Thread: Hey Darryl

I read a post on here somewhere that you once guided on Norfork. If so what is the secret to fishing it. I have caught some there fishing at night but have had very little luck fishing during the day.

Originally Posted by creekslick

I read a post on here somewhere that you once guided on Norfork. If so what is the secret to fishing it. I have caught some there fishing at night but have had very little luck fishing during the day.

Yeah, I tried to guide some there part-time, but found out quickly that it wasn't the place where I could make a living at it. No doubt, it's a tough lake to fish and the more you get familiar with it the better you'll do.

Norfork is a really deep, clear water reservoir where the crappie spook easily and generally speaking shallow water fishing is 15-25' deep. It has been several years since I've fished it but I'm sure she hasn't changed that much. But, when I did I fished mostly from the 101 Bridge up to the Red Bank area. I also fished some south of Robinson Point back toward the Buzzard Roost area. When I'm home for Christmas break and if the boys have a day or two off, I was thinking about checking her out again for old times sake.

Anyway with that being said, you've got to find the cover, hover and get the bait down to the depth they are holding. It's definitely not a slow trolling, spider rigging lake. Casting for crappie can be some good if you know where the cover is to cast into. The cover is key. I've know some very talented dock shooters who have done well in the past too. But all in all, hovering over or very near the cover and fishing down to or into it would be the most effective.

There are a bunch of Corps Fish Attractor signs that will get you on some old cover put in years ago. It was big stuff so there should still be some around. Another way to find some cover is look for the water runoff cuts in all those steep banks. There is usually brush at the bottom of each of these. I have an EasyGPS file of about 75 waypoints that's several years old that you're welcome to if you're set up for that. Just let me know and I can email it to you.

Thanks Darryl. Sent you an e-mail.