Current Fishing Report April 7th. 2015 Baxter, Missouri

[Bill Babler]

Last 3 days I have fished Baxter to Shell Knob on the White River section of Table Rock. Decent success to say the least. I have fished some cloudy water, but personally I need the clear to slight green to be successful. Surface temps are ranging between 52 and 56 degree main lake and secondary points where I have been fishing.

Really calm early and then later in the morning the wind has started to blow and that is when it starts to click. Early for us has been the Varmint.

About 70 fish to the Guide Boat the last 3 days with the majority being Jaw's. Son Steven and I really hammered them Easter Sunday. Had 15 keepers mostly on the Wobblehead and the Jerkbait. If you missed one on the head all you needed to do was fling that jerker in there and they would hammer it. I told Bill Beck I'm going to lose a rod this year, as we had some very violent strikes the last few days. Probably running with it on slack line and then just pounding me when it came taut.

Today I had Dave and Christine from Colorado, what a super couple. They also have a home in Williams Landing and just purchased a Spankin New 619 Phoenix/Mercury Rig from McCallister Marine. We showed them what they were looking for today.

Counted back and I believe we put 26 fish in the boat with the best 5 at 13.5 today. We hit the slam and Christine had a really nice solid 4 pounder escape as she tried to hand the rod to the guide to get it unstuck. I heard her drag wizzing and said that AIN'T STUCK. The Big Blacky jumped and spit-tued the Varmint right back at us.

In the White River the fish are mostly in 12' to 15', but to fish these fish correctly you have to put your boat in at least a full cast from that range.

Today I had a bank I wanted to fish, and when I pulled into the creek, a nice new boat with twin power poles was going down it. I told Chris and Dave that we would catch them on it as soon as the boat got out of the way and off the fish. He was going down so close that the guy in the back was casting out of the back of the boat.

As soon as they moved we took 1 jerkbait, 2 Varmint 1 Wobblehead, and 1 Grub fish off it, 3 solid 15" keeps in the bunch of fish.

This is the first day that I have seen multiple fish in the water column, while casting the bank, they were all over. This deal is getting ready to kick loose.

Good Luck

Our fish today came as a combination of Varmint, Wobblehead, Grub, and Jerker.

[J-Doc]

Man that's a fine report.

Is there a special tactic on the wobble head? If I may ask? I tried one Saturday and didn't have much luck. Just working it like any other plastic rig right? Or swimming it?

Heck of a few days you and your clients have had. Nicely done.

[96 CHAMP]

Thank you for the report Mr Babler..

[abkeenan]

Great report Bill.

[Bill Babler]

Glad you asked Doc. And, yes there is a tactic to working a wobblehead. 1st. thing first, it is a crankbait and nothing else. You continually wind it on the bottom, you do not fish it like a plastic worm, grub or jig. You crank it.

It is best fished on a very long cast so it can be slow wound on the bottom for a longer distance to cover as much bottom as you can. Today my boat was in 25' to 30' on long gravel/chunk. Only fish the major spawning pocket mouths today and some inside main pocket points.

I'm fishing it with clients on 8 pound maxi on spinning gear, and on 12 pound FC on a bait caster. After the long cast let the bait fall to the bottom, I have settled on 7/16th. for what I do, this is my size. Usually just takes 5 or 6 seconds. slowly pick up your slack and wind the bait very slowly with your rod tip slightly elevated above the bait. Feel every hop, bop and bounce. If you think you are hung up continue to wind and it 80% of the time will just pop up over the obstruction. Be ready when this happens.

The bite is a wart bite, you will lose the bait or it will quit clicking the bottom. You can also feel a heavy weight, and they will hold on like a rat terrier on a bone, so this gives you time to lower the rod and "Pork them Good."

The key to this bait and both Tommy Biffle and Mark Davis will tell you, is it is not a jig, it is a crankbait, so crank it and never stop till it is either hooked to a fish or it is time to recast.

I love this bait and I'm going to guess have probably fished it more on the Rock that anyone else at this point. It works and will continue to work till mid-June.

Get out there and crank it.

[J-Doc]

^^^

This....

Man that's free information you cannot be without! Thanks Bill! Awesome tip! I remember reading/hearing that is how Tommy Biffle and Mark Davis fished it. I simply forgot. What you just described above sounds awesome. I've got a few baits that will fit this rig perfectly.

[willyfish]

I watched some video of Davis throwing it, it's a killer deal for sure.

[Champ188]

Man that's a fine report.

Is there a special tactic on the wobble head? If I may ask? I tried one Saturday and didn't have much luck. Just working it like any other plastic rig right? Or swimming it?

Heck of a few days you and your clients have had. Nicely done.

Bill left out one small detail. When you get the wobblehead back to the boat, check and make sure it has Table Rock water on it. It works a lot better that way.

[dtrs5kprs]

Winding it like an idiot bait was the hardest part for me. Tried it last year and started by dragging or shaking it. Eventually tried just slow rolling it along and got it going. It is an idiot bait in the extreme, but it works.

[Bass Enforcer]

Bill great report! Thank you! May I ask what you are trailing on your wobble head?