Scuba Steve with some nice ones Scuba Diving yesterday. Yes he knows where the fish are located. 
The lake level is 555.78 and has dropped 1-1/2 inch in the last 24-hours with 1-1/2 generators running about 1/2 the time. They just started up again at 9:AM this morning.The White River at Newport is at 6.52 feet and very low indicating not much water is being released from any of the area lakes. They like them high. The surface water temperature is 85-degrees and the thermocline is at 31-feet and not very pronounced. The clarity is fair down to there and poor deeper. If you are scuba diving Crappie is yhour best bet. If you are pole fishing Kentucky Bass, Crappie and Bluegill are the best with Walleye and White Bass right behind. Nothing is excellent but you can catch some if you know what you are doing. It will get better but it is August and it is hot. We can expect some rain this weekend just in time for the holiday and we need it badly but the shower on Saturday really helped things out. Your best bet right now is using the Bink's Jigging Spoon. The size depends on the depth of the water you are fishing. 1/4 ounce for 0-25 feet, 3/8th ounce for 25-35-feet, 1/2 ounce for 35-45-feet, 3/4 ounce for 45-60-feet and 1-ounce for deeper. I use a Many Shad for the deep water and like white with different colored backs for less. When scuba diving I cannot see color a little past 40-feet but I am not a fish. Use clear light line (no more than 10-lb.) except when fishing for stripers deep on a bait caster and then you can go to 12. I fish with 6 most of the time for bass, walleye and crappie. Do not use leaders and fill your complete spool. Get rid of colored and braided line and all snaps and hardware except for the swivel right at the lure that keeps it from twisting. Both monofiiament and fluorcarbon are good but monofiliment stretchs and fluorcarbon is more brittle and has more memory but it costs more. When you want a good hook set use a flurocarbon. If you are a troller and do not care about the hook set and the fish hook themselves monofilament is fine. Both are strong. Re-tie after catching a walleye or big fish and regularly check for nicks. It is importand to know how to drive a jigging spoon if you are going to consistently catch fish on Norfork Lake. it is different fishing open water on shad with no snags or fishing brush piles which I do most of the time. In open water you can let your lure go sideways a bit but on or around brush you have to keep it straight up and down. Go against the wind with the trolling motor. If it is too windy switch to a grub. Drop the lure on the fish's head or tap bottom and snap it up 5-6 feet and let it drop on slack line. In brush you do not set the hook until you are sure it is a fish, in open water you can set it anytime. Pulling the spoon up through brush can sometimes feel like a fish. The fish mostly hit on the fall so watch when the lure quits falling before the line is tight. When spooning the bottom they can bite when it taps the bottom so set it immediately. Stripers have hard mouths so it is important to have sharp hooks and set the hook well. On Bass it is important to set it before they jump and spit allowing no slack in the line but do not horse them like they do on TV. They are usually in shallow green water with vegetation there and Norfork has none of that. There is no reason to break off using light line unless you do not know how to set your drag. Breaking off a fish because it is big on light line is no excuse. If you cannot stop him use your trolling motor to go with the fish and not get spooled while keeping the line tight and wear him down and not let him get in structure. I all comes with practice but avoids a lot of disappointment when you master these things. Just going to heavier line just because you get broke off is not the answer and will not work most of the time on Norfork. The water is usually very clear and they are line shy. Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental goes on their off-season rates a week from today and you can get a 1-bedroom cabin for $69/day and a free stall for your boat comes with a cabin rental of two days or more. It is nice here and the price is right. Compare prices and give Debbie a call at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. You will like it here.
