SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE FISHING REPORT
August 2015
DALE WILSON’S
SML GUIDE SERVICE
PHONE NO: 540-297-5650 / 540-874-4950
www.captaindalewilson.com
Picture: Norm Brothers of Huddleston with a nice striper caught last week while fishing with Captain Dale.
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OVERVIEW: Fishing will be fair this month! Water temperature will be in the low to upper 80’s. Best times will be early morning, late afternoon and after dark. Fishing the past few weeks has been good. Night fishing for largemouth bass has been fair. Stripers and largemouth bass have moved into their summer patterns.
Largemouth Bass- Fishing for largemouth bass will be fair this month. Best lures will be jigs, drop shot rigs, top water lures, Carolina rigs, large Texas rigged plastic worms and shaky heads. Most largemouth bass will be caught near creek channels, rock piles, brush piles, humps, ledges, and deep docks. Best depths will be from the surface to 25 feet deep. Most largemouth bass will be in their summer patterns . Rocks, creek channel bends and brush piles are key factors to finding bass this month. Please practice catch and release. If you fish tournaments use ice in your live wells to help keep your fish alive.
Smallmouth Bass- Fishing should be fair. Best areas will be rock piles, humps, ledges, and main channel points. Best lures will be crank baits, tubes, hair jigs and top water lures. Best areas will be in the mid to the lower sections of the lake. Most smallmouth bass will be suspended this month around schools of baitfish. Cloudy days with light winds are good times to try your luck! Light line and smaller lures will increase your chances to catch smallmouth bass.
Striped Bass- Fishing will be fair. Stripers will be caught in the mid to lower sections of the lake and the
large creeks. Best lures will be spoons and Zoom flukes fished on 1/2 to 3/4 oz. lead heads. Vertical jigging is one of the best ways to catch stripers this month. The best depths will be from 25 to 60 feet deep. Live bait will work this month. Night fishing will be poor this month. Look for schools of stripers near the river channels. Most fish will be suspended and will constantly be on the move.
Crappie- Fishing for crappie will be poor this month. They will be found 15 to 25 ft. deep. Crappie will suspend in the tops of standing timber this month. Small live minnows and 1½ to 2 inch tubes or shad shaped plastic lures fished on 1/16 to 1/8 oz. lead heads will work best to catch crappie this month.
TIP OF THE MONTH: Most species of fish will relate to deep water this month. August sometimes can be a good month to catch stripers. Make sure you wear plenty of sunscreen and stay hydrated while fishing in the heat of the day! Best times to fish will be early morning and at night. Make sure your running lights are on after dark! The use of a black light at night will help you to see better after dark! Make sure you wear your life jacket. You can never be too careful when boating after dark! Remember to be courteous and obey all the boating laws. Please practice catch and release. Take a kid fishing!
