The lake level is 553.57 and has dropped about 1/2 inch in the last 24-hours . They quit generating all last night and just started again. There is no serious effort to drop the lake. So far this weekend there have just been sprinkles but they keep saying rain and it looks like the best chances for very much are tonight and Sunday. It is very dry and we can take some with no problem but do not need a gully washer in Gainsville. Some of the heavy rain is going north and they can have it. The dates for the Bass Cat invitational and Cystic Fibrosis Benefit on Norfork Lake have been announced last week and are October 16th for Cystic and October 22nd and 23rd for Bass Cat. We are getting reservations already for both and welcome Bass Cat Back to Norfork for their 50th anniversary. They have been gone too long. Everybody should be vaccinated for covid by then and it should be very fun and comes at a beautiful time of year. I just talked to Bink and he is really catching the big bass on the jerk bait and some walleye too. We are so busy here at Blackburns to get out fishing for very long. I make it out everyday but sometimes not until late afternoon. We now have 10-cabins open and ready for you with the rest coming next week. I have been burned too many times with variable March weather to get them all open too early but after the 15th it is pretty safe. I hope so. The below zero weather in the middle of February caused enough plumbing problems and I am glad that is over. The weather has been spring-like now for several days but has been cloudy, dreary and warm for several days but a high pressure is moving in early next week dropping the night time lows down to about normal again. The normal high now is 59 degrees and we have been quite a bit over that with daffodils blooming all over now. The normal low is barely above freezing and we do not need any of that. The grass is turning green with buds on the Bradford Pears. I have only been using two lures. The 5-inch suspending jerk bait and the 1/16th ounce Bobby Garland jig and catching bass and crappie everytime out. It looks like around the full moon will be the right time for the spawning stripers to go to the flats near the bank at dark the end of this month.I am seeing or hearing about very few stripers being caught now and none of any size. It is going to take a long time to convince me anything near a ten pounder is a big fish and if they keep killing those there will be none left with the game and fish not stocking any of them or hybrids last year due to covid. We need to take the pressure off them until they make a comeback and they will if the government quits flooding out the lake every year and holding it up high all summer. If this continues the future looks grim. Walleye fishing continues to improve and is already competeing with stripers as the most sought after fish. Right now bass and crappie fishing is the best and the jerk bait is the best lure. The lake overall is in excellent condition and the main lake is very clear. Not as clear as several years back but more than recent years. Last year diving conditions did not ever get good but I am hoping for better things to come early this summer. I really like diving for walleye and missed it last year a lot. Covid be damned. I have had both my shots and ready to get back to normal. Get yours and come on down we will not charge you too much.
