Lake Norfork

[CrappieHusker]

Happy New Year everyone!

I last fished Norfork about 1990. Years before that my wife and I went down there with our kids during their spring vacation. I remember staying at Blackburn's one or two times and at least twice at Crystal Cove. I remember the fishing to be really fantastic early mornings---my young son and I would get up an hour before dawn and we would just slay the crappie. We also did very well with whites and several nice walleye. Then the four of us would go out after breakfast (about 10) and would not have much luck with the crappies or anything else for that matter. My son and I did go out with a guide one time and caught 3 stripers, lots of crappie and several nice largemouths. At the time of our last trip down there, the local fishermen were up in arms about all of the stripers eating their crappie. Others laughed at them knowing the stripers were an open water fish and mostly fed on the shad they were always chasing. Anyone out there fish Norfork often and what are your feelings about any harm the stripers are doing to the crappie population?
Also, some friends want to make a trip to Norfork to fish for stripers. My wife is going to hold off for warmer weather! The guide's name my son and I had when we stayed at Crystal Cove was Gary Sperry. Several years later I was able to talk to Gary at the Kansas City Sports Show. He told me he had suffered a recent heart attack.Then again several years later I talked to a guide service at the show and found out that he had had another heart attack and died. We were very sorry to hear that as he was a really nice guy and a good guide. Anyway, does anyone have a good guide in mind? How about places to stay down there?

[J.M.]

I have used Roy Proudy [not sure about spelling of last name] and been happy# 870-424-2496 Good Luck

[Darryl Morris]

This is a really nice place to stay. Troy should be able to hook you up with a good guide if he doesn't take you himself. Some of the best crappie fishing on the lake is right under his dock. Give him a call and telling I sent you.

Three Oaks Resort - http://www.3oaksresort.com/

[CrappieHusker]

Thanks guys for the info!

[Darryl Morris]

I just found out today the my old friend Troy doesn't own the Three Oaks Resort any more. I don't know the new management, but the place is still nice and I'm sure the crappie fishing under their dock is still super. If all else fails, come on down to Hot Springs and I'll take care of you and do everything I can to make your fishing trip a great one.

[icfish2]

I have been fishing Norfork since about 1994. We stayed at Blackburn's resort until the original owners sold it. We then started staying at Teal Point Resort, which is the nicest resort on Norfork and very close to Blackburn's. usually go down once in the spring and once in the summer. I don't feel that the stripers have hurt the crappie population. Although, I have heard that crappie fishing runs in 7 year cycles. The middle of the 7 years being the best fishing. This past year I went down in April, June, and November. Without a doubt it was the slowest I have seen it in the past 13 years. So I would say that we were probably at the 7th year of that 7 year cycle. I see the crappie fishing only improving over the next 3 years. I would highly recommend staying at Teal Point if you are able to get in. They are booked pretty solid as people from previous years usually reserve their cabin for the following year. But if you are going down in the spring or fall they may have some empty cabins available. www.tealpointresort.com - to check it out.

[CrappieHusker]

icfish2,
We lived in a Chicago suburb and used to go down to the Branson are lakes during spring break. We fished Taneycomo, Table Rock and Bull Shoals. Then we started going to Norfork. First time or two we stayed at Crystal Cove Resort, near Henderson. Then, after going to the Chicago Sports Show one winter decided to go to Blackburns. Think we stayed in a cabin that was actually a trailer. We picked that place because among other things they had a basketball court and that gave our daughter something to do. Our son likes basketball but he's like me if there is a lake around you gotta be there!
Anyway, we did well at both places. Better for more larger crappie in the Crystal Cove area back then and my son and I used a guide one day because I wanted to learn how to fish for stripers. Back then they mostly trolled. He caught a 9 pound hybrid, and I caught a 12 pound hyprid and a 16 pound striper trolling Little Macs.
One year at Blackburns (thing I did not like about this resort is that you had to drive down to their dock to get to the boat-don't remember if we had to at Crystal Cove or not but don't recall having to) we caome in from fishing. My 7 year old daughter asked me to put a minnow on her line so she could vertical fish off the dock while my son, wife and I were getting our equipment loaded. Well, she immediately catches an 18" white crappie! We thought it was a fluke, but of course she wanted her hook baited again, so my son put on another minnow for her.Voila! Another crappie-this one was 17 1/2 "! Needless to say, we all dropped what we were doing, got our rods out, baited with minnows, fished for 30 or 40 minutes and never got a hit!
That's why they call it fishing and not catching!
Anyhow, I love Lake Norfork and plan to get down there again soon!
I have heard about Teal Point and many other resorts. I used to send for information on resorts in the Mountain Home area every year and would spend hours looking it over-----living in Chicago was like serving a prison sentence as far as lack of good fishing goes!

[icfish2]

Well, Blackburn's cove must hold some pretty big crappie because the first year down there I hooked a 16 incher, not as big as those in your pictures but it was a nice size crappie. Anyway, I love going down to the Mountain Home area and fishing Norfork. Every year about this time I start getting fishing fever for it!! Them are some nice pictures that you posted. Here is a stringer of crappie my nephew and I caught this spring.

[CrappieHusker]

Nice fish icfish2!

Good luck on your next trip down there!

[CrappieHusker]

Thanks for the info, Darryl!