Page 28 - Discover Fall 2020
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Fisherman’s Almanac CONTINUED
limit and then quit fishing. We asked them water and warmer water is. This makes it a
not to catch and release large Striped Bass very good time to troll for these giants…
(fish over 20”) in the warm water months, so Pulling jigs and spoons seems to work best.
as to help protect the resource. Some lakes Run long lines, very slowly. Lead core line
in the mid Atlantic area have “barred” some allows you to troll at a depth that is easy to
anglers from their lake in order to prevent measure by paying attention to the color of
“catch & release” of Striped Bass in warm the line. Watch for fish on graph and troll
water months.(Fish can drown if here is not just over the fish; pull the lines up when trees
enough oxygen in the water. appear on screen.
Regardless of what you call this fish, I Beginning about November 1st , the
would hope that you would respect and help water temperature should reach 50 degrees,
protect it as a resource. In order for a Striped and the fish will be in the coves where you’ll
Bass to become a “ trophy” fish, it must live catch them on top water minnows (Redfins,
for a good while. If an angler does “catch & Long As, Rebels, etc----about 6 or 7 inch
release” on this fish and it dies, it can not get lures). Remember to retrieve your casts very
to be a BIG fish. Striped Bass can live as long slowly on the surface before the sun comes
as 30 years; they have been known to grow to up. After the sun comes up, the fish will
as much as 6 feet in length, and weigh up to
return to the channels, and trolling or jigging
125 pounds. The oldest recorded Striped Bass
will be the rule.
was 31 years old; the largest recorded Striped
Bass was 125 pounds, caught on the North
Pay attention to the moon phases for
Carolina coast in 1891.
daytime fishing ...7 days before to 7 days
after a full moon , skip the first 3 hours of the
Striped Bass are often seen as the
day and fish the next 3 hours, repeating the
greatest success story of the Chesapeake Bay.
Not only is the Striper a great fish for eating, cycle. From 7 day before to 7 days after a new
it is also a great sport fish. It is very elusive, moon, fish the first 3 hours of the day and
and a very strong fighter. Populations of skip the next 3 (go to lunch or breakfast) and
the this iconic sport fish plummeted in the again, repeat the cycle.
1970s and early 1980s , but then rebounded
because of tightened catch restrictions in a Improve a kid’s life and your own, TAKE A
dozen states from 1985 to 1990, including a KID FISHING!
moratorium on catching them in Maryland,
Virginia and other states. The fish population Questions? Send me an Email!
was at a peak in 2004 and since has been in fishing@discoversmithmountainlake.com
a slight decline. In 2015, the Atlantic states
lowered the creel limit, and continue to warn
against releasing adult fish in all of the warm
water months.
Usually on or about September 1st,
the Striped Bass begin to move to the center
of the channel in the lake, where the deeper
26 Discover Smith Mountain Lake FALL 2020
