Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Norfork Lake Fishing Report


It was a fantastic morning of fishing on Norfork Lake. I needed to put a few hours on the new motor to break it in so I headed toward the dam. I caught fish everywhere I stopped to look. I first stopped near the dam and was marking fish on the bottom in 40 - 45 feet of water. Then all of a sudden the stripers started to explode close to shore. They were chasing shad on the surface. I quickly got the rod with the Zara spook and on the first cast landed a 12 pound fish. I always have a rod ready with a Zara spook tied on. The fish continued to come up in the same area for about 30 minutes. I landed a second fish about 10 pounds and then I had my third on and after about a 5 minute fight it came unhooked. I checked out my hooks and all were bent out. I guess the first two fish took a toll on the hooks. I better change out the hooks to a stronger one before my next trip. My second spot was back in Koso. Again I was marking fish in 40 - 50 feet of water on the bottom. I started to vertical jig and caught 2 hybrids and a undersized smally. I then headed back into the Diamond Bay area and marked fish in the 35 - 45 feet range. This is where I landed the 18 inch largemouth and smallmouth bass. I also caught 2 whites in the same area. The bass and whites were all caught vertical jigging with a spoon.

All in all it was a great maiden voyage (or at least the first true fishing trip) in my new Skeeter Bay boat. I am really liking this boat!!!! I do have a shad tank on order so I will also be doing live bait fishing in the future. My new bay boat will allow me to be very versatile in my fishing methods.

I hope the early fall top water action is a good sign to how the fall fishing is going to be. I'm looking for a great fall fishing season.

I am getting encouraging reports from the crappie guides that they are starting to catch crappie on sunken brush piles. The brush should be in about 40 feet of water and the crappie are suspended from 20 feet all the way down to the brush. You will need to test various depths until you find the right one. Catfishing has been really good on trot lines and jugs. I have also caught quite a few spooning in 35 feet of water. The trot lines need to be in 15 to 20 feet of water, but as the water cools shallower depths will work.

The Norfork Lake water level is holding steady at 552.26. The surface water temperature has fallen to 77 degrees. The main lake is clear, but the creeks and coves are still a little murky.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Norfork Lake Welcomes BASS tournament


Welcome BASS fishermen and women to Norfork Lake. The Arkansas BASS Federation is holding their annual championship tournament on Norfork Lake this week. The actual tournament will be this coming Friday and Saturday and the weigh-in is at Henderson Marina. I haven't heard a final count, but I am being told it should be close to 150 boats.

My new Skeeter Bay boat has finally arrived. This new addition to the Hummingbird Hideaway fleet will allow me to fish whatever style is working best. I have a shad tank ordered so I will soon be able to live bait fish as well as fish with artificial bait as I have done in the past. I will also be able to start guiding occasionally. With all the bass boats around I was trying to wait until after the tournament to break in the boat, but I couldn't do it. We cruised around for about an hour this morning.

Look for an updated fishing report next week, but the guides are telling me that the fishing trends have not changed from my last report.

Norfork Lake level is at 552.3 and hold fairly steady. Generation has been sporadic. The surface lake temperature is in the low 80's early and mid 80's in the afternoon. The lake is clear and the creeks and covers are clearing nicely.

Happy fishing and see you on the water.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Norfork Lake Fishing Report



The Norfork Lake striper bite has been off the chart using live bait. The morning and evening bites have been really good. Fish are being caught from Diamond Bay to the dam. Guests in the photos have been fishing all week long and have been limiting out in the mornings as well as the evenings. Jeff catches live shad and this seems to be the bait of choice. Last evening Jeff and I were fishing next to each other off a point in the dam area. I watched him land two nice 12 pound stripers and miss 5 others. I was vertical jigging with a spoon and only had one hit and missed it. They definitely wanted fresh bait instead of artificial. The fish were 38 - 45 feet down either on the bottom or suspended in about 55 feet of water. This evening I am going to try live shiners to see how and if they will work. I will let you know.

I have been catching black bass and white bass with catfish and walleye thrown in for good measure. I've been fishing in 35-40 feet of water. These fish are on the bottom feeding on shad. White bass are back in coves and creeks usually towards the center of the creek not on the banks. The black bass that I have found are on points or the sides of points in this same water depth. The lake thermocline is hovering in the 35 feet range and varies depending on where you are on the lake.

The Norfork Lake level has risen to 552.3. The surface water temperature has stabilized in the low 80s during the morning and the mid 80s in the afternoon. The main lake is clear and the creeks and coves are still murky.

Happy fishing and see you on the water.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

The striped bass, hybrid bass, white bass and black bass are still schooling on Norfork Lake. Fishing has been good once you find the fish. They are moving constantly and you will find them in one spot and they stick around for 30 minutes to an hour then move off. You will need to move to different locations until you find them again. There is a good morning bite as well as a late afternoon bite. Early morning and late afternoon the fish that I have found are in 40 - 55 ft of water feeding heavily on shad and crawdads. Mid day they head out to deeper water and suspend in 40 - 60 ft of water still feeding on shad. Find the shad and you should find the fish. I have been fishing the dam area and find them back in coves as well as on main lake points. There hasn't been a consistent place to fish so use your electronics to find the schools. Example, I took out a couple of our guests on Labor Day and fished Point 1, Koso Bay, Sally Hand and a couple other points with little success. We ended up with one keeper walleye. I finally found some white bass and smaller hybrids in the Diamond Bay area. Yesterday I fished the same areas and found large schools of stripers and hybrids. I caught 2 nice hybrids and a 9 pound striper. I was able to release the hybids, but the striper just wouldn't go back down. The fish are constantly on the move! I guess that is why they call it fishing!!

I have found good schools of white bass back in coves and creeks in 30 - 45 ft of water. I've fished the Diamond Bay area with success later in the morning. I have also found whites and small hybrids in Panther creek and Float creek.

Kentucky and large mouth bass are chasing shad on the surface at sunrise and also sunset. Have your favorite top water bait tied on so you are ready. The top water action only lasts a half hour or until the sun gets over the trees. I have noticed that on cloudy mornings it will last longer. I have also spooned up some nice blacks in 30 - 40 ft of water feeding on the bottom. Again they are located on main lake points, bluff lines and also back in creeks on the secondary points.

No word on Crappie, but with the cooling water they should start moving back to my brush piles. I will keep you posted.

Catfish are being caught on trot lines and jugs with a lot of success. Use live bait for a better bite.

The Norfork Lake level is at 550.49 ft, a few feet below normal pools. The lake surface water temperature has fallen to 79 - 82 degrees. The main lake is clear and the creeks and coves are cloudy. Rain is in the forecast for the next few days, but the forecast shows clearing by Friday. Should be a great weekend.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.