SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE FISHING REPORT
August 2020
DALE WILSON’S
SML GUIDE SERVICE
PHONE NO: 540-297-5650 / 540-874-4950
www.captaindalewilson.us
Caught 7/30/20 & released. One of several!
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Fishing has been better the last few days and should improve during the coming months. Water temperature has been extremely high. It will be in the 80s to near 90 degrees.
Night fishing for bass has been good the past several weeks. All species of fish are in their summer patterns. Look for striper fishing to continue to improve.
Largemouth Bass
Fishing will be good at night this month. Best lures will be Neko rigs, drop shot rigs, crank baits, shaky heads, Carolina rigs and large plastic worms. Most largemouth bass will be caught on points, ledges rock piles, brush piles and deep docks. Best depths will be from 5 to 30 feet. Largemouth bass will feed mainly at night. Points, rocks, stumps and brush are key factors to finding bass. Remember to release them quickly during hot months.
Smallmouth Bass
Fishing should be fair. Best areas will be rocks, ledges and main channel points. Best lures will be Ned rigs, jigs, drop shot rigs and Carolina rigs. Best areas will be in the mid- to the lower sections of the lake. Most smallmouth bass will be suspended around schools of shad. Cloudy days are good times to try. Light line will increase chances of catching them. Night fishing will be fair.
Striped Bass
Fishing will continue to improve. Stripers will be caught in the lower to mid-sections of the lake and in the larger creeks. Best lures will be swim baits, jigging spoons and Zoom flukes fished on 1/2- to 3/4-ounce lead heads. The best depths will be from 20 to 80 feet. Vertical jigging is one of the better methods to catch stripers during the hot months. Try to find areas with the largest concentrations of baitfish. Fishing at night will be poor this month. Live bait fished on planer boards and down lines are also good methods.
Crappie
Fishing for crappie will be poor. Best areas will be in the main creeks around deep docks, fallen trees and brush piles in the mid- to upper parts of the lake in depths from 15 to 30 feet. Small live minnows and 1½- to 2-inch tubes or shad-shaped plastic lures fished on 1/16- to 1/8-ounce lead heads will work best to catch crappie this month.
Tips of the month
Hot water temperatures will cause the fish to slow their metabolism. Fishing during the early morning and night are usually the best times to fish. Try to avoid the heavy boat traffic by fishing at night and early in the morning. Wear a life jacket and never fish alone at night. Make sure running lights are on after dark. Remember to practice catch and release and take a kid fishing.