Post by mwardncsu on Oct 22, 2012 11:13:01 GMT -5
Fishing & Outdoor Report
Smith Mountain Lake, VA
Oct. 22 - Nov. 11, 2012
Water Temperature: 58 - 62 degrees
Water Clarity: Good
The lake continues to cool as a result of temperatures that have been dropping down into the 40's and 50's over night. That cooling effect will undoubtedly continue and may accelerate with colder evening temperatures in the forecast and lengthening periods of night. Over the next several weeks we can expect low temperatures at night to be in the 30's and 40's. The high temperature is expected to range from the lower 50's to the mid 60's over the same period. The shortened periods of daylight and cooler temperatures should help improve the bite as the fish continue in fall transition patterns and prepare for winter. It should also stimulate additional pre-rut and rutting behavior in the surrounding deer populations, so we are approaching that time of year when we need to be especially watchful for deer running across the road, especially at night. There is a full moon on October 29th, a last quarter moon on November 7th and a new moon on November 13th, so we will have decreasing amounts of light at night when the moon is overhead. If you are interested in seeing the specific moon rise and set times for any period I suggest you check out this site aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.php Lake water levels remain over three feet below full pond and several ramps around the lake have been closed and others marginal. The current forecast does not predict significant periods of precipitation, so levels will likely remain low. If you have not launched from a specific ramp recently I suggest you check before driving to it. I also encourage everyone to be very careful when on the water, especially around shoals and in normally shallow areas.
Bass fishing has been a little tough for many anglers recently. The low water level has left much of the traditional structure under docks and walkways near the shoreline high and dry. It has also lowered the water on the ends of lay downs significantly and reduced the depth of water in the backs of creeks. There are still fish being caught under and around deep water docks and bluffs using traditional pig and jigs with plastic trailers and floating finesse worms and craw imitating plastics rigged on small shaky head jigs. Bass are also being caught on heavier jigs and Texas rigged worms in deeper water. Crankbaits continue to produce bass and as reported earlier the occasional striper as well. While bass continue to be caught on a variety of lures, anglers report lure selection and presentation is key to success, especially on the bass found in deeper water.
For bass found in deep water, the drop shot rig has been the technique reportedly used most successfully by anglers able to locate bass on their electronics. The key is to use a very light tipped rod and to rig with a very high quality, small, ball bearing swivel to eliminate line twist. Visibility is currently very good in most sections of the lake, so it is also important to use a lightweight fluorocarbon line especially from the swivel to the sinker. Good drop shot lures include the Squirrel Worm (Big Bite Baits), Loca-motion (Basstrix), Straight Tail Roboworm and ZOOM Finesse worm. While many nose hook their plastic worms I suggest you try using a small extra wide gap hook on your drop shot rig. This puts the point further back in the plastic for better hook ups and helps reduce hang ups when fishing near wooded structure. You can also take a pair of pliers and open the hook slightly to improve performance. When you get a bite, you do not want to jerk up on the rod to set the hook, just keep the rod up to maintain pressure using the rod and light drag on the reel to absorb the pressure of the fish on the light terminal tackle and line being used.
While many bass anglers have found consistently catching quality fish to be a challenge recently, they are several who seem to have figured it out. The Anglers Choice Marine Classic was held here last weekend attracting a field of 170 boats. It is the premier event in what has grown to be one of the most popular tournament trails held each year and it attracts the very best anglers from Virginia, North Carolina and surrounding states. Local anglers Craig Blankenship and Robert "Buck" Hoyt, Sr. won the two day event along with a new Ranger bass boat when they brought a total weight of 29.75 lbs. to the scale. Second place in the event went to the team of Thomas Wooten and Joshua Wagy with 27.33 lbs. and third place to Wayne Burchett and Don Dalton with 25.38 lbs. in total weight. Fourth place honors in this tournament went to the team of Robert Hoyt (Robert Sr. son) and Brandy Hoyt with a two day total weight of 24.98 lbs. This year's total points winner for the multi-tournament series was the team of Brandon and Kenny Reynolds.
Striped bass patterns are changing. Many of the larger schools of striped bass seen throughout the summer have broken up and most anglers report they are currently finding stripers in either smaller schools or small pods of between 10 and 20 fish. Many of the stripers currently being caught are being found in the middle and upper sections of both the Blackwater and Roanoke River sections of the lake. Anglers fishing with live bait report success and at a variety of different depths. Some anglers are marking stripers in small schools from 12 to 35 feet below the surface and catching them on downlines while others report success presenting live bait on free lines, shot lines and light downlines off the top and sides of shallow deep-water points.
Many anglers are using planer boards and floats to distribute their baits and cover a larger area in the upper portion of the water column, especially early and late in the day and on days when skies are overcast and the stripers are found in the upper sections of the water column. Those fishing with boards report some success using large alewives, but for better quality fish it appears the medium "money maker" gizzard shad is the bait of choice. At times schooled stripers are still being found 50 to 60 feet below the surface where down lined live bait, vertically jigging and power reeling spoons and large bucktails are proving to be productive techniques.
Anglers are also catching stripers on artificial lures. Some report regular success using their electronics to locate a school of stripers and then vertically jigging spoons (Hopkins, Kastmaster) or flukes on jigheads (1/2 - 3/4 ounce) to catch the fish. Another similar technique is to locate fish and then cast spoons, bucktails, flukes rigged on belly weighted hooks or lead headed jigs out as far as possible, allow them to sink by counting the lure down to the appropriate depth and then to retrieve the lure to catch the fish. When stripers are found near the surface or feeding on top surface prop lures, poppers, chuggers, Alabama rigs, donkey rigs and lightweight swimbaits are all good choices. One angler reports having success trolling with a shad colored medium diving crankbaits. He uses a variety of different models and colors until he finds the one the fish prefer and then puts several of the same lures out behind his boat to cover the waters at about the same depth. He also likes to cast and retrieve crankbaits as well as the Alabama rig when stripers are active near the surface.
Another technique that will work all year long and is especially effective this time of year is trolling. There are a number of boats trolling in areas from just below the bridge to Beaverdam Creek on the Roanoke side and from Gills Creek to the 4-H on the Blackwater side. There are a variety of different tackle combinations and lures that can be used to troll. Some anglers use downriggers, others lead core line outfits, braided line tackle as well as traditional tackle with deep diving crankbaits and jerkbaits. Umbrella rigs are a great and very effective lure for stripers and the the more recently introduced Alabama rig is also proving to be very effective. Check out your favorite local tackle shop for specific advice, assistance and tackle selection.
The Smith Mountain Striper Club held their Frank Skillman Memorial Member-Guest Tournament recently. Team James Gray won the event with a weight of 12.82 lbs. Second place went to Team Ron Wilson with a weight of 10.56 lbs and third place honors went to Team Macky M with a weight of 10.40 lbs. The club usually meets the first Friday of each month in the Moneta Community Center at 7 pm. The monthly meetings are open to anyone who is interested in learning more about the striper fishery here at Smith Mountain Lake, how to catch these beautiful fish and the club. More information is available on their Facebook page and their website www.smithmountainstriperclub.com/
Early archery and crossbow season continue and early black powder rifle season comes in on Saturday, November 3rd. If you plan to hunt during the black powder or rifle season and haven’t already checked out your gear or the sights on your rifle, it is time to do so. If you plan to be walking or working in areas where people may be hunting, I strongly suggest you wear a blaze orange hat or vest to insure you are highly visible.
This past Sunday my son and I took my grandson, Christian Jack, out into the woods on his first educational "scouting" trip. We simply walked along the edges of local fields and into the edges of wooded areas where we found deer tracks. We took time to show them to CJ and to explain little things many of us take for granted like in which direction the deer were walking and how to tell the difference between fresh tracks and older ones. We also located and examined fresh deer rubs and scrapes, turkey scratches, squirrel cut nuts and much more, explaining the purpose and significance of each. CJ was fascinated by everything he learned and spent much of the late afternoon telling us about it. I often encourage anglers to take a kid fishing, but the "scouting trip" my son organized this past Sunday reminded me there is an equally important opportunity available to those of us who love the outdoors and that is to expose our kids, their kids and their friends to the woods, fields and animals that live there as well.
Tight lines and please be safe while in the woods and on the water.
Mike Snead
Smith Mountain Lake, VA
Oct. 22 - Nov. 11, 2012
Water Temperature: 58 - 62 degrees
Water Clarity: Good
The lake continues to cool as a result of temperatures that have been dropping down into the 40's and 50's over night. That cooling effect will undoubtedly continue and may accelerate with colder evening temperatures in the forecast and lengthening periods of night. Over the next several weeks we can expect low temperatures at night to be in the 30's and 40's. The high temperature is expected to range from the lower 50's to the mid 60's over the same period. The shortened periods of daylight and cooler temperatures should help improve the bite as the fish continue in fall transition patterns and prepare for winter. It should also stimulate additional pre-rut and rutting behavior in the surrounding deer populations, so we are approaching that time of year when we need to be especially watchful for deer running across the road, especially at night. There is a full moon on October 29th, a last quarter moon on November 7th and a new moon on November 13th, so we will have decreasing amounts of light at night when the moon is overhead. If you are interested in seeing the specific moon rise and set times for any period I suggest you check out this site aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.php Lake water levels remain over three feet below full pond and several ramps around the lake have been closed and others marginal. The current forecast does not predict significant periods of precipitation, so levels will likely remain low. If you have not launched from a specific ramp recently I suggest you check before driving to it. I also encourage everyone to be very careful when on the water, especially around shoals and in normally shallow areas.
Bass fishing has been a little tough for many anglers recently. The low water level has left much of the traditional structure under docks and walkways near the shoreline high and dry. It has also lowered the water on the ends of lay downs significantly and reduced the depth of water in the backs of creeks. There are still fish being caught under and around deep water docks and bluffs using traditional pig and jigs with plastic trailers and floating finesse worms and craw imitating plastics rigged on small shaky head jigs. Bass are also being caught on heavier jigs and Texas rigged worms in deeper water. Crankbaits continue to produce bass and as reported earlier the occasional striper as well. While bass continue to be caught on a variety of lures, anglers report lure selection and presentation is key to success, especially on the bass found in deeper water.
For bass found in deep water, the drop shot rig has been the technique reportedly used most successfully by anglers able to locate bass on their electronics. The key is to use a very light tipped rod and to rig with a very high quality, small, ball bearing swivel to eliminate line twist. Visibility is currently very good in most sections of the lake, so it is also important to use a lightweight fluorocarbon line especially from the swivel to the sinker. Good drop shot lures include the Squirrel Worm (Big Bite Baits), Loca-motion (Basstrix), Straight Tail Roboworm and ZOOM Finesse worm. While many nose hook their plastic worms I suggest you try using a small extra wide gap hook on your drop shot rig. This puts the point further back in the plastic for better hook ups and helps reduce hang ups when fishing near wooded structure. You can also take a pair of pliers and open the hook slightly to improve performance. When you get a bite, you do not want to jerk up on the rod to set the hook, just keep the rod up to maintain pressure using the rod and light drag on the reel to absorb the pressure of the fish on the light terminal tackle and line being used.
While many bass anglers have found consistently catching quality fish to be a challenge recently, they are several who seem to have figured it out. The Anglers Choice Marine Classic was held here last weekend attracting a field of 170 boats. It is the premier event in what has grown to be one of the most popular tournament trails held each year and it attracts the very best anglers from Virginia, North Carolina and surrounding states. Local anglers Craig Blankenship and Robert "Buck" Hoyt, Sr. won the two day event along with a new Ranger bass boat when they brought a total weight of 29.75 lbs. to the scale. Second place in the event went to the team of Thomas Wooten and Joshua Wagy with 27.33 lbs. and third place to Wayne Burchett and Don Dalton with 25.38 lbs. in total weight. Fourth place honors in this tournament went to the team of Robert Hoyt (Robert Sr. son) and Brandy Hoyt with a two day total weight of 24.98 lbs. This year's total points winner for the multi-tournament series was the team of Brandon and Kenny Reynolds.
Striped bass patterns are changing. Many of the larger schools of striped bass seen throughout the summer have broken up and most anglers report they are currently finding stripers in either smaller schools or small pods of between 10 and 20 fish. Many of the stripers currently being caught are being found in the middle and upper sections of both the Blackwater and Roanoke River sections of the lake. Anglers fishing with live bait report success and at a variety of different depths. Some anglers are marking stripers in small schools from 12 to 35 feet below the surface and catching them on downlines while others report success presenting live bait on free lines, shot lines and light downlines off the top and sides of shallow deep-water points.
Many anglers are using planer boards and floats to distribute their baits and cover a larger area in the upper portion of the water column, especially early and late in the day and on days when skies are overcast and the stripers are found in the upper sections of the water column. Those fishing with boards report some success using large alewives, but for better quality fish it appears the medium "money maker" gizzard shad is the bait of choice. At times schooled stripers are still being found 50 to 60 feet below the surface where down lined live bait, vertically jigging and power reeling spoons and large bucktails are proving to be productive techniques.
Anglers are also catching stripers on artificial lures. Some report regular success using their electronics to locate a school of stripers and then vertically jigging spoons (Hopkins, Kastmaster) or flukes on jigheads (1/2 - 3/4 ounce) to catch the fish. Another similar technique is to locate fish and then cast spoons, bucktails, flukes rigged on belly weighted hooks or lead headed jigs out as far as possible, allow them to sink by counting the lure down to the appropriate depth and then to retrieve the lure to catch the fish. When stripers are found near the surface or feeding on top surface prop lures, poppers, chuggers, Alabama rigs, donkey rigs and lightweight swimbaits are all good choices. One angler reports having success trolling with a shad colored medium diving crankbaits. He uses a variety of different models and colors until he finds the one the fish prefer and then puts several of the same lures out behind his boat to cover the waters at about the same depth. He also likes to cast and retrieve crankbaits as well as the Alabama rig when stripers are active near the surface.
Another technique that will work all year long and is especially effective this time of year is trolling. There are a number of boats trolling in areas from just below the bridge to Beaverdam Creek on the Roanoke side and from Gills Creek to the 4-H on the Blackwater side. There are a variety of different tackle combinations and lures that can be used to troll. Some anglers use downriggers, others lead core line outfits, braided line tackle as well as traditional tackle with deep diving crankbaits and jerkbaits. Umbrella rigs are a great and very effective lure for stripers and the the more recently introduced Alabama rig is also proving to be very effective. Check out your favorite local tackle shop for specific advice, assistance and tackle selection.
The Smith Mountain Striper Club held their Frank Skillman Memorial Member-Guest Tournament recently. Team James Gray won the event with a weight of 12.82 lbs. Second place went to Team Ron Wilson with a weight of 10.56 lbs and third place honors went to Team Macky M with a weight of 10.40 lbs. The club usually meets the first Friday of each month in the Moneta Community Center at 7 pm. The monthly meetings are open to anyone who is interested in learning more about the striper fishery here at Smith Mountain Lake, how to catch these beautiful fish and the club. More information is available on their Facebook page and their website www.smithmountainstriperclub.com/
Early archery and crossbow season continue and early black powder rifle season comes in on Saturday, November 3rd. If you plan to hunt during the black powder or rifle season and haven’t already checked out your gear or the sights on your rifle, it is time to do so. If you plan to be walking or working in areas where people may be hunting, I strongly suggest you wear a blaze orange hat or vest to insure you are highly visible.
This past Sunday my son and I took my grandson, Christian Jack, out into the woods on his first educational "scouting" trip. We simply walked along the edges of local fields and into the edges of wooded areas where we found deer tracks. We took time to show them to CJ and to explain little things many of us take for granted like in which direction the deer were walking and how to tell the difference between fresh tracks and older ones. We also located and examined fresh deer rubs and scrapes, turkey scratches, squirrel cut nuts and much more, explaining the purpose and significance of each. CJ was fascinated by everything he learned and spent much of the late afternoon telling us about it. I often encourage anglers to take a kid fishing, but the "scouting trip" my son organized this past Sunday reminded me there is an equally important opportunity available to those of us who love the outdoors and that is to expose our kids, their kids and their friends to the woods, fields and animals that live there as well.
Tight lines and please be safe while in the woods and on the water.
Mike Snead