The Hargrove Family report having a good time at their reunion. Thanks Kristi Mackenzie for the pictures.
The lake level is 556.66 and has risen 1/2 inch in the last 24-hours with no discharge since 6:PM last evening. The White River at Newort is 9.19 feet and rising but it is not coming from the area lakes, They got a big rain in the Newport area. The surface water temperature was back up to almost 87-degrees yesterday evening. The rain had little effect on the water clarity and it was about the same as before it came. The thermocline is at 27-feet with cold water at 30. The mud line is not as pronounced as it was last week and is only a couple of feet thick at 25-27 feet. The visibility is excellent for almost mid August. Walleye are around brush near the bottom at 27-32 feet, bass are in the brush at 27-feet, crappie are on top of the same brush, catfish are right in it and bluegill and baitfish are everywhere. You can clip a weight in front of a crank bait and put the rod in a holder and drag it around until something bites it but you will not only miss the bite and hook set but miss a lot of fish that are on brush. Dragging stuff through brush does not work very well unless you have a lot of it. Vertical jigging a spoon or grub is more effective but it does take more skill and you get a better hook set and lose less fish More and more crappie are moving into cover from the open water and a 2-inch baby shad blue ice in color on a 1/16th ounce jig head is starting to work again casting it past the brush and letting it sink down into it. A live minnow on a slip float set just above the brush is also working. I have never seen as many bass and I have seen in the last week or so with many good sized Kentuckies and a few big largemouth. All fish are very healthy and there is a lot of baitfish indicating a good spawn and also a lot of shad. The walleye usually get skinny in the fall but are very fat now. Come on down to Blackburns and join in on the fun and we will not charge you too much and a free stall for your boat comes with the cabin. Call Debbie at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. Scuba Steve knows where the fish are.