We ended up having a nice & warm evening yesterday on Norfork Lake. After the sun set the lake calmed to a quiet ripple. Today, however is a different story, windy, cooler and rainy. We have had about three quarters of an inch of rain since midnight, but it does look like the end of the rain is in sight. It is still suppose to be windy this evening, but it should be dry.
I started fishing yesterday evening around 6:30PM hoping for a little top water action, but found nothing. The bass were still hitting OK, but not great. I ended up catching 4 undersized largemouth bass during the time up until sunset, then I caught two nice Kentucky (Spotted) Bass (18 inches) after dark. I usually don't catch a lot of black bass after dark. No bites other than the black bass. I was fishing in the Cranfield area, but from reports that I heard today I was definitely in the wrong place. I got two other night bite reports from people that said they just slammed the striped bass. One report was from the Float Creek area and the other was in the Bidwell area. I, as well as my other friends, were using suspending stick baits and were slow rolling them back to the boat. If the weather calms a little I hope to get out this evening.
I just love being on the lake after dark. It is so quiet and peaceful. I did say quiet, but last night in the Cranfield area there had to be a hundred Canada Geese surrounding my boat. They were making such a racket that I think this might be why I didn't catch any stripers. The geese spooked them. (At least I have an excuse!!)
Nothing new on crappie fishing, people are still catching over brush that is 20 - 30 feet down and the fish are suspended 10 - 15 feet down. They seemed to have moved a little deeper with the cooler water, after our recent rains.
The catfish should be far coming into the shallows before long to spawn. I plan to start setting a trot line next week to see what's willing to bite.
The white bass are still in the backs of creeks in shallow water. Throw a spinner bait, small crank bait or a small twister tail. Once you find them you will have a blast.
The striped bass are also starting to hit very well early in the morning. Most of my contacts have been using live bait and ballooning a free swimming minnow close to the bank. Rogues as well as flukes (either weighted or not) have been catching a few stripers on the banks, but also catching a lot of bass. The key to a fluke is to cast it out and let it sink then retrieve slowly with slight twitches stop then let it sink then repeat. Once the water warms and the fish become more and more aggressive a faster retrieval will work and at times skipping the fluke along the top of the water works well.
The Norfork Lake level is rising and currently at 553. 5. The Corps has been running one generator constantly. The lake will more than likely rise another 6 inches or so by the morning. The surface water temperature was 52 degrees last evening. The water was getting very clear last night, but with the rain today this should change especially back in the creeks and coves.
Have a great fishing day and see you on the lake.
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