Post by mwardncsu on Sept 13, 2012 10:19:59 GMT -5
Courtesy of Mike Snead
Fishing Report
Smith Mountain Lake, VA
Water Temperature: 75 - 80 degrees
Water Clarity: Fair/Good
Fall weather is here. We are expecting beautiful weather and temperatures like those seen over the past several days to continue through this week and well into next. The forecast is for the daytime high temperature to be between 75 and 82 degrees each day and for the low temperature to be in the upper 50’s or low 60’s at night. These temperatures will continue to cool the surface of the lake and will push the cooler water down in the water column. The water temperature in the lake currently drops from just under 80 degrees near the surface to a temperature of 70 degrees at a depth of 20 feet. At a depth of 30 feet the temperature drops another 5 degrees and is currently running around 65 degrees.
Skies are expected to range from sunny to partly cloudy for most of this week and while there is always a possibility of a thunderstorm this time of year, we are not expecting major precipitation until late this weekend or early next week. The extended forecast is that the cooler temperatures and limited precipitation will continue through next week. There will be a new moon the end of this week, so there will be very limited moonlight at night. The lake level has been running from three to four feet below full pond, so I suggest anyone who plans to launch a boat use one of the longer, deep water state ramps or call one of the many marinas around the lake with a public ramp and check conditions.
Fishing can be tough this time of year. In the warm months of summer, most alewives and many of the targeted species that key on baitfish can be found deep. Cool temperatures affect the location of the baitfish and the patterns of the many species that key on them, including bass and stripers. Currently, striped bass continue to school near the mouths of most major creeks in the middle and lower sections of the lake, but they are starting to move up both arms of the Blackwater and Roanoke Rivers. Schooling stripers can still be found using good electronics and can then be caught by anglers presenting live bait on downlines, vertically jigging with spoons and flukes (rigged on ½ to ¾ ounce custom jigheads) or trolling with their gas motors. Anglers continue to report good results while trolling crankbaits, Sutton spoon three-way rigs, Alabama rigs and Umbrella rigs in the channels near the middle and lower sections of the lake, especially near the mouths of the major creeks.
Anglers fishing with live alewives and shad on downlines and shotlines report having success catching stripers in these same areas. The keys to success when fishing with live bait at any time of year is to use the appropriate size and species of bait, size the terminal tackle for the bait being used and insure the bait is healthy and very active. Seasoned or cured live alewives, threadfin and gizzard shad that have been kept in a cage or large custom dock tank are generally preferable to those caught fresh as they are often hardier and more active.
When fishing with live bait it is important to invest in one of the many different full filtration, aerated bait tanks available today. These tanks filter the water removing slime and waste while adding oxygen, unlike the bubbler or splash systems which only recirculate the same unfiltered water. It is also important not to overload the tank with too much bait, to keep the water in the tank cool and to add salt as well as chemicals (Shad Keeper or Better Bait) to condition the bait. In my opinion, it is no longer critical that the bait tank be double walled or insulated. The air infusers utilized by most bait tanks today pull warm air from the outside and inject it into the water, adding far more heat than was introduced by the splash bars used in earlier systems. It is more important to replenish part of the water in the tank periodically, to replace the filter medium when needed and to have a supply of ice packs or frozen bottled water on hand to keep the temperature of the water in the tank cool, as this allows the water to hold a higher concentration of oxygen.
Bass fishing continues to be mixed. While the night bite has slowed over the past month or so, anglers are still catching bass at night using Texas rigged plastic worms and crankbaits. Bass continue to be found under deep-water docks where anglers are catching them both in the day and at night. In the day, anglers also report having success around docks, steep ledges and shaded laydowns using whacky rigged worms and lightweight shaky head jigs rigged with finesse worm and craw trailers. Bass continue to be found on electronics suspending off ledges, deep-water shelves and the edges of old river channels. Once located the drop shot rig with a floating finesse worm, small lightweight Texas rigged plastics or jig are reportedly working. Bass are also being caught in the upper sections of the lake by anglers using small plastic worms rigged on very lightweight terminal tackle and downsized line.
As the water continues to cool we will see schools of baitfish move into the creeks, especially at night and early in the morning. Both bass and stripers will follow them and lures that replicate baitfish will produce well. Good lures include lipless crankbaits, spinner baits, crankbaits, flukes, swimbaits and the new Alabama rig, all in shad, pearl or chrome colors. If the shad also move to the surface and can be seen flipping or being chased there, topwater lures including the Pop’R, Gunfish, Spook Jr. and buzz baits will also be good choices.
Panfish continue to be caught in the shade under docks, walkways and in the rip-rap on shorelines using worms rigged on either small hooks or hair jigs. Channel catfish are being caught with prepared stink bait, dead shad and night crawlers on bottom rigs. Flathead catfish are hitting live shad and shiners on bottom rigs as well.
Enjoy the great fall weather and stay safe while in the woods or on the water.
Mike Snead
Fishing Report
Smith Mountain Lake, VA
Water Temperature: 75 - 80 degrees
Water Clarity: Fair/Good
Fall weather is here. We are expecting beautiful weather and temperatures like those seen over the past several days to continue through this week and well into next. The forecast is for the daytime high temperature to be between 75 and 82 degrees each day and for the low temperature to be in the upper 50’s or low 60’s at night. These temperatures will continue to cool the surface of the lake and will push the cooler water down in the water column. The water temperature in the lake currently drops from just under 80 degrees near the surface to a temperature of 70 degrees at a depth of 20 feet. At a depth of 30 feet the temperature drops another 5 degrees and is currently running around 65 degrees.
Skies are expected to range from sunny to partly cloudy for most of this week and while there is always a possibility of a thunderstorm this time of year, we are not expecting major precipitation until late this weekend or early next week. The extended forecast is that the cooler temperatures and limited precipitation will continue through next week. There will be a new moon the end of this week, so there will be very limited moonlight at night. The lake level has been running from three to four feet below full pond, so I suggest anyone who plans to launch a boat use one of the longer, deep water state ramps or call one of the many marinas around the lake with a public ramp and check conditions.
Fishing can be tough this time of year. In the warm months of summer, most alewives and many of the targeted species that key on baitfish can be found deep. Cool temperatures affect the location of the baitfish and the patterns of the many species that key on them, including bass and stripers. Currently, striped bass continue to school near the mouths of most major creeks in the middle and lower sections of the lake, but they are starting to move up both arms of the Blackwater and Roanoke Rivers. Schooling stripers can still be found using good electronics and can then be caught by anglers presenting live bait on downlines, vertically jigging with spoons and flukes (rigged on ½ to ¾ ounce custom jigheads) or trolling with their gas motors. Anglers continue to report good results while trolling crankbaits, Sutton spoon three-way rigs, Alabama rigs and Umbrella rigs in the channels near the middle and lower sections of the lake, especially near the mouths of the major creeks.
Anglers fishing with live alewives and shad on downlines and shotlines report having success catching stripers in these same areas. The keys to success when fishing with live bait at any time of year is to use the appropriate size and species of bait, size the terminal tackle for the bait being used and insure the bait is healthy and very active. Seasoned or cured live alewives, threadfin and gizzard shad that have been kept in a cage or large custom dock tank are generally preferable to those caught fresh as they are often hardier and more active.
When fishing with live bait it is important to invest in one of the many different full filtration, aerated bait tanks available today. These tanks filter the water removing slime and waste while adding oxygen, unlike the bubbler or splash systems which only recirculate the same unfiltered water. It is also important not to overload the tank with too much bait, to keep the water in the tank cool and to add salt as well as chemicals (Shad Keeper or Better Bait) to condition the bait. In my opinion, it is no longer critical that the bait tank be double walled or insulated. The air infusers utilized by most bait tanks today pull warm air from the outside and inject it into the water, adding far more heat than was introduced by the splash bars used in earlier systems. It is more important to replenish part of the water in the tank periodically, to replace the filter medium when needed and to have a supply of ice packs or frozen bottled water on hand to keep the temperature of the water in the tank cool, as this allows the water to hold a higher concentration of oxygen.
Bass fishing continues to be mixed. While the night bite has slowed over the past month or so, anglers are still catching bass at night using Texas rigged plastic worms and crankbaits. Bass continue to be found under deep-water docks where anglers are catching them both in the day and at night. In the day, anglers also report having success around docks, steep ledges and shaded laydowns using whacky rigged worms and lightweight shaky head jigs rigged with finesse worm and craw trailers. Bass continue to be found on electronics suspending off ledges, deep-water shelves and the edges of old river channels. Once located the drop shot rig with a floating finesse worm, small lightweight Texas rigged plastics or jig are reportedly working. Bass are also being caught in the upper sections of the lake by anglers using small plastic worms rigged on very lightweight terminal tackle and downsized line.
As the water continues to cool we will see schools of baitfish move into the creeks, especially at night and early in the morning. Both bass and stripers will follow them and lures that replicate baitfish will produce well. Good lures include lipless crankbaits, spinner baits, crankbaits, flukes, swimbaits and the new Alabama rig, all in shad, pearl or chrome colors. If the shad also move to the surface and can be seen flipping or being chased there, topwater lures including the Pop’R, Gunfish, Spook Jr. and buzz baits will also be good choices.
Panfish continue to be caught in the shade under docks, walkways and in the rip-rap on shorelines using worms rigged on either small hooks or hair jigs. Channel catfish are being caught with prepared stink bait, dead shad and night crawlers on bottom rigs. Flathead catfish are hitting live shad and shiners on bottom rigs as well.
Enjoy the great fall weather and stay safe while in the woods or on the water.
Mike Snead