Mike Eakle with the fish of the day yesterday. 
The lake level is 553.48 and has risen four inches in the last 24-hours with absolutely no generation. We have received about 1-1/2 inches of rain in the last three days. It did not come hard and a lot of it sank in. There was still moisture in the ground but the creeks did not run. It stayed warm all night and is in the 60's already today and looks like rain again. They did not have to shut the generators off like they usually do when it rains to maximize the raise because they have already been off for several days. Nothing, Nada. They are starting the hold and hope method of management early this year. Fishing is picking up just a little but not much and it needs to. We picked up just a few crappie yesterday for the first time in a couple of weeks. First we were iced in. Then the shad kill started. Now the fish and birds are starting to clean them up a bit. The fish that we are catching are stuffed full of shad and they are sure not biting because they are hungry. If you put fish in your live well make sure you dip out all of the dead shad every day. If you do not there will be a nice surprise for you if it is not opened for a few days. It is worse than Catfish Charley. Rain and thunderstorms are to start any minute. The weather looks to be ok for the next week with rain in and out. The normal high is 55 and the normal low is just about freezing. Bass fishing is still the best bite.
