Fishing from dock tactics Smith Mountain Lake

[patchtech]

I'm going up to my in-laws place at smith mountain lake.  My step father in law doesn't like fishing from his boats, so we'll be fishing from his dock.  Where he is on his cove, it has a decent grade from shallow to about 40 feet deep in the middle of it.

 

I'm looking for ideas on colors, lures, and tactics for snagging whatever bass may be hanging around this area.

 

There isn't any grass or anything around, mostly open area with submerged brush.  Some tree shade.

 

He has rock riprap that is home to a smorgasbord of bluegill, etc...  My wife usually throws a panfish spinner along it, and it's a guaranteed fish bite every cast.

 

I finally caught my first largemouth from his dock with a dark green worm on a jig head the other day, casting past the shade from a tree and bottom dragging it across.  That was about 2 in the afternoon, in case that helps.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read, and thanks in advance for any advice given!

Patchtech

[Choporoz]

I've started a petition to change Virginia laws to require that only fishermen and women be allowed to own lakefront property. 

 

 

Senko, ned rig, shakey head, trig and other worms....

[TnRiver46]

I have a dock on a similar sounding lake. In summer I have best luck setting a minnow trap and catching shiners or using a fly rod to obtain small bluegill. Circle hook, throw it out and set the rod in a holder. Then I cast a swimbait and worm around while watching the set line. In winter I can catch all kinds of stuff. Summer seems to be largemouth and smallmouth with an occasional white bass or yellow perch . I have been working and swimming more than fishing last few trips down there and still caught these 

 

[Sam]

Patch, you have a B-I-G problem.

 

First, there are sooooooo many baits and presentations you can throw at the SML population that you can end up in Eastern State Mental Hospital when trying to find the magical one. And the truth is there is no magical one out there.

 

Look at your area as you would a small pond for that is the amount of space you will be fishing from the dock/bank.

 

Suggestions as to what we throw in SML tournaments:

Early Morning 

Northern and Western banks as they heat up the fastest.

Buzzbaits, Whopper Ploppers, poppers, topwaters of your choice, frogs, Chatterbaits.

 

Late Morning into Afternoon

Anything you want to throw.

The bass will tell you what they want and at what depth.

Try spinnerbaits, crankbaits, Carolina rigs, Shaky Heads, Drop Shots, the exotic Japanese rigs, Texas rigs, jigs on the bottom, Senkos/stickbaits, creature baits, and the list goes on.

 

Late Afternoon into Evening

Once again, like above, anything goes. The fish will tell you what they want.

 

Late Evening

Go back to early morning and try your frogs and topwaters.

 

Walk away from the dock and cast back to and under it unless it is a floating dock. If it is a floating dock you throw next to it so your baits fall directly straight down to the bottom.

 

Any wood on the bottom or along the bank you can find?  Will the neighbors allow you to fish off their docks and banks?  Can you stand in the boat and cast far out?  Have you checked the water temperature to note how hot it is in your cove? Hot water will not attract the bass during the day. Have you seen any bait fish like minnows in your area that you can mimic with a Shad Rap or Rooster Tail?

 

The rip rap is excellent. Fish it every day at all times. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits and Senkos can work wonders with rip rap.

 

Would you like to catch a small bluegill or sunfish and use it as bait? Since you are fishing for fun this should not pose any problems to anyone. Small ones work great!

 

Since there is nothing to do at SML other than fish and hit the sack you will have a good time trying your luck. Let us know how you do and be patient. With the water temperatures as they are the fish will go deep to right above the thermocline which in your case, is out towards the middle of the cove.

 

Post pics, too.

 

 

[patchtech]

Thanks everyone for the replies!  With how detaild you were sam, I took the liberty to try to respond do what you said.

On 7/31/2019 at 6:52 AM, Sam said:

First, there are sooooooo many baits and presentations you can throw at the SML population that you can end up in Eastern State Mental Hospital when trying to find the magical one. And the truth is there is no magical one out there.

 

HAHA ain't that the truth!  I've only caught stripers and bluegill off the dock until the other day.  (only get to go up there about once a year, and don't fish every time I go) Has been frustrating to say the least

 

On 7/31/2019 at 6:52 AM, Sam said:

Early Morning 

Northern and Western banks as they heat up the fastest.

That's good to hear, as his dock is on the western bank of a cove.  My entire casting range will be in this water.

On 7/31/2019 at 6:52 AM, Sam said:

Any wood on the bottom or along the bank you can find? 

They have you sink the trees you remove just off the shore line, so there are at least a few submerged near the dock that have been there almost 8 years.  I plan on taking one of my jig heads and dragging it on the bottom across the casting range to locate any underwater structures.

On 7/31/2019 at 6:52 AM, Sam said:

Will the neighbors allow you to fish off their docks and banks? 

Probably not.  There have been a few changeovers, and i'm not sure what the relationship is at this point.

 

On 7/31/2019 at 6:52 AM, Sam said:

Have you seen any bait fish like minnows in your area that you can mimic with a Shad Rap or Rooster Tail?

I have not seen much.  There is a healthy population of smaller sunfish, like bluegill, living in the riprap. 

 

On 7/31/2019 at 6:52 AM, Sam said:

Would you like to catch a small bluegill or sunfish and use it as bait?

Given the population in the rip rap, this would be a great idea.  I even thought about grabbing a minnow trap to see if I could catch a good supply.

 

On 7/31/2019 at 6:52 AM, Sam said:

Post pics, too.

For anyone interested, I'll make sure to post up as many as possible to this thread!

 

 

I've taken a screen cap of a contour map I found, as well as the satellite view.  After the initial drop off it looks like it stays pretty shallow and flat.

[Sam]

Shad Raps along the rip rap along with 1.5 KVD Sexy Shad crankbaits.

Senkos all over the place, wacky rigged especially in and around all wood.

Spinnerbaits all over the place.

All day, buzzbaits all over the place.

In the morning RICO's or other poppers.

In the morning frogs.

In the morning Whopper Ploppers.

Jigs and pigs in Sapphire Blue and Black colorls all day long.

Junebug trick worms on shaky heads all day long.

Drop shots all day long

Neg Rig out into the deep all day long.

Texas rigged plastics of your choice, not forgetting Baby Brush Hogs and lizards plus any other creature baits you like, all day long.

Carolina rig all day long all over the place after the sun comes up and all day long.

 

Colors are of your selection.

 

Looks like a great place to try your luck.

 

All the best and post pics.

[patchtech]

Day 1:

Arrived around 2pm, got luggage unloaded, and went to get the rods set up.  I casted each of them a few times.  I recently respooled them all, and it's been a while since I played with my baitcasters, so I was just getting the feel for them, and making sure they all still work.  No intention of catching yet.

 

About 5:30 pm, I cast a green lizard on a Texas rig with a 1/2 ounce bullet weight.  We had just bought this rod for this reel (to replace a damaged one).  1/2oz was the upper limit of the rod, and I was getting a great casting distance out of it.

 

After a couple casts, I hook a 2 pound catfish and reel him in.  Another first, a catfish from my in-laws dock!

 

https://imgur.com/a/bNYNvNz

[TnRiver46]

Nice catch! 

[patchtech]

Day 2:

 

Started dragging a worm on a jig head, just searching/figuring out what's on the bottom.  Worked to dial in my two baitcasters as well, so again no real attempts at catching, just fishing/getting re-aquainted with my gear.

 

Wife wanted to catch, not fish, so I put on a panfish spinner on the pole from yesterday, and gave it a few casts myself.  Lo and behoold, my only catch of the day.  A baby green sunfish:

 

https://imgur.com/a/95w6Fyd

 

No matter how frustrated anyone gets, these guys are always good for a bite here.

Edited August 7, 2019 by patchtech
Incorrect species identification

[TnRiver46]

Another nice catch, I believe you caught a green sunfish instead of a bluegill 

[patchtech]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Another nice catch, I believe you caught a green sunfish instead of a bluegill 

I stand corrected!  Both hang out around this spot, so I tend to lump them together without much thought

[TnRiver46]

9 hours ago, patchtech said:

I stand corrected!  Both hang out around this spot, so I tend to lump them together without much thought

Makes pretty good catfish bait....

[patchtech]

Day 3:

Get up early, and have some solo time on the dock.  Throw my entire tackle box at the lake, and nothing biting, or I'm unable to feel the bite.  Unsure which, but very unlucky.  Even the green sunfish stopped biting in the evening when my cousins little kids try to fish.

 

Wife did manage to snag some green sunfish early in the afternoon, two at one time even!

 

http://imgur.com/a/Ffv2WV6

 

Switching to live bait, at least for the kids, the next day.

Day 4:

Pick up some live bait.  A dozen medium and a dozen large minnows, and a dozen night crawlers. (They were out of earthworms).

 

Cast out some minnows on a bobber, nothing taking it.  Ended up reeling in early though, as the kids were excited to fish as well, so I end up helping manage the nightcrawlers and putting pieces of them on the hooks.  The panfish eat it up, and soon we're all helping unhook the fish they catch.  Snagged pics of the two biggest the kids grabbed

 

http://imgur.com/a/tnfsY9y