We especially welcome Veterans and Police and fly both flags. Scuba Steve is a Veteran but does not require as much Policing as he used to.
The lake level is 553.58 and has dropped 1/2 inch in the last 24-hours. They shut off the one generator last evening and did not start it up again this morning. Once it gets below 553.75, which is the top of the power pool, they stop and refuse to drop it any further. There is no effort to drop the lake in anticipation of the spring rains. The White River at Newport is 8.29 feet and rising with the heavy generation at Bull Shoals yesterday starting to hit Newport. The surface water temperature was 48-degrees last evening at dark and had dropped from 50 a couple of days ago. I could see my lure down about 5-6 feet on the main lake and the creeks are still stained green. The clearest water is near the shore. It was windy again yesterday but not as bad as it has been and it did not lay down until dark. It is light and variable today. We did not get the predicted rain and it is still very dry. There is a good chance next week. Overall the lake is in good condition and at a good level but fishing is fair at best. I went out at 5:PM and fished until dark and caught two fish. It is transition time and the fish do not know where they want to be. When the water warms they start back into the creeks and then it cools again and they move to the main lake. As I said before, March is my least favorite month for fishing. I talked to a couple of trollers and they were very discouraged. The same people are out there almost everyday and when you see no reports that means they are not catching anything. As long as I can catch a few I am fine and am just happy to be out there. Peace and quiet and no drama. I am now releasing all of my fish under the dock as Tom Kelly's trophy pond is stocked up and ready to go. I learned something about bass fishing. I have caught three tagged fish and when I reported them to Game and Fish (donated the money back to them) and told them where they were caught they said they were exactly where they had released them two years earlier. That is why I relocate fish under my dock. They tend to stay there on their own but good cover and getting fed everyday does not hurt anything. I feed both chicken feed and catfish feed. One floats and one sinks slowly. The floating kind tends to blow away with the wind unless you build a little containment. The turtles, carp and bluegill like the floating kind the best. Catfish, crappie and Bass like the sinking kind. I also get cheese from Memphis Net for the Catfish. The children love feeding them. I never miss a day feeding them all year as they depend on me. The top-water bite typically is in full swing by April 15th and lasts through May. It is the best combination of weather and fishing and when the fish are the easiest to catch if you know where to go. It is also during the low price period. Scuba Steve will help you for free and we will not charge you too much for your cabin and boat rental. You can save a lot of money by staying here and not have to give up any quality. Call Debbie at 870-492-5115 for a reservation.
