Norfork

[taxidermist]

We did some work at the studio before we headed out mid-morning. Maybe getting uplater than expected had something to do with this. LOL.

Putting in near the dam we motored around just looking at Norfork, lots of water and where to fish was the question.

We trolled some deep diving lure on light lines in deep water, main lake points, was a total bust, my Hummingbird 565 showed fish but who knows what they were.

So as the sun really started to burn in we headed to the back of the coves to find some bream, finally found them the hotest lure was a scgool bus orange colored bettle spin with s tiny silver blade, the bogger #5 colorado blade failed me for some reason. The water is certainly stained this year and that may be the key.

We caught lots of green sunfish, some 7-8 inches long one nice 9 inch greeny. Several 6 inch bluegill and one real monster. On light tackle these little fiosh can certainly put up a fight. There are a few one pound largemouth hiding back inthe brush too. Again on the light tackle pretty darn fun.

As the afternoon sun started dropping we went back to the main lake points, fish started busting bait on top. We tried top waters and had several nice fish hit them but did not hook up. So we switched to White Rooster tails and started catching fish.

After about five minute of fighting something on my line, I had about a 15lb striper beside the boat and while getting the net under it, the fish managed to break off the Rooster tail. Thats why its fishing and not catching but still fun.

We caught a bunch of small whites and hybirds but did not hook up with any more stripers.

What we did catch thats really odd to me is several 2 lb smallmouth bass. Not that I dont catch some but they were caught inthe bass herd on the Rooster tails over 100 feet of water about 150 feet off the shoreline, so much for structure related.

A fellow in another boat caught a 4 1/2 lb smallmouth in the mix off shore and he was about fifty feet from us in even deeper water.

Just before dark all the fish shut down and the bite really picked up Skeeters that is, seldom have I seen this many skeeters in open water, must be the way the lake is this year.