Scuba Steve with his best ones.
The lake level is 553.07 and has risen 1/2 inch in the last 24-hours with no generation. The White River at Newport is 14.67 feet and dropping. The main lake water clarity is about the same and I can see my lure down about 4-5 feet and the creeks are stained green. Surface water temperature is still 46-degrees. It is much warmer today and is to be nice for a few days and then rain is to move in for most of next week starting Tuesday evening. It could be heavy and will raise the lake and how much just depends on where it hits. They refuse to drop the level this winter and have been regulating to about 553 where it should be at 547 and have had numerous chances to do so. I cannot believe someone in the Southwestern Power distribution area does not need some electricity. If they cannot or will not drop it in the winter there is little chance of keeping it from getting too high in the spring unless there is a drought. I am convinced now that they want it that way or they would not keep doing what they are doing year after year and expecting different results. My dog Toby is old and wise and could manage things better. I am catching a few nice crappie and bass but that is about it and have been out there almost every day. The best for me is casting a grub and minnow to the bank in the late evening behind brush and also casting a 1/16th ounce jig over brush and letting it sink into it during the day. I did see a few stripers and white bass floating around dead yesterday so someone must be trying to release them after bringing them up out of deep water. If you persist in fishing deep you should be prepared to keep them. I do not care to eat red meat fish or I would have picked them up. Venting does not work. It lets them go down but they die later. Crappie are very sensitive to being caught out of deeper water and sometimes die after coming up from 30-feet or less if brought up too fast. It is worse in warmer weather with warmer water. It is best to just not fish in deep water unless you are prepared to keep all that you catch even though you do not know what is down there and what size they are. Blackburns will not raise prices on anything again this year and your first boat stall remains free unless you bring the Queen Mary. All of our cabins are individual with big covered porches with no duplexes and we have ample parking including boat trailers. We are not a campground so no tents or Rv's are allowed including off-road vehicles. It is agasinst the law to drive ATV's on Corps of Engineers property or on county roads. It is a gentle slope of 400-yards to the dock and I try to keep the road in good condition. We are not on a cliff. Check prices and give Debbie a call at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. If you are in the area stop by and check us out. You will be welcome and we especially welcome Veterans and Police. Blackburns is the best value in the Ozarks and we will help you catch fish and show you where Scuba Steve's brush piles are located. We have some good ones and work hard putting them in for you. Others do not.