The lake level is 553.61 and has dropped just a bit with several hours of running 1/2 generator. There is still no effort to drop the lake. 553.61 is a good level but leaves no surge capacity for a big rain. It is almost like they want us to flood out in the spring. If not they are sure doing a good job of making it look like it. I do not want it to get low just around 547-48 by March 15th and try to keep it below 560 for as long as they can without flooding anybody down stream out. The lake surface water temperature is 66-67 on the main lake and dropping with the cooler than normal temperatures and cooler in the creeks and up north in the river channel. It is to get near 60-degrees for an ambient temperature this week end and that will be welcome. The people wanting it to cool off are getting their way but I am not one of them. I never complain about hot weather knowing winter is coming. The lake is clearing in this area after the turn but I have not been farther south to check it out. I will ask Bink. He fishes the Big Creek area a lot. Crappie, bluegill,Kentucky Bass and Catfish are all on brush anywhere from 18-40-ft with the bluegill and crappie being where the brush is closest to the surface and biggest and the catfish are on the bottom in the same brush. Some big channels are being caught with some in the 9-10 lb. range. Temperate bass are schooled together in open water on shad and trollers are starting to catch some dragging stuff through the shad. Others are using spoon. There are getting to be less live bait fishermen and more spooners. Some crappie and Kentucky Bass are part way back in the creeks between the brush and the bank in the evenings. I am using a two inch twister tail grub white in color on a 1/16th ounce white with red eye jig head on 4-lb. test clear line tipped with a small minnow. You do not have to tip the grub but you will catch many miore fish if you do. On brush I am using a Bobby Garland Blue Ice baby shad, minnow on a slip float or a 1/4 ounce Bink's spoon and switching back and forth. They all work. I fish the same place for quite a while sometimes and a change seems to get them started again. Bass, bluefill and crappie all bite on all of them. Come on down to Blackburns. We have the best place with the best price and your first boat stall is free. Before you book, ask the price, if they charge for boat stalls, if they have covered porches and if the cabin is a duplex. Duplexes are cheaper to build but I just do not like to hear everything my neighbor is doing.
