SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE FISHING REPORT – March 2013 – By Captain Dale Wilson
SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE FISHING REPORT
March 2013
DALE WILSON’S
SML GUIDE SERVICE
PHONE NO: 540-297-5650 / 540-874-4950
www.captaindalewilson.com
Picture: David Owens from Huddleston,Va. with a citation 37″ / 18 lb. striper caught Feb. 8,2013 in the mid section of the Roanoke river.
OVERVIEW: March brings many changes to fishing! Most species of fish will start to feed more actively this month in preparation for the spawning season. Water temperature and the location of shad will be keys to being successful fishing this month. Water temperature will be in the 50s to low 60’s later in March.
Largemouth Bass-Fishing will be good. Best lures will be A-rigs, jerk baits, spoons, Carolina rigs, shaky heads, and football head jigs. Most largemouth bass will be caught around rocky shorelines, secondary points, shallow brush piles, stumps and docks. Best depths will be from the 1 to 25 feet deep. Windy days with abundant sunshine will be the best time to fish this month. Shad and wind will be the keys to catching bass this month.
Smallmouth Bass- Fishing should be fair. Best areas will be rocky banks, ledges and main channel points. Best lures will be floating-fly rigs, A-rigs, crawfish colored crank baits, tube lures, drop shot rigs, jerk baits and shaky heads. Best areas will be in the mid to the lower sections of the lake. Cloudy, windy days will be the best time to try your luck. Smallmouth will suspend under schools of shad and also feed on crawfish.
Striped Bass- Fishing should be good. Stripers will be caught mostly in the mid to upper sections of the lake and the major creeks. Best lures will be A-rigs, swim baits, buck tails, jerk baits and Zoom flukes fished with 3/8 to 1/2 oz. jig heads. Live bait and trolling will also be a productive method.. The best depth should be from the surface to 45 feet deep. Best time to try your luck will be early mornings, late afternoons and after dark. The seagulls will still be active early this month. The colored water from the recent heavy rains should make fish feed in shallow water.
Crappie-Fishing for crappie will be good. They will be found 5 to 15 feet deep this month. Best areas will be in the main creeks around docks, fallen trees, and brush piles in the mid to upper sections of the lake. Small live minnows and 1 ½ inch tubes and twister tail grubs fished on 1/16 to 1/8 oz. lead heads will work best to catch crappie this month. Small Gulp minnows also work well when fished on small lead heads or drop shot rigs.
Tip of the month: Stained water will make for better fishing. Look for bait fish. Try fishing wind blow coves. Keep your running lights on when fishing after dark. Take a kid fishing.
SML BASSMASTERS – Results – February 24, 2013
Travis And Danny Towe first place with 21.79 lbs and 6.94 lunker
Chad Green and Dean Wood second place with
19.74
Charlie Fochman third place with
17.29
Pace triumphs at Bassmaster Classic – Bassmaster.com 2.25.13
James Overstreet
Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., wins the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees near Tulsa, Okla.
TULSA, Okla. — Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., now owns what only 33 others can claim: a Bassmaster Classic title.
On Sunday, Pace won the 43rd world championship of bass fishing, the 2013 Bassmaster Classic presented by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. His prize for a three-day catch of 54 pounds, 12 ounces, was $500,000 and the most coveted trophy of the sport.
His victory on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees was wire-to-wire, although he shared the first-day lead with 2003 Classic champ Michael Iaconelli of Pittsgrove, N.J. On the second day, Pace stepped over the entire 53-angler field, surpassing his nearest challenger — Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho — by 7 pounds.
Sunday Pace took the win with a margin of 3 pounds, 4 ounces over Palaniuk, who had to settle for second when his hard charge proved to be unsuccessful.
“This is a gift that I will always cherish,” said Pace, 32, claiming his first Classic trophy in his fifth Classic appearance. “This is the ultimate high of a career, a life-changing moment.”
Scrounging Up Bass – PowerTeam Lures – Story
Scrounging Up Bass
Offering bass a presentation that they’re not unaccustomed to seeing day in and day out is an excellent way to increase your catch, and fishing plastics on a Scrounger head is a sure shot way to do this. Rig a 3.6” Hammer Shad on one of these bad boys and you’re definitely in for a treat. The Hammer Shad/Scrounger combination offers a unique action in a downsized presentation that can produce when other moving baits won’t, especially in pressured waters.
Here’s the best way to describe the action of the Scrounger; put your arm straight out in front of you with your thumb pointing straight up at the ceiling (imagine your thumb would be the hook). Now take your hand, rotate it counter clockwise 90 degrees, then back up to center, then 90 degrees clockwise, then back to center. Do that about 5 times per second and you’ll get the visual. Because of this unique action, laminate colors like Money, Slam Shad, Perch Fry, Smoking Minnow and Tasty Tilapia are perfect for the back of a Scrounger because the contrasting colors add a tantalizing element of flash to every rotation. What you end up with is a perfectly sleek 4” baitfish presentation that combines flash, wiggle and a pulsating” thump” that’s unlike any crankbait or swimbait out there.
This combo can be fished shallow, deep, around all kinds of cover and in current and it’s excellent for all species of bass (and a multitude of other species too!). It’s extremely effective in any water temps 50 degrees or above but will also put them in the boat in water temps as low as 45. A 6’6” to 7’ med action spinning rod with a fast tip rigged with 10 or 12 lb Fluoro is all you’ll need to toss this set up and bury the Scrounger hook into a basses mouth. As far as retrieves go, a standard “chuck and wind” retrieve is very effective. But getting creative with different retrieve speeds, or adding quick snaps with your rod tip or brief pauses during your retrieve will help you dial into what the bass are responding best to.
So if you’re looking to add a simple yet deadly technique to your box of skills, rig a 3.6” JP Hammer Shad on the back of a ¼ oz Scrounger Head and start bending that rod!
Source: powerteamlures.com
John Crews – Lowrance HDS 9 – Tip
Take a listen as John gives a great look at why he runs with the Lowrance HDS9 on his boat.
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SML Bassmasters 2013 Open Tournaments – Schedule
SML BASSMASTERS 2013 OPEN SCHEDULE
$1,000.00 Guarantee for 1st Place *
(* Minimum of 17 boats for guarantee – 80% payback 1 / 7 boats)
February 24, 2013 8am – 4pm
June 22, 2013 (Night) 7pm – 4am
November 17, 2013 7am – 4pm
December 8, 2013 7am – 4pm
Location – Smith Mountain Lake State Park
Cost – $100 per boat (includes big fish)
Limit – Five (5) 14” bass (Largemouth or Smallmouth)
Registration – Will begin 1 hour prior to blastoff. Both the boater and non-boater must be present at registration to sign rules and release form.
Point of Contact: Lacy Burnette – (540) 874-3265
SML Bassmasters 2013 Open Tournaments – Schedule
SML BASSMASTERS 2013 OPEN SCHEDULE
$1,000.00 Guarantee for 1st Place *
(* Minimum of 17 boats for guarantee – 80% payback 1 / 7 boats)
February 24, 2013 8am – 4pm
June 22, 2013 (Night) 7pm – 4am
November 17, 2013 7am – 4pm
December 8, 2013 7am – 4pm
Location – Smith Mountain Lake State Park
Cost – $100 per boat (includes big fish)
Limit – Five (5) 14” bass (Largemouth or Smallmouth)
Registration – Will begin 1 hour prior to blastoff. Both the boater and non-boater must be present at registration to sign rules and release form.
Point of Contact: Lacy Burnette – (540) 874-3265
Reel Drag BASS Anglers – Results 2-17-13 Kerr lake
Reel Drag BASS Anglers – Results 2-17-13 Kerr lake
A frosty morning met the Reel Drag BASS Anglers and guests. I was glad to see the sun on this day.
Eight boats competed in our first event of the year. Thanks to all who showed up to compete.
First place went to Mark Winn and Mike Nicols with 18.48 bag anchored with a 5.11 lunker.
Second place were Dennis Scott and Ryan Atkins with 16.29 and with the lunker of the event a nice
fish of 5.80.
Great job guys for a cold and windy day. The fish are biting pretty good for this time of year.
Several nice five pound fish were caught.
Be sure to join us at Leesville lake March 16 at the dam ramp 7-3
Kevin Lankford 434-941-8822