Discover Smith Mountain Lake
SUMMER 2015
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tied to it, and live bait on the hook. Circle hooks are best, because they hook the
fish better and easier, and there is less risk of a fish becoming “gut hooked”. You
may wish to set up another rod, with only a hook and a live baitfish, running off
the back of the boat.
If the fish are there, and the moon phase is right, and the fish are not hitting --
the fish are most likely going to the shallow water to get their food. In that case,
use a rod with only a hook with a baitfish (free-line), and cast the baitfish
onto the point in the shallow water. I have fished there and used that
method with other boats all around me. They did not cast free lines
to the shallow water. I caught fish, and they did not. They did not
know why I was catching more fish than they were. Trust me; it
works!!!
When I was President of the SML Striper Club, the club had
an agreement with the DGIF to post flyers around the lake
and marinas, asking fishermen to catch their two fish limit and
quit. This was during warm water months with a two fish limit.
Anything under 20” had to be returned to the lake. The 2015
regs say for Smith Mountain Lake and its tributaries:
• 2 fish per day in the aggregate (combined)
• November 1st -May 1st... NO Striped Bass 30”-40”
• June 1st -October 31st... NO length limit.
In my opinion, this is not good conservation. There is no reason to protect
brood stock, since the Striper spawn is not effective. Normally, when the
Striped Bass spawn, they migrate out of salt water, and go up the rivers to
spawn. When the eggs are laid, they most float and tumble for at least 72 hours
in order for the spawn to be effective. During this time, they float back to the
salt water.
Stripers are stocked in lakes because unlike most other salt water fish, they can
survive in fresh water. However, the stripers in Smith Mountain Lake can not
get far enough up the river for the eggs to be able to take their 72 hour trip…
and thus the spawn is not effective. Therefore, out of necessity, the fish are
stocked; as such, there is no need for a slot limit to protect brood stock.
“Catch and release” can be an effective practice in offsetting angling-
induced impacts to individual fish and their populations, encouraging the
biological, economic, and social sustainability of a fishery; however, poor catch
and release practices can cause physical injury and physiological stress to the
fish. In fact, according to a review, a percentage of released fish die as a result
of being captured, while others experience sub lethal effects such as injury,
physiological disturbance, behavioral alterations and fitness impairments.
Despite the best intentions of anglers who practice “catch and release” for
striped bass, the mortality rate associated with this practice is not trivial. The
Atlantic State Marine fishing Commission currently assigns an 8% hooking
mortality rate for striped bass that are caught and released by recreational
anglers in salt water ecosystems. This mortality rate is based on the results of a
Good Luck &
Take a kid fishin’!
Bob King
12-year study of mortality of hooked and released Striped Bass in salt water
along the Atlantic Coast.
A Maryland study was done in the Chesapeake Bay over a longer period; it
showed a much higher mortality rate. Other states have actually banned
fishing for Stripers in the warm water months, because of the large numbers
of dead fish that have been found floating in their lakes.
Most fish handle catch and release well, but striped bass do not! The striper
gives the angler a fierce battle when hooked. Smaller specimens usually can
handle this in warm water; however the larger fish do not. Catch and release
is fine in cold water situations, but in warm water, the striped bass produces
large amounts of lactic acid. This is the effect of the fight, not from handling
the fish.
Athletes must stay in shape (especially tennis players and runners);
otherwise, they can cramp very badly and become incapacitated. This same
effect has been observed in these fish, mostly causing difficulty in pulling
water thru their gills, thus effectively drowning them. Anglers who wish to
have larger fish in the future and more of them, must agree to conserve this
valued resource.
Remember to fish by the moon phase in the day... and take a kid fishing… and
teach him conservation, being sure to explain why we need to do it.
