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Bill Babler
Bill Babler

By Bill Babler •

Missouri State Record Brown Trout!

 

Triploid Brown Trout, Lake Taneycomo September 4th. 2019  Girth 28 inches, length 41 1/4 inches weight Forty pounds 6 oz.  Certified Missouri State Record.

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Really at this point I have no idea for a title for this post or a reason that God made it possible for me to catch it.  It was simply his plan.  For sure a day I will never forget, with a sad note in that we were not able to get it properly released even with the amount of care that we provided.  Again it was not to be and there is a reason for everything.

On a much brighter note, I just caught the State Record Brown trout and got a big congratulations call from the Director of the Missouri Conservation Department.

Today was a pleasure fishing trip for me.  Seems like there has been a few lately just getting back from Alasky with Phil, but never the less my long time best friend from Grade School came down to trout fish today and we were going to get him a couple of nice plump rainbows to take home.

If you have been following our reports you know that the fish have been all over the Power Worm.  Bubble Gum.  Don't buy any.  Both Duane and I have been fishing the same stretch of water just below the restricted zone for a week.  Duane more than me, as a matter of fact I keep wanting to fish a scud in the restricted zone and he as they say, "made me do it."

None the less, since we were going to keep a couple we started  below the mouth of Fall Creek, with the Pink Worm.

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At this point I will tell you there is never a day that my equipment is not gone totally over.  I never fish terminal line or tackle two days in a row.  Never.  Everything is broken down and rebuilt, everyday.  Never fail and what I and Mark were fishing was put together last night.

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Main line on the Daiwa Fuego,   BP Excel mono in 4 lb. to a carrot float.  Below the float a Spro, sampo style swivel and then 7'6" of Orvis 6X tippet 3.1 lb. test at .005 diameter. 

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 All fished on a Rod Shop 7' Signature White River Outfitters Custom Rod.  We were using of course the pink worm.  Worm was on a 125th. oz. full micro jig.  First super glued and then cemented. Prior to Turner Jones passing, he made me 100 heads with out bodies on size 12 mustad hook.  They are very good, in the Full Micro size but a bit weak in the half micro size of 14.  These were the Full, they work perfect with the PW as the  head glues directly to a wide flat jig head surface.

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We were running a bit late and not on the water till 8 as Mark drove down about 60 miles.  Our first pass he put a nice rainbow in the boat while I got him going, just like I would on a guide trip.  Here is the great deal.  Very much unlike a guide trip I was going to get to fish.  On the second pass I grabbed a rod after he was drifting nicely and about that time a cloud came over and it got kind of dark on the water.  Looked great.  My float dipped under and before i could even lift the fish came to the surface and just swirled.  I told Mark this was a big fish, then I said a HORSE as the drag started whirling and buzzing, smooth as silk.  We were fishing a trough and the fish immediately headed for mid-stream.  By then just a 1/2 minute or so Mark had reeled in and grabbed the net.  I hit my bow switch and trimmed my main motor out of the water and pointed my trolling motor to the middle and let it pull drag keeping the rod high letting it absorb the pressure instead of the line.  The drag was set perfect, I never had to touch it, it just peeled off like string after a kite.  The fish made 2 circles in front of the boat and then headed to the back.  Went under the boat and then came out with its head up.  We were not quite ready and back he went under the boat.  He did the same thing again and we were ready.  Right into the Fish Pond net.  As we lifted him into the boat his nose went thru the basket as I lowered him and he rested on the carpet.  We immediately put him in the live well and did our best to keep him frisky and he was fantastic until he wasn't.

I have 3 people in this world that I would have loved to share that type of an experience with.  First is my son Steven and the next two are my buddy Mark and of course Phil.  However Phil and I have had similar experiences in strange lands.

Just feeling so blessed and again, right place, right time.

Good Luck 

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Bill Babler

Thanks all.  In speaking with both the state and IGFA it  seems that under 5% of World Line Class, State and World Record fish can be successfully released.  Simply due to age, size and uncontrollable circumstance.

I was told as soon as that fish was hooked it had less than a 10%chance of survival even if released at the boat.  Still not much comfort there but I am satisfied in my heart we did what we could.  I was also told that the fish due to the time of the fight which was so minimal was just not built for that kind of stress and probably for the most part lived under Fall Creek or one of the commercial docks and was a carrion eater.  This would provide his great size and girth with minimal movement or effort by the fish.

On another note the fish does not qualify for a line class record as my tippet was to long.  Your tippet cannot be longer than 6' even if it is a lighter pound test and a smaller diameter than your main line.  The person at the IGFA that the Mo. Conservation Dept wanted me to speak with said he simply had no idea why this rule was in the books and it was beyond stupid but it was in there.  It would have been the new World Line Class Record for either my tippet or even my spooled 4 lb. test but because I was using tippet longer than 6' regardless of strength it did not qualify.  At this point but he was going to see.  

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Ryan Miloshewski

Really is remarkable Frank was successfully released and survived. Honestly the only record I can think of that was caught and released. Most die. Just how the cookie crumbles. Congrats, Bill, and be proud of your accomplishment!

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laker67
1 hour ago, Bill Babler said:

 

On another note the fish does not qualify for a line class record as my tippet was to long.  Your tippet cannot be longer than 6' even if it is a lighter pound test and a smaller diameter than your main line.  The person at the IGFA that the Mo. Conservation Dept wanted me to speak with said he simply had no idea why this rule was in the books and it was beyond stupid but it was in there.  It would have been the new World Line Class Record for either my tippet or even my spooled 4 lb. test but because I was using tippet longer than 6' regardless of strength it did not qualify.  At this point but he was going to see.  

Sorry about that technicality, that is just unreal. The fact that he is still checking is positive though. I hope it works out. Hang on to that set up that you caught the fish on. If they rule in your favor you will need to send it in for testing. It may be too much of a fish to let it slip though unrecorded.

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Bill Babler

Nope, they just denied the application due to the length of the tippet.  6' maximum no reason was sited and the guy I was working with has absolutely no explanation.  He thought since  smaller diameter line and the fish was caught on such light line that it should have been recorded.  He could not understand that rule nor could he explain a reason behind it. Nor could his supervisor explain it to him.  it is just a rule.

He advised when either fly or spin fishing to not use tippet in any length and on fly fishing just use leader to fly and conventional fishing either bait cast or spin to not use leader and go directly from the spool to the bait.  

This was just his suggestions as it takes the tippet length factor out of the equation. 

This would be really important when bass or walleye fishing using a braid with a carbon leader.  What if you caught the world record bass, it would not count with them if your leader was over 6'  Again the suggestion was do not use a leader, go directly main line to the bait if your wanting it to be in the books.

Good Luck

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tjm

well, I guess I don't understand either the rule nor why you would want a tippet over 6' , if the tippet was 50' long it would qualify as the line and as such be eligible?  so, line is line no mater where it is in the system and the weakest link breaks. Makes that a silly rule, on the other hand small limp tippets don't straighten out well for me when over 20-30" on fly line  so 6' seems ridiculously long. I've never used a tippet over 3-4' on spin gear; does 6' or longer produce more fish? Or? 

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Bill Babler

The reason for tippet length is to present the fly at the proper depth.  Taney trout are grazers for the most part and feed almost exclusively on the bottom, especially during high light low wind situation 

it is not uncommon in the least to fish tippet lengths here as deep as 9’ to 15’ to maintain a bait or fly in approximation with the bottom.  I’ve seen Chuck Grice go as deep as 18’ during high and swift water

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Boobie

Bill,Everyone is glad for you. Take that and run with it!!!!! You are a true angler and very generous to everyone that soaks up your posts. It was YOUR day and you landed the big one. Not many people would have even got that fish to the boat. Congrats!!!!!!!      What would Bill Beck say if he were around? I know what he would have said.😎🐳

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