Caught yesterday fishing with Bink's Guide Service.
The lake level is 567.74 and has dropped about 1-3/4 inches in the last 24-hours with generation about 1/2 the time. There were a few campers at Cranfield Campgrounds yesterday but none of the other facilities were open. The beach is still flooded and it needs a lot of cleanup. During normal times it is one of the best beaches on the lake with a nice playground and bathrooms. The launch with courtesy dock, ample parking, handicapped fishing dock, pavilion and play ground are just around the corner. It is also close to town. It is almost a crime to keep it flooded all summer most years. We do need different lake level management but still they keep coming. It would be interesting to see what happens to tourism if levels were at a good level meaning between 552 and 559. The lake surface temperature is rising with the hot weather and will continue to do so for at least the next week. It is to get close to 100 ambient temperatures later this week. The water temperature is now 87-88. The main lake is clear and the creeks are stained a little green and just right for fishing. Bink reports catching a lot of fish yesterday but they switched to the 1/2 ounce Arkansas Shiner spoon from the Many Shad. It is white with a brownish head and I use it a lot. It depends on the time of day, water clarity, amount of sunshine and depth as to which spoon they like the best. One of my favorite for all around use is the white with blue back. For size I use the 1/8th ounce for 20-ft. or less, the 3/8th ounce from 20-25 ft., 1/2 ounce for 25-35 ft. I fish crappie a lot and bringing them up any deeper than that kills all of them regardless of size. I do not fish deep for stripers in the summer but the 1-ounce spoon gets down there faster. The lighter the line the better for the spoon action. I seldom us more than 6-lb. and always use clear line, either flourocarbon or monofiliment. Flourocarbon has worse memory and monofiliment stretches more. Flourocarbon is getting better every year. I never use braided or colored line and only use a swivel on spoons to keep them from twisting. Never a snap. The less hardware the better in this clear water. The big fish in this lake are line shy. I even do not use a clear light leader on heavy line. It is like your lure is tied to an anchor rope. Try using 4-lb. flourocarbon clear line tied to a 1/16th ounce white with red eye jig head and a Bobby Garland Baby Shad Blue Ice crappie jig and cast it past a brush pile and let it sink into it and see what happens. I think your crappie fishing will improve.