Tom Davis with good ones caught fishing in Blackburns creek and Braden Davis with his first Norfork Lake crappie. Welcome Braden we hope you like it here.Tom already knows 
The lake level is 556.96 and has risen 2-3/4 inches in the last 24-hours with no generation but spillway gates open just a little bit. We are now past the top of the power pool of 556.75. The White River at Newport is 13.37 feet and rising slowly. They are running Bull Shoals medium and it is also rising slowly. We do not need any big rains. They are holding the area lakes up too high with very little surge capacity. We have been burned too many times and do not learn from history. The lake overall remains in very good condition and at a good level and has made for an excellent spawn. The surface water temperature is 72-degrees and has been pretty steady for the last several day after rising about three degrees fairly quickly. The Black Bass are nearly finished spawning and the crappie are still in various stages of spawn but more of the larger ones are showing up in Blackburns Brush piles on the main Lake everyday. Fish the backs of creeks for numbers and main lake point brush for size. Bluegill are pre-spawn feeding. Look for wood in water from 10-15 feet or willows. Crickets are best. Some Northerners bring wax worms with them. If you use 2-4 pound test clear line with a #6 red hook with a very small split shot and flip a live cricket past the brush and let it sink into it you will catch all you want once you find them. Catfish are moving into the creeks and can be caught on live bluegill 3-inches long. Before coming to Norfork Lake take off all of your colored and braided line and replace with clear line. Either flurocarbon or monofiliment depending on if you want stretch or not. Mono stretches and fluro is more brittle and has worse memory. Fluro is getting better over the years but costs more. If you want a good hook set for big bass use fluro. If you drag stuff from a rod holder get the cheapest kind. I use 4-6 lb. test for crappie, walleye, bass and bluegill on a spinning reel and 10-lb test on a bait caster for vertical jigging red meat fish and for catfish. Just adding on long leaders helps with the color but does not match up well for lure and jig action. You cannot work a small jig or grub properly with an anchor rope. Just re-spool the whole line for best results and retie after catching all walleye and other big fish. Blackburns resort and Boat Rental is full again today but will have a couple of openings starting Sunday. People are taking advantage of the best prices on both cabins and boat rentals in the Ozarks here. Our price is only excelled by our quality. Stop by and check us out if you are in the area. We sell peace and quiet and no drama. People call and say get me a cabin by the deer feeder.Compare prices call Debbie at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. It is nice here and we will not charge you too much.
