keith71

I think with SML the water is so vast that it can have several patterns on any particular day.There is always a dock pattern or at least somebody fishing it but I think that the deeper fish patterns are usually where you'll find the bigger bags this time of year. The guys that do the best in tournaments are the guys with established patterns before the tournaments start. Pre-fish,pre-fish,pre-fish.I know its not always possible but the guys that win on this lake stay on it and on top of the game. Spend time and scout, idle over points,channel swings,bluff walls etc.I get my butt handed to me on this lake and so do alot of other guys but its usually lack of preparation not technique. I have friends who love the C-rig and drag it all summer and do pretty well with it.I like to soak a jig,deep or shallow .I know of a guy who is really good at getting right on top of them and knocks them in the head with a spoon or a silver buddy and have seen some huge bags from this guy.Hope this helps a little,good luck.

A co-worker of mine went out Sunday and caught a couple of fat smallies and a striper on a flutter spoon.He said if you didnt let it touch down on the bottom and then rip it up you wouldnt get bit.

I like the Zoom Speed craw or little critter craw an a football shakey.

Light wire means thin gauge wire for the Gamakatsu makes a great light wire hook and I personally like a 2/0 for a 4" worm.

I think that it might be the best time to take notes.What were the water conditions,temp,time of year,etc.I have learned more from the days I tanked than the days you might slay them. It might not be the color of a jig trailer but where they might be holding,what forage their on lots of variables.Dont give up on that color just yet.

Twenty years ago I used to fish all over the place.I always had good luck on Johnstons pond,Silver Springs,and I rented a canoe and fished Wordens pond and had a blast. I caught a 5lber out of silver springs on a 4'' Berkley power worm(motor oil) in the middle of the summer. Also did well with a black and blue jig in the colder months. PM me for more details.

Hilts made one for years,discontinued now.You can still find them on E-bay from time to time.

They should be in the back of the creeks in the next month or two. At night if there are docks on your lake look for lighted ones and they will congregate around the beam.

My Uncle Freddy left me his old fishing tackle when he passed.Some Shakespeare Meter reels from the 40's and some old plugs from that era.He taught me alot and help plant the seed of the obsession I have today.

Bass Pro Shops line for me. Good stuff for all budgets.

Blue fleck,Ruby red and Watermelon blue swirl. I wish they made a straight brown like their super chunk.Oh yeah the baby size for sure.

Welcome! I fish SML alot too.This is a great site with a ton of good people.

Look for deals at the end of the summer.I bought a 89 17ft tracker that needed a little tlc but ran like a top with a 60hp merc. Needed a little carpet and some new seats. Im in it for less than 2k.

In my opinion it's just not sporting.Five or more separate baits to mimic a school of bait fish just doesn't have an equal "feel" about it. I like the move.

Try a 5" Kahlins blue pearl about 18" above the split shot on a 2/0 light wire offset Gammie.I have caught bass on a steady slow retrieve but have had great success drifting this rig on windy days across humps and points.

I think it could be mussel beds damaging your flouro. Although I dont fish over mussel beds I fish alot of Rip-Rap and experienced a few breakoffs. Try a good light mono leader and maybe your luck will change.

Glad I could help.Best of luck to you and let me know if you need any more help.

Yes I meant casting.Fan cast to points and drop offs.If you have a sonar it helps to zig-zag across points and try to find an isolated piece of cover in deep(which is a relative term) water.Maybe 10-12 feet at Smith.I have caught bass as large as 6lbs at the culvert pipe that runs under North Hampton blvd,shad stack around that area. A seven inch black Berkley power worm texas rigged at dusk used to be another go to bait for me.

Tough lake in the Summer,I used to live in Va Beach and fished Smith for years.I used to do okay with finesse worms rigged on slider heads on 8# line.Fish deep and slow as you can stand it. Pumpkin-Chartreuse and Black-n-Blue.

I change light # test every time out (10 and under). Heavier stuff every other trip out.Catt is right,Big Game is pretty affordable to change out on a regular basis.

Caught my PB back in 93,7lbs 14 oz and 23".No camera so I took it to the local bait shop and had it weighed and measured.Normally the shop had a Polaroid on hand but on this day he didn't have any film .I let it go knowing I might never catch one that big again. The following weekend there was a constant drizzle all day and not a bite,my buddy said maybe we should pack it in.I talked him into fishing a little more and I pitched my jig near a stump..... thump. I landed the biggest bass of my life that day.I asked my friend how big he thought it was and he just said bigger than that fish last weekend. No camera again,I didnt even weigh it.I dropped her over the side of the boat and I haven't came within a pound and a half of either of them twenty years later.

Sounds to me like your doing fine.Its just a learning curve to one of the most productive baits ever created.Anticipate the strike on every cast,concentrate on the fall of the bait as it makes it way to the bottom,Make sure your trailer is rigged straight.I like to trim my skirts about an 1/8 inch below the hook bend.It helps with the skirt flare as it hits bottom.One last thing,try some darker colored skirts.Black and blue,Junebug,Black and red. Do not quit on the jig,its gonna hit a home-run for you in the near future.

Theres alot of fish being released around the state park after tournaments.If you have a boat try Peak creek,Spooky Hollow,Clapboard hollow.Later in the year the back of the creeks are stacked with shad and bass. Try a dropshot with a oxblood colored robo worm.Around wood I like a light finesse jig brown and matching trailer. A Zoom Swamp crawler on a split shot rig can be a killer too.Hope this helps.