My Gosh I'm Struggling

[Bill Babler]

After the Homer Sloan disaster for me I have guided everyday. Here is petty much my rundown.

Monday Guided out of Home with a very nice couple and fished the Cow Creek area to Kimberling City. Caught mostly deep fish in the 27 to 36 ft. range all on live bait. 22 bass with 2 keepers size.

Tuesday Took two bass trips out of Chateau on a corporate group. We had 14 guide boats with two clients per boat for the morning trip. My boat had 18 bass, all on Crawlers. They were having a derby and one of my gents had 3 K's that weighed 6,67 the other guy did not have a keeper.

Afternoon trip I had a man and wife. Some of the guide boats had 3 clients. The guy had 18 shorts all on Crawlers and his wife had 8 with two keepers at 4.47

My guy won the men's division with a total of 6.67 My gal came in second on the women's side with her 4.47

Buster had a lady that won the entire deal with two K's at 6.72 those were really nice K's.

The 14 guide boats fished 61 total fisherman and that was the megar total it took, all on livebait.

Today we started out at Baxter with a pretty good fisherman. No live bait and we threw a Spinner-crank-jig-dropshot till we wore out 12 rods and that many Steeze Reels. Total was 5 fish with one nice 3 pound keep on a jig. Threw a A-Rig quite a bit also without a bite.

I have never had so many fish just slap a blade in all my life. They would just knock the crap out of it and nothing. I believe I should have thrown a jerkbait some and if I had it to do over, i belive I would go there.

They would also load on a jig and when you did the deed, nothing. Probably young,

It is fixin to get a whole lot better in a week or two.

[Donna G]

Sounds like a rough week, Bill. We are struggling, too. Think we'll go a different direction tomorrow.

[techo]

Hopefully gets better real soon! Jig bite?

[Donna G]

I know. Crazy. You would think with all the clouds and wind a jig wouldn't be the go-to. Still caught most of our fish on it. We found a small school of spots that were very active, including on top. Couldn't get a look on any shad-imitators. Started dragging a finesse jig and caught three in a row and missed several. One of the little turds had a shad tail sticking out of his mouth, so I KNOW they were eating real shad, at least. Weird. No keeps in those, though.

Good to "see" you, Techo. I haven't been on OA regularly in quite some time and I've missed your posts. Champ188 was describing a place on the lake trying to get me to recall where it was. I'm extremely geographically challenged on the water. Makes me a great co-angler. Can't go back to your stuff or tell anyone else. lol Anyway, he reminded me it was where we had lunch in a boat slip with you and your lovely bride one day.

Speaking of that jig, I fiddled around with different trailers. Normally stick with a Lil Critter Craw in green pumpkin, but I was bored and wasn't getting bit. Switched to a green pumpkin twin tail grub. Ditto. Got a wild hair and put on a Paca Chunk in green pumpkin candy. Caught most of my jig fish after that. I'm sure the only real difference was that I was finally in front of some active fish, but you know how we anglers are. Guess what's going on my jig when we get back out today or tomorrow?

[Feathers and Fins]

Justcurious any of you fishing cuts with large flats surrounding them seems to have been my ticket lately, 15fow in the cut but must have flats around them.

[Donna G]

We didn't have a lot of luck with any kind of flats, cuts or not. Good to hear, though. Are you fishing TR or Beaver?

[Feathers and Fins]

Beaver I took Bills words to heart about TR. ( when he says she wont play well with other ) I will go play with a nicer lady. Beside the crappie bite has been great and God did make them the perfect size and shape for a pan.

[techo]

Donna! Miss you.

If I remember right there was quite a bit of wind on picnic day, possibly a tornado? I have some Paca chunks and a friend of me swears by them. They seem a little thicker to me and hold up better but I still like the fragile Yamamotas for the most part. I took the week off and will be on the lake Sunday-Friday unless lightning. It is my fault the bite slowed down as I took the week off. The last time I took the week off for fishing was the last week of April 2011. It flooded and they shut down the ramps!

My apologies to all for messing up the fishing.

[Donna G]

Hey, Techo! Yes, it was pretty dicey weather that day. I know. I think it's what we have confidence in - what we've caught them on. James and I were just having a standard FB jig versus Hula Grub debate. He's a Hula Grub fishing machine. I've never caught many on the Hula, mostly because I don't throw it, mostly because I haven't caught many. lol

Guess we won't run into you. We're leaving Sunday morning and playing golf in Branson on the way home. Rained out today. Oh, meant to tell you, we launched at Aunt's Creek yesterday morning. hehe

Shame, shame on you for messing up the fishing. I thought it was us.

[Donna G]

Beaver I took Bills words to heart about TR. ( when he says she wont play well with other ) I will go play with a nicer lady. Beside the crappie bite has been great and God did make them the perfect size and shape for a pan.

A nicer lady? Beaver? Geez, I must have got off on a bad foot with her, 'cos that ain't what I call her. Agreed on the crappie.