The Moody brothers are farmers from Illinois and come several times a year. They are good friends and excellent fishermen and always welcome. 
The lake level is 553.88 and has dropped 2-1/2 inches in the last 24-hours with the one operating generator running for about 8-hours and spillway gates open to an equivalent of about 1/2 generator. If they stay consistent with their policy for about the last year they will quit or slow way down when the level gets to near the top of the power pool of 553.75. I am not sure why they do this but it is better than just holding and hoping.and flooding everything out downstream after the crops are up like they used to do. It is an improvement but they are not there yet. The White River is at 8.92 feet and they could let out much more if they wanted to. The water has cleared up after the big rain last week and is very clear on the main lake but stained a little green in the creeks. The water near the bank is very clear. I like the current creek color for fishing but the fish have not moved in there in big numbers yet. The cold weather has cooled the surface water down again and it is 56 on the main lake and a little lower than that in the shallow creeks. We need 65-degree water shallow for the crappie to spawn in earnest. The larger ones start earlier and some males have moved back in Briar and Pigeon Creeks. I caught several in the Red Bank area yesterday but only about 1/2 were keepers. I did not keep any of them anyway. I am still catching some nice Largemouth on one of their winter banks in 23-ft. of water or a little shallower and some White Bass are with them. Striper fishing is tough but will get better as the water warms and the top-water bite starts in a week or two. You will see some Bass coming up early before that but it will not be consistent. To fish Norfork Lake effectively in April and May you need to know how to work a Spitin Image well. A limber rod will not work. You need a 6-1/2 ft. medium heavy rod and learn how to walk the dog. Get to be an expert doing this and it will pay off. Even when the top-water bite ends you can call them up from several feet down. The same technique also works with a Zara Spook for Stripers and other Temperate Bass. For Crappie you need only three things. First take off all hardware, swivels, snaps and leaders and tie 4-pound test clear line directly. Get rid of braid, spider line and colored line and replace with either monofilament of flurocatbon. Monofilament stretches more and Flourocarbon is more brittle and has more memory and costs more but you do not want any stretch when setting the hook on a big fish. Rig up one pole with a bobber stopper, glass bead, pencil float, split shot sinker and a red #4 true turn or Mr. Crappie hook. The split shot should be the size that just holds the pencil float straight up and this varies with the size of the minnow. I like medium sized minnows. Not too small and not too large. They stay alive better if you hook them behind the dorsal fin but I sometimes hook through the lips when the fish are biting light of when Bluegill are also present. Just change them oftem when they get tired and do not hook them between the eyes. Second rig up a 2-inch Bobby Garland Baby Shad Blue Ice on a 1/16th ounce White with red eye jig head on another pole. Also rig up a 1/4 ounce Binks Jigging Spoon. I like White With a Red eye. Now you are ready. If they are biting at all one of these will catch fish. I like to cast the Bobby Garland past the brush and let it sink into it, Vertical jig the spoon right in and around the brush keeping it straight up and down and set the slip float about 5-feet deeper than you can see your minnow and let them come up and get it. They come up better than go down. Tap bottom with the spoon and you will aslo catch some Walleye. Go against the wind and use your trolling motor sparingly and shut off anchor or spot lock. Questions to ask when shopping for a fishing resort. 1) Price. Some are much more than others and most on Norfork lake are good quality. 2) Do thay have their own dock and do they charge for the boat stall? Some do.3) Can you launch at their dock or have to go elsewhere.4) Does the owner fish often and will he help you? It is a big plus if they put in their own brush poles. 5) Are the cabins individual and not a duplex? You can get some undesireable neighbors who keep very different schedules. 6) Do the cabins have covered porches? If it rains you cannot rig poles, set outside or smoke without an umbrella. Getting out of the sun without being inside is also important. After you check around give Debbie a call at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. We think you will like it here.
