Discover Smith Mountain Lake
SPRING 2016
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lesser amount of water will heat up first; therefore, the shallow areas on the waters
edge on a lake will heat faster. In our area, the sun is in the southern hemisphere and
this means that the sun will be on the “northern” bank longer; thus, the northern,
shallower banks will be warmer, and this is where the bait will be. The hungry bass
will follow.
This lake runs west to east; thus, the whole northern bank will be very long. So how
do we find the concentrations of fish? The arteries, arms, or coves that run off the
main lake are where we need to go. In the arms of the lake will be smaller coves, and
this is where we will find a short north bank with a point in a cove where the fish will
spawn. This will be a bank that has the warmest water near a spawning area. This may
sound confusing, but take a map of the lake you want to fish, and pick out the north
banks as I have described. Drawing it out on a map makes it very easy and simple.
I had someone call me about fishing a lake in the spring. He had to fish a tournament
there, and had never been to that particular lake. I told him exactly the same things
that I have just described. I also told him about fishing with respect to the moon
phases. For example, where there was a “lighted” night before the day he was fishing,
the first 3 hours of the day would be a bad time to fish. To be clear, a “lighted” night
would be a night about 7 days before to 7 days after a full moon.
If the night before was a “dark” night, then you should change up: fish the first 3
hours, skip the next 3 hours, and then fish the following 3 hours again. To be clear, a
“dark” night is about 7 days before to 7 days after the new moon.
This fellow called me the day after the tournament, and told me that he owed me a
steak dinner. I told him he owed me nothing. The night before he fished was a moon
lit night. He had studied the lake map as I told him, and he chose a good area. He
went out first thing and started fishing, but as I had predicted, not much was going
on. He almost left the area a few times, but then he remembered that I told him to
stay until the fish started striking. It was about 9:30 AM, and he was on the verge of
leaving, when the fish started hitting. He stayed in that one area, and not only did he
win the tournament, but he also won “big fish”.
When you are going to a new lake, compare the lake with a lake that you know how
to fish. If you think about it, you’ll figure it out. As always, don’t get impatient, and
remember to fish slowly. Fishing in the spring is good with lures like plastic worms,
color “red shad”,” firecracker”, and “green pumpkin”. It is always good to have a small
plastic surface minnow (a blue Rattling Rouge is good) tied on a rod in case you spot
bass chasing bait fish. Cast the lure and “whip” the rod downward, wind the slack and
whip it again. This usually draws a strike from bass that are chasing bait.
Spring fishing for Striped Bass on Smith Mountain Lake is always good. Around
March 15th the water temperature should reach 50 degrees, and this is when the
alewives will be spawning on the banks and points, mostly along the main channels,
because the fish are heading down lake. The bait fish move along the shore in the
shallow water, because this where the warmest water is, and the stripers will follow.
Good Luck &
Take a kid fishin’!
BOB KING
Questions? Send me an e-mail!
Casting a 1/3-1//2 oz bucktail jig with a white or green feather works
really well, with a slow retrieve. Another option is to cast a 5” or 6”
Plastic minnow (Redfin, Rebel, Thunderstick, Long-A, or similar lure)
Live shad, alewives, and other live bait are great when pulled on a
planer-board along the shore.
About April 21st, the night fishing should turn on for stripers. Cast
to a point at night with a surface minnow, with a very slow retrieve.
This works great on a dark night (close to the new moon), usually best
between mid-night and 2 AM. On a moonlit night, put the boat in
shallow water on a point, and cast to the side of the point with a very
slow retrieve. The strike will always be a great surprise when these fish
decide to take your bait. You may think the fish is trying to take your
rod away from you. In both cases, keep your rod tip low, and use a very
slow retrieve. You’ll enjoy this night time sport!!
As always, use safety gear, operate your boat safely, dress properly and
‘’TAKE A KID FISHING!”
