Tablerock Lake Report

[Bill Babler]

Bill Beck and I made it out on the Rock for a while yesterday morning. Determined to make the fish bite on a stickbait, it was about all we threw.

Air/Temp. was 22 degrees at 7:30 when we flew the ramp.

Story begins about 3 weeks ago when Bill had found some deep fish in a major lake pocket between Kimberling City and Baxter.

His nephew was fishing Ahoy's winter tournaments and Bill had told him about the deep fish in the cove. Nephew tried the deep fish and nothing so switched to a clown rogue and started down an interior cove chunk rock bank with lots of pole timber on it.

Long story short, he GOT BIT, big time to the tune of his best 5 weighing 17.5 lbs and he also lost a monster that jumped several time and then broke off. He told Bill he was sure the fish weighed between 9 and 10 lbs.

Said he could only get bit on a stretch of bank that was about a city block long. Post Script/// When we pulled onto this stretch yesterday, there is no reason that I would have ever fished it or stopped their. Bill just said this is where his nephew said they were. I could find no reason to see why it was special. Go's back to the more you know the less you really know.

We fished down the bank about 40 yrds. and Bill pointed out some structure on the Bank and said his nephew said the fish were only from that piece of structre to the interior point. My second cast into the Honey Hole, I caught a K of about 1.75. While I was unhooking the small bass, I heard bill say, Oh My Gosh. I have got a monster.

I throw my bass back and look up front and his rod is in a complete 1/2 moon and the drag is just singing is short zips. Shimano Cronarch. It pays to fish the best.

I look into the deep green and see the side of one of the biggest bass I have ever seen on the Rock, it is a complete toad. Bill is fishing 8lb. maxi on his stickbait so everything has to work perfect for him to get this fantastic fish to hand. After a real lengthy battle we get our mitts of this complete tablerock giant. A threadfin shad under 9lbs.

Think it was the fish his nephew was talking about. I would bet the farm and also the grave plot.

Caught 3 more fish on that stretch of bank with another really nice 3.5 lb. K and fished about 3 hrs. on other locations without a bite. Just was to flat with no breeze. Water temp at the start of the morning was 44.7 and when we quit at 1pm had gone up to about 46.

It won't be long.

Included are a couple of bait photo's and a couple of shots off our lodge deck. Man the lake is just beautiful this time of year.

[Ham]

Did he keep that fish???

[Bill Babler]

Ham, you must be new to the fourm. All fish are released back to mother nature.

With cool water temps, and fish coming off the bank a short areiated ride in the Champion livewell gives them a nice oxeginated jump start to go about their personal day to day chores.

No animals were harmed in the making of this movie.

[Fishin' Freak]

What a pig. Nice fish guys.

[Flysmallie]

a short areiated ride in the Champion livewell

Sometimes referred to as the Witness Relocation Program!!

[Fishin' Freak]

Bill and Bill,

What type of swivel is that you have tied to your Lucky Craft. Do you guys always fish a swivel with your stickbaits or do you tie them directly to the bait as well. I usually just tie mine directly to the bait but I was curious if there is an advantage for the swivel (action, easy changing of stickbaits ect) and if it was just a snap swivel or something "special" that catches 9 lb fish. It had to be the swivel!!! Thanks

[Ham]

I don't care if people selectively harvest a few fish for eating. I think it would be a waste to kill a 9 pound bass from TR. The best way to grow 10 pounders is to turn loose your larger fish.

I'm cool with a taking a pic or two, but when I see photos taken at a boat dock it makes me think the fish might have been killed. I generally try to release my fish where I caught them. I have been known to give a big fish a boat ride to certified scales and then another boat ride back "home".

I've enjoyed reading a few of your fishing reports, but I have not been here since day one.

[RSBreth]

That's a Norman "Speed Clip".

Some folks use them instead of a snap, I like both.

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.Tex...t=SearchResults

[Bill Babler]

Right as Rain on the Speed Clip. I love em for fishing stickbaits, spooks and redfins, it allows total movement of the head of the bait with virtually no weight. Also makes for quick changes.

Spot of photo might directly coralate with the spot of the catch, who knows? We may also have forgotten our camera in the truck and had to run to the ramp to get it.

Either way, she is still swimming in the briney blue. Good Luck

We are after Walleye on the morrow will let you know on how we did on the Bull Shoals report tomorrow afternoon.

[jay bird]

I think that a short stay in a running livewell does some good to some of your bigger fish. Bass/Stripers etc. are designed for short burst of speed and a sustained fight causes a build up a lactic acid in their muscles. This is the stuff that causes cramps in muscles. I have found that a little time in a livewell to re-O2 and to let some of that lactic acid decrease makes for a better release. I have found this to be true for Stripers, but I have not been able to try this on anything over 7 pounds for Bass.