Post by fokromix on Dec 26, 2017 12:42:31 GMT -5
Greetings. Lifelong VA resident with plenty of years cutting my teeth fishing the middle James for smallies, hitting ponds for largemouths and got pretty good hititing lower James for Big Blues. I'll fish anywhere but would rather be catching. Basically an expert at catching fish that are easy to catch. 
I have learned a lot from other forums and since we will be at the lake more often(relatives), figured I'd try to pick some more stuff up. Spent plenty of weekends at SML over last 15 years running around on a boat but not usually for any length and have enjoyed the challenge of patterning large impoundments, not my forte. Donated plenty of time and tackle to the deep wood as I try to figure out some patterns for stripers. I am enjoying the tips I have picked up here so far as a guest and the experience and insights help. Hope to do quite a bit more fishing this spring both for largemouth and stripers as my boat has a pretty flexible setup. So far I am only an expert at SML at putting the kids on some green sunfish in dead of summer and lucking into some photo worthy catches. Striper efforts have been hampered by finding bait(pretty shallow dock and instead of throw nets we use gill nets that work wonders on the lower james for gizzards...cheating I know). Not much of a tournaments fisherman and trying not to hire guides just yet, but I'm learning. I hope to figure out more by continuing to read. So thanks in advance.
Home base when down is near R12. So running to Blackwater and here and there. Looking to explore upper lake more as well.
Questions I will research more:
Bait tips(read a lot already) for Alewifes or Gizzards.
Dead summer LM patterns besides deep docks.
Any thoughts on Flathead patterns uplake or what to target downlake for channels?
I usually throw jigs and soft plastic or fish for cats with cut bait, so swim baits, crankbaits, dropshotting and live bait tactics have been fun to learn(screw up).
Tight lines.
I have learned a lot from other forums and since we will be at the lake more often(relatives), figured I'd try to pick some more stuff up. Spent plenty of weekends at SML over last 15 years running around on a boat but not usually for any length and have enjoyed the challenge of patterning large impoundments, not my forte. Donated plenty of time and tackle to the deep wood as I try to figure out some patterns for stripers. I am enjoying the tips I have picked up here so far as a guest and the experience and insights help. Hope to do quite a bit more fishing this spring both for largemouth and stripers as my boat has a pretty flexible setup. So far I am only an expert at SML at putting the kids on some green sunfish in dead of summer and lucking into some photo worthy catches. Striper efforts have been hampered by finding bait(pretty shallow dock and instead of throw nets we use gill nets that work wonders on the lower james for gizzards...cheating I know). Not much of a tournaments fisherman and trying not to hire guides just yet, but I'm learning. I hope to figure out more by continuing to read. So thanks in advance. Home base when down is near R12. So running to Blackwater and here and there. Looking to explore upper lake more as well.
Questions I will research more:
Bait tips(read a lot already) for Alewifes or Gizzards.
Dead summer LM patterns besides deep docks.
Any thoughts on Flathead patterns uplake or what to target downlake for channels?
I usually throw jigs and soft plastic or fish for cats with cut bait, so swim baits, crankbaits, dropshotting and live bait tactics have been fun to learn(screw up).
Tight lines.
