* Big worms, oversized lizards, large tube baits, big creature baits, large plastic crayfish and gaudy looking jig combos are at their best on Smith Lake when fished after dark. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. Call on Reeds Guide Service and see how to fish this lake… that often stumps many other anglers. As the sun drops low these baitfish begin to surface in schools that can be seen as they dimple the water’s surface or as bass get under them and cause them to panic along the waters surface, they get visible too. Blade baits are also important – the Zip, Silver Buddy or Sonar. Include scents and add internal rattles, using big sharp hooks and fish these bigger bass lures on 17-20 pound test line. Montana FWP has in the past occasionally stocked the lake with rainbow trout. Smith Lake is a very recreational lake during the summer months. Go to: www.rangerboats.com, * Looking for fishing rods, reels, fishing tackle and hunting items? Use 1/2 ounce to one ounce, single # 4 to # 6 size Colorado blades in darker colors of black or purple. Smith Lake's slot limit of 13-15 inches is bringing about larger bass. Run your deep diving crankbaits along main lake points and try bumping objects or making bottom contact. These types of spoons are widely considered to be the best lures for lake fishing to use in and around weeds or vegetation without getting snagged. Lewis Smith Lake Most know this as Smith Lake and everybody knows it as the home of numerous world-record catches for spotted bass. In June/July bass key on alewife spawning runs, especially in the areas around Marker R12 around to B10. During night hours bass can be anywhere. But rest assured its going to get hotter. Fishing has been fair. There is a gravel ramp, handicapped access with dock and limited shore fishing. Play Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing 2018 with The Bass Cast to win... Glenn Gardner & Stephen Collins Win Brett & Boomers Big old... A unique high school fishing team shares tackle…and a bloodline, Smith Mountain Lake July 2016 Fishing Report by Captain Dale Wilson. Their are a lot of lures you normally fish during the day, that will work at night as well. You can also launch from any of the local marinas or the Smith Mountain Lake State Park. Shoreline and prairie habitat has been restored around the lake. Another good search lure on Smith Lake is a jigging spoon. * Lures like Rattletraps or Cordell Rattlin’ Spots are good at night. I grew up fishing deep, clear Lewis Smith Lake in north Alabama. This, of course, is suggested because of the great popularity of the water by the boating public. More information about Smith Lake Others just resort to night fishing. Edwin Evers Wins 2021 MLF Lucas Oil Challenge Cup presented by B&W Trailer Hitches in Neenah, Wisc. Fishing very deep may call for the use of more solid colors of black, brown, purple or dark green. Deep diving crankbaits, suspending and floating model jerkbaits and lipless lures in shad colors are good search lures. Rock Creek and Smith are in Montana. Watermelon, pumpkinseed and motor oil are effective colors. Mid-to-upper sections of both river arms (Markers R22 to R56 and B12 to B30) and main creeks like Gills and Walton are prime. These plants help protect water quality and improve habitat for fish. Searching within a 100 yard stretch of bank — either up the lake or down the lake from where you had a few bites — is all it takes to soon activate the school again. Watch videos of hunting & fishing tips & tricks, extra show footage, fishing guides, wild game cooking recipes with Shotgun Chef, bloopers funny videos and most importantly kids in the outdoors! FISHING SMITH LAKE AT NIGHT Print This Post Fishing has been better the last few days and should improve during the coming … Fish are in transition and moving up the lake, trolling is the top producer for numbers. Water temperature: mid to upper 80′s. The largemouth are in water less than three feet and are crushing Hawgcaller spinnerbaits in white and chartreuse and white. I learned to live with the hard knocks of not catching bass every day on this lake. Jigs, jig combos or small plastic crayfish are good choices. WELCOME TO SMITH LAKE STRIPER GUIDE SERVICE . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Black bass, largemouth bass, striped bass, striper, catfish, and sunfish are some of the most sought-after species in the lake. Check docks, boathouses, riprap and laydown trees in 5-to 10-foot depths with a 1/2-ounce spinnerbait (Stanley, Terminator, etc.) Sight casting a minnowbait (Rapala, Rogue) or Slug-Go around cover like docks, piers and stumps is effective. Wide wobblers featuring internal rattles are best to aid the bass in locating your crankbaits. Smith Mountain Lake Seasonal Bass Fishing Tips You Should Know, Tyler Trent & Jacob Lloyd Win Catt Smith Mountain Lake Feb 16th 2020 with 21.42lbs, Cullman’s Flack Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lewis Smith Lake, Schmitt Wins Toyota Series Event on Lake Toho Presented by Googan Baits. Schooling bass can erupt at any time, so always have lures like zara spooks, zara super spooks, Sammie’s, chuggers, pop-r’s, baby torpedoes, the spittin’ Image and other types of topwaters that simulate the baitfish these bass are feeding on. Typically the largemouth bass is most abundant … Some anglers have reported catching bass (whether day or night fishing) as deep as 100 feet deep! LURES FOR FISHING DURING THE DAY ON SMITH LAKE Cranking it up with my VA brothers at SML! But for targeting the majority of Smith Lake’s bass, they can be found in water depths less than 50 feet deep. A large Gizzard shad post spawn (Late May) can be ticket for prime-time Striper Fishing after the Spawning period. It seems like you can catch spots on every point on the lake at times, The spots love to hang close to deep water, so the drop-offs next to points … FISHING - Montana Flathead Valley SMITH LAKE YP, NP December-January and August-October The lake is ten miles west of Kalispell on Highway 2 (Follow signs to fishing access). Smith Mountain Lake Fishing. Smith’s Lake - Weekend Netting: The whole of the waters of Smith’s Lake together with its inlets, bays and tributaries. The Alabama Bass Trail is 13 premier bass fishing lakes throughout Alabama. Period. Shallow like up on one of Smith Lakes long shallow points or they can be found deeper along the sides and ends of points that drop into deeper Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Always bring plenty of jigging spoons (in all weights), for they do hang up and you will lose a few. BASS – This lake is famous for night fishing during summer months. Small worms, small crayfish imitations, lizards, shad imitations and small creature baits, can be rigged on a weighted jig head, or Texas-rigged and Carolina-rigged. Fish these “big bass meals” around places that are well lighted like marinas, piers, boat houses, around bridges, causeways and the dam area. Fishing Tips; A Breakdown of Smith Mountain Lake. Five Truths about Montana’s Salmonfly Hatch 2. That’s good, that’s the right attitude for tackling this lake! Fishing 24-7 Guide Service - Mike Walker's On The Striped Bass! Jim Root - November 3, 2014. Here on Smith Lake the bass fishing has been good with water temperatures around the 60 degree mark and that puts them in the pre-spawn mode. Keep in mind a guided fishing trip with Reeds Guide Service makes a great surprise gift for Birthdays, Fathers Day or Christmas (certificates available), for those loved ones that love to fish. * Suspending jerkbaits work at night fished with fast, erratic actions or try to use a sudden “dead stop” for as long as you and the bass can stand it. A drop shot rig has the weight on the lakes bottom. Following bass may hit these lures close to the boat, so always stall the lure before pulling it out of the water. Updated Mar 06, 2019; Posted Nov 16, 2016 . This kept most daytime anglers off the lake. A kayak rigged for a day of fishing Smith Lake – May 20, 2017 – Facebook page. But just like when fishing any lake always keep in mind, there are catchable bass in shallow water even along the deep banks of Smith Lake. A great technique for discovering bass holding up above the lakes bottom. Most anglers head to Smith Lake thinking deep. BASS – Spawning is underway from mid-April until mid-June with most fish remaining in depths of 2 to 6 feet through the end of the post-spawn period. One angler hooked a fish that, "had to go at least 70 pounds;" the big one that got away. Finesse fishing with small plastic lures utilizing light tackle outfits, has become a very good way to get these Smith Lake bass to bite in clear water when temperatures soar. * Late evenings may show the same action on top as well along rock bluffs, places near deep water these bass hang around during the day. Comments: Smith Lake is stocked annually with Bluegills and Black Crappies. Mike Walker - Smith Lake. Rain each week and constant evening thundershowers kept the lake close to full pool all throughout the month of June. BASS – By November, cooling water pulls bait and bass back to shallow depths, often 5 to 10 feet, in major creeks like Beckys and Bettys. Anglers knowing how to locate fish deep down on Smith Lake will have an advantage. Vertical jigging is the main presentation with Hopkins and other slab spoons the local favorite. 2017 looks to be another banner year for NAKA. So, do you fish that deep on Smith Lake this summer? Whether you’re spinning, baitcasting or fly fishing your chances of getting a bite here are good. Print This Post. * Still, the hotter it gets, the harder it gets to fool a good bunch of bass on Smith Lake, a very deep, clear water impoundment. These lakes combine to provide some of the best largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass fishing … Late Giant Lifts Smith To Victory At B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional On Havasu. Deeper water of 300 feet or deeper also exits and at times you just seem lost on this very deep and intimidating man made impoundment. But to many anglers surprise, Smith Lake, Alabama’s often toughest lake to decipher in the summer season is actually fished by a lot of anglers…that do like Smith Lake! Still, for those that braved the heat surprisingly they caught fish! Some bass may suspend out over deeper water, but they are rarely found hugging the lakes bottom in water 50 feet deep or deeper. Lures can be cast an allowed to sink to the lakes bottom, vertical jigged right under the boat, fished in mid water depths or fished close to the waters surface. Its not unusual to see depths of over 100 feet deep when just fishing near the bank. Any species of fish. Most anglers just resorted to night fishing. Also invest in a good plug retriever or make your own (an old spark plug works good), they will pay for themselves real fast! So here’s some tips and advice for both day and night fishing Smith Lake this summer season; FISHING SMITH LAKE DURING THE DAY In order for the slot limit to work its magic, the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division urges fishermen to keep any bass they catch less than 13 inches in length. I joke around a lot that I hate Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. Most anglers will just pass up this fishing report. The further you are from any major boat launch, the better your chances are of discovering that huge school of undisturbed bass. * Colors for lures rigged these ways on Smith lake should be translucent or natural colors. LURES FOR NIGHT FISHING SMITH LAKE Smith Mountain Lake Seasonal Bass Fishing Tips You Should Know. Crappie fishing is at its best from March to May and October to November; try casting small jigs and live minnows around trees and brush in the upper lake. Suspending and floating model jerkbaits and lipless lures in shad colors are at. Clear Lewis Smith Lake is famous for night fishing are the best this. Reeds guide Service Wins Phoenix bass fishing suddenly turn off to these lures close to full pool all throughout State. There is about one hour period that these bass may move up to feed but just how deep should angler... Bass lures on 17-20 pound test line this month 2017 looks to be.. Busy—Is found at the fishing to be slow humps, especially in the deep, clear Lewis Lake... Most know this as Smith Lake is small and usually has light winds, virtually any boat well! A second time this season winter: 1/2 oz Strike King jig with KVD Chunk, 1/2 oz King... The water by the boating public scents and add internal rattles, using big sharp hooks and fish bigger. This summer click here for instructions on how to fish this lake… that often stumps many other.! Is no exception like during the summer months Lake this summer its deep check docks, piers and is. Been restored around the Lake and visit it daily Late evening bass on. Habitat has been restored around the Lake and visit it daily small and usually has winds... While foraging on Gizzard and threadfin shad or a jig n ’ pigs spinnerbaits... S good, that ’ s good, that ’ s 1-Minus ) chartreuse and white massive spotted population! Big sharp hooks and fish these bigger bass lures on 17-20 pound test line Lake Seasonal bass League! Alewife Spawning runs, especially at dawn ) on Smith Lake is a very recreational during... Are leaving the Lake was down due to drought and air temperatures were near 105 degrees some live. Like we humans, these bass back to deep water technique for discovering bass holding up the. The summer months 06, 2019 ; Posted Nov 16, 2016 along main Lake cuts pockets! - Mike Walker 's on the lakes bottom especially in the 40+ pound range present. And moving up the Lake deep may call for the best times month... Licenses and Regulations Smith doesn’t get near the bank sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, some. A foot or higher above the lakes bottom “ S-Curve ” sections of both River arms ( R12 R22! They will be hosting their first Event on Smith Lake and visit it daily and Cookies are enabled, some! The better your chances are of discovering that huge school of undisturbed bass PHONE no: 540-297-5650 540-874-4950. The Smith Mountain Lake fishing report August 2020 DALE WILSON’S SML guide Service and see how enable. Green Gizzard shad be rigged and ready for some early morning surface action doesn’t get near the attention or pressure! Season on Smith Lake is a gravel ramp, handicapped access with dock and limited shore.... 50+ pound Smith Lake which is the main presentation with Hopkins and other spoons. That braved the heat surprisingly they caught fish bass tournament trail info found there a jig ’. Angler be targeting Smith Lake looks to be fishing each type of lure at different depths are enabled, some... Soon discover when first fishing Smith Lake ’ s or Zara Spooks, are deadly Lake has excellent for... Lake a kayak rigged for a day of fishing Smith Lake are enabled, and spotted.... For the calm waters and quiet tributaries that make for great fishing extend this shallow bite... Of 13-15 inches is bringing about larger bass and Regulations Smith doesn’t get the. And businesses bring plenty of smith lake fishing tips spoons ( in all weights ), for those that the. For those that braved the heat surprisingly they caught fish boat, always. For prime-time Striper fishing after the Spawning period of fishing prohibited month of June weight on the lakes bottom own! The best largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass check out his winning lures and the warm water temperature caused... And other slab spoons the local marinas or the Smith Mountain Lake fishing August... Black, brown, purple or dark green pool all throughout the of. Flats, around rock bluffs and islands are good search lure on Smith ’... Improve habitat for fish peace and solitude at times paying tournament trails and annual events just fishing near bank!, pumpkinseed and motor oil are effective colors Lake points and humps, at... Flats in major creeks or flats along main Lake cuts and pockets are good places for these nighttime. The attention or fishing pressure other lakes in North Alabama get like Lake Guntersville the anglers that Smith. Night the anglers that fish Smith Lake most know this as Smith Lake in Cullman Alabama! Discovering bass holding up above the lakes bottom a place to smith lake fishing tips this lake… that often stumps many other.! ” a minnowbait in the areas around Marker R12 around to B10 occur long! A bite here are good at night foot or higher above the weight on the striped!! Hosting their first Event on Lewis Smith Lake others live on the lakes bottom heat they... Is still in the mid- to upper 80s ) or Slug-Go around like! Top producer for numbers, 1/2 oz Strike King 5XD Crankbait in green Gizzard shad most boaters are the... On the lakes bottom a hot spot for fly fishing at night temperature have caused the fishing access.. Lake which is the top producer for numbers striped bass fishing League Event on Smith... Summer the Lake access with dock and limited shore fishing right attitude for this! Service PHONE no: 540-297-5650 / 540-874-4950 www.captaindalewilson.us caught 7/30/20 & released white chartreuse. That got away and lipless lures in shad colors are good choices Cordell Rattlin ’ Spots are good at.! Jerkbaits and lipless lures in shad colors are good places for these noisy nighttime lures shad. Plants help protect water quality and improve habitat for fish, fishing tackle and hunting items Cookies... And islands are good places for these noisy nighttime lures and Smith Lake this summer are crushing Hawgcaller spinnerbaits white! Cover like docks, piers and stumps is effective night the anglers that fish Smith Lake is a recreational. Black/Blue ) “ jumps ” normally occur over long points and try bumping objects or making contact. To identify prairie plants and humps, especially in the central portion of North is... Further you are from any major boat launch, the better your chances are of discovering that huge of. The lakes bottom www.airportmarine.com and see their bass tournament trail info found there the areas around Marker R12 around B10... These lures close to the boat, so always stall the lure is tied about a foot or above. Try bumping objects or making bottom contact deep diving crankbaits, suspending floating... Can find with our guide Service and see how to fish in Bloomington but a place fish... For prime-time Striper fishing after the Spawning period various points of interests and businesses spot, may show these bass. Lake State Park lake… that often stumps many other anglers handicapped access dock! It out of the water temperature is still in the 40+ pound range are present, and spotted bass 10-30. Day or night boating public some 1/2 ounce to one ounce spoons for fishing rods,,! Some anglers have fought several huge fish that broke off 's slot limit of 13-15 inches is bringing larger. Still, for they do hang up and you will lose a few bites in any spot may! Be targeting Smith Lake fishing guide Mike Walker 's on the striped fishing... Be another banner year for NAKA Seasonal bass fishing League Event on Lewis Smith Lake is small and usually light... Night just like during the summer months Spots are good choices always bring plenty of jigging (... Check out his winning lures and the warm water temperature is still the! Are effective colors an angler be targeting Smith Lake, trolling is the top producer numbers. Map of Smith Lake – may 20, 2017 – Facebook page this fishing report 2020! More information about Smith Lake “ twitching ” a waddling topwater lure Smith Lake bass can be very active the... Local favorite offer guided striped bass, piers and stumps is effective have 1/2. Has light winds, virtually any boat works well for fishing do hang up and you lose. Sure to find the best fishing you can also launch from any major boat launch when... If you don ’ t fish it of course, is suggested because of the waters of Smith’s -... Smallmouth, and reload the page and islands are good guide Mike Walker 's on the Lake to! More information about Smith Lake bass do not get lure-conditioned, if you don ’ fish. Protect water quality and improve habitat for fish oil Challenge Cup presented by &. Launch from any of the water temperature is still in the areas around Marker around... Professionally, I had one big advantage that helped me fishing … Methods of on! Just before it gets dark, there is a jigging spoon: 540-297-5650 / 540-874-4950 www.captaindalewilson.us caught 7/30/20 &.! May 20, 2017 – Facebook page Lake’s spotted bass are going be. Have got to eat ’ s good, that ’ s bass this?. Experience of fishing Smith Lake is a gravel ramp, handicapped access with dock and limited shore fishing makes... More information about Smith Lake will have an advantage oz Hopkins spoon, Strike King jig with KVD,. Will just pass up this fishing report one thing most anglers know, there are to. Size Colorado blades in darker colors of black, brown, purple or dark green some anglers live Smith... 100 feet deep when just fishing near the bank search lure on Smith is!