John Bornhop is back and this is an example of what he is catching. He is a very good fisherman. 
The lake level is 553.35 and dropping slowly with just minimum flow. It is getting dry again but that should change on Thursday with a good chance of rain. The White River at Newport is 2.32 feet and very low with not much water being let out into the River anywhere. The surface water temperature was 58-degrees when Scuba Steve came in at dark last evening. The water clarity changes almost daily but he could see his lure down about 5-feet. The moon is full but I am not seening any indication of a night bite for stripers. Most of the big ones are gone. They are getting smaller and smaller but the same people are still hunting them down everyday. I guess they need meat but they do not dress out very well. I guess they cannot catch anything else. The locals should leave them alone and let the guides convince tourists that a 10-lb. striper is big and let them grow. If you see pictures of more than one striper you can be assured they are not being released. I am having trouble keeping the bluegill off my lures in the brush. It is almost impossible to use live minnows and they bite them as soon as you drop them. I switched back to the Bobby Garland Baby Shad Blue Ice and it is better but still not good. The crappie are just not biting very well yet. They are there because I saw them Scuba Diving just less than two weeks ago. This year is different from any in the last several years with the stable water level and minimal dam discharge. It is hard to predict anything but it is fun learning new stuff. It is not because of lack of rain because we are ahead of the average yearly rainfall. I am just glad to not being flooded out. If you are in the Mountain Home area for the holidays and need a place to stay come on down to Blackburns. We are open all year and have the best prices in the Ozarks. Call Debbie at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. Blackburns is closest to Mountain Home, dining and shopping and will not charge you too much.
