Bass Central Open Thoughts?

[Bill Babler]

Been helping Becky at the Lodge the past couple of days so I have had a ring side seat to the boat races from the Open.  I want you all to remember this tournament does not have restrictions, and these guys have been up here for a month, fishing most every day.  On opening day while sipping my Java, I counted by 7:15  42 boats go under the Long Creek bridge.  Spoke to Beck about this, and we mostly agreed that Long Creek and Brushy Creek just cannot handle that many boats. That is near a 1/4 of a 180 boat field going into a very small lake section especially with the water at the level it is.

Now remember I said 42 boats yesterday and these guys for the most part earn their living from sponsorships to fish.  Today during the same time frame I counted 11 boats go under the bridge.  My question is how can so many professional fishermen that have literally lived here for a month be so wrong?

Up Long or Brushy, you either throw a jig, you crank, you throw a blade or you toss a stick bait. There are also still some deep fish.  Right now if you put much on the bottom in under 15" you get slimed.  You may be able to fish a wart, a RK Crawler or a jig, but you have to continually clean them off.  To stay productive you need to keep your bait off the bottom.  That is not Long Creek or Brushy for the most part.

Why so few today and so many yesterday?  Did they decide it was just to crowded yesterday?  Did they not catch the fish they wanted?  Very interesting to me,  and there is no way of knowing, but I will guarantee you that there were harsh words spoken in there yesterday and there were feelings hurt up there.  If was kind of like the big bass bash, just way over crowded.

Plenty of room in Long Creek today if you can catch them there.

Another thought is a very impressive day of fish catching.  Not size or stringer weights, but the number of 5 fish limits.  This tells me they were cranking up the White River, or still fishing deep K's.  Lots of very small limits, very impressive numbers.

Just some ramblings.

[Seth]

I recognize three of the names that were staying at the same hotel as us last weekend when we were down for Phi'ls trout tourney, so they had at least five days to pre-fish before the tourney started. Between the three of them, they caught a total of four keepers yesterday. Sounds like that pre-fishing really paid off!

[Quillback]

Well from what I saw in Viney, 4 out of 5 of those boats are fishing shallow, saw several throwing spinner baits right up on the gravel bank, maybe that is working, but I think that is very low percentage.  Back seaters for those guys had maybe a half cast to the bank to work with, and I think those guys in the back would be much better off throwing off the deep side of the boat, swimming a grub or working a Ned.  None of that slimy stuff up the White so you can work the bottom.

I don't want to sound like I am some kind of expert, those guys are better fisherman than me for sure.  But it's Table Rock and it fishes different. 

[Bill Babler]

Seth, both you and Quill were spot on.  I was pre-fishing a BFL guy last week out of his boat and I just literally kicked his tail throwing out the deep or back side of the boat.  I just kept telling him, I'm not doing you any good when you see me throwing out the back side of the boat and catching them out there.  You are positively wasting your money on me.

  I fished him two days and he weighed in 2 keepers in the BFL.  At times we were in under 4' of water, fishing the dam area.  One day I had 9 keepers fishing the back side of the boat and he had zero.  Still just could not force himself to get off the bank.

[balsabee]

26 minutes ago, Bill Babler said:

I was pre-fishing a BFL guy last week out of his boat and I just literally kicked his tail throwing out the deep or back side of the boat.  One day I had 9 keepers fishing the back side of the boat and he had zero.  Still just could not force himself to get off the bank.

I can be extremely stubborn and try and force things to happen on several occasions, especially when I've done well in the past but dang.....I'm definitely a Missouri "Show Me State" boy.  You only have to show me once.  He might as well save his money and quit now. He won't make it very far beyond the BFL.

[m&m]

41 minutes ago, Bill Babler said:

Seth, both you and Quill were spot on.  I was pre-fishing a BFL guy last week out of his boat.

  I fished him two days and he weighed in 2 keepers in the BFL.  At times we were in under 4' of water, fishing the dam area.  One day I had 9 keepers fishing the back side of the boat and he had zero.  Still just could not force himself to get off the bank.

Bill, Seth & Quill, great information. When I went into Viney I saw the boats were beating the banks. You just can't fix stupid. You can't wish the fish to the bank no matter how hard you try. WT at Big M was 52.5-54. 8 days ago it was 56.4 - 59.5. My electronics yesterday showed the fish were bunched out a little deeper. The ones I caught were 15-20' down. 

Again thanks for the information as we all need those reminders. 

Mike

[Bill Babler]

Your right Bee, but I have seen this so many times in the last 30 years I cannot even count they.  Some folks just can not adapt from the success they have had and think no matter where they go they can do the same.  Pretty hard here on the White River

[dtrs5kprs]

Too many folks just won't slow down and put 20' or more under the boat. Oh well.

 

[m&m]

1 minute ago, Bill Babler said:

Your right Bee, but I have seen this so many times in the last 30 years I cannot even count they.  Some folks just can not adapt from the success they have had and think no matter where they go they can do the same.  Pretty hard here on the White River

Bill, so true. Prior to retiring here I was used to fishing LOZ and KY/Barkley. I did not own a spinning outfit except for a trout rod and reel. This forum has taught me a great deal about TRL. I now have 3 spinning outfits on the deck every time I go fishing and I am still learning every time I go out. My new electronics have helped me find fish bunched up a little deeper and I have managed to catch a couple out of that bunch. I appreciate all the information everyone shares. 

Mike

[usa made outdoors]

1 hour ago, Bill Babler said:

Been helping Becky at the Lodge the past couple of days so I have had a ring side seat to the boat races from the Open.  I want you all to remember this tournament does not have restrictions, and these guys have been up here for a month, fishing most every day.  On opening day while sipping my Java, I counted by 7:15  42 boats go under the Long Creek bridge.  Spoke to Beck about this, and we mostly agreed that Long Creek and Brushy Creek just cannot handle that many boats. That is near a 1/4 of a 180 boat field going into a very small lake section especially with the water at the level it is.

Now remember I said 42 boats yesterday and these guys for the most part earn their living from sponsorships to fish.  Today during the same time frame I counted 11 boats go under the bridge.  My question is how can so many professional fishermen that have literally lived here for a month be so wrong?

Up Long or Brushy, you either throw a jig, you crank, you throw a blade or you toss a stick bait. There are also still some deep fish.  Right now if you put much on the bottom in under 15" you get slimed.  You may be able to fish a wart, a RK Crawler or a jig, but you have to continually clean them off.  To stay productive you need to keep your bait off the bottom.  That is not Long Creek or Brushy for the most part.

Why so few today and so many yesterday?  Did they decide it was just to crowded yesterday?  Did they not catch the fish they wanted?  Very interesting to me,  and there is no way of knowing, but I will guarantee you that there were harsh words spoken in there yesterday and there were feelings hurt up there.  If was kind of like the big bass bash, just way over crowded.

Plenty of room in Long Creek today if you can catch them there.

Another thought is a very impressive day of fish catching.  Not size or stringer weights, but the number of 5 fish limits.  This tells me they were cranking up the White River, or still fishing deep K's.  Lots of very small limits, very impressive numbers.

Just some ramblings.

Bill, you are absolutely right about Long & Brushy.  Both are excellent creeks(at times) and more than capable of producing a winning bag but will absolutely shut down fast due to fishing pressure.  Plus this time of year you add all the crappie and white bass boats you've really got a crowd. My folks owned and ran a resort up long creek for about 10 years so I've spent more time up long creek than anywhere else on the rock.  Some of our best days of fun fishing have come up that creek, and some of our worst tournament days have come up that creek .  Needless to say it's always tempting to run up Long creek on derby day but we've become a lot more selective about when we do - Kenny