Big waters grow big fish

Big waters grow big fish

Outdoors Columnist Lake Norfork is a massive body of water near Mountain Home, Arkansas. It is made up of 22,000 acres of water and over 550 miles of shoreline with a depth of over 180 feet in some portions of the lake. It is the oldest of the man made impoundments in Arkansas and was developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1941. It has 19 recreational parks for camping, hiking, swimming, boating, water skiing, and most important, fishing. The lake has bream, crappie, bass, catfish, trout, and is famous for its hybrid striped bass. The stripes can grow to more than 40 pounds. The North Norfork River below the dam is stocked with trout by the Norfork National Fish Hatchery.

Recently the John Thorne family of Proctor, and Jimmy Hawkins family of West Memphis visited Lake Norfork to catch stripers and trout. The Thornes have been going for ten years and fish with guide Russ Breckenridge while staying in Mt. Home. Jimmy and Billy Hawkins joined in for their first trip. The guide, Russ Breckenridge uses large boats that can hold five fishermen plus the guide. The boat has up to date electronics and supplies both the fishing equipment and the live shad bait which are caught in cast nets the evening before the trip. The fishing rods are heavy duty with large reels that contain only 10 pound test line. They were fishing about 40 feet deep.

The Thorne family, composed of John and his wife Rebecca, and their two sons Paul, and John Jr. live in Proctor and are employed by the Bobby Pollard farm. Paul is in his last semester at Arkansas State Mid South completing his degree in general technology and hopes to become a game warden. John Jr. is also at Mid South and needs a semester to complete his degree in diesel mechanics. Neither are married and shot in the Game & Fish trap program. They both love hunting deer and ducks and by working on the Pollard farm, after harvest they have time to enjoy their sports.

Jimmy and Billy Hawkins are from West Memphis where Jimmy retired from teaching and coaching at West Junior High. Billy is a senior at University of Memphis majoring in Health Care,-Exercise Sciences. Billy caught the largest stripe of the trip weighing 27 pounds. He said because of the light line and the 40 foot fishing depth, it took “A minute per pound” to land the big striper. Billy plans to retire from fishing until college graduation. Quit on a Winner?

The group caught only 3 stripers, ranging from 15 to 27 pounds, and decided to trout fish the next day on the North Norfork River that flows below the dam. They waded and fished from the bank and caught 12 rainbow using light action rods. Some people were boat fishing. The river was about a 100 yards wide and swift and cold. The Norfork National Fish Hatchery stocks the river once a week and fishing can be very good with most of the trout 12 to 15 inches long. Trout fishing is always better on a rising river.

The guide, Russ Breckenridge, operates all year and fishes for all the variety of fish found in the area. He requires reservations and the price depends on how many people and what kind of fishing. He offers a full service of cleaning and storing fish while furnishing all the needed equipment. The fishing has been good this year, both drifting and trolling for the big stripers. His number is 870-421-0092.

The Hawkins boys want to thank the Thorne family for inviting them and introducing them to the lake and the guide. They want to come back again. Billy is getting that big striper mounted at Lakeside Taxidermy. That is a real trophy and will take a big wall to display it. Last Friday night about 9 p.m. the lights went out at our house. I called Entergy and reported the outage. I actually talked to a real person and he said they would be out before 11 p.m. Sure enough, the first service man arrived and determined it would take more man power and equipment. He called for help. Soon the crew arrived with the back hoe and other equipment and started working. About midnight they knocked on the door to tell me all was fixed. I want to thank these men for coming out late on a very hot weekend late at night to get us service again. I did not know some of these men so I will not call their names. I want to thank them and Entergy for the excellent service. THANK YOU!

Hunting season draws closer and I am starting to see quite a few doves on the fields that have been prepared. Remember NO BAITING. That can be very costly. There is a little fishing going on, but it is early and late due to the extreme heat. Take plenty of water and that youngin’ with you.

Papa Duck Lakeside Taxidermy 870-732-0455 or 910-482-3430 johncriner@ hotmail.com

By John Criner