Scuba Steve with a couple of nice ones Diving Yesterday.
The lake level is 552.79 and has dropped 1/2 inch in the last 24-hours with 3/4 of a generator running about 1/2 the time. The White River at Newport is 4.04 feet so they continue to hold the lake levels up as high as they can. Blackburns resort has several Arkansas Bass Nation Tournament Fishermen in and we wish them well today. Fishing was pretty tough yesterday but a few caught some nice fish. In the Boater Category 12.2 pounds is leading, in the non-boater 7.06 pounds and the Team of Norfork Lake Bass Club #2 is leading with 35.24 pounds. Several had a tough day but it should be better today. There were 150 boats with three dropping out. Many of the fish caught were Kentuckies. Both of the Norfork Lake Clubs did well with home field avantage. I waited until after three 3:PM when the first day of the tournament was over and went Scuba Diving. The surface water temperature was 66-67 degrees and the water is clearing on both the main lake and in the creeks. Fishing conditions were about the same as the day before and the crappie were schooled and spooky. One sudden move and they were gone. I saw many schools of bluegill, several Kentucky Bass and a few Black Bass but not very many. It is too cloudy today to dive so I will go pole fishing for crappie again after the tournament is over. Fishing overall is just fair with open water fishing for Temperate Bass on shad getting better. A few larger stripers in the 7-8 pound range are showing up than a few days ago. White Bass and small Hybrids seem to be together. I just accidently find them on the way to my normal fishing spots and drop a spoon to see what is there. I do not chase them all over the lake. When I do that I spend more time looking than fishing. I do not keep any of them anyway. I know where the brush piles are located and they do not move. Good sized bluegill are biting on Crickets and small spoons on top of brush piles. A few catfish are being caught on live bait. I am working hard to just catch a few crappie but they are good sized. I have no prediction when fishing will get better but I always seem to do well around Thanksgiving.