Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Yesterday morning was a success for one of our guests at Hummingbird Hideaway Resort on Norfork Lake. He caught this 20+ pound Striped bass using live Gizzard Shad on a planner board. He was free swimming the shad. He fished the Bidwell area close to shore. The fish are moving up in shallower water feeding on shad. Robert Lee of Lee's Lite Line was fishing at the same time on the opposite bank and landed 4 stripers in the 10 pound range on Thread Fin shad and also one on a fluke (artificial). He to was fishing close to shore.

I fished last evening and started before sunset on a deep bluff line before the 6A marker. I caught a largemouth or Kentucky Bass on every other cast. I was throwing a bone colored rogue and they couldn't leave it alone. On my very first cast I caught a nice 4.5 pound largemouth. In a hours time I caught 7 bass and 4 were keeper size. At sunset I headed to a point up closer to Bidwell hoping for stripers. Finally at around 9PM I landed a small striper and quickly unhooked and release the fish. On my very next cast I hooked into a nice size fish. It ran for deep water into the wind. I was having a hard time keeping up with the fish with the windy conditions and finally my line snapped. I guess I had my drag to tight with the wind compounding the stress on my line. (Here we go, excuses again) I tried to retie a rogue, but with the wind and my old age eyes I couldn't do it. It was late so I decided to head home.

This morning another of our guests from the Collinsville, IL area fished the same area that I had fished the night before and caught a dozen nice bass all on flukes. The bass are hanging out on the deep bluff lines close to the bank.

Fishing conditions today is on the poor side as the wind is just howling. Hopefully it lays down a bit as my fishing guests are itching to get back out on the lake, not to mention I am too.

The water where I was fishing last evening was gin clear. The lake level has risen to 554.16 and rising very slowly. The Corp is running one generator around the clock. The Norfork Lake surface water temperature last evening was 52 - 53 degrees.

If your out on the lake today be safe. The white caps are rolling. See you all on the lake.

PS: Forgive all my grammatical errors as my wife is out of town and she is my editor.