Largemouth/Smallmouth Advice?

[rpboutdoors1]

Hi everybody,

Ill be up in Bedford for the weekend at the inlaws and will probably have some extra time on my hands. They have kayaks and I was planning on hitting SML for a few hours on Friday or Saturday. Im from Northern VA and usually fish the Potomac, which has an average depth of 4 feet. All of my gear is tailored to shallow fishing and im not sure what depths I should be targeting/what lures I should be using.

If anybody could give me some insight that would be great. Thanks!!

[mwardncsu]

If you're into night fishing the fish should still be busting bait up on the banks.

[mwardncsu]

But be VERY careful. Memorial Day weekend can get a little crazy out there.

[johnr]

You can go up in the river and catch them shallow still. Above hardy bridge. Flukes and frogs and have fun !

[31Airborne]

+1 on Mr Ward's caution. SML will be a zoo (and that's being kind). Recommend staying in backwater areas, out of the traffic lanes for pleasure boats.

Very different water from the riva. Fish are ~done w/ the spawn. A few stragglers here and there but mostly post-spawn or full blown summer pattern by now. You'll find fish in the backwater reaches on wood, under docks, and on rock. No shortage of any of this on SML. Jig, shakyhead, medium running c/b, and topwater baits (spook, buzzbait, whopper plopper).

[greg]

May 24, 2017 13:28:35 GMT -5 johnr said:

You can go up in the river and catch them shallow still. Above hardy bridge. Flukes and frogs and have fun !

Have you been around Hardy lately? Above or below the bridge, just wondering what the water looks like? 

[mwardncsu]

My guess is it's going to look a lot different come tomorrow and Friday if this moves on north like its tracking....

[johnr]

No I haven't lately but it will surely be messy. Even more reason to tie on a frog and go up river.