Mike Eakle with a couple of good ones fishing on Blackburns new brush piles. 
The lake level is 556.39 and has dropped 3-inches in the last 24-hours with both generators running continuously. The White River at Newport is 24.55 feet so they are doing what they can to drop the lake. The surface water tmeperature was 49+ degrees when I came in at 6:PM last evening. I was going to the Cranfield area to Bass fish and encountered small to medium sized debris that was pretty heavy coming down stream from Missouri with the current caused by heavy generation and was the result of the big 3+ inches of rain we received last Tuesday. More is coming today and it is very windy now with light rain. It should move out later this afternoon. The debris was approaching Mallard point and was floating with the wind. It is on the South facing banks this morning with the stiff southerly winds. The water was brown but not too bad and much of the mud had settled out on it's way here and I could see my lure down about 3-feet. I fished a main lake cut with brush and caught several bass but no picture fish. Bass fishing is definitely getting better. Crappie fishing was for a couple of days but has slowed again. I am using the 3-inch grub on a leadhead for bass but deep diving crank baits are also working. I fish where the brown water meets the clearer water. I do not fish with crank baits like a lot of bass fishermen but they work, especially on windy days on wind blown banks. A good color for Norfork is crawdad color (V62) but you can match the water color. They usually run very true and that is important. Check everyone out before using or you will not catch anything. Many other brands are just as good and several are very expensive and hand painted. How deep they run and how true they run are the most important. The same is for a jerk bait or stick bait which will be the lure of choice very soon. They are one in the same but the difference is how you use them. I do not use them as crank baits like the wiggle warts but prefer the suspended ones that you can crank down to desired depth and they will stay there. You have to especially make sure these run true and not pull off to the side. There are several different kinds including husky jerks and thunder sticks. I like the 5-inch suspending ones. If you are a striper fisherman the full moon in March (6th and 7th) could be the time. They move to the bank to simulate a spawn during this time frame just at dark and can be caught on the stick bait. They do not always do this but do most of the time. Walleye will be with them and bite just before dark They always do it and bite best on shadowy banks on soft plastics and then you switch to stick bait for stripers at dark. This is a good time to catch stripers as they are very shallow, the water is cool and they do not die when you catch them like when fishing deep. There is no catch and release when fishing deep. March can be tough fishing with the cold fronts continually coming through but this is the best bet. Use the same bait as a jerk bait in the early mornings. Come on down to Blackburns and we will help you out and not charge you too much. Compare prices and call Debbie at 870-492-5115. You will like it here.
