Caught on the 1/2 ounce Bink's Spoon in 32-feet of water near the bottom.
The lake level is 553.21 and has dropped 2-inches in the last 24-hours but they closed the sluice gates this morning and it is on the rise again slowly. The 1-1/2 inches of rain we received earlier all sank in and did not raise the lake much. We seem to get a rain everytime it gets dry. The White River at Newport is 3.02 feet and still very low. The surface water temperature is 82-83 degrees and dropping slowly with the lower ambient temperatures. The water has cleared up nicely and there is good visibility down and past the thermocline of 31-feet. Several fish of different species still are hanging out at or near the thermocline no matter the water depth but several Kentucky Bass and a few Largemouth are shallower near any cover. I am still not seeing very many crappie on the brush piles and they are usually there by now. The larger walleye are near the bottom at 30-32 feet with the smaller ones shallower. I am using the Bink's Spoon almost exclusively now and varying the weights with the depth of water that I am fishing. The 1/4 ounce is a good all around size but switch to a 3/8th ounce in water down to 30-ft. and go to the 1/2 deeper than that. The small 1/8th is very good for bluegill but you have to downsize your line to 4-pound test to get the best action and not have it hang up on itself. I will switch to the 1/16th ounce white with red eye jig head with Bobby Garland Baby Shad blue ice color when the crappie show up and it will catch about anything including walleye, bluegill, bass and crappie. Fishing is not the best right now but a few fish are being caught everyday and the lake and weather conditions are great with low boat traffic. If all else fails rig up a slip float with a bead and bobber stopper, #6 red true turn hook, enough split shot to hold the balsa float up about 6-inches above the hook and a crappie minnow and drop it right over brush piles about 5-feet further than you can see your bait and you could catch about anything. Blackburns is the home of the $59/day 1-bedroom cabins that come with a free stall for your boat. Give Debbie a call at 870-492-5115 for a reservation and we will not charge you too much. We especially welcome Veterans and Police and offer peace and quiet but still the closest to Mountain Home, dining and shopping. Dock is in a sheltered cove good for kayaking.
