Scuba Steve with his best one yesterday.
The lake level is 555.33 and has dropped 3-3/4 inches in the last 24-hours with both generators running continuously. They are dropping it as fast as they can without opening flood gates. The White River at Newport is 23.13 feet and has leveled off. The slug of water from the 3+inches of rain on the 7th of February has worked it's way through the system and we were fortunate that the subsequential rains did not amount to as much as predicted. We should be at 547 at this time of year to have a little surge capacity for the spring rains. The dropping water and regular cold fronts have not helped fishing any. At least the days are getting longer and the sun angle is getting better. The cold fronts are not quite as cold and the warm up after are a little warmer. February and the first half of March can make for some tough fishing. When it clouds up after several days of high pressure and just before it rains are the best times to be out. Stay out until the wind comes up and it starts to rain and then it starts all over again. This pattern can last for several weeks. The full moon in March usually starts the night bite for spawning stripers but it is early this year on the 7th and may be too early. It will be the best chance to catch the big ones that are left. I do not do this anymore but used to catch some big ones but they are few and far between. They are now killing a lot of 5-8 pounders where there used to be 20-30 pounders but they just keep killing dock floors full of them. Give em a break. Some do not know anything else but troll live bait or the monstrous umbrellas. Bass fishing was picking up but has slowed again as have crappies. If I go out for about two hours I am lucky to catch three or four fish. Bink is still catching several White Bass and Hybrids with a few small stripers mixed in and he knows where they are. I am getting reports from Missouri of several walleye and white bass up the river spawning and some people in this area catching spawned out white bass but I do not fish for them. The surface water temperature was 48-degrees when I came in last night and I caught three nice crappie an a keeper bass and that was it. Debbie, Linda and Amy have just finished a big project. They have replaced all of the window coverings on all of the cabins, including curtains and blinds. I was going to buy a live scope for my boat but bought window stuff instead and got over ruled. They said I could catch fish without it. It took six full days and they really look nice. Toby and I do not appreciate it as much as others but the women really like it. Tigger does not care anymore as he gave it up on Valentine's Day. I miss the big ole yellow Tom Cat a lot as he was my buddy. He was as tough as they get and ruled the roost until the end, Nothing messed with him no matter how big. If dogs tried to chase him they were sorry and usually needed medical attention afterward. We sure have made a lot of improvements here for you this off-season and hope you like it when you get here. There will be no price increases again on anything. We appreciate you and want you to have an affordable vacation. I am seeing more fish under the dock than before by the underwater light and just finished putting more brush down there.
