when fishing a pond at nightfall, or
sunset fishing ahead of yourself…
casting a jointed floating minnow
(Red-fin, Rapala, etc.) works very
well.
So consider the time of year, and try to
think like a fish....
Around March the 15th, the water
is warm enough in the day for the
alewives to gather on the shore in
shallow water to get ready to spawn.
Shallow water is warmer in the
spring, so a north bank is usually best,
because it gets more sunlight). Casting
to the bank for stripers (stripers prefer
cooler water than the bass do) with
a bucktail jig (white or white with a
colored feather). Retrieve it slowly,
and enjoy the action. This should last
until about July 1st. They go there for
food, so go there for them...alewives
are small, so use a small bait. Pulling
a “planer” board with live bait along
the shore is great fun, and you can also
cast a jig or lure from the front or side
of the boat while pulling a “planer” off
the back.
At the Full Moon in May,
the stripers will
spawn
unless
the
weather is unusually cool or warm.
This is a false spawn. Some fish will
try to go up river, and the rest will go
to Cedar Key and also up the creeks.
Although you will find that a lot of
fish will be in one area, mostly they
are thinking about spawning rather
than eating. Therefore, they won’t
be biting. You may be tempted to try
to snag these fish, but I warn you:
DON’T. This is illegal, and you will
be fined. DGIF keeps a close eye on
these areas at these times. It’s also
just good wildlife management, so be
smart and protect your resources.
At the Dam there are 2 islands close
to the shore and to each other. The
water is shallow between the islands
and the shore (point) at R-1. In the
hot summer months, AEP runs the
turbines to make power during the
day. This pulls the water over the
point that extends out from the island
which is furthest from the shore. The
striped bass will congregate on the
East side of the point, waiting for the
water to pull the baitfish across that
point from the west. Where should
you be? Among the stripers!
Fish with live
bait (deep,
MOON PHASES
FULL MOON TIMES & DATES:
September 8th, 2014
8:38 P.M.
Harvest Moon
October 8th, 2014
5:50 A.M.
Hunters Moon
November 6th, 2014
5:22 P.M.
Beaver Moon
December 6th, 2014
7:27 A.M.
Cold Moon
Good Luck &
Take a kid fishin’!
Bob King
shallow or “free-lined”) on the point.
You can also try using jigs-(shallow
and deep), and keep a surface
“popper” rig handy for when there is a
lot of surface action.
At about September 1st, the stripers
head for deep water as the surface
water cools. You can live bait, or jig,
but trolling will work best because
the fish are moving. Trolling makes it
easier to follow and catch more fish.
During the winter months, the fish are
seeking warm water. Again, the deep
water will be warmer, so this is where
to find them. Locate them on a graph,
and jig with a jig or spoon.
In the spring, the bass will be feeding
up to spawn, so they will want to be
near their spawning grounds (in the
backs of coves with sandy bottoms).
They will feed near by, usually on
points with “lay-downs” or brush. At
this time of year, the water is still cool.
The fish will be on the north side of
the cove or point. That side, of course,
faces south, and therefore receives the
most warmth from the sun.
Think like a fish when you are
stumped, and you’ll figure it out.
Don’t be afraid to try new things. Most
importantly, FOLLOW THE MOON
PHASE...
• After a DARK NIGHT Fish the first
three hours, skip the next three, fish
the next three.
• After a LIT NIGHT-Skip the first
three hours and fish the next three, etc.
I recommend that you always fish with
a friend, because it is safer. It can get
very busy at times out on the lake…
and remember these are guide lines...
not hard and fast rules... but most of
the time THEYWORK... good luck,
and “TAKE A KID FISHIN’’!
23
Discover Smith Mountain Lake
Fall 2014
22
