Caught fishing with Bink's Guide Service yesterday. It is over 30-Pounds and is one big fish. 
The lake level is 557.21 and has dropped 1/2 inch in the last 24-hours with one generator running about 1/3rd the time. The White River at Newport is 12.43 feet and stable with a lot of water being let out of Bull Shoals Lake. Both lakes are approaching the top-of their power pools where the generation schedule is controlled by Southwestern Power. We will see what happens then. The surface water tmeperature is 80-degrees and the summer thermocline is pronounced and is at 17-feet and several fish including bass and walleye are at or near that level. Stripers are going deeper and the top-water bite for them is about over. There are still some bass coming up early and late and several larger Kentucky Bass are shallow in the evening near the shore and brush. They are hitting finesse worms. Most bluegill have spawned and bass and bluegill fry are showing up in schools around shallow brush and predator fish are following them. Some larger walleye are going deeper with the stripers but more are at the thermocline. About one in three are keepers. Bluegill are under docks and hitting crickets. The water is clear down to about 14-feet and then there is a 3-ft. mud line to the thermocline with cold clear water under. Some crappie are on shallower brush and some are on shad in open water part way back in the creeks. The full moon is Saturday and you can catch some nice stripers and bluegill but the catfish do not like it very well. The weather has been perfect but there is an increasing chance for rain starting today but nothing serious. This time of year there is always a chance of pop-up showers during the heat of the day at about 4:PM. Blackburns has a couple of openings for both cabins and boat rentals so come on down. We will not charge you too much and a free stall for your boat comes with each cabin. Give Debbie a call at 870-492-5115 for a reservation.
