Page 22 - Discover WINTER 2022
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Fisherman’s Almanac CONTINUED
F is he rma n ’ s Alma nac C O NTINUED
boat and bring in all other lines to avoid on the bottom in about 15 feet of water.
losing the lure. This is where a "plug- When the fish hit, he started pulling
knocker" comes in handy. To release your drag right away, and the line was pulling
lure, clip it over your line, and let it slide straight down.
down to the plug. Then bounce your rod
tip up and down, with as much force as is I figured he could not have been
necessary, to “knock” the plug free. Reel in going down, since I hooked him on the
your line, and remove the plug knocker for bottom. That told me he must have gone
future use. under structure (a log or limb), and was
swimming
When jigging or bait fishing in the away from the boat. We re-positioned the
trees, you must find a point in the channel boat several times to try to get this fish. I
or deep cove. When fishing a point, had about given-up, and was thinking of
remember that even only one fish on your breaking the line, when the fish broke the
depth finder can often indicate a good surface and tail-walked to the boat -- right
spot. Many times I have found a point into the view of the camera lens.
with one fish on the screen, where I have
caught many fish "one at a time", so don't If you are fishing a point (another site
let that fool you. I usually don't bait fish that may have structures: brush, trees, or
here; I like to jig a buck-tail, spoon, or rocks), position your boat off the point and
Hopkins jig in those spots. start casting to about 5 ft of water, and
work your way back toward deeper water
Jigging in the trees is about the same until you find the fish. Work that area
but can be more productive. The problem very slowly and carefully. Fishing around
here is the fish like running for the trees structure is really a test of a fisherman's
and can hang you. If this happens, keep skills and patience, but it can be very
pressure on the line and re-position the productive, both in terms of big fish and
boat until the fish comes out. This doesn't numbers of fish! If you have the urge and
always work, but it beats breaking the line the patience and want to hone your skills
trying to pull the fish loose. try it!
In 1989 I was doing a TV show with I hope that this has helped your fishing...
Tony Bean on SML. He caught a nice I feel sure that it will if you do all these
small-mouth, and I cast my line behind things. Take a kid fishing; they’ll love it, and
him, hoping to catch a trailing small- so will you!
mouth, and it worked. I could tell right
away that this was a strong fish, and
hopefully a big one. I was fishing a worm
20 Discover Smith Mountain Lake WINTER 2021
