Blackburns is the home of the biggest Magnolia in the whole world. It is worth a trip here just to see it. Especially when it is blooming. 
Caught fishing with Bink yesterday.
The lake level is 567.78 and is rising about two inches per day with very little generation. Norfork is 11 feet above power pool, Bull Shoals is 20 feet above and table Rock is 1 ft. above. The top of the power pool is the level at which the Corps of Engineers take over the dam management from Southwestern Power. They are both run by the goverrnment so it does not matter much. Now that the VA, Post Office, Dam Management and Amtrak are all running well we should let them run more stuff. They can spend our money better than we can. The top-water bite is picking up nicely and bass, stripers and hybrids all came up early this morning. Binks now likes the wopper plopper for top-water. He says it is easier to work for novice fishermen and catches fish. He caught a lot of big smallmouth with it yesterday along with some smaller stripers. They sure cost a lot. I will stick with my spittin image and spook. People sure like to show off small dead stripers like they really accomplished something. They are very easily caught this time of year and are getting smaller and smaller. Bait up six or eight rods with live bait and drag them around long enough you will catch fish. Big bluegill fishing is picking up and crappie fishing is fair. Bass bite is the best and they are all over the old shoreline in the buckbrush chasing creek minnows and shad. The shallow water is warmer and most bait fish are there. All of the fish that I am catching are in 30-ft. or less whether on main lake or in creeks. I am still using grubs and creature baits but spinner baits and cranks are also working. The walleye that I am catching are mostly short. They were not on the flats by Cranfield Island when I checked it out a couple of days ago but they will be. When there is high water they are always near Cranfield Island in Late May or early June and in front of the submerged campground at Robinson. As soon as the thermocline forms they will be on the bottom right near it in 17-18 feet of water. I sure hope the visibility holds this year for Scuba Diving. It was very poor all last year. Spearfishing season opens June 15th. Surface water temperature will pass 70 degrees soon if the sun finally comes out and the weather gets as warm as predicted. More rain is to move in in the middle of nest week. There are a lot of bass and bluegill in Blackburns creek and under the dock. The lake is in good condition. Most people are catching fish.
