VA Ponds or Streams Near Smith Mtn. Lake?

[InLikeFinz]

We are going up for the event tomorrow and will be staying until Sunday. We are thinking about possibly sneaking off to hit some local streams, ponds, or smaller bodies of water for some bank fishing. Anyone from VA know if there are any less crowded spots within an hour or so from Smith Mountain Lake? Fishing for pretty much anything that bites.  8-)

[Red Bear]

there are literally hundreds of ponds in the SML area, you cant miss them, just be sure to ask permission because ive never actually fished any of them.

on the other side of the SML dam is the Leesville reservoir, and from there another dam that lets out into the  Roanoke River which has a platform for people to fish from, just listen for that siren and retreat up the hill for safety when they let the water lose. Ive seen some monster catfish there while throwing a net for shad.

if it was me i would just night fish from the bank in SML after things calmed down on the water there and have me a cooler full of beer, i was going to go this weekend but some things came up that took priority over that.

[scottb123]

I was thinking about going up tomorrow as well for the weigh in.  Where is the weigh in, and what all goes down at one of these shin-digs?  Do they have vendors and plenty of things to do?

[VBfisher]

SML has good stripper fishing.  I have fished there 3-4 times, but only caught one fish lol. :'(  Could be, I was fishing in July. 

[Red Bear]

i hear the strippers are hitting in craddock creek really good right now. i caught my personal best stripper there last year. and ive found the july fishing there pretty poor, probably due to all the traffic on the lake, sometimes the water looks like its boiling with all the boats and jetskis. i swear sometimes in july there i can barely even get a bite while night fishing with night crawlers or chicken livers from a dock. and ive been there every fourth of july the last 5-6 years or so. may, early june and september have been most productive for me on SML. it can be tough at times though, but some of my personal best of different species come from there, i even caught a musky fingerling there LOL, mustve of been recently stocked when i got there or something.