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Bill Babler
Bill Babler

Table Rock 6-11-18 White River Arm

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Outside of Saturday on Taney, I have been on the Rock the past week most everyday launching either out of Shell Knob or Baxter and fishing up to about Viney, which I see is now open for business.

Surface temps are ranging from 84 degree early to 88 in the middle of the day or at least by 11 as that has been my quitting time most days.  Traffic has not been a problem except for the Kids Camp at Twin Rivers.  They are out pulling tubers before 6 am.

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One quick rant and then I'm on with the report.  I'm going to blame them but if not I will say I'm sorry in advance.  Last Thursday morning I was the first boat at the Shell Knob ramp and there were 8 spotted bass floating up and banging on the ramp.  I should have carried them off but I didn't as my client got there while I was still in the mad mode.  I'm sure it was the Wednesday night derby.  After I got back from my trip around 10am there was someone taking photographs of them.  Don't know who or what as they jumped in their car as I was still in my boat approaching the ramp.  This made news or totally made someone else mad besides me.

If I had a dollar for all the fish that has been killed on Wednesday night over the past 30 yrs. out of Shell Knob, I could retire.  I have heard folks say they have gotten better, but last Thursday was an embarrassment if it was the tournament event on Wednesday night that killed those fish.

Fish from Baxter to Viney Creek are still biting and its not hard to catch 30 to 50 on a guide trip with or without live bait.  They are hitting a drop shot worm as well or even better at times than a crawler.

Top bite is hit and miss but I'm catching them really well on a flutter spoon in the same places that usually hold top water fish.  You can see most of these fish and they are at times pushing to the top and at times just holding at the thermocline between 20' and 30' suspended.  I've been catching them by the dozen out in front of the big docks with at least 75' of water at the ends.  Had 7 this morning off a deep dock and a NO Wake Bouy, including two 3 plus lb. LM.

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You can also catch them swimming a 3.3 Keitech right now the same place as the Flutter Spoon, and also off the long runouts up the White and Kings River.

 Also had a nice walter come in on the Keitech this morning, to client and friend Jack Swank.

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Further up the White you get the better the jig bite is.  It is also really good from Baxter to Big Creek.  Unlike Bo, I'm using a huge Nicholes Craw and catching big SM on it, along with some quality spots, Go Figure. Most of these fish are in the 18' to 25" dragging on the bottom, much like a C-Rig.  Using either a 5/16 or 3/4 Pig Sticker FB jib in GP or Brown to do the damage.  Best Craw color as been Texas Craw.  Best top water has been the WP 110 in Loon, and the best color for the Keitech as been Pro blue Shiner.  I'm also using either a 4" Yamamoto cut tail in Brown/Purple or a watermelon Chompers DSW.

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These fish seem to move everyday from location to location so If they are not where you left them yesterday, look on the next runnout.

If I could think of any more information than that you would know more than I do.  On the other hand knowing more than I do is still not all that much.

Good Luck out there.

 

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Just another quick post on the jig.  Son Steven was down last Saturday and I took the day off to fish with him.  He is just a fantastic jig fisherman and is as unconventional as all get out.  He is a dragger and a shaker and he fishes that jig like some fish a C-Rig, with a very low rod tip and his hook set is first a sweep and then just a steady pressure high rod reel in.

Kicked me completely out of the boat Saturday, catching I'm guessing about 30 on it with some fantastic SM. 

Early morning they were catching it.  We were throwing it into about 15' and dragging it out to about 30'  I held my own on the catch, even possibly beating him a little.  When it came to fishing it completely out to the boat and dragging it, he took over.

Yesterday with Jack I caught 4 on it later in the morning and they all caught it..  For those of you that don't know what I'm talking about its on the cast if it never hits the bottom and they are immediately on it that is a fish catching it.

Right now they are holding onto it really well and are hard to take it away from.  Best bites have been on the catch or when you toss it out and then cannot find it and your line just remains slack.  They are also knocking slack in the line if your keeping tension on it your line will just go slack.  That's a bite, it has not been a tug or a thump, but more of just thinking, " I know I should be feeling some weight and there is no lure on my line."  If you lose it wind like crazy picking up the slack and proceed in the appropriate manner.

Bo can correct me here but I think the reason is there are multiple fish moving after the jig and when one gets it he is most often running with it immediately.  On lots of these catches our hooked fish is being followed in by one or two others.  Happened multiple times this last week.

Probably common knowledge on this stuff, but it has been important to us.

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Bill....any reliable way to hook up with those followers you mention? I’m coming down next week to the dam area and think my young son would get a kick out of hooking up with a follower right at the boat. Maybe a weightless senko or a wacky rig?

Thanks. 

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18 hours ago, Royal Blue said:

This^^^ We fished the little derby out of Cape Fair last Wednesday and started the day with 4 bags of ice in the well, stopped along the way and bought 3 more.  All of our fish wire lively, but we checked them religiously all day.  I can promise you, that I'd at least eat the spots if I did that though.

 

I bought some live well lid vents a couple of years ago, and now practically beg others to get a set when we are visiting before and after trips.

May be several versions out there, I don't know - and I am certainly not advertising for these in particular.

Just wanted to give an idea.

No more ice, the air flow takes care of everything.

 

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https://www.newproproducts.com/products.html

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2 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

Just another quick post on the jig.  Son Steven was down last Saturday and I took the day off to fish with him.  He is just a fantastic jig fisherman and is as unconventional as all get out.  He is a dragger and a shaker and he fishes that jig like some fish a C-Rig, with a very low rod tip and his hook set is first a sweep and then just a steady pressure high rod reel in.

Kicked me completely out of the boat Saturday, catching I'm guessing about 30 on it with some fantastic SM. 

Early morning they were catching it.  We were throwing it into about 15' and dragging it out to about 30'  I held my own on the catch, even possibly beating him a little.  When it came to fishing it completely out to the boat and dragging it, he took over.

Yesterday with Jack I caught 4 on it later in the morning and they all caught it..  For those of you that don't know what I'm talking about its on the cast if it never hits the bottom and they are immediately on it that is a fish catching it.

Right now they are holding onto it really well and are hard to take it away from.  Best bites have been on the catch or when you toss it out and then cannot find it and your line just remains slack.  They are also knocking slack in the line if your keeping tension on it your line will just go slack.  That's a bite, it has not been a tug or a thump, but more of just thinking, " I know I should be feeling some weight and there is no lure on my line."  If you lose it wind like crazy picking up the slack and proceed in the appropriate manner.

Bo can correct me here but I think the reason is there are multiple fish moving after the jig and when one gets it he is most often running with it immediately.  On lots of these catches our hooked fish is being followed in by one or two others.  Happened multiple times this last week.

Probably common knowledge on this stuff, but it has been important to us.

correct.  when you have bass strike your lure and head to deep water like a streak, it is because there is whole lot of buddies there feeding.  when fishing for brownies and k's, never reel in on a missed swing.  they will often get it again as it sinks back.

bo

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1 hour ago, Brennan said:

Bill....any reliable way to hook up with those followers you mention? I’m coming down next week to the dam area and think my young son would get a kick out of hooking up with a follower right at the boat. Maybe a weightless senko or a wacky rig?

Thanks. 

Spoon. Worked yesterday on a nice LM. Looked like I was figure 8ting. Need something that drops fast as they are usually 4 or 5 feet below

Thanks Bo,  exactly, especially on a missed swing

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Marvin Yes that’s what you need to do show up and make a seen you might get to go for a swim this happens once in awhile and we will take care of it Wednesday night there will be a donkey bbq if it’s not going to happen if we can help it we that run the tournament will not put up with it I checked around the  walk dock last Wednesday night only saw one fish that was having trouble with getting down put it was a black not a spot I didn’t check around the ramp but you can bet I will from now on If you can’t take care of your fish and keep them alive and well and if you don’t want to learn how to needle them so they will live then you need to quit fishing when it gets hot we’ll water and ice help but you have to put belly waits  on them and sometimes they still have to be needled our they will die we had a school on this last year handed out papers and needles P. S it’s going to stop 

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There were 8 K's floating from the ramp to the dock on Thursday morning at 5:30 am.  No LM.  Someone was photographing them at 10 am and I did not get a chance to see who it was as he was just leaving as I was pulling in.  Small silver car and a younger slender, dark haired young man with glasses.

Water is way hot right now, middle to upper 80's and if these fish are coming from the thermocline its going to be a problem as it always is in the heat of the summer.

Please for every sportsmans sake make sure this does not happen again, as it is just about the biggest black eye any of us that fish a derby or two can get.

Thanks

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