Dewayne French

The wife said out the house today so I said ok😉. Not enough time for a Table Rock day so I hit Norfork 7-11, but I unloaded early. Put in at Cranfield Ramp for the first time in a long time and they have added on the parking. A huge new lot up the hill by the play ground. Had a small limit by 9 and fished about 6 different spots found them on my 3rd stop. Biggest of the day was a 3.95 largemouth had 8 keepers for the day. Also had around 4-5 shorts and 2 big white bass. Water clarity was good and shad was suspended about 25 feet. Best baits was Ice Jig, A-rig and jerk bait Norfork is a different lake than Table Rock, but still a fun day. After 9am boats and people were out in force from fishing boats to the run-abouts. People defiantly are liking the hot December weather. So I got loaded up about 11 and headed home with my fishing fix for this day. Water temp was 49-49.5 most places and fish were in the shad around 20-30'. But like my last trip to Table Rock I can't get those fish to commit to my offering. If I can get a few fish together they will bite. There is a ton of bluegill in the lake as they are roaming in the 10-25' range around any brush or tree. These are not near as big as those Bluegill on Table Rock but they are everywhere. Crappie are still eluding my offerings as I can not get them on them at either lake. Merry Christmas to my OA fishing freaks enjoy family and lets go fishing.

I got try that 45 degree retrieve. I had the same thing the other day on the lower end. You could see them under even feeding, but I could not make those fish commit. I will borrow that😉.

Thanks Mr. Bill love to hear your reports they keep me updated on the bite and that Eagle rock is one of my favorite areas of the lake much appreciated.

I got away for my annual winter trip over to the big pond. It takes me all day for this trip as I have to leave by 3:30 to get over for the early bite and I almost missed it this time. Unloaded at old 86 about 6:30ish and had visions of big bass eating the ice jig and they did not disappoint me. Had a great day with a solid limit early and 15.50 for my best 5 at the end of the day, I was happy with that for me🤣. The deep fish seemed to bite in windows throughout the day, but for sure early was the best bite for the bigger fish. I had a 5.10 largemouth and a 3.09 smallmouth before I ever saw another boat. Best baits were Ice Jig, damiki, and a small paddle tail with a 3/8 oz slow rolled though the roaming spotted bass packs and the were out today. I tired the A-rig, spoon, jerkbait to no avail, they would react to my offerings, but not bite. Surface water temp was 52.5 when I started and 53.2 when I loaded up to head home. I tired around 9 different locations between the dam and the 86 bridge and caught fish on about every one. One spot middle of the day I lost 3 that I never got to see that I guess were biting short and not getting a good hook. The water was a different color between the dam to the bridge and I had to adjust at several of the locations from different color baits to tweaking the graph. Deep fish were anywhere from 30-70 and like normal a single was hard to get to commit to the bite, they would follow and act interested, but if you could get 2-10 in a group you could make that work. The big 5.10 largemouth had 2 others with him about the same size and they zoned in fast and if you could have got another bait down you could have had a double because they was ready. I never caught a fish that was high up in the water say 5-10 feet deep, they would streak the bait and hit it but it is almost like those fish where hitting the bait with their mouth closed, maybe slapping at it because even with a jerkbait I did not get a hook up. Just a good day on the big pond. Lots of boat trailers were at ever ramp I passed and most boats where out between 9-2pm looked like. Good fishing and enjoy the fishing deep or shallow. Only thing I did not try was a shallow crankbait on the rocks maybe next time? If believe the ramp talkers, I did talk with a couple different guys loading up after me and one had a good day shallow on a crankbait and one only had a few small fish for his efforts dang fishermen never can believe what they say

Healthy and good looking spots this time of year. Dang ned catching them again😉

Had plans change the night before so my Saturday was free. I hooked the boat up early and headed to Norfork for a few hours. Had not been on the lake since surface temps were 88 so I was either going to get lucky or skunked. Got to Redbank at 5:45 first boat to unload, but a couple right behind me. Headed south to my first stop and had a flock of turkeys fly out of their roast after I got setup, even gobble a few times. Lots of surface action in the middle of the channels, but never could pin point a cast. The whites/hybrid's were feeding on shad, I'm sure some bass were mixed in just way to random. I had lots of shad on the graph from surface to 15' deep with some bigger marks around them just could not connect. Finally after sun got up I began to catch a few on small bait fished near the surface fast!! Ended decent, but no pictures as it was to rainy. Best area was on the main lake channel with a deep flat . Also had 6 decent spots come up off the bottom and inhale a hair jig only just one little area. Could not reproduce it, but that was fun. Ended my day at 2pm headed home with a couple fish for supper, the wife likes to eat fish so that is my excuse to go 🤣😂. Not much to report but finally got out on the water water had some success. Water color had a tint of stain, surface temp was 62ish, small swimbaits/ hair jig, speed was your friend today (faster the better) good luck have a happy thanksgiving to all my OA crew

UDAMAN as they say Mr Bill😁

Congratulation's as a few have already said. The day of retirement is closer for me as well. Although the actual date is not written down it will more than likely be early next year. I still love my job, but changes in upper Mgt and retirement fundings make it a no brainer to leave with my head high and my health. Enjoy your extended fishing trips and your family. As they say this is a crazy world.

No rain in Mammoth Spring but it was 48 this am 😁

😉😉You got that right......

Managed to come up for a long weekend before the boys get out into the world. One to MSU and the other to the Navy. But I brought up the boat and fished a few hours sat morning before heading in about 9 due to idiot boater/tuber/skiers but I digress because I know how it is on any given weekend up there in the dam area. Not many toppers or chasers to find some here and there, that is what I was hoping for. I did scope a decent bass in 15' over 45 and caught some in a couple of brush piles on a plum worm (normal stuff I know). Biggest bass/fish broke me off in a pile never got him out. Could have been a real big-un but who knows. Did catch some other just keepers, but it didn't seem as good as normal in the piles at least for me anyway. Not a big report but hey it is what it is. Made it back to the farm Sunday afternoon in time to feed cows, goats and check the chickens. I'll be back just not as often I as would like. Did I mention there was to many people up there🤐. Stay safe night or day time you never know about people any more. Water temp at 5am was 88.9-----it felt like bath water unloading. Greenish colored tint to the water. Seemed to be a thermocline in the 18 foot range most of the shad bigger fish marks were suspend in the 15-18' range. I stayed with in site of the dam.

I for one love that area and fish it when I can break away and drive the 3 hours it takes to get there. I couldn't agree more with #18 that is a fish catching creek. You are spot on that is a great area of the lake hard to reach ie... long run for most and that's a-ok😉

Fish tacos now that's a good thing😁....The reason my wife says go fishing

I like the wrap on that hook Mr B😉

Good looking Large-Jaws