SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE FISHING REPORT
June 2012
DALE WILSON’S
SML GUIDE SERVICE
PHONE NO: 540-297-5650 / 540-874-4950
www.captaindalewilson.com
Picture: Matthew Curfiss from Appomattox,Va. with a 4 lb. Smallmouth bass caught while fishing with his dad Larry Curfiss and Captain Dale 5/22/12.
OVERVIEW: Fishing will be good. Most fish will start to return to their summer post spawn patterns. Water temperature will be 70s. Cloudy days and at night will be the best times to try your luck.
Largemouth Bass-Fishing will be good. Best lures will be top water lures, Carolina rigs, shaky heads, large Texas rigged plastic worms and crank baits. Most largemouth bass will be caught around rock and brush piles near deep water. Deep docks will also be productive as they provide lots of shade. Best depths will be from the surface to 15 feet deep. Night fishing will be good. Best times will be at night from 11 am. to 2 pm.
Smallmouth Bass– Fishing should be fair. Best areas will be around stumps, rocks, humps and flats. Best lures will be tubes, top water lures, hair jigs and shaky heads. Best areas will be in the mid to the lower sections of the lake. Some smallmouth bass will continue to spawn in early June. Cloudy days and at night is the best time to try your luck.
Striped Bass- Fishing will be good. Stripers will be caught mostly in the mid to lower areas of the lake.. Best lures will be top water lures, swim baits, buck tails, and Zoom flukes fished with 3/8 to 1/2 oz. lead heads. Live bait will also be productive. The best depths will be from the surface to 30 feet deep. Stripers will feed best at night. Some stripers will surface early morning and late afternoon.
Crappie-Fishing for crappie will be fair. They will be found 2 to 12 feet deep this month. Best areas will be in the main creeks around docks, fallen trees, stumps and brush piles in the mid to upper parts of the lake. Small live minnows and 1 ½ inch tubes fished on 1/32 to 1/16 oz. lead heads will work best to catch crappie this month.
Tip of the month: Fishing will be best at night. Baitfish will be spawning at night for the next several weeks. Try fishing close to the shore with shallow running lures. Try using dark color lures when there is no moon and bright color lures when the moon is full. Best time is usually between 11 pm. to 2 am. Wear your life jacket and always keep your running lights on. Take a kid fishing.
