The surface temperature was 50 last evening and the creeks are stained and you can see down about 6-7 feet on the main lake. At least people are not reporting the lake is turning over. Only a diver or someone with a temperature probe can tell that. Some locators can indicate a thermocline when it is dramatic but not all of the time. It has been cold for two days but that should be over tomorrow for several days with temperatures near 50. Just right for winter fishing. Spooning for bass on brush in the 20-25 ft. range is working well and I am waiting for them to move to my favorite winter bank inside brush piles with the crappie on small grubs. Some years I fish the same bank all winter just before dark and sing the Marine Corps Hymn all the way home. Big winter bass fishing is excellent on Norfork Lake. Bink's favorite is that dreaded green grub on the bottom. The crappie should move up on top of cover soon but not many have. I am catching some big ones over brush about 8-feet down. I set my bait about three feet deeper than you can see it or cast my small grub over the brush and let it sink into it. Either one works but spooning right in the brush is best for both bass and crappie. I have not fished for open water fish much but the white bass, hybrids and smaller stripers are still on the flats outside of Blackburns Creek. People are reporting big stripers between the bridges but I have not seen any. Shad are everywhere and several schools do not have any fish under them and there is plenty of food and it is sometimes difficult catching them when they finally feed. When they do move to the deeper water on the main lake just off the river channel they can also be difficult to catch, get lethargic and you pretty much have to drop a spoon right on top of their heads and rely on a reaction strike. They do not move much in the cold water. Normal high is 46 degrees.
