Winter Bassin on Norfork Lake out of Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental.
The lake level is 553.49 and has dropped 1-inch in the last 24-hours with on and off generation, mostly off. The White River at Newport is still over 18-ft. so we cannot expect much drop anytime soon and rain is predicted starting this afternoon. It looks like the nasty stuff and heavy rain will go south of us. The forecast calls for much warmer daytime highs above average for the next week and temperatures to be in the 50's next week. That sounds good but usually it comes with wind. It did not get up to freezing yesterday but the wind was light and not too bad of fishing conditions. The warmer weather and rain will take out the snow that is left by tomorrow. It was not enought to cause much trouble. I had a a surface water temperature of between 50 and 51 on the main lake where I was fishing yesterday and the water was stained. It is worse in the creeks. I have mostly been bass fishing for the last few days but cannot resist dropping a spoon into a brush pile with fish in it when I go by. The threadfin shad are schooled and most of the schools are not scattered and show no predator fish on them but some do. Several black bass are in chunk rock on their usual winter banks but some are on the shad. I have not caught any large smallmouth yet but bet I will. Several Kentucky bass are with the crappie on brush but both are moving near the bank in the evening just before dark. You can get a few very large crappie shallow now from 4:PM until dark. I have switched from the Bobby Garland blue ice jig to the white 2-inch twister tail tipped with a live minnow at sunset and the rest of the time I am using the 3-inch green stingray grub from the bank to about 30-ft. of water on the bottom. On brush I am using the 1/4 ounce Bink's spoon white with a green back. All three of these are working but the big largemouth like that green grub. I use a 3/16th ounce jig head and Bink uses a 1/4 and he fishes deeper water than I do and sets his boat in 35-50 ft. of water and keeps the grub sinking and not dragging the bottom and uses his rod as the lure comes nearer the boat and is straight up and down and then vertical jigs it a bit before repeating. He can do this better than anybody I have ever seen. Now he is spooning in deep water on a certain point for temperate bass and catching several. I do not fish in deep water anymore but do not guide for a living. Ambient temperatures of over 40 with light winds are just right for me. I hope they draw my name for brush piles. Several of us work together to put them in and it really helps fishing.
