" on it when the water was flat early. If we would have had the slightest breeze, I believe they would have hooked up also. I saw all of the boils, and two of them were 4 pound Jaw's and another couple were big LM.

These fish are after big Gizzard Shad, that are also staging and spawning right now. You can see those shad. I believe the bigger fish are targeting the Gizzards. They are really on a fluke also, if you have the time and patients to fish it. Not the traditional shallow pattern, that you are watching the bait, but a deeper presentation, just letting it float down on the wind blown, or for that matter flat water points. If you see gizzard shad flicking on the points, it is a very good choice.

Good Luck

[Quillback]

Wow, 8# bass on a surface bait! Congrats to you and your clients.

[Champ188]

That's a fine fish Bill, several fine fish in fact. Gotta make the ol' guide feel good when a plan comes together like that.

[troutgnat]

That's a fine fish Bill, several fine fish in fact. Gotta make the ol' guide feel good when a plan comes together like that.

Wow what a nice fish! That puts my best one of 5lbs this spring to shame!

[Bill Babler]

Not at all Tnat, you be proud as punch of that 5 pounder. This is the second biggest fish I have seen since the "Fish Kill." Beck had one when we were fishing, on a stickbait 3 yrs. ago that was a Nine pound class fish.

I had clients and myself, in the 90' have 3 fish at 9.1. to 9.3, Most were very anticlimatic. I had one on a wart, in very cold water and it just swam to the boat. I had a guy catch one on a buzzbait, and it really just sipped the bait under, and immediatly wrapped in a cedar top. We got over to the top and it was just finning there, and we netted it. I had a lady catch one on a zebco 33 with 30 pound test on a jouinted fin. It struck the fin right at the boat. "She could only throw it aobut 30 ft., but insisted on using it." It made a dive under the boat, did a couple of quick downward runs and came to the net on the deep sea rig. 9.3 pounds my biggest ever.

This big girl, and you can see she has not spawned came on an inside timbered point, of a huge spawning cove with very deep water leading to gravel spawning pockets. This location has a history of big LM and two over 6 pounds have been taken there already this year. Boat was in about 40 ft.of water with pole timber in view and some big gizzard shad flicking and fish were working them.

We were working another huge boil, when she hits Matt's Fin. She just really put on the kind of show that you will never forget. We took several other topwater fish in the same location, all very nice fish. Better than the ones pictured. Just to excited to take all those photo's. We had fish to catch. It still gets my heart pumping, and makes me the happiest guy in the world when people catch fish. To tell you the truth, I had several folks ask, "Don't you wish you had caught that fish?" To tell you the truth, the thought never once entered my mind. Matt caught that fish, and that is what it's all about.

[tapout]

"It still gets my heart pumping, and makes me the happiest guy in the world when people catch fish. To tell you the truth, I had several folks ask, "Don't you wish you had caught that fish?" To tell you the truth, the thought never once entered my mind"

Very nice fish, congrats to Matt.

I always want my fishing partner, whoever it my be, to whack em. I feel as a die hard basser its my job to get them hooked. My 18 year old daughter has out done me twice this year and it is so awesome cause it leaves her wanting to come back and spend quality time with dad......err I mean "kick my butt". Seriously I think she has the fever and it tickles me big time.

[techo]

"It still gets my heart pumping, and makes me the happiest guy in the world when people catch fish. To tell you the truth, I had several folks ask, "Don't you wish you had caught that fish?" To tell you the truth, the thought never once entered my mind"

Very nice fish, congrats to Matt.

I always want my fishing partner, whoever it my be, to whack em. I feel as a die hard basser its my job to get them hooked. My 18 year old daughter has out done me twice this year and it is so awesome cause it leaves her wanting to come back and spend quality time with dad......err I mean "kick my butt". Seriously I think she has the fever and it tickles me big time.

I do the same. I will skip a spot that I think has fish and let the Mrs throw to it. It goes way better if she catches the fish. I just pretend i am a guide like Babler!