Norfork Fishing Report 4-25-14

[Ham]

Lake Level 554.36 at launch , water is gin clear at dam slightly stained in creek arms until you go ALL the way back. BLUEBIRD skies. Wind less than 5 MPH.

I got a late start. I put the boat in the water about 0815. I launched at Quarry Park. I'm dealing with another cold and not sleeping well. Felt pretty run down, but I had been dying to go fishing for quite a while and this was the hand I was dealt. at 0815 the sun is FULLY up and I had no morning topwater bite.

I started off trying some flat gravel points looking for smallies. I love a grub bite, but I found no takers. I mixed a jerkbait in a little too. Water had 20 plus foot of visibility. I tried multiple points and high spots way off shore, but nope. Water temp was mid 50's. I spent a couple of hours trying to make something happen before I ran to my fish from last Tuesday up a creek arm.

I got to my place that was magic with the Ned Rig last Tuesday. I threw a Ned and a Tube for quite a while before I got my first fish. A 2 pound Channel cat on the Ned. I slowed down and grind out some bites, I had 5 fish in the boat by noon. I had a few fish come off and I had a few bites where the zero gets skewered on the hook preventing a hookset. This is annoying when you are struggling.

BUT I was starting to dial in where my bites where coming from and what I thought the fish were doing. I finally bailed on my magic spot and relocated to the bank I was looking for. I tried spy baiting looking for cruisers off a bluff wall. ZERO takes.

I saw some fish easing around BUT They wanted nothing to do with the spy bait. I busted out the Ned again. First cast I caught a nice spotted bass. Second cast another fish. Third cast, I lost a fish on the way back to the boat. Dialing in now.

I continues to pick up fish down that bank.

I exhausted that area and ran to some docks looking to punish some spots on docks. I got a nice Ozark Bass, but no spots. I headed to another bluffy bank and it was game on. Fish, fish, fish, fish, Fish were scattered from 5 foot to 20 foot. I felt some bites, but not most.

I got to 50 fish before 5 pm and 77 fish by the end of the day. the VAST majority of which came of the Ned. I released multiple limits of keeper spots. I had a few keeper LMB bass as well. I had a handful of SMB, but they were all small. Location, location, location. Smallies can roam where ever they want, but they don't like where I was very much. Spots like it very much.

I used PBJ and Green Pumpkin/Orange Zeros. The fish did not want my watermelon red one. I got a few on Bama bug late. I used 1/16 oz heads. Old school Gopher and Skinny Bear weedless. 8 lb Nano with a 8 of 10 lb leader. EASY fishing. I caught 7 different species of fish.

Around 5 pm the floodgates opened and I had boats all over me and the areas I wanted to fish. I'm sure word is out that Norfork is fishing crazy good right now. As usual, not much being said about Bull Shoals.

It sure was nice having a 15 minute trailer home at the end of the day.

[grizwilson]

Nice report Ham,

We ran up the creek, water was pulled down and as you say color in the backs. Pretty tough for us, but still a beautiful day.

[Ham]

Awww man Les, I wish I had known you were around. I could have told you where NOT to fish for crappie. I caught a pile of shorts on Tuesday. I had one real nice crappie on the Ned.

I did pull up to a dock and se a HUGE school of crappie. They were sillouetted by the sun. I could count 30, but I'm sure there were many more deeper in the water.

But seriously, always give me a call when you're in town. I might have intell that will help. I'll help if I can and I won't shoe horn in on your trip.

[grizwilson]

Ham,

Had my son with me, so we were on more of a sucker/white bass search, (Until we can learn your trout jig tricks) Ended up at Forsyth, did a mushroom hunt/Turkey walkabout. May run to Pomme this afternoon. Will shout when we get to real fishing... Thanks

[Ham]

crappie on the Ned

[Ham]

Green Sunfish eating it too

[Ham]

catfish are predators too

[Ham]

I had to convince this guy to eat. He popped it a handful of times before holding on. I've NEVER caught an Ozark Bass in Bull Shoals. Several from Norfork