Post by mwardncsu on Aug 16, 2012 19:57:35 GMT -5
Courtesy of Mike Snead
Fishing Report
Smith Mountain Lake, VA
August 13 - 26, 2012
Water Temperature: 83-87 Degrees
Water Clarity: Fair/Good
The hot weather we had been experiencing for most of the summer gave way to temperatures that are more pleasant over the past several weeks. The current long-range weather forecast suggests this trend will continue and that the high temperature will be in the 80’s each day. The low temperature at night is expected to drop down into the 60’s over the same period, so we are expecting a continuation of seasonally comfortable temperatures. Skies are expected to range from sunny to partly cloudy over the next two weeks and while skies will be clear most days we are expecting scattered showers as we approach this weekend. There may also be intermittent periods of precipitation the middle of next week and there is always the chance of an isolated evening thunderstorm, especially in the late afternoon and evening. The lake water clarity continues to be fair in the upper and middle sections of the lake and good in the lower lake. There will be limited amounts of moonlight at night over the next two weeks with the next new moon on August 17th and a first quarter moon on the 24th. The water level is running about two feet below full pond and all public launch ramps are open.
The lake surface water temperature continues to run around 85 degrees keeping the alewives and most other baitfish as well as those fish that key on them in the deep, cooler water with good oxygen content. Stripers key heavily on shad and will invariably be found where they are concentrated and this time of year that is usually deep. The middle and lower sections of the lake are among the more productive striper areas right now. While stripers may be found in the major deep-water creeks and larger guts early and late in the day, once the sun moves overhead, they tend to move down in the water column and to migrate to the mouths of the creeks and into deep river channels.
Most stripers are currently being found from 20 to 65 feet below the surface. Most anglers and virtually all guides use live bait rigged on downlines this time of year. As those who regularly fish with live bait already know, catching live shad and keeping them alive and healthy can be challenging this time of year. Shad continue to be drawn to lights that shine into deeper water at night and can be caught using a larger cast net, but the bait is deeper and less concentrated during the summer months. Additionally, the shad are more sensitive to stress and handling when the water is warmer, so adding salt and chemicals (shad keeper, better bait) to bait tank water is essential this time of year. Live (large or jumbo) shiners, available at local bait and tackle shops, are a viable alternative for those who want to head out for a couple of hours of live bait fishing and do not have the ability to catch and properly maintain shad from the lake. Shiners are hardy baitfish that don’t require specialized bait tanks and equipment.
Those who prefer to fish with artificial lures or who are not equipped to maintain live bait also have success vertically jigging flukes rigged on jigheads and jigging spoons. When jigging, I suggest you attach a regular swivel to your jighead with a split ring or that you use a small coastlock snap swivel to attach the jighead to your line. This will help eliminate line twist when vertical jigging. Once a concentration of striped bass is identified in open water flukes rigged on jigheads, bucktails and Alabama rigs can also be cast, counted down to the appropriate depth and retrieved. When casting or jigging in stained water I use a “Spike-It” chartreuse marking pen to add a little color to my fluke. I find adding a chartreuse line or two along the top of the back makes the plastic lure more visible.
Another popular and effective technique for striped bass this time of year is trolling. Most use their gas motor to troll this time of year. This technique allows anglers to cover a lot of water while presenting lures to stripers. In the summer months, lure depth control is critical, as you want to present them directly above the fish. A number of anglers use traditional downriggers as this is one of the most effective ways to control the depth and presentation of trolled lures. Unfortunately, there is a lot of submerged timber in this lake. When trolling in unfamiliar waters with downriggers it is necessary to closely monitor conditions below the surface to avoid snagging a cannon ball in one of the many trees.
The most popular trolling technique is probably using a lead-core line outfit. Lead-core line is color-coded so lure depth can easily be controlled by changing the length of line (number of 10 yard colors) one lets out behind the boat. Lead core line outfits are relatively inexpensive, are effective and can be used by anyone with a boat who wishes to catch stripers on this lake. Anglers, who prefer to troll with heavier lures, like Umbrella Rigs or deep diving lures find that using heavy braided line spooled on a line counter reel works well. Trolling a diving crankbait or jerkbait behind the boat with a traditional baitcasting or spinning outfit rigged with monofilament line also works fine, but it can be a little more difficult to control the depth of the lure.
Good areas for striped bass this time of year include Gills Creek, Bull Run, Craddock Creek, Becky’s Creek, the State Park, S curve, Mariners Landing, major creeks below the Hales Ford Bridge and the areas in front of and around the dam. Stripers will be found in smaller pods as well as in larger schools and during the summer months are often found in submerged timber. The key this time of year is to find the fish and most anglers ride around in targeted areas, some while trolling and use their electronic finders to locate schooled fish.
Bass fishing has been challenging, especially in the day. Bass continue to be caught both shallow and deep, but the better fish continue to be found deeper in the water column. Largemouth bass continue to be caught under deepwater docks around shaded pilings on 4 and 5 inch Wacky Rigged Senko worms. Small worms, craws and plastics rigged on Texas rigs and shaky head jigs are also producing bass holding on docks. Bass are also being caught off humps and deep-water points on Carolina rigged plastics and crankbaits. Many of the most recent reports suggest the most productive lure for bass holding in or around submerged structure is the crankbait. Several report being unable to catch bass marked on electronics with anything other than crankbaits.
Catfishing continues to be good. Flatheads and channels are both being caught in good numbers during the day and at night. Live shad presented on bottom rigs (Carolina rig) appear to be most productive when targeting flatheads. I suggest hooking the shad in the top of the back as it will allow them to swim upward and they will not hang up in the bottom structure as frequently. Channel cats are also hitting shad, but nightcrawler worms and stinkbaits on bottom rigs are a better choice. Carp continue to be caught on quality canned corn and sweet flavored dough baits. Small panfish, warmouth and bluegills are holding in the shade under walkways and shoreline rip-rap. Small hair jigs, worm pieces, Berkley imitation maggots and trout nibblets are all good baits for these fish. They will also hit small poppers, flies and spinners.
Tight lines and have a great day on the water.
Mike Snead
Fishing Report
Smith Mountain Lake, VA
August 13 - 26, 2012
Water Temperature: 83-87 Degrees
Water Clarity: Fair/Good
The hot weather we had been experiencing for most of the summer gave way to temperatures that are more pleasant over the past several weeks. The current long-range weather forecast suggests this trend will continue and that the high temperature will be in the 80’s each day. The low temperature at night is expected to drop down into the 60’s over the same period, so we are expecting a continuation of seasonally comfortable temperatures. Skies are expected to range from sunny to partly cloudy over the next two weeks and while skies will be clear most days we are expecting scattered showers as we approach this weekend. There may also be intermittent periods of precipitation the middle of next week and there is always the chance of an isolated evening thunderstorm, especially in the late afternoon and evening. The lake water clarity continues to be fair in the upper and middle sections of the lake and good in the lower lake. There will be limited amounts of moonlight at night over the next two weeks with the next new moon on August 17th and a first quarter moon on the 24th. The water level is running about two feet below full pond and all public launch ramps are open.
The lake surface water temperature continues to run around 85 degrees keeping the alewives and most other baitfish as well as those fish that key on them in the deep, cooler water with good oxygen content. Stripers key heavily on shad and will invariably be found where they are concentrated and this time of year that is usually deep. The middle and lower sections of the lake are among the more productive striper areas right now. While stripers may be found in the major deep-water creeks and larger guts early and late in the day, once the sun moves overhead, they tend to move down in the water column and to migrate to the mouths of the creeks and into deep river channels.
Most stripers are currently being found from 20 to 65 feet below the surface. Most anglers and virtually all guides use live bait rigged on downlines this time of year. As those who regularly fish with live bait already know, catching live shad and keeping them alive and healthy can be challenging this time of year. Shad continue to be drawn to lights that shine into deeper water at night and can be caught using a larger cast net, but the bait is deeper and less concentrated during the summer months. Additionally, the shad are more sensitive to stress and handling when the water is warmer, so adding salt and chemicals (shad keeper, better bait) to bait tank water is essential this time of year. Live (large or jumbo) shiners, available at local bait and tackle shops, are a viable alternative for those who want to head out for a couple of hours of live bait fishing and do not have the ability to catch and properly maintain shad from the lake. Shiners are hardy baitfish that don’t require specialized bait tanks and equipment.
Those who prefer to fish with artificial lures or who are not equipped to maintain live bait also have success vertically jigging flukes rigged on jigheads and jigging spoons. When jigging, I suggest you attach a regular swivel to your jighead with a split ring or that you use a small coastlock snap swivel to attach the jighead to your line. This will help eliminate line twist when vertical jigging. Once a concentration of striped bass is identified in open water flukes rigged on jigheads, bucktails and Alabama rigs can also be cast, counted down to the appropriate depth and retrieved. When casting or jigging in stained water I use a “Spike-It” chartreuse marking pen to add a little color to my fluke. I find adding a chartreuse line or two along the top of the back makes the plastic lure more visible.
Another popular and effective technique for striped bass this time of year is trolling. Most use their gas motor to troll this time of year. This technique allows anglers to cover a lot of water while presenting lures to stripers. In the summer months, lure depth control is critical, as you want to present them directly above the fish. A number of anglers use traditional downriggers as this is one of the most effective ways to control the depth and presentation of trolled lures. Unfortunately, there is a lot of submerged timber in this lake. When trolling in unfamiliar waters with downriggers it is necessary to closely monitor conditions below the surface to avoid snagging a cannon ball in one of the many trees.
The most popular trolling technique is probably using a lead-core line outfit. Lead-core line is color-coded so lure depth can easily be controlled by changing the length of line (number of 10 yard colors) one lets out behind the boat. Lead core line outfits are relatively inexpensive, are effective and can be used by anyone with a boat who wishes to catch stripers on this lake. Anglers, who prefer to troll with heavier lures, like Umbrella Rigs or deep diving lures find that using heavy braided line spooled on a line counter reel works well. Trolling a diving crankbait or jerkbait behind the boat with a traditional baitcasting or spinning outfit rigged with monofilament line also works fine, but it can be a little more difficult to control the depth of the lure.
Good areas for striped bass this time of year include Gills Creek, Bull Run, Craddock Creek, Becky’s Creek, the State Park, S curve, Mariners Landing, major creeks below the Hales Ford Bridge and the areas in front of and around the dam. Stripers will be found in smaller pods as well as in larger schools and during the summer months are often found in submerged timber. The key this time of year is to find the fish and most anglers ride around in targeted areas, some while trolling and use their electronic finders to locate schooled fish.
Bass fishing has been challenging, especially in the day. Bass continue to be caught both shallow and deep, but the better fish continue to be found deeper in the water column. Largemouth bass continue to be caught under deepwater docks around shaded pilings on 4 and 5 inch Wacky Rigged Senko worms. Small worms, craws and plastics rigged on Texas rigs and shaky head jigs are also producing bass holding on docks. Bass are also being caught off humps and deep-water points on Carolina rigged plastics and crankbaits. Many of the most recent reports suggest the most productive lure for bass holding in or around submerged structure is the crankbait. Several report being unable to catch bass marked on electronics with anything other than crankbaits.
Catfishing continues to be good. Flatheads and channels are both being caught in good numbers during the day and at night. Live shad presented on bottom rigs (Carolina rig) appear to be most productive when targeting flatheads. I suggest hooking the shad in the top of the back as it will allow them to swim upward and they will not hang up in the bottom structure as frequently. Channel cats are also hitting shad, but nightcrawler worms and stinkbaits on bottom rigs are a better choice. Carp continue to be caught on quality canned corn and sweet flavored dough baits. Small panfish, warmouth and bluegills are holding in the shade under walkways and shoreline rip-rap. Small hair jigs, worm pieces, Berkley imitation maggots and trout nibblets are all good baits for these fish. They will also hit small poppers, flies and spinners.
Tight lines and have a great day on the water.
Mike Snead
