Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Well I am going through Norfork Lake fishing withdrawal. We have a full house of guests and my boat is out of the water until Sunday. At least I had time to give my boat its spring tune up and get it cleaned up. I did get some great news from several of our Bass Cat guests. They did get into some great top water action on Tuesday and Wednesday. They caught stripers, whites and black bass. They said they were erupting all over both in the morning as well as the evening. The lake temperature has risen to the low to mid 60's and slowly rising. Fishing will be a blast for the next month. The walleye are finally starting to hit rogues in the morning and the crappie are hitting small crank baits and rattle traps. All these fish are being caught by the bass fishermen while they're throwing for bass. The bass fishing has been really good so far this week. All are catching large and smallmouth bass and lots of them. Of course many are in the 8 - 14 inch range, but quite a few large ones are being caught. I just heard one of the tournament fishermen weighed in about 20 pounds today. Last years two day total was around 22 pounds. Fish are bigger and hitting better this year. The bass fishermen are throwing everything under the sun, crank baits, jerk baits, spinners, finesse worms, crawdad, ect, ect, ect. The fish are hitting all. I spoke with a few guides this morning and they are all finally catching limits of stripers with live bait in the mornings and afternoons. The fish are really starting to turn on. (and I can't go fishing til Sunday!)

The Norfork Lake level has risen with all the rain in the area. It is currently at about 554.7 and still rising slowly. Generation is intermittent. Lake temps low to mid 60's. The water is clear in the main lake, slightly off color to coffee color back in the creeks.

We hope see you on the lake and happy fishing. Don't miss out on the spring bite. We still have openings, just give us a call for reservations. If you've been here for the top water bite you have to agree that for fishing fun there is no better place to be than at an Ozark Mountain resort on Norfork Lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

The photos taken last week by our Saint Louis and Chicago guests show why Field and Stream Magazine has ranked the Mountain Home, Arkansas area second as one of the best small fishing towns in the US. During their 5 day fishing trip on Norfork Lake and the White river they caught hybrid bass, largemouth, whites, crappie, bluegill, walleye and rainbow and brown trout. The striped bass eluded capture. They fished with a guide on Norfork Lake using live shad and also used a guide on the White and North Fork rivers. They fished on their own for several days and nights using one of our resort pontoon boats. They used live minnows with small 1/16th oz. jigs for their crappie fishing and the walleye were caught using rogues at night. They used an assortment of baits for the trout. The four guys had a great time enjoying Norfork Lake and the surrounding Ozark Mountain area.

I haven't been able to get out fishing myself for 3 days and won't be able to get out until Sunday at the earliest. Here we go again letting work interfere with my play time. Even though I can't get out we do have a full resort of bass fishermen and ladies. They are all owners of Bass Cat boats. So far it sounds like they are all finding fish (large & smallmouth bass) as well as crappie, walleye and catfish. Crappie are hitting some of their small crank baits and the walleye have been hitting jerk baits. I guess a rouge type bait is working during daylight hours. Catfish are being caught on a trot line baited with large shiners. I am sure some will catch stripers before the end of the week with their soft and hard jerk baits. The largemouth bass are sitting on beds and others are staging to start the process. We should have a good spawn again this year as the lake level is up just slightly. This slight rise over normal pool places a lot of buck brush at the lake's edge and should give some cover for the young fry.

The lake level is at 554.3 and rising slowly, 2.3 ft above normal pool. One generator has been running most of the day. The lake temperature has risen to the upper 50's to the mid 60's. We are under a storm watch and have a possibility of a few inches of rain, 1/2 inch of rain so far today. This rain will stain the creeks, but the main lake and mouths of creeks are still clear. The forecast for the remainder of the week is looking OK.

Hope to see you on the lake and happy fishing.

Arkansas Ozarks, Norfork Lake Fishing Report

It has been a couple of beautiful days on Norfork Lake, but very, very windy. The wind is supposed to keep up for the next several days with temps in the 80's. Too windy for me to fish, hopefully it dies down this evening. The forecast is still calling for 15 - 25 mph winds.

The lake level is rising slowly at 554.1 which is 2 feet over normal. This warm south wind is warming the lake temp and it is ranging from the mid to upper 50's. Still minimal generation.

I went baiting with one of the guides the other day and learned a lot. But still it is more work than I am looking for, so I guess I will stick with artificial baits, which is my preference anyway. We fished a little, but only got two striper hits.

A group of our guests (4 guys) went striper fishing with a guide and did OK, but not great. They caught several nice hybrids, a couple of striped bass, a walleye and some white bass. The guide was using live shad and was fishing the dam area. Yesterday the same group went to the river with two guides and caught so many rainbows and browns that their arms were starting to ache. During the early hours two generators were running and they caught some really nice sized fish. Once the generation stopped and the river level lowered, they started catching the smaller fish, but got a fish on every cast. They all had a blast. Hopefully I will get some of their pictures and post them later. I believe they fished the White River up from the confluence with the Norfork River.

The word is out from many fishermen that the largemouth are sitting and making their beds. I have also heard that the smallmouth are finally coming up to shore to feed. Soft plastics (3 in. grubs) are working with a slow retrieval. Largemouth are hitting soft plastic, spinners as well as crank baits. I guess you throw what you are comfortable fishing, they are hitting them all.

To all the Basscatters that are traveling soon have a safe trip and see you all soon.

Springtime at Hummingbird Hideaway Resort

What a beautiful day. It is 82 and sunny right now (5:00 PM). We're in for more of the same for the rest of the week! I have to admit- I couldn't help it- I planted tomatoes even though I swore I was waiting til mid May this year. I do have enough saved back just in case I need to replant. The herbs and some flowers are planted, shrubs are trimmed (most of them), and the grounds have been mowed for the first time. We're not crazy about the mowing and trimming, of course, but the rest of it is pure enjoyment. The greenhouse I got for Christmas a couple years ago is still bringing me pleasure. There can be no place prettier than Mountain Home, Arkansas on a sunny spring day!

Lou didn't get out on Lake Norfork last night or this morning. He tried to ignore the backache he had but just couldn't do it. He is out fishing now though. He's trying a mid day into the night fishing shift. We also have guests out fishing as well so I'm sure there will be something to report later.

Enjoy these spring days.

Linda

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Doug and his wife Mary Ann, from the St. Louis area, had a nice stringer of walleye and crappie to take home. They fished in the evenings for the walleye and in the mornings for crappie. Doug preferred a black back with silver sides and orange belly rogue for their walleye fishing and was using minnows with a slip bobber for the crappie. The crappie were suspended over brush in about 10 feet of water not far from our resort and the walleye were on points in the Cranfield area. While they were fishing for crappie they caught many bass and released all. The biggest crappie that he had ever seen got away just before being netted. I think Doug didn't want to give Mary Ann bragging rights. (Only joking Doug)

Striper fishing at night has still been slow, but the morning bite is starting to pick up. I have talked with several guides over the last two days and they are catching fish in the Cranfield to Red Bank area as well as down at the dam. They still aren't getting the bites they are used to this time of year, but I really think that will change soon with the warm weather being forecast. I talked with several others that had been striper fishing and they had caught stripers in the Float Creek area right before dark. Minimal top water action, but I think it is going to erupt at any time. I am always optimistic.

Bass are still hitting very good. I am still seeing very large bass under my dock. I have a feeling they are staging to spawn, even though I have been told by some fishermen that they had marked fish already on beds. I guess the big ones, might be the males waiting their turn.

The Norfork Lake temperature is in the mid 50's and rising. The Norfork Lake level is 553.3 and rising. Virtually no generation over the last 24 hrs. Today is sunny to partly cloudy and warm, but windy at 10 - 20 mph. The wind is suppose to keep up for the next day or so. If the forecast holds the wind should slow down a little by Wednesday. I guess I will wait till then before I get out on the lake. I have plenty to keep me busy around the resort.

Until next time happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Good Morning all. For the past two nights the Norfork Lake night bite has slowed (stalled) for striper fishing. I have been out the last 2 evenings and not one striper bite. Due to the potential bad weather I have only traveled to the Cranfield area and have not tried any new areas. One of our guests is fishing the same area with the same results, but they have been catching keeper size walleye at night. (not me!) The walleye bite is slow, but they are catching several a night. I talked to or heard about 3 different guides (live bait) and they all had a very difficult day Saturday. I guess due to the changing weather patterns and changing barometric pressure it slowed the bite for all fishing for striped bass. The forecast for next week is fantastic looking at this time. Warmer consistent temperatures and no rain.

Our guest that is fishing the night bite is also doing good catching crappie and bass in the mornings. They have been using road runners with good success. They are fishing the brush piles that I have placed in Norfork Lake over the years. I talked with a basscat boat owner yesterday morning who was fishing around my dock and he states that the largemouth bass are currently sitting on their beds. They spotted many spawning bass. Haven't heard anything about the smallmouth. Yesterday I spotted at least 5 very large largemouth swimming under my dock during the day.

The lake is slowly rising and currently sitting at 552.7, with no generation. Water temp last evening was 56 degrees and steady. The water is still clear with a little stain back in the creeks and coves due to the current rain.

Well that's it for the fishing info, but another exciting bit of news, the hummingbirds are back. We spotted our first hummingbird yesterday. That always means spring is finally here.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

If you are looking for a great fishing experience or just some peace and quiet, come visit us at Hummingbird Hideaway Resort your Ozark Mountain vacation destination.

I fished Norfork Lake last evening (as my wife would say) again. Maybe I shouldn't be doing this blog as some are going to see how often I actually fish. It wasn't as productive as the previous evening, but I still caught fish. I was fishing along a bluff line outside of the Cranfield area and the fish started to explode around me. I had rogues tied on so I started casting into the blow-ups. I got into a mess of white bass. It was a lot of fun and actually lasted for about an hour. I think I ended up with 6 whites and 3 largemouth. Again the largemouth were on the small size. The whites were all in the 1.5 - 2 pound range. Pound for pound they are one great fighting fish.

Once it got dark I moved to a point and started casting rogues for walleye and striper. Here the bite was slow. Finally at about 9:30PM I hooked into a striper. It weighed about 7 pounds. I fished for a while longer and got nothing so I decided to call it a day. I had put everything back so had no fish to clean. I was able to surprise Linda by getting home so early!

The lake level has risen slightly to 552.6, not much generation in the last 24hrs. The water temp has seemed to stabilize in the mid 50's and is finally starting to rise slowly. Water clarity is clear, clear.

The BassCat Invitational Tournament is coming up at the end of this month. To those bass fishermen and women, you should have a fantastic time fishing this year. Be prepared to catch a lot of fish, the lake is just filled with them. The bass seem to be starting to stage for their spawn. I have been seeing quite a few of keeper size fish swimming the shoreline and under our dock. I have caught many keeper size over the last two weeks and many more undersize. For me crank baits have been working. I have talked to some local fishermen and they are fishing plastics with a lot of success.

See you all on the lake and happy fishing.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report 4/16/09

What a catch! Last evening was definitely one of the best times I have had fishing on Norfork Lake. I started out from our dock at around 6PM. I ran up the river to the Red Bank area and decided to crappie fish for a while. I caught 4 nice slabs in less than an hour. I was using a white twister tail jig tipped with a live crappie minnow. The sun was setting so I moved across to a point and started casting a rouge, immediately caught a large and smallmouth (both under size), but still a blast to catch. I moved around a few different points and continued to catch bass, but around 9PM the action really started. I was on a point not far from the resort and the striped bass started to hit. I caught 3 stripers and two walleye between 9 & 10. The biggest striper was 11 pounds. I was throwing a bone colored, no eye suspending rogue the whole night (except for the crappie). This has become my favorite lure for the night bite. When I was bringing in my second walleye I looked down in the water and saw my fish and also saw 4 other eyes that had followed it in. The walleye were males, it appears they are still going through their spawn.

One of our guests have been fishing with live shad and yesterday caught, I think, 5 stripers and lost one (the big one). It looks like the stripers are still on the move and being caught anywhere from our resort up to the Red Bank area. I'm sure they are all over. Our guests from Texas really enjoyed being able to take home the majority of the fish I caught last evening. They have never tried striper before.

The lake level has risen slightly with the rains, but the Corps. is generating and keeping it close to normal pool of 552. The water temp is low to mid 50's. It should rise with the warm days and nights forecasted. And as normal the lake is clear most everywhere.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

What a productive couple of days we've had around our Norfork Lake resort. Windy & rainy days may keep me from fishing but they definitely allow for getting work done. I spent yesterday morning finishing the tile work in Cabin 3 but the afternoon was spent in the sunshine cleaning one of the pontoons just back from its spring tune-up. The springtime routine is to take one pontoon out of the water, pressure wash and inspect the pontoons, take it to the mechanic for service and take any seats needing recovered to the upholstery shop. Today, we begin the process with another pontoon. The sun is shining. It makes me feel like summer is here to be cleaning a boat in the sunshine. I hope to go fishing this evening, should have gone yesterday. I just hate how work interferes with fun.

We do have a couple of guests who are dock fishing for crappie, the bite is hard to come by but they have caught a few nice ones. Another group of guys are striper fishing. They have been catching their own shad and fishing all day long. I know they have caught a few, but didn't get a chance to talk with them yesterday. They are already out for another day of fishing. The day bite is picking up for striper, but still no top water action. Hopefully the next few warm days will trigger the fish to become more active.

Hopefully I will have a success story to tell tomorrow. Have a great day and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Happy Easter.

I took one our guests (Jackie) out on Norfork Lake last evening and he was excited to catch his first striped bass ever. They were not big, but keeper size, a lot of fun to catch, and good eating. His biggest surprise was the light tackle that I use. Only 8 pound test on medium weight rods. We ended up catching 3 stripers and one and a half walleye. The half walleye was lost at the boat. Actually one of the striper (the biggest one, of course) also broke off in the trolling motor. Night fishing is a challenge and I am still learning. We fished off of a point in Diamond Bay and caught the striper after 9PM, the walleye were caught after 10PM. We actually moved to a different point for the walleye.

The lake was calm last evening and the temperature in the main lake was a little above 50, back in Diamond it was above 55. The water is clear with a slight cloud back in the bay. The lake level is rising slightly at 552.07 but more than likely will rise more with our forecast of over an inch of rain today. They are generating one unit at the moment.

We had a couple staying with us last week who were crappie fishing and they ended up doing fairly good. Caught many big slabs back by point 8. They were amazed at the size of the crappie as they are used to fishing in lakes up in IL. This was their first time fishing on Norfork Lake and are planning to return.

We have current openings so book your trip soon. I will do everything possible to help you catch fish on Norfork Lake.

See you on the lake and happy fishing.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

I tried out a few new areas on Norfork Lake last evening and did OK, but not great. The forecast called for 10 - 15 mph winds, but when I got out on the lake it was flat calm. I would have preferred a little wind. The lake temperature ranged from 50 on the main lake and up to 55 back in the creek. It was almost a full moon. The water is clear to slightly stained back in the creeks. If we get some rain today, it might cloudy up the creeks a little more.

I started fishing Float Creek (all the way in the back) around 6PM. Found a lot of bait fish in the 20 - 30ft range with bigger fish below them. I started bass fishing in about 15 ft of water and picked up a few smallish fish on a jointed tail shad rap, nothing to brag about .75 - 1.5 pound range. I chose Float Creek for walleye fishing. I have done well there in past years. Once the sun set I moved up closer to the 5A marker and started throwing a white rogue. I fished the 5A marker back to where the creek bends to the North. I ended up catching two under size walleye and 2 small striped bass. I also picked up two bluegill, the lure was as long as the fish. I caught 3 of the fish on a bone colored, no eye rogue with red hooks and the others on the white rogue. Both rogues were the suspending types.

I think that once the water temp stabilizes in the upper 50s, the morning and evening bite should take off.

A couple of my guide friends are out fishing the next couple of day so I will let you know how they do.

I guess I need to get back to working on our resort.

Have a great day and happy fishing.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

I went out fishing last evening on Norfork Lake with two semi novices to fishing and definitely novices to night fishing. It was a comedy of errors. My daughter caught the big B'ass of the night. Her friend got in the boat and proceeded to sit in the seat my daughter told him to. When we arrived at the fishing site he stood up and started clanking. Low and behold there was a rogue attached to his back side. My daughter couldn't stop laughing so I had to get out my trusty knife and pliers and get the hooks out of his sweat pants. That was fun!! No blood. Next on his first cast (he is used to pitching side arm) he hooked my daughter's life vest. I knew at that time is was going to be a funny and long night. We finally got to start fishing and all of us were getting strikes but no hook ups. I think the little ones were having fun playing around with us. My daughter finally caught a smallmouth, but that was it for the evening except for making 6 trips to the bank to retrieve lures in the trees.

It looks like it is going to be too windy and cold the next two nights or mornings to fish, so I won't be out for a while. If I get any good, credible insight I will pass it on. I have friends and guide friends that are fishing daily and we all share fishing info.

Happy fishing.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Good Morning all. Last evening on Norfork Lake was just gorgeous, the stars were out in full force, the moon is several days away from being full. The lake was flat to a slight ripple, water clear and water temp in the main lake was about 50 and back in the bays/creeks mid to low 50's.
Went back to Diamond Bay for the night bite and it was petty slow. I boated one Hybrid and lost a Striped Bass at the boat. That was all the fish/bites I had. There were two of my friends out fishing in the same area and one caught two nice size Largemouth Bass and the other (which was also using live shad) boated several smaller Large and Smallmouth. I heard one of the guides was back fishing by the islands and caught two Striped bass right before dark. Overall slow night for all.

If you plan to night fish for Striped Bass and use a rogue the retrieval method is a slow, slow and even slower roll. Don't work the bait as a jerk bait, just steady slow with maybe a few pauses.

Largemouth Bass fishing has been good, from all who I have talked with. The best bite is early or late. The fish are going shallow next to the banks. Crank baits, jerk baits and spinner baits seem to be the ticket. As I have written before I have caught several nice size fish on rogues and Shad Raps along the shore line points.

White bass fishing is good, they are schooling and still back in the creeks. The are suspending anywhere from 0 - 30 ft down. When they are down, spooning is working great or Rooster Tail type spinning baits when they are up.

Crappie fishing has been good. They are moving close to shore. Find some timber that is in the water along the banks and cast a twister tail jig tipped with a crappie minnow. Straight crappie minnows with a slip bobber is also working well.

It looks like the weather is going to take a turn for the worst over the next couple of days, windy and cold.

Till next time Happy Fishing and if you need a place to stay next time you come to Norfork Lake or Mountain Home give us a call 1-866-210-7717 or go to our web site http://www.hummingbird-hideaway.com/.

Sweet and Sour Sauce for Striper

This is the recipe we use for sweet and sour fish. We most often use striper. Bread and fry your fish as you wish. Sometimes we use a batter for tempura style, sometimes we use bread crumbs. Both are good so fry the fish your favorite way. The sauce is served separately since it most likely makes more than you will use for one meal. It stores well in the fridge for up to a week. It is also good with chicken, shrimp or pork. I hope you enjoy it!

Linda

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cup green pepper, sliced
1/2 cup onion, sliced
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon paprika
2 medium tomatoes chunked
20 ounce can pineapple chunks in juice

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and paprika in skillet. Drain pineapplea and reserve, add enough water to the juice to make 2 cups. Add juice, soy, and vinegar to cornstarch mixture. Cook stirring constantly until mixture boils. Boil 1 minute. Add green pepper and onion. Cover, cook just until vegetables are tender crisp, about 5 minutes. Add pineapple and tomatoes and heat through.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

I just got back from a successful fishing trip on Norfork Lake. I started heading to Diamond Bay, but once I went under the 101 bridge the waves started crashing over the side of my boat so I thought it wouldn't be so bad fishing closer to the resort. I headed to Hensley Cove which is on the bluff side of the lake from our resort dock cove. I started fishing the calm side of the cove with a shad rap and started catching last years hatchlings (large and small mouth). They have grown about 10 - 12 inches since last year. I guess they have had plenty to eat. This lake is really going to be a fantastic bass lake over the next few years. I decided to head across the cove to the windy side points. Immediately my screen turned black with bait fish. I switched to my standard suspending rogue for early spring and immediately caught two 1.5 pound large mouth bass. The sun had set and I thought maybe the striped bass would be on the points. I cast the windy point and had a huge hit, it was pulling drag and I was sure it was a striped bass. I finally got it to the boat and it was a 4.5 pound large mouth. I fished a while longer, but when I lost my second rogue to the shoreline trees, I decided to head home. I haven't had a lot of experience casting windy banks in the dark and that darn wind just does whatever it wants with a rouge. I will go back out in the daylight when its not windy and retrieve my lures.

I do release all large and small mouth I catch unless I ever get that trophy fish.

Happy fishing and see you on the water.