Smith Mountain Lake April Fishing Report - “If I could skip 1,000 docks, then I would skip 1,000 more!”

DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE BAIT SHOP FOR ALL THE EARLY SPRING TACKLE

I RECOMMEND

Well it’s one of the most diverse times to fish SML right now. You can choose how you want to fish almost everyday with bass being in pre-spawn, spawning and some super early post spawn fish. As i’m writing this we still haven’t had the largest wave of spawners come to the bank, but we are just a few warm days in a row from a MASSIVE population of fish hitting the bank. Both largemouth and smallmouth are moving a lot and every night we get closer to the next moon phase so staying on the fish this time of year is a everyday job.

This year is setting up a little different than the last few on what areas seem to be holding bigger populations and we are seeing some areas that are almost 8-10 degrees warmer. The typical creeks like Craddock and Witcher are holding some good fish in all three stages of the spawn. As well smallmouth are close to moving up on the mountain and some of the blackwater creeks. However, the upper river sections that normally pop off this time of year still seem to be a little behind. There are lots of bait fish up that way, but not a ton of bass around. That could quickly change with some warming weather so don’t mark it completely off. There are a lot of bass just handing off break lines waiting for that warming water before they move up. Those suspended fish can be hard to catch, but also can be some of the huge pre-spawn females that everyone is waiting to hit the bank.

To help you guys find fish I like to keep it simple. Search out the warmest water you can find with a little color that has docks, transition banks and some lay downs. This time of year you can really tell when you have found a good area by the number of buck bass around. If you feel like you are fishing dead water keep up the pace. Once you find an area that has some bass its time to slow down and pick it apart.

Let’s talk some dragging baits fish and what to target.

Texas rigs: It’s tried and true and is a staple for spring time fishing. I like to start with a lighter weight this time of year as the fish are somewhat still a little lazy. An 1/8oz Tungsten flipping weight matched up a Gamakatsu worm hook in 3/0 covers about 80% of the baits you would want to rig. My bait selection has a two prong approach: I want something with a ton of movement and another that is very subtle. For movement a Missile Baits Destroyer is almost always rigged up. I like the standard green pumpkin most days, but also loop in the green pumpkin flash on super sunny days. For a more subtle bait I like the Missile Baits Quiver worm in Cherry Core or Plum.

Shaky Head: Also a staple for spring time fishing. This I use a lot more to present a craw style bait. My head choice is dependent on how large of a bait I want to throw. A Missile Baits Warlock head again in the 1/8oz size is my go to. This head has a super strong 3/0 Gamakatsu hook that is great for smaller and mid sized baits. I like to rig a Missile Baits Missle Craw or a Missile Baits Baby D Bomb. For a head with a bigger hook the Gamakatsu G-Finesse Trickyhead.

Neko: A newer technique that is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. Grab some Gamakatsu G-Finesse Stinger hooks in size 2 and some Tungston nail weights like the Strike King Tour grade in a few different sizes. I like to Neko both worms and craws. A Missile Baits Quiver worm is another great choice here. For a craw I like to have something with some large pinchers like the Strike King Space Monkey.

Casting accuracy is by far the most important part to this style of fishing. Bass can get spooked pretty easy this time of year so making loud cast or banging off structure basically ruins a spot. I like to stay as far away as possible from a potential spawning spot like dock post or laydowns and either skip my baits in or flip the bait and lay them down as quiet as possible. Another tip is dead sticking your baits this time of year. Spawning bass that are either making their beds or just getting close to locking on will not be as aggressive and require some annoyance to activate the strike. If you feel like there is a good chance of a bass spawning where you cast give it some extra time.

Now pre-spawn fish are still going to be hitting your typical later winter/early spring baits. Jerkbaits in some larger sizes like a Megabass ITO Shiner can trigger some bigger shallow prespawn fish on points leading into spawning areas. The trusty Megabass Magdraft will always be on a rod or two for me until after the shad spawn in May. I love the White Back Shad and Ghost Shad Solid. I also start to loop in a chatterbait like a Z-man Jackhammer to skip around some transitions docks and some stump flats. Pick a more bluegill or craw color to imitate that forage. It’s always a good practice here to chase the wind and look for some stained water.

For the small number of fish that are post spawn it’s time to get the flukes and topwaters out. I was already seeing fish schooling in late March so it should be right around the corner. A Megabass Pop X in Mat Shad is a nice bait to mimic smaller bait fish or try something a little louder like the Megabass Dog-X Diamante in White Pearl. You don’t change the area much from where you are fishing for spawners. Check longer points leading in and out of spawning areas and try working you bait over underwater brush or down along stumps. This can catch some really big fish this time of year.

I hope these tips help you guys out on the bass stuff. It should be a super solid month especially after the next big warming trend.

The Striper fishing has been great as well. I am seeing a lot of big schools on the main lake shoals on the mid lake and lower end. I am also seeing them on some shallow flats up the blackwater. Smaller swimbaits in the 3.3”- 4.8” length on a ball head reeled super fast are a great way to get the school biting.

Crappies are starting to group together around brush half way back in pockets. I am also still seeing some giant single crappies out swimming around in the ditches. A Damiki with a small minnow still gets bites even with them getting closer to spawning.

Check out all the links in the bait shop or follow them from this fishing report to pick up some of the baits that will be on my deck for the next 30 day’s plus.