Just Kicking and Stewing

[Bill Babler]

3 hours ago, Phil Lilley said:

Trout are biting on my lake just fine...  

And Whoop-T-Doo, Elizabeth I'm coming to join you tomorrow and most of next week.  I have 7 trout trips in the next 9 days.  I'm going to let these hard to catch rascals cool their heels for a week or so and see if they will forgive me for this past Summer and show me a little Love.

[Champ188]

5 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

For my day to day life as a guide especially if I have multiple clients even up to 3 there are just some things that I or they struggle with.  Most of that is casting and presenting a bait correctly.

Nothing truer than this, folks. Tournament fishing is cupcakes with sprinkles compared to trying to keep novices hooked up with bass on TR or other Ozarks lakes. And, of course, most want to fish in the summertime when the bite is the hardest. Bill is one of the very, very best at his profession. 

[Old plug]

IT is something like that up here at LOZ right now. I do not ay much attention to water temperature up here. It really jumps all over the place from spot to spot. Docks cause a lot of this. but falling the shade is big help   Me and my neighbor go out for about 2 hours almost ever  evening. Rarely go more than a mile from the house. We had been catching 4 to10 keepers with a with a occasional 4+ occasionally every time out  This past week the thrill was gone we are still caching plant of fish but the size has went down  I Feel Like ibis related to the moon phase and the nearing of transition time    

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[Bill Babler]

Good to hear from you Plug.  Glad you all are after them, keeps a man young.  Appreciate the info.

[Old plug]

Well Bill. You got to keep trucking. And not getting any more getting old thoughts in your head than are necessary.   

[Royal Blue]

Bill you're right about the jig fish being there, but they're fewer and further inbetween what they were even 2-3 weeks ago.  I've been on Bull 2-3 times a week for the past month or so and can attest to declining numbers over there as well.  Mostly due to the shad being everywhere is my belief.  I see very little evidence of a thermocline from Bear creek all the way to Powersite.  Every single fish that I've caught but a handful have come on a jig in the last month.  They've also gone from thumping the jig to pretty much just loading up on it and much deeper than even a week ago.  For almost 3 weeks I could practically sight fish for them in pockets (weird in July.)  There are still some up shallow, but the sheer numbers are very scattered at this point.  We've gone from catching 10-20 keepers to 4-5 in a trip.  I did have 2 4lb largemouth yesterday, but I equate that more to luck than anything.  I was just reeling in my jig when I looked down and saw two big girls in hot pursuit in the clear water.  I killed it and the one in the lead crushed it 10 feet below the boat!

Having said that, I caught an absolute giant of a Smallmouth this past weekend between KDock and Beaver.  I'd never seen a 5lb smallie on an Ozarks lake, and consequently I practically got buck fever when I swung her into the boat!  I feel like the slower trips in the last week are karma for having such a good summer over there.

[Seth Clarkson]

23 minutes ago, Royal Blue said:

Having said that, I caught an absolute giant of a Smallmouth this past weekend between KDock and Beaver.  I'd never seen a 5lb smallie on an Ozarks lake, and consequently I practically got buck fever when I swung her into the boat!  I feel like the slower trips in the last week are karma for having such a good summer over there.

Did you get a picture!? Would love to see more big smallies on Bull. 

[Royal Blue]

39 minutes ago, Seth Clarkson said:

Did you get a picture!? Would love to see more big smallies on Bull. 

Not the best pic because it was literally 98 degrees and I had both of my kids with me.  I snapped this pic, measured her at 21 1/2 inches, weighed her at 5lb 3oz and got her in the water all in about a 5 minute time period.  Then I just sat there pumped and feeling awesome.

[Quillback]

4 minutes ago, Royal Blue said:

Not the best pic because it was literally 98 degrees and I had both of my kids with me.  I snapped this pic, measured her at 21 1/2 inches, weighed her at 5lb 3oz and got her in the water all in about a 5 minute time period.  Then I just sat there pumped and feeling awesome.

Congrats!  I bet I have caught a couple of hundred smalls on Beaver since December but not one over 19".  That is a hawg for these lakes.  

I saw your comments on swimming a jig, that has been working for me on Beaver lately, not that I am catching many in the last few weeks, but I' say half my bites are now coming as I am swimming that jig.

[Royal Blue]

Swimming that jig was 100% luck.  I'm more of a drag and hop kind of guy, but it was eye opening when I looked down and two toads were rushing it.  I was using a chompers twin tail 5inch grub for my trailer and I usually use paca chunks or Rage Tail craws so not sure if that mattered.