Norfork Lake Has Some Nice Bass
Fishing Has Been Good This Winter Even If It Has Not Been Cold
January 27th, 2012The Fish Started Biting Very Good Just At Sunset
January 27th, 2012The lake has risen to 552.24 and is rising slowly when they are not generating. The brown water has moved past Blackburns Dock out toward Crappie Rock so I moved to the main Lake. I do not fish where the brown water meets the green water in the winter but the deepest point 1/2 way back in the creek. There is always a place where the water is 8 or 10 feed deeper than the channel and I always try to put brush in that hole. It always holds fish in the winter. I have several of these places so I can get out of the wind if needed and still be on the fish. The wind was blowing from the southwest at about 10 and was perfect for working a chunk rock bank. I saw no other boats again and it made me feel liked I owned a nice big beautiful lake. There are more fishing reports than there are boats. I caught and released several bass and then moved to a cut in the main lake for crappie. Nothing for about 30-minutes and then they started biting. I caught 10 with some very large ones about 16-inches. Came in just before dark singing and counting my blessings.
Caught Several Smallmouth and crappie Today On The Pink Bink’s Spoon
January 26th, 2012
Bink With A Nice Norfork Lake Smallmouth
Lake Level Has Risen to Almost 552 With A Surface Temperature of 46 Degrees
January 26th, 2012We received another inch of rain yesterday without the wind and storms thankfully. The creeks have stained again and that is good. There is a difference between brown water and stained water. Brown water is where the creeks enter the lake and stained water is green. Stay out of the brown water but fish the green water. The average high temperature for the area is now rising for the year. That does not mean we will not get any cold weather but are headed in the right direction. This probably means we will not get a significant shad kill which is good for the fish but not good for the fishing. There is a large amount of feed and the fish I am catching are very healthy. The population is as good as I have seen it, especially for big fish. I caught some good fish yesterday but not as many as the day before and right when the rain started. I like this lake level. My brush piles are just in the right places and at the right depths.
Norfork Lake Crappie Caught During The Rain. Never Saw Another Boat All Evening.
Projected Norfork Lake Power generation
January 25th, 2012When Norfork Lake is in the Power pool Southwest Power controls the the generation and lake level to some extent. They forecast what they plan to do on each lake during normal conditions. I have found this to be fairly accurate in the past. If you are interested check out www.swpa.gov/generationschedules.aspx Norfork lake is #15. Hope this helps.
Went Out In The Evening And It Was Very Nice
January 25th, 2012Temperature was near 60, the wind was near 0, there was almost no moon and a front was almost moving in. That is a lot of good almosts for grub fishing. When the wind dies I always get out the grub and work the deeper water outside of brush piles in the creeks. Let it sink to the bottom and work it slowly like a worm until you see the line twitch and set the hook. It is much harder to work it in the wind. I caught a few bass and noticed top water fish out in the deep water again on a big school of shad. Cast my spoon into them and before I could release my drag it broke me off. I do not let that happen very often but I was hurrying. (no excuses) The fish were easy to stay on with no wind and when they went down I had caught 2-good white bass. I released them and went crappie fishing as it was sundown. They were a little slower tonight but I caught 6-nice ones before dark. It started raining about midnight and we have received well over an inch of rain and it is still raining and should continue until tomorrow. The creeks are running and the lake is rising despite heavy generation. This should color up the water and help fishing. It was getting too clear as it always does this time of year. I could see the bottom off my dock at 14-ft. deep. I have a top on my fishing pontoon and will give it a try later. We need the rain and the grass is getting green. Too early.
It Was Windy and The Surface Temperature Was 47 When I Went Out Last Evening
January 24th, 2012I headed for Cranfield Island and just got around the point when I saw some top water fish in the whitecaps, grabbed a pole with a 1/2 ounce Binks Spoon and threw it at them. Landed a 6-lb. Hybrid on the 1st. cast. The wind had blown me far off the school and it took me a little while to find them again. Next cast caught a 2-lb. white bass. Lost them again for good, let them both go and went Bass fishing. Worked the Echo Point Creek and caught 2-keeper bass and another one at the pipe along with a nice crappie all on the grub. Went to the tower as the wind had blown itself out and caught 7-more crappie on minnows. Ambient temperature was 57 degrees and it was another nice evening. The lake is getting very clear and good colored water is getting harder to find with brush. Will have to move to East Pigeon for the Crappie. Rain scheduled for tomorrow evening.
The lake level is Dropping More Slowly Now With Reduced Generation. Rain Scheduled For Tuesday Night.
January 23rd, 2012Level is 551.2 and dropping. I like this level for winter. It has not changed very much since October and the fish are used to it and stay put better. They are in their winter pattern and I am finding fish in the same places every day. I do not pound these but continue to look for new winter places. I like to look for the big ones rather than high numbers and turn all of the bass back except for a few Kentuckys. It was windy last evening and is clear and sunny today. Should be good fishing tomorrow afternoon before the front moves in. Will let you know. Minnows over brush and spoons in 40-ft. water are working well for a mixed variety of fish but stay close to cover part way back in the creeks.
The Fish Started Biting About 5:PM Last Night
January 22nd, 2012I went out about 4:15 PM and caught two on a brush pile in Blackburn Cove with a Bink Crappie Spoon and then moved to a bank near Cranfield Island and worked the grub in 40-ft. of water and caught 3- Bass. I released them and went to a cut on the main lake and fished over brush in 30-ft. of water 7-feet down with minnows and caught fish steadily until it was almost too dark to see and they quit just like turning off a switch. Weather is forecast to be in the 50’s for the next week and fishing should be comfortable. God willing I will be out there every day.
Norfork Lake is a Fun Place If you like peace and quiet.
Went out at 4:30 and Fished until dark.
January 21st, 2012Did not have too much time so I stayed close to the resort. Found a nice school on a brush pile that Gus and I put in last year and dropped a minnow 8-ft. down over the top and caught a 13-inch crappie in about 1-minute. By dark I had caught my limit of crappie and some big bull nosed bluegill. They really seemed to like to bite in the fog with no wind. Go figure. They got shallower and shallower as it got later. They were not aggressive but bit very slowly and took the bait sideways before taking it down. Nice evening. Wish you were here.