This 30-lb. Striper Caught This Morning Along with 7 Others fishing With Bink's Guide Service.
Think Deeper For Bigger Fish
May 17th, 2012The Guides Are Busy On Norfork Lake
May 17th, 2012Bink has been out every day and reports there is still a top water bite early and late. We are a month ahead of our warm weather so the fish are starting to go down deeper for the summer. This happens when the thermocline sets up for the summer and the fish follow the cooler water down. This is happening now. Most of the fish are from 0-20 feet down right now and there are several baits that can get that deep with normal tackle. Most fishermen do not have any trouble catching fish in these conditions so enjoy the shallow water conditions but be thinking about fishing deeper in the near future. Harvey Hall caught his limit yesterday and had four trips this week. Several were caught 9-10 feet down in 24 feet of water over brush. He is catching some big bluegill too. Some fish are shallower. There are lots of white bass hitting the top in the East Pigeon area early and they are really biting well. This is a good time to take a fishing trip. Jim, Marlene and Michael left this morning and we will miss them. They always catch a lot of fish. Blackburns has a few openings until the 25th. We will try to work you in.
Harvey Hall From Hard Times Guide Service With Some Of Yesterday's Catch
Another Beautiful Day In The Ozarks
May 15th, 2012The lake level is stable and surface temperature remains in the mid to high 70’s. It is perfect for swimming, boating and tubing. There is a thermocline at 21 feet and most of the fish are shallower than that on brush except for the open water fish. It is cold at 22feet and the water is clear but it is cloudy to there. This is normal for this time of year. Look for brush from 16-20 feet and there will be fish on them especially on the main lake on the inside of points. Jim, Marlene and Michael are catching several very large crappie every day and Mariuz Wrona and friends are catching an assortment of nice ones every day. Blackburns Has another nice group of people in this week with more coming in today. There is still time to get here before the holiday and enjoy the good combination of weather and fishing. Gary and Sue Hyatt from Lacon, Illinois brought in a big basket of large bluegill last evening and Sue was not ready to come in. It is good to see happy people.
Mariuz Wrona and Friends From Orland Hills, Illinois Caught Some Nice Fish Yesterday
This Is A Big one and It is Almost 60 Year Old
May 14th, 2012
Any One Having or even seeing a Magnolia Bigger than this One At Blackburns Please send a picture
There Are Not A Lot Of changes To Report And That Is Good
May 14th, 2012Grass green, Flowers blooming, weather Sunny and in The High 70’s With Light Wind and The Fish are Biting. They are not jumping in the boat as some are reporting but are pretty good. The smallmouth have slowed but the black bass have not. You have to catch four or five fish to get a keeper because there are so many bass. Hybrid fishing has and is still good as is white bass. Stripers are fair casting spoons to the bottom and horizontally jigging. The water is still stained so you can get by with fishing directly over brush piles with minnows for crappie. I like to vertical jig a spoon directly in the brush. Once you learn to do this properly you will seldom lose a spoon but will catch a lot of fish. One way to not lose any lures is to fish without a hook. You do not catch many fish but do not lose much gear. We like to teach people to fish with artificial bait for big stripers and hybrids just like you are bass fishing. Then you do not have to get up before first light, throw a shad net, use planer boards, balloons, down riggers or troll with cannon balls. You can just use your own equipment that you already have. The people that know how to troll umbrellas cover a lot of ground and do catch good fish. I am not much into trolling. I like to cast one pole and fight one fish at a time not have someone hand me a pole from a rod holder to reel in after it is hooked or set there and watch a balloon. It is up to the individual. You can catch fish either way. One just takes a lot less money. Kind of like staying at Blackburns Resort. Jim, Marlene and Michael Caught Some nice fish yesterday. They only use crappie jigs and catch everything with them.
This is one of the Blooms from The Magnolia Tree. They do not last long but smell wonderful. It is worth the trip here just to see and smell them.
It Was A Beautiful Mother’s Day At Blackburns Resort on Norfork Lake in The Ozarks
May 13th, 2012Sunny, light winds and in the mid 70’s. To be warmer the rest of the week. Looks like summer is here for good. We just keep having perfect weather day after day. I have never seen anything like it. The lake level has been very stable for weeks and we have had no severe weather all year. Norfork has been very fortunate compared to the rest of the area and Blackburns counts their blessings. What a wonderful place to live. Scuba Steve had to check out a rental boat and stopped to crappie fish for a few minutes. Caught five. Never left the cove. Mark Wrona is here with his friends and I will get a report from him. They always catch fish. Dave and Leo report that the Zara Spook salt water edition, dark green with the rattle was their best lure all week. They caught a lot of fish. Scuba Steve just spoons in the brush.
Scuba Steve has to get a lot of Rental Boats Ready and Does Not Have A lot of Time To fish. He still Knows Where They Are
This was Dave and Leo’s Last Day, We are sorry to see them go.
May 12th, 2012
Leo Maduzia With some Good Norfork Lake Bass Caught This Morning Fishing With Dave Howell. Leo is From California and Meets Dave Here. Dave sometimes Brings his wife again in the Fall. I hope so this year. They are always welcome at Blackburns.
It is Cloudy Today And It Looks Like Most Of The Rain Will Go Around Us Again
May 12th, 2012This should be a very good day for fishing. Overcast, light winds and in the 70’s. I expect some big fish to be brought in. The lake level is 551.82 with no generation. We have several guests coming in today with several boat rentals. It is busy here and we like it that way. Blackburns is doing its best to get the economy going with all of its improvements. This is friends week with three families of Duggers, Kent and Sheila Myers, The Lesniewskis and Michael, The Martins and the Kimkiewilzs. What a crew and a lot of Blackburns resort fun.
Dave Howell With a Nice Stringer of Bass and White Bass
It Was A Perfect Day Yesterday. Sunny and in The mid 70’s with Light Wind
May 11th, 2012Surface temperature is in the high 70’s and the level is 551.77 and is very stable with little generation. It is cloudy today with some rain expected for sometime Saturday and Saturday night. It is needed. It is hard to believe it is almost Memorial Day already. We have had a mild winter and beautiful spring and it sure has brought out the tourists and fishermen. We have a diverse group this week. Some looking for real estate, some waiting for real estate to close, some just relaxing, some taking daily road trips and some fishing and some visiting local relatives. Everyone seems to be having Norfork Lake fun. Fishing, boating, swimming and tubing is happening every day. You should join in.