A-Riggin The White River 2-14-14

[Bill Babler]

Well, it has been tough, the boys did not pull off or come near the 20# mark yesterday. 16 and change nabbed 1st. place for Greg and Wes. Believe the Fann boys came in second with 12# something, so the 16# pretty much blew it away. Man how thing change in a couple of weeks. All those 20+ pound bags disappeared.

Greg told me they caught a lot of fish with some very nice K's fishing the Kimberling City area. He did mention that they caught them on some deeper stuff on the Rig.

Had spoken to Pete and he and Brian went up the White river. They had 12 pounds fishing the White above the Kings for a 4th. place finish. They caught their keeps on a stickbait, with a couple on a rig. Think Pete told me thay had 13 fish with 8 keeps, all LM. Just the same deal I have had up there but they could not put that kicker in the boat. Their fish came off timber with chunk and gravel, and not the ends that Greg and Wes caught them on at Kimberling City.

Pete also said the stickbait bite is a will-of-the-wisp. You more think you have a bite than know it, they are just on it when you go to twitch the head. He said it is so soft it would be almost impossible to guide with. The two I caught the other day, one did thump it but the other was just a breath. Pete said the surface temps at Viney were 35 yesterday and that ice formed on their guides till past 10 AM. The entire back of the creeks were frozen and they had to break ice in the main channel to get up stream just above the Kings River. Pretty hard fishing.

The runnouts of which I am speaking are usually long points that dump into the main river channel. Point 7, the bouy point across from Cow Creek, The big turn across from Mill Creek Ramp the Big Point running into Mill Creek, the Long bouy point at Baxter the big flat points across from point 19. All these a very long shallow runnouts that just tumble into 100 plus feet of water from being in 20 ft. for a 100 plus yards. These are always good early staging locatons with deep water handy and forage within easy reach.

Good Luck

[dtrs5kprs]

Look at Bill giving up specific examples while I was trying to be vaguely accurate. You are too good to us.

[rps]

For you upper end types, the three finger points between Panther and Owl Creeks, although those are more gravel than chunk. For chunk with timber, try the long J hook point at the mouth of Rock Creek.

[Macsimus]

The runnouts of which I am speaking are usually long points that dump into the main river channel. Point 7, the bouy point across from Cow Creek, The big turn across from Mill Creek Ramp the Big Point running into Mill Creek, the Long bouy point at Baxter the big flat points across from point 19. All these a very long shallow runnouts that just tumble into 100 plus feet of water from being in 20 ft. for a 100 plus yards. These are always good early staging locatons with deep water handy and forage within easy reach.

Good Luck

Just as I thought (kidding, of course!!). Thanks for such specific examples.

[Bill Babler]

For you upper end types, the three finger points between Panther and Owl Creeks, although those are more gravel than chunk. For chunk with timber, try the long J hook point at the mouth of Rock Creek.

SHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

[Old plug]

well at least you can fish. it was reported our fishing is under 8" of ice. And the ice is all the way up to the face of the darn.

[jmes]

Thanks for the great report and advice

[merc1997 Bo]

sounds like the better bite is most definitely the umbrella rig. for those doing some jerk bait fishing, i have not heard one sole mention throwing a long bill rebel or rouge. over the years, and especially with the lower water temps we have now, a long bill rebel, and a long bill rouge have produced much better than medium bills in anything. it seems the long bill versions, especially the rebels and rouges and been forgotten. you need some of each because there is a difference in the wobble, and on certain days they will prefer one over the other.

one other off the wall thought. how about throwing an umbrella rig loaded with jerk baits???? nothing like losing $75.00 worth of baits at once .

bo

[Sprint21fter]

Unfortunately for our boat Merc, I have tried some long billed rogues and Pointer DD's and have yet to get a sniff. Things are about to change however.

[Bill Babler]

Used to be the Spoonbill rogues were the deal, but I have just gotten away from them. I really never liked their action nor did a lot of the local jerkers and that is where a lot of the modification of replacing bills came into play. The Spoonbill do to the placement of the bill is a very soft head movement with almost no action on the tail or back of the bait. A bill modification on the early rogues and weighted chambers gave these baits a very sharp tail action, with the bill coming further back on the head of the bait.

Now with the weighting process of the megabass and the spro that most folks are throwing and the Plus 1 megabass we are able to fish these baits as deep or deeper than the old spoonbill and have a better result because of the chambered sound of the bait and the quick response of the tail to the twitches.

For sure don't get me wrong, the spoonie has caught more than its share of White River Bass, but for me now, there is a much better mouse trap.

Buster touched a whole bunch on this at his seminar with the spoonie's vs the new style baits and the bill modification of the original rogues and here we are now talking about it again, so it is a very good topic.

Good Luck