BentRod
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Posts: 2,252
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Post by BentRod on Apr 7, 2014 13:19:26 GMT -5
I was trying to make a funny at the expense of all the lurkers who I am sure are scrutinizing the background in your great pics. Sorry my sense of humor was so offensive :/ I think it's funny because conditions change so fast that if you always fish where someone else caught fish a week ago you'll rarely do really well and will never learn anything new. I wasn't talking to you BRCarls. I know you were kidding. Skiff, I've found the stained water is better. The clear water is not warming up very fast, which I guess is not allowing the bait to move up which affects the stripers. Fish around a lot of bait and the stripers will show up. You'll still have some slow periods. We're not catching them by the hundreds, but working hard and picking up 8-10 decent fish per day. Sometimes you don't have to move far to hit on something right.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2014 13:55:20 GMT -5
Fishing is like picking up a chick. You have to decide on a few places to try and work these places hard. However if you let them see your worm too long....they will want something bigger and without all the hooks. Timing is everything.
So find the best bar in town with plenty of bait and dangle your lively mongo in their face! And remember..confidence is key!
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Brian
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Post by Brian on Apr 7, 2014 14:05:26 GMT -5
So find the best bar in town with plenty of bait and dangle your lively mongo in their face! I disagree, I've had some sucess with a red nosed peanut that's been in the tank too long... wait, were we talking about fishing?
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Bert
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Post by Bert on Apr 7, 2014 19:49:09 GMT -5
Skiff, nothing better than seeing how it's done 1st hand. You might think about booking Travis for a day, really cut your learning curve.
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Post by mwardncsu on Apr 7, 2014 23:18:39 GMT -5
The boy has the smoothest net throwing form of anyone I know....
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BentRod
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Post by BentRod on Apr 8, 2014 5:45:58 GMT -5
Ha that throw was pretty crappy but it got the job done. You know shad are easy when you're making extra throws just to pick through the baits and get the best..haha. But hey, I'm pretty sure we caught a 14 and 16lber about 20min later on them and then a 15 n 18lb citation the next morning with them. Only way to beat that is for some 25-30lbers to show up.
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Post by striperseeker on Apr 8, 2014 7:28:15 GMT -5
Nice throw!!!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2014 7:48:35 GMT -5
It's so efficient. The first time I saw his throw..I knew immediately.. that is how it is done!
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Post by 2013skiff on Apr 8, 2014 12:34:25 GMT -5
ive been with travis and todd a BUNCH of times and different times of the year....I think im on a slow spell like bentrod was that few times...im in the same area as the guides are because I was already in 2 creeks this past weekend and todd and travis came and ran bait in the same creeks...im doing all the same ways other folks are running baits I just get confused on when they make there run toward the damn area...I don't wanna be fishing hardy area when they done ran way down to indian point area...I remember a few years ago all I could catch was gizzards and all the stripers would eat was alewives and vice versa...that seems to be my problem is I don't put in enough time to know there patterns like bentrod was saying...thanks to everyone who post on here ...that helps me out a lot...any info on what and when makes them move to the damn area would be appreciated...thanks lee
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Post by mwardncsu on Apr 8, 2014 13:00:03 GMT -5
Some good info in a posts in the How-To section: smlfishingforums.proboards.com/thread/1611/seasonal-movements-striped-artificial-tacticssmlfishingforums.proboards.com/thread/1610/smith-mountain-seasonal-fishing-tacticsHistorically late April / early May was the time to be fishing down at the bottom of the lake with some variability in timing based on water temp / moon phase, etc - however, don't think all the fish in the lake travel together and move up and down at the same time - or even at all. I think when DGIF used to do all the stocking in one or two locations years back there was more of a "migration" but with stocking happening in 10 or so locations scattered across the lake it seems that there are fish scattered across the lake year-round - except perhaps when the thermocline develops strongly up-lake and pushes them out of there. I get you that you don't want to be totally in the wrong part of the lake - but also keep in mind that there are also a given number of fish in any given creek or hanging on any given channel point and if boat after boat are putting bait in front of them in a parade - and catching a few giving them sore lips - your catch-rate may go down even if in the "right" area. Sometimes it's good to try areas where others aren't..... perhaps not as "target rich", but if you are the only bait in their face you might get bit more often.....
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Post by 2013skiff on Apr 8, 2014 13:03:15 GMT -5
I need to learn more on where the creeks are...any maps that give you that?...thanks lee
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Post by mwardncsu on Apr 8, 2014 13:17:10 GMT -5
A lot of the fishfinder charts have the correct names labeled on creeks. The maps you can pick-up at the Welcome Center and such are good resources - some places are named for subdivisions and such nearby.... some are landmarks (i.e. Tennis Courts), etc..... No great consolidated resource that I am currently aware of.
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piper
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Post by piper on Apr 8, 2014 17:15:31 GMT -5
I need to learn more on where the creeks are...any maps that give you that?...thanks lee I picked up a water proof map at the whitehouse gas station that is solid. I bel. Dwayne stocks em. It lists just about anything you can think of.
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piper
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Post by piper on Apr 8, 2014 17:33:33 GMT -5
ive been with travis and todd a BUNCH of times and different times of the year....I think im on a slow spell like bentrod was that few times...im in the same area as the guides are because I was already in 2 creeks this past weekend and todd and travis came and ran bait in the same creeks...im doing all the same ways other folks are running baits I just get confused on when they make there run toward the damn area...I don't wanna be fishing hardy area when they done ran way down to indian point area...I remember a few years ago all I could catch was gizzards and all the stripers would eat was alewives and vice versa...that seems to be my problem is I don't put in enough time to know there patterns like bentrod was saying...thanks to everyone who post on here ...that helps me out a lot...any info on what and when makes them move to the damn area would be appreciated...thanks lee Brother I share in your misery. Ive dumped over $150 in boat fuel alone and dont want to think about truck fuel getting to the lake (Leesville) over my past 3-4 trips. I spent over an hour on Sun looking for decent bait with no luck. I have this nice fella pull up doing a survey for Dept of game inform me they are a few miles the opposite direction..I wouldve never thought to head that way..but sure enough... the lake was SCREAMING with bait and stripers. Ive thrown a bazillion times and even fallen in the lake for a few dinky shad only to pull them with no takers. Shad will be in one cove/creek one day, slip by a few days later..gonzo... Ive even seen them move in a 10 minute span. They will be at 50 feet, 15, 35, and then nothing. I'll mark Stripers and see em feeding one day..throw on em..no dice...go back GONE. Its tough sledding, to the point that I think I may skip on winter fishing next year. but then again..Im an addict sooooo. I share this as I know you are not alone. We just see the fruit from lots of hard labor over the years from some of these posters. Glad we get what info we do really. I'll be at the lake ALL week next week if you wanna hook up.
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Post by CorneliaGale on Apr 8, 2014 18:37:28 GMT -5
Just as Mr.Ward says the fish don't all go down to the dam area like they used to, why no one really knows, Use the electronics and find the bait and the fish won't be too far away. You will find as you put time on the water certain places just about always hold bait, unless something major happens to cause them to move. Today the river is up in Salem and stained, most likely already hitting the lake at Hardy and down towards Moormans', most likely won't go to far down, Linville will be a muddy mess for a while, most likely Beaver Dam will have some muddy water. You don't have to run all over the lake to find fish, fish the area you are in, get everything right and most likely you will catch fish.
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