Norfork Lake Fishing Report

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

I was going through fishing withdrawals, but finally was able to get back to my favorite past time. I can report that fishing Norfork Lake at this time should yield you great results. All species of fish are being caught in big numbers. Live bait and artificial baits are working.

Several species of fish and bait are not in their normal winter pattern. What has been typical for past winters is large amounts of bait suspended about 40 - 60 feet down in the old river channel in 80 - 150 feet of water. Normally stripers, hybrids and whites are above, under or inside of the bait. Assuming that this winter is normal, which is a big assumption, I think we will start to see this happen when the surface water temp falls below 50 degrees. We are currently in the low 50's. Other species such as crappie and the black bass species will start to migrate to deep 40 - 50 ft brush and hang out throughout the winter months. Crappie and bass at least for me are still in 20 - 30 ft of water with a few being found 40 ft down.

Yesterday was a fantastic fishing day for all. Stripers, hybrids, white bass, spotted bass and largemouth bass were  found in the mouths of coves and creeks. I found a cove not far from our resort that had a lot of seagulls feeding on shad at day break. The bait was all the way back in the cove and I could see fish coming up to feed. Slowly the bait migrated out of the cove toward the main lake. The fish followed the movement of the shad, as did the birds. By staying with the bait I caught several species of fish. I was vertical jigging with a spoon in 45 to 60 ft of water and the fish were feeding at all depths. A group of my guests came over and was fishing the same area and slammed the fish. The two photos on the right is a sample of their catch and the top photo was some of my catch. Good day!! I lost a couple of big fish that just came unhooked.

After a couple of hours of catching fish in this area I decided to do a little crappie fishing. Again I was just vertical jigging with a small 1/4 spoon over brush. I picked up some really nice slabs in 20 - 40 ft of water. All of my fish came within the brush, but I was marking some suspended crappie 10 - 20 down. Live bait would have worked great for these guys. The crappie were hitting the spoon really light. I could hardly feel when they would suck in the bait and if I didn't set the hook quickly I lost the fish. Today my guests went out and had a good day of crappie fishing. Photo of their catch is to the right. They were casting out a small grub/minnow with a 1/16 ounce jig head and letting it sink until it gets to the right depth, then retrieve a little then let it sink again.

The Norfork Lake surface water temperature is in the low 50's. The lake currently is on a quick rise due all the rain we have had since last evening. The lake level currently sits at 554.11. I expect another foot or so rise before things start to stabilize. The main lake is clear with the creeks and coves stained.

Keep in mind the 2014 Norfork Lake Fishing Derby starts March 1, 2014 and ends June 15, 2014. For details give me a call at 870-492-5113 or you can go to our website at www.hummingbird-hideaway.com and click on the Derby link at the top.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

  

11-19-13 Today's Catch

Fishing is still in the fall pattern on Norfork Lake. Striped, hybrid and white bass are all schooling and a lot of times can be found feeding together. I have been mainly fishing two areas for the last month, Cranfield and the 101 area. I have checked many other locations but always tend to return to these two. I have had reports of stripers and whites being caught in the Calamity Beach area and also Float Creek. Recently I have been finding my fish in 45 - 55 ft of water, but have also found them in 30 ft. These areas are big so it does take some looking around with your electronics until you mark fish. Today was a very good day for me. I first checked out the Cranfield area and did not mark much that excited me, so I headed to the 101 area. I arrived around 8AM and stopped and talked to one of my friends that had been fishing. So far he had landed a nice 6 pound hybrid on a live shiner using just a small split shot for weight. This method would be good for fish up on the surface. I started up my motor and moved away from him slowly when I started marking some big arcs under my boat. Then I saw a few fish breaking the surface. I stopped and grabbed my casting rod that was baited with a  1/2 ounce silver Kastmaster with a feather tail, and casted past the blow-ups. It wasn't long into my retrieval when I got a bump, but missed it. I continued reeling and a second fish hammered it and took off on a long run. It was a good fight and I thought the fish was much bigger than it turned out to be. The top water action didn't last long, but I started marking fish on the bottom and started vertical jigging with a spoon. Smaller stripers were on the bottom, which kept me entertained for the next 20 minutes or so. I lost the school and started moving around again. It took at least 15 minutes until I  found a huge school of fish. They were in 47 ft of water and feeding. I dropped my spoon and on the fall  could feel the fish hitting it then the fall stopped so I set the hook. This was  a school of hybrids in the 3 - 5 pound range. I kept on this school for about 20 minutes and then lost it. I started moving around again and found another big school of fish on the bottom. Dropped the spoon and started to pull up huge white bass one after the other. This went on for about 30 minutes and I lost them. It was a little after 10AM so I decided to head home to work on  leaf cleanup at Hummingbird Hideaway Resort. The friend that I was talking with when I first arrived, did land a nice 18 pound striper on a live shiner. Live bait as well as artificial baits are working. The changing weather patterns that we have been having play havoc on the fish. Everyday is different and the bite is never the same. As I always say the fish are biting somewhere on the lake and your job is to find them! Stripers, hybrids and white bass are continually moving and chasing the bait fish which sometime makes it very challenging.

 

As you have noticed I have not talked about other species as I have mainly been fishing for this white bass group of fish. I will get back on crappie, walleye and black bass soon. As the water temperature continues to cool, jerk bait time will be here, as well as, hopefully the night bite with suspending jerk baits.

 

The Norfork Lake water level is holding fairly stable and currently sits at 552.58. The surface water temperature this morning ranged from 60 degrees to 61.5 degrees. The main lake is fairly clear, but the creeks and coves are stained with a nice green tint. Periodic power generation occurs during the day which is maintaining the lake level.

 

The Norfork Lake Chamber of Commerce has been busy working out the details for the upcoming 2014 spring fishing derby. Look for details on www.NorforkFishingDerby.com and start making your spring fishing plans now.

 

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Happy Halloween all! Today was a Zara Spooktacular fishing day!

In my last Norfork Lake Fishing Report I mentioned that the big stripers and hybrids will move in shortly, well today I have confirmation! This morning was a day to remember. I caught 8 stripers and 4 hybrids all on a Zara Spook. Top water action galore and it lasted the whole time I was fishing. I found the fish heading back into a major creek on a shallow flat. The stripers were skyrocketing out of the water chasing shad. They were feeding on very small 1 inch shad, but had no problem hammering my Zara Spook Jr. (white with a chartreuse head). The schools of fish were roaming and feeding in 20 - 60 feet of water. When I got in deeper water I could see huge schools of fish under the boat so dropping a spoon and vertical jigging would have worked great. Get out on the lake at sunrise and if you find the fish, the top water action should last until the sun gets above the trees, but today was very overcast and lightly raining so the action lasted much longer. The same action should also occur in the afternoons around sunset time. Remember the clocks fall back 1 hour this coming Sunday. Other baits to try would be a blade bait such as a Kastsmaster or a spinner bait like a Rooster Tail. I like the blade baits a lot because you can cast them a mile. When the stripers go down start looking in the 30 - 50 feet of water, both on the bottom and also suspended in deep 100 foot channels.

Crappie have been biting pretty good lately. I have been using a 1/4 ounce jigging spoon in and around brush piles. The crappie are on the top and within the brush. What I have found is that after I catch a couple of crappie the bite stops, so all I do is move to the next brush pile and catch a couple more fish. You can limit out on nice 12 - 14 inch fish, but you do need to keep moving. Small swimming minnows and twister tail or paddle tail grubs will also work, tip them with a live minnow for better action. Live bait with a slip float will also work well. You will find the fish in 20 - 30 feet of water suspended from 6 to 25 feet down.

Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass are starting to move in to shallower water. I have caught some nice spots in the brush piles while crappie fishing. Today I found the largemouth bass along a deep water bluff line chasing shad on the surface. My Zara Spook did the trick. Once they go down try using crawdad colored crank baits or one of my favorites, a jig and pig. The after dark bite has been the better bite for bass lately.

The bigger white bass are starting to show up in similar areas as the stripers and hybrids. I got into some top water action a few evenings ago in a deep water channel close to the shoreline. I found several schools of fish that would erupt for a few minutes then go back down to erupt again in a different location in the same general area. I have also found them on a big flat in 30 - 40 feet of water. Early morning or late afternoons have been the best fishing times for me.

Walleye fishing ?? at this time. They should start to show up in shallow water once the water cools a little more.

It is looking to be a very good fall fishing season, so make your plans to get out on the lake and if you need a place to stay give Hummingbird Hideaway Resort a call 870-492-5113 and book a room. I will give you all the fishing information you need to help make it a successful fishing trip. The fall leaf color this year is also one of the best I have seen in years. Pretty scenery and good fishing, what more can you ask for!

The Norfork Lake water temperature was 67 degrees this morning and holding steady until the next cold front rolls through. The lake level is currently at 552.53 and is dropping very very slowly with slight power generation and small minimum flow releases. There has been a slight increase in the lake level today due the rain. The main lake is clear with the creeks and cove somewhat stained.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Norfork Lake fishing has finally started to go into its fall fishing pattern. The Striper Bass and Hybrid Bass are moving to the mid (near Hummingbird Hideaway Resort) and upper portions of the lake and they have finally come up from their 80 foot depth dormancy. The lake is cooling and it appears the lake has, or is in the process of turning over.

Over the last couple of weeks striper fishing has been slow to say the least, but that is starting to change. In the past several days I have found stripers and hybrids in the mid lake area 35 - 50 feet down, either on the bottom or suspended in deeper water. I am not marking schools of fish, but see several fish at a time and they are starting to become aggressive. The last striper I caught that was lying on the bottom in 90 feet of water, came up to the boat without any fight, but the fish I have caught over the last couple of days have hammered the baits and have given great fights pulling out drag continuously. They have become rejuvenated:-) I have been fishing with live shad set at 35 - 40 feet down and moving around slowly. Trolling for stripers will become very productive as it is much easier to get your bait down to the 40 feet level. Trollers can use down-riggers or snap on weights to get to the proper depth. Vertical jigging may still be a little more difficult as the fish are still scattered and not schooled up. This is not to say you can not catch a striper jigging a spoon or some other similar bait.

Most other fish species that my guests and I have found are in shallower water and typically close to sunken brush piles. Concentrate on brush in 25 - 35 ft of water and the fish can be at any depth close by the brush. Crappie fishing has been fair to good over brush with a small 1/16 ounce jig , 1/4 ounce spoon or a small minnow with a slip bobber worked around and in the brush. Crappie, bluegills, walleye and catfish are all in this similar area. I landed this 25 pound flathead catfish on 4 pound test monofilament line with a 1/4 ounce spoon. It was a blast landing, it took me 45 minutes of being drug around the lake. I saw the fish 4 different times and each time it saw me and took a dive back to the bottom. Once in the net I gave out a loud hoot and if anyone else was in the area I bet they thought I was a crazy man. If your after crappie, typically the bite will slow after you catch a few fish, when this happens move to the next brush pile and catch a few more. This is my tip to you.

White bass have started to school on main lake flats. A couple of my guests had a blast several different times, landing many whites on a Kastmaster. Top water action galore. The biggest problem is that they are still the smaller whites not the big 2 - 3 pound fish. The bigger whites will start to show up as the lake cools in the same and similar areas. Top water actions for the bigger whites and stripers could happen at any time.

I have fished for black bass several times over the last couple of weeks and have caught quite a few fish. Most on the short size. So I guess what I am trying to say I have not been able to figure them out, yet. There has been some top water at sunrise and sunset. My spook worked great. Some of my bass fishing guests have caught nice fish throwing a jig and pig and plastic worms. Most of their fish came anywhere from 10 to 25 ft down and typically on rocky points and the deep bluff lines. The bass fishing will pick up with the cooling of the water and they will continue to move closer to the banks. In a few more weeks depending on the water temperatures, jerk bait time will begin.

The Norfork Lake surface water temperature has fallen to 74 degrees and warms slightly during the day. A cold front is coming into the area this week so I predict the water temp to be in the upper 60's by the beginning of next week. The main lake water is clear and creeks and coves are stained. As the water cools the water will continue to clear up. Not much water outflow from power generation, but small flows are occurring due to minimum flow. The lake is falling very slowing and currently sits at 553.15.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

The fish in Norfork Lake are still in their summer pattern, but changes should start to occur over the next several weeks. (In my opinion). Norfork Lake fishing continues to be very good for striped and hybrid bass. The stripers are still 70 - 90 feet deep typically on the bottom. You may be able to find them suspended in deeper water, but still at this 70 - 90 foot level. The best location is in the dam area, but look the fish to move to the mid-lake area as the lake cools. Live bait is working the best, but trollers and spooners are catching a few good sized fish. If you're trolling you will have most luck with a down rigger in order to get your bait down to the 80 foot level. Using in-line snap-on weights are very difficult to use to get your bait down to the proper depth.

Walleye are being found in the same location and water depth as the striped bass. Yes, walleye are being caught in 85 ft of water, on the bottom, either with live bait or vertical jigging with a spoon. Look at the size of those deep water walleye in the 3rd and 4th photos. I have started to look for walleye in shallower water around brush with no success, but it won't be long.

I went looking for bass this morning. I first started vertical jigging a spoon around brush part way back in major creeks not far from Hummingbird Hideaway Resort. I caught a few 14.5 inch largemouth, but nothing much exciting. I finally moved away from brush to a hump that is surrounded by deep water. I found schooling bass in 32 feet of water chasing bait. I ended up spooning up 4 nice size largemouth in the 17 - 18 inch range and released all. They were nice size fish, but very skinny. I look for them to start feeding more and getting much more active as the lake water cools. There was also some top water action with nice size bass, but of course always a little too far away for me to cast into them. I always have my spook rod handy every time I go out fishing just in case I'm in the right spot at the right time.

Crappie fishing has been good most of the summer. Unusual, but the lake water was cooler than normal. Look for crappie in brush that is in 30 feet of water. The fish will be inside of the brush or at the top. You will need to keep working different depths until you find the feeding zone. I did catch 2 crappie this AM, but both were undersized. Use a 2 inch swimming minnow or grub with a curly tail or a paddle tail attached to a 1/16 - 1/8 ounce jig head. Tip the artificial minnow with a live crappie minnow for best results.

Catfish are also holding up in the same locations as the bass and crappie. They will be on the bottom so drop a nightcrawler or vertical jig with a spoon. I hooked into a really nice size fish this AM. I fought this fish for about 5 minutes and could see it on the graph about half way up when it came unhooked. It was not running like a striper so my bet was that it was a good sized cat. Jugs and trotlines are also catching some nice cats.

The Norfork Lake level is dropping very very slowly and currently sits at 554.9. This is basically normal pool. The Corps is generating a few hours each day causing this slight drop, but generally the lake is very stable. The surface water temperature this morning was 78.5 degrees, it will warm up slightly during the sunny afternoons. Assuming the forecast holds as it currently is look for the surface water temperatures to continue to fall. The main lake is generally clear with the creeks and coves stained.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Norfork Lake striped bass and hybrid bass fishing has been on fire the last 4 weeks. As you can see from my photos, striper fishing has been the targeted fish for our Hummingbird Hideaway Resort guests and me. The stripers can be found on the bottom in 65 to 85 feet of water in the main lake toward the dam area. You will also find them suspended 60 - 80 feet down in 100 - 150 feet. of water. There is a good bite in the morning as well as the afternoon. I have been mainly fishing two methods, live thread fin shad and vertical jigging with a spoon. Live bait has definitely been the best bite, but I usually have 4 live baits out versus one spoon, 4 times the opportunity. It has really been a blast with many doubles and triples on at the same time. Lately most of the fish that were will not swim away. If you get a floating fish make sure you pick it up and eat it for dinner. Striped bass is really good fried or baked. Once you have your limit of 3 striper/hybrid in the boat per fisherman you need to target another species or call it a day.

The next best bite on the lake is crappie. Yep I did say crappie. Very unusual for this time of year, but I guess the cooler than normal water temperature and the better than normal oxygen level and relatively shallow thermocline has made the difference. I talked with two crappie fisherman on the lake this morning and the first one had several in the boat already at 6:30AM and the next person had limited out on crappie. John, with the limit was fishing brush piles with a hair jig and finding the fish in about 25 feet of water. The crappie are ranging from 10.5 inches to 12 inches, not monsters, but respectable fish
Today I did change gears from striper fishing to try and find walleye. Ever since we had the rise in water back in early August, the walleye disappeared for me, and today was not different. No walleye, but I did run into several large schools of white bass in about 36 feet of water. The problem with these schools is that they are moving very quickly and not staying in the same location. I would spoon up 2 or 3 then lose the school. I was working main lake points in 25 - 40 feet of water. I'm hoping that when the lake stabilizes from its current fall and gets a little cooler, the walleye will move back to the brush.

I have not been bass fishing, but I did notice something very interesting this morning. I was marking many bass suspended at 20 - 25 feet deep is all depths of water. They were not on the bottom, at least where I was fishing, but hovering just above the thermocline level. Throwing a deep diving crank bait or a weighted swimming minnow should catch you some very nice fish. The arcs were good size for bass. There is also on most mornings good top water action for bass, so have your favorite top water bait handy. Today, however, was one of those days and very few fish were coming up. The bass are on main lake points as well as back in creeks off of secondary points.

The Norfork Lake water level is falling slowly and currently sits at 555.82. A foot or so above normal pool. One generator is running most of the day. The lake surface water temperature was 85 degrees this AM. The main lake is clear with the creeks and coves somewhat stained.

A quick note to all those lake loving enthusiasts. It is still summer on Norfork Lake, the water is warm, the day time temperatures are warm, and the lake is calm. There is still plenty of time to plan a little lake vacation. Our pool is open and cabins are ready for your stay. Give us a call at 870-492-5113. Priceless vacation memories made affordable at Hummingbird Hideaway Resort.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Norfork Lake striped bass fishing is on fire. The fish have schooled up and are in the main lake. Over the last two days I have caught and released over 30 striped & hybrid bass. (all in the 5 - 15 pound range)The fish are in their typical August pattern. Find then in 70 feet of water to 150+ feet of water. Most of them are suspended down 50 - 80 feet deep, some a little shallower and some even deeper. I caught one yesterday 100feet down. I have mainly been vertical jigging with a spoon, but live bait, as well as trolling lures are also working well. To vertical jig at these deep depths, you will need to know how many seconds it takes for your bait to free fall down to 60 feet of water. This will be different for each rod and reel.What I have done in the past is sit my boat in 60 feet of water then I drop the bait straight down. I count 1001, 1002, ect. until it hits the bottom. Repeat this several times, but always keep your counting speed the same. Now when you'er out in 150 ft of water you can get to 60 feet by counting the number of seconds it took during your trials. The other method is to drop it to the bottom and reel up to your depth. A typical bait caster is 1.5 feet per crank and a spinning reel is approx. 2 feet per crank. Remember that each rod and reel combo will be different. For me the best striped bass bite has been from point 2 down to the dam. The lake is cooler than normal and the oxygen level is good at all depths for stripers. Most fish can be released and will swim away, but if they don't you need to keep it and have it for supper. Striped bass are really good eating as long as you clean them properly.

 

If you are a striped bass fisherman  or someone just wanting to catch a striped bass this is the time to come. Give us a call and we can get you set up with a cabin, a guide if desired or I will let you know the locations where I have been catching fish so you can try it on your own. Our phone number is 870-492-5113.

 

The lake level is falling approximately 4 inches per day and currently sits at 560.85. The surface water temperature is currently around 83 degrees. The main lake is clear and the creeks and coves are clearing. The Corps is generating most of the day with all generators.

 

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

 

Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters with a double on. 8/23/13
870-421-1541

Paul with a 15 pounder 8/22/13

Ron with a 13 pounder 8/22/13

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Norfork Lake fishing has been really good after the rise in the lake level. We received over 7 inches of rain in a week period and the lake has come up about 7 feet from two weeks ago. The lake level is perfect for fishermen and pleasure boaters alike. Plenty of lake to play on with little or no diminished amenities at area resorts and campgrounds.

 

The striped bass have finally started to school. This morning I caught 8 legal length stripers and hybrids with 2 stripers in the 10 pound range and 2 hybrids about 8 pounds each. I released all fish except for a hybrid and a striper. Neither of these fish would swim away so they will become dinner. No photo since my photographer brought the camera down to the dock, but the battery had no charge! I was vertical jigging with a spoon in 105 ft of water and the fish were suspended in 40 - 60 ft of water. There was also plenty of top water action where I caught several 15 inch spotted bass and some smaller hybrids and stripers on a Zara Spook. It was a blast. A few days ago I was fishing with my daughter and she landed this monster 25 pound striper. I was trolling a white headed Hyper Striper with a 6 inch green with silver fleck tail. I was using 6 ounces of clip on weights about 60 feet back of the bait then another 150 feet of line. I think my bait was down close to 30 feet deep.  A father and 2 son team fished with Jim Nichols about a week ago. They landed a nice 25 pound fish and several others. Jim was fishing with live gizzard shad. With the rise in the water level the fish have moved back into the creeks and coves. Start looking for fish from 30 ft down out to the deep channel. Once the lake stabilizes the stripers will start to move out to the main lake points if this hasn't already started to happen.

Believe it or not, but crappie fishing has also been really good. Typically this time of year crappie are very hard to find as they suspend out in deep cool water. With the cooler water temperature and the relatively shallow thermocline crappies have moved back to the brush and at times are only 5 ft down. Bob and Angie caught well over a 100 crappie last week with maybe 40% of them being of keeper size. Lots of 9.5 inch fish, but anytime you can catch 32 fish in day and have 15 keepers you have had a great day. Small jig heads with a 2 inch swimming minnow tipped with a live minnow did the trick. Find brush in 30 - 40 ft of water then start fishing at different depths until you find where the fish are feeding.

Walleye fishing has also been pretty good. They can be found in 30 - 40 ft of water near brush. I have been vertical jigging a spoon at this water depth bouncing the spoon off of the bottom. If you don't catch walleye you will catch white bass as well as black bass and catfish.

The Norfork Lake level is holding fairly steady at 562 with a slight rise when no generation and a slight fall when the generators are turned on. The lake surface water temperature ranged from 79 - 82 degrees this morning. The cooler nights are starting to drop the temp. Our forecast is for warmer temperatures in the next few days. The water is starting to clear after all the rains. Very little floating debris in the lake, but still be on the look out for any floating logs that may have broken loose from the shore line. Be safe and wear your live jacket and kill switch lanyard.

We still have a few cabins available for the Labor Day holiday week end. Our mid season rates went into effect today. A get away to Hummingbird Hideaway Resort is always great but it is a real bargain this time of year. You get summer weather with fall rates. We have great dock access, plentiful dockside parking and a hard surface launch.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

 

 

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Norfork Lake fishing is in its summer pattern. Fish are located below the thermocline, on the bottom as well as suspended in deep water channels. The thermocline appears to be between 26 to 30 feet deep.
 

Striper Bass fishing has been very erratic. It is good one day and tough the next. Stripers are being caught from mid lake (Robinson area) to the dam area. You can find stripers half way back in creeks and also out in the main lake. They are still very scattered and have not really schooled up as they typically do this time of year. You will find the stripers 30 to 60 feet down in 40 - 130 feet of water. It has been challenging, but that is what I enjoy about striper fish, the hunt! Live bait is working as well as vertical jigging. Trollers are finding fish in the same areas, keeping their baits 30 - 40 feet down.

The best bite for me at this time is walleye. I should have limited out the last two days, but I malfunctioned on the netting part. I guess my superstition of not having my net ready until I see the first fish has to end. The last two days I have lost very nice walleyes because I am fumbling around trying to get the net extended and the fish wiggles off the hook. I am finding walleye in 30 - 33 feet of water in and around brush. Most of the fish are inside the brush.

 

 

Largemouth and spotted bass fishing with a few smallmouth bass has also been good. Most days there has been a good top water bite starting at sunrise which ends when the sun gets over the trees. On cloudy days the bite lasts longer. I have been throwing a Zara Spook when the fish start to erupt. There are some nice fish along the shore, but don't be afraid to cast out to deeper water. The bass are chasing shad and can be in any depth of water. Mid size hybrids are also coming up in the same locations. Once the bass go down throw a crank bait that dives 10 feet. You will extend the morning bite this way. I haven't been out in the evening, but I would assume the bass are doing the same thing at sunset. Mid day look out in 30 - 45 feet of water and start vertical jigging a spoon. I have found most of the action half way back into creeks along a channel swing. The fish will be on the points and out in the middle of the channel.

The catfish bite has been good on trotlines. Set your trotline along a deep bluff. Tie both ends off to some rocks along the shore then tie on a rock half way up the line and drop it into the water. Your line will be shaped in a half moon shape. The deep side should be in 20 - 30 feet of water. Bait up the line with live bait, shiners or small gills. 

 

The current lake level is 554.65 and holding fairly stable. Slight generation is occurring. The surface water temperature fell a few degrees and this morning was 81 - 83 degrees. The water is somewhat stained in coves and creeks and clear on the main lake.

 

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.