Fish How You Want to Fish.

[Bill Babler]

We are so blessed to be able to pursue a sport we truly love in a variety of different ways. 

With multiple species and a plethora of different techniques, we can pretty much catch or let me say fish as we choose. 

Deep fishing for bass has pretty much been around for decades.  In the 1960's we used Texas rigged worms on lake of the Ozarks to catch LM on Bluff ends out to 35' deep.  The same thing with suspending jerk bait's from Bollinger Creek down on clearer water, in the same locations as the fish would rise in the water column to take the slow moving suspended baits. 

Table Rock and every lake on the White River chain has had this type of fishing from when they were impounded.  There are always fish in most all layers of the water column it just lets us target them on our chosen method. 

Using flashers, paper graphs, 2D sonar, side scan, live scopes, or now active target are just other ways to explore the sport that we love. 

Do we need it to fun fish?  Yes,  if that's the way we like to do it we certainly do. 

Do we need it to catch fish, no we don't. Most times you can go down a bank with repeated casts, in the correct locations with the correct conditions, baits and technique and catch fish. 

It's kind of like, its all about me, what do I like to do. 

I've always loved deep fishing, it started with our guides on Lake O. Catching white bass in Rainey Creek trolling and seeing them suspended on Hummingbird flashers, this was early 70's. Maybe 73/74. 

Then after college in the middle 80's fishing with Rex Grady and seeing deep bass on Table Rock come to a bait on an X16 paper graph, I was totally "Hooked.". 

I can spend hours just looking at side scan, 2D sonar and never make a cast. For that matter I don't much like to cast. If I can open a bail or push a button and watch a fish bite the bait, that's my deal.   I don't mind throwing to feeding top water fish but going down a bank casting and casting is just not my deal.   Other folks love it and God Bless them for it. 

Sonar and under water eyes has also helped us ie professional guides bring young and inexperienced fishermen aboard. Folks that have a hard time operating fishing equipment.  Those that only fish once or twice a year, have a really hard time cast fishing.  First they can't control their cast and second they have an extremely hard time hooking and catching the fish when they do make a presentation that a fish will bite. 

At anything you do you must have a little success to keep wanting to continue with the activity. I think a lot of times folks just don't like fishing because they experience very little success.

It's been my life work to make folks experienced or novice alike, successful in the art if fishing.  Simplifying the sport has been my best tool. 

I wish all on the board continued success in all life endeavors and a happy and safe holiday season. 

Good Luck. 

 

[Champ188]

Bill, I hope you or no one else on this forum has EVER taken my comments about "deep sea" fishing as criticism. I'm the "class clown" type of personality and ANY comment directed toward you or others fishing offshore was meant as comedy and nothing else. However, such intentions can be lost in written communications, and for that exact reason, I abstain from making such comments toward those forum members I don't know as well as I do you.

 On the other hand, I pride myself in my casting/pitching/flipping/skipping skills, boat control, and general knowledge about fishing shallow. Heck, other than my late father, I probably learned more about fishing from old-time Bassmaster pros George Cochran and Ricky Green than anyone. I spent a lot of time in their boats as a young outdoors writer and the lessons never stopped for my spongy young brain. I'll say this one thing about fishing shallow on Midwest highland reservoirs and I assure you that guys like Sprint and Fishrman will back me up ... it is NOT Rambo fishing. To consistently catch shallow bass from clear water is even MORE of a finesse deal than drop-shotting, ice jigging or counting down a tiny swimbait. Why? Because you are closer to the fish! Also, light penetration is far better at 5 feet than 50 feet, so they can see much better and are constantly on the watch for unusual or threatening movements! 

Finally, I've guided a fair amount over the years. Unless you are in a purely instructional environment, you cannot put most guide clients within two casts of the bank unless you want to spend all day getting them unhung. It's just a recipe for disaster. Kind of like a brand new War Eagle spinnerbait that I remember hanging for years from a weathervane on top of a certain dock in Aunt's Creek. 😂 

Please excuse me if I jumped on the defensive too fast, but I have never, ever set out to upset anyone on this forum. I've made some long-lasting, real-life friendships here. I'm the kind of guy who likes to be liked by everyone, and you don't do that by offending people.

Great article. Truthful from beginning to end and enjoyable to read. Just felt the need to clarify my position. 

Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for a markedly improved 2022. 

[Bill Babler]

Not at all James I truly enjoy reading the shallow pieces posted by you and the above stated members. Loved Sprints Kings River post 

Just a piece about my upbringing and why I do what I do.  It really doesn’t matter how we like to fish as there are a lot of ways to get to the finish line  

I simply love the technology and really would not enjoy bass fishing as much without it. Course when I was a kid I loved pinball, and video games🤪. Might be kind of the same thing. 
 

[Champ188]

Cool, just wanted to be sure I hadn't blurted out something that offended someone. I'll leave that to Wrench ... he's a master of it. 😁

I'm certainly not blind to how the deep game could be exciting, especially with all of the recent technology developments. But my true joy is the skinny-water approach. Probably explains why I so greatly enjoy looking at em in the spring for fun, although I absolutely won't do it in tournaments because no matter of the legality of it, I'm not going to knowingly take a spawner and haul it away from its nest. That's just me. Everyone else do as you will.

[dwiebenga]

I am blessed to have learned a bit from both of you personally and on the forum.  Thank you for all you do.

[Sprint21fter]

No hurt feelings here.  I can be a sneaky deep water fishing if I have too, but I don’t have enough time to idle and find the mother load. I know where some deep trees and other types of structures are and I will fish them accordingly.  I’ve spooned fish on the bottom at 80ft, my dad taught me that, he also taught me shallow cranking but also how to fish a DD 22.  He taught me to always fish your strengths. I’m all about helping people out trying to catch more fish. Had a fellow  bass club member ask for some help for a top ten he qualified for on Bull Shoals last week and he caught  a solid 15 lbs cranking.  He asked me why I share information with people and I told him nobody knows how I’m presenting the bait: cadence/speed/colored water etc.  Thanks for the compliment! Happy Holidays to everyone!

[Ryan Miloshewski]

I always think of Bill "Bluewater" Beck when deep fishing comes up. That guy was one of the best fishing deep by all accounts. 

[Champ188]

12 hours ago, Ryan Miloshewski said:

I always think of Bill "Bluewater" Beck when deep fishing comes up. That guy was one of the best fishing deep by all accounts. 

That's putting credit where credit is due, brother. He could also catch em shallow. Our own Bill Babler was closer than a brother to this fine man, and as he often says, he was blessed in every way from it. 

[Champ188]

16 hours ago, dwiebenga said:

I am blessed to have learned a bit from both of you personally and on the forum.  Thank you for all you do.

Thank you, Dave. As Sprint said above in different words, it's a privilege to share information that helps others catch more fish. You don't have to include every detail but you don't want to be too vague either.

Like him, I'm not devoid of ability to fish deep and catch a few. Shoot, I enjoy winding a DD22 or DT16 down as deep as they'll go. Even more, I will drag a football jig, Ned or shaky head out to 30 feet all day long. But Sprint's dad was wise to tell him to fish to his strengths, which is what keeps me inwards of 20 feet whenever I can justify fishing that way. 

[Fishrman]

I totally agree Champ, it is not Rambo fishing when you fish shallow like I do and we do.  Sprint and I share alot of information with each other, we fish the same bass club and we do some fun fishing together when time allows.  I've learned alot from guys in the club, not necessarily they telling me what they are doing, but if you pay close enough attention, you will always pick a few things up here and there.  Yesterday I was cranking the clear clear water at Kimberling, and fishing bluffs with good ledges, did not need wind, as they will set up this time of year just under or on top of the ledge, you have to finesse that crank down there, and just pull it along and they will eat it.  Earlier this year I took a Lake of the Ozarks tip with a spinnerbait and for several months just caught some real nice fish almost every time out.  While others were throwing the plopper, I was spinnerbaiting.  Worked good for me.  Wish I knew more about deep fishing, have a caught some here and there when I go out and try it, but shallow is my comfort zone.  This forum has been great over the years.  It reminds of me of the bass club, pay attention to the posts and you will get more out them than just the typed information.  Now living in Kimberling City, and this my last year at Cassville Schools, I am retiring.  I am having a great time finding areas on that end of the lake that I can do what I like to do.  Anyway, I will quit rambling.  I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  Enjoy the season.

Fish