Smith Mountain Lake

[AustinJanneyFishing]

post spawn tips?

haven't had much luck during the day here lately

[fishnkamp]

 

First welcome to Bass Resource. Are you fishing from shore or a boat?  What type of structure and lures do you usually fish?

[AustinJanneyFishing]

Thank you! Im glad to be on here finally!

 

I fish from a 18 ft Triton trx 179 just bought it brand new haha!

And Ive been using shaky heads around docks and around shallow docks, also in shallow(er) water, about 2 - 12 feet.

Ive caught a couple on the spinnerbait near some points on the windy days, but I have ZERO luck cranking this lake. Or drop shotting.

 

On 6/24/2016 at 0:55 PM, fishnkamp said:

 

First welcome to Bass Resource. Are you fishing from shore or a boat?  What type of structure and lures do you usually fish?

Sorry Im new to this, I replied to the post 

[Sam]

Austin, welcome to the Forum. Please go to the Introduction section and introduce yourself.

Also add your physical location so we can give you better answers.

You are fishing SML wrong. Hit them deep.

Deep diving crankbaits and Carolina rigs. Especially the Carolina rigs.

SML is a great Carolina rig lake followed by the crankbait then the spinnerbait/Chatterbait.

Plastics will work on sunny skies in shallow water by the docks and piers.

But please try the Carolina rig with at least a half ounce Mojo weight, a 2 foot leader minimum, a lizard of your choice and let us know how you do.

[AustinJanneyFishing]

Ok! What color cranks? Ive tried alot of 5 and 6xds and I can never catch any deep, I just have no idea where to go...I find secondary points but never catch fish on them, and on main lake points...

[AustinJanneyFishing]

Also, Ive looked all over for Mojo weights for a couple years and cannot find them anywhere

[Sam]

Green Top in Ashland has the MOJO weights up to one-ounce.

Austin, the color of your cranks depends on the water clarity, as you know. Silver always seems to work be it a type of Sexy Shad or a silver colored crank of your choice.

May I suggest you try these places. Keep them to yourself and don't let anyone else know!!!! Using a GMCO map to find the places:

1. Look at the Booker T. Washington bridge. There is a marina and restaurant/motel in the area to the north of the bridge heading into the  creek that goes to Camper Paradise. Fish all in this area using your plastics to flip and pitch all around the bank from the point to the no wake zone and then out into the main river. Throw cranks and Carolina rigs in this area, too.

2.  On the south side of the bridge, look for the inlet with Hemps Ford Ramp. Fish that entire area once again with plastics, crankbaits and Carolina rigs.

3.  Hit the rocks, docks in the river plus any wood you can find.

4. Go into Stony Creek and fish that area.

Experiment until you find the pattern. Maybe a jig will work; or a swim jig; or a Chatterbait.

Just a few suggestions. Good luck.

[AustinJanneyFishing]

Thanks Sam! I really appreciate the help!

[Choporoz]

9 hours ago, AustinJanneyFishing said:

Also, Ive looked all over for Mojo weights for a couple years and cannot find them anywhere

I wish they hadn't become scarcer.  I've gotten BPS XPS finesse weights as a replacement.  They carry down to 1/16 oz

[Red Bear]

What part of the lake are you fishing? Roanoke River arm, Blackwater River arm, or the main lake around Craddock Creek? either way the lake can be boom or bust, figuring out the fish can be a cruel mystery. you can get some good advice from the guys at Captains Quarters over by Hales Ford Bridge too...

as for cranks, i catch them on a 5xd in gray/silver with a black back, same for red eye shads but chrome with black back. one of the hottest producing top waters on the lake for years for bass and stripers is the storm jointed thunder stick in chrome/silver with the black back. if its going under the water even a bit then youre reeling it too fast. green colored soft plastics used to produce for me, lately it seems its purple worms and white anything around the docks for plastics. ive had better luck using weights than weightless, so take Sams advice and try a carolina rig, except that you can catch them shallow. there is a thermocline that forms in the lake. try a bluegill colored squarebill around stumps and downed timber as well. there is lots of structure and cover in the lake, you just have to find it...

i stayed home this fourth of july for the first time in ten years or more instead of making the trip down there to SML or i would have some really fresh information for you...

[AustinJanneyFishing]

Thanks man! I really live fishing there, I usually have some pretty good luck around the docks and stuff. Cranking, jigs, and topwater havent been my cup of tea here though. I am taking everyones advice. I have been throwig the thunderstick but havent had anyluck during the day with it. Ive been having luck on shakey heads alot, pink and green pumpkin. 

[Red Bear]

On 7/11/2016 at 11:47 PM, AustinJanneyFishing said:

Thanks man! I really live fishing there, I usually have some pretty good luck around the docks and stuff. Cranking, jigs, and topwater havent been my cup of tea here though. I am taking everyones advice. I have been throwig the thunderstick but havent had anyluck during the day with it. Ive been having luck on shakey heads alot, pink and green pumpkin. 

I assume you mean love, and yeah i love fishing there too, its my favorite place to go in the entire world. just such a relaxing environment. its taken me over 10 years to learn to catch the fish i do in the lake though. im mostly limited to fishing from my uncles dock, but occasionally do get out on his boat for some fishing. i study lake maps for SML, and when the water was extremely low i took pictures of the dry lake bottom and shallow water areas around his dock and studied them. places i didnt know there was a stump there underwater, now i do. i know where rock piles are. i know where humps are, i know where the creek channel is even though i cant reach it casting from the dock. you should probably do some map study.

the thunderstick is probably better thrown at night and parallel to the bank. but i have caught daytime largemouth on it in open water 3-6 ft deep. the jointed thunderstick has produced for me, the non-jointed one has not and appears to run funny in current. as for jigs, i have never caught a thing on a jig anywhere, but apparently they do work at SML on some of the deeper structure. there are lots of craws in the lake.

how cruel is the lake? over ten years and im still waiting to catch my first SML smallmouth bass, it has eluded me for way too long...

[AustinJanneyFishing]

I have caught a few nice smallmouth. Theres only one spot I go to, to catch them though because its the only place in the whole lake I think you can catch em! I have caught nice sized females and males but usually I dont fish deeper than 10 ft. Im a dock guy and heavy cover. I dont use jigs there anymore. Ive thrown them around that place til I was blue in the face and have never caught the first fish. I use shakey heads religiously. Senkos, craws, shad raps...I never under estimate my better judgement at SML. ITS Literally like I know what dock is gona hold fish and I usually catch them throughout the day.