Smith Mountain Lake September Fishing Report - Lake Level Draw Down, Wolf Packs and Schooling Madness

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

I RECOMMEND

The lake is finally calm lol! The busy summer boating season is coming to a quick end and the cool fall weather decided to show up right on time this year. We are seeing lower then normal water temperatures ranging from 72-76 degrees and the lake has already turned over. That is about 30 days ahead of this time last year. A lot of fishing has changed in just the first few weeks of September, but it’s shaping up to be a great early fall schooling bite as well as some giants being caught up shallow.

There are three things that I am always thinking about when it comes to the September transition.

First is water level. This month is when most highland reservoirs start their draw down and can shake things up quickly. Specific to SML we had a high lake level for almost all summer long. So the large drop in water level came as a shock to the fish more than the last few years. I saw the lake drop almost 2 feet in a just a few days which caused a big number of the large shallow largemouth to head off shore and school up. There are still wolf packs up shallow just no where near the amount I was seeing in August.

The second thing is water temperature. Each fall I am always hoping for that water to get into that high 60’s range as I feel it really starts to get fish eating for longer bite windows and eating some bigger baits. With temperatures hovering in the low 70’s I am seeing lots of good early morning bites, but seeing a fall off mid morning until early afternoon. We should be getting down into those 60 degrees in the next few weeks.

Last is water clarity. With turnover already happening here we are seeing some stain around the main lake areas and all the way back into the pockets. Up the rivers are clearing up with fresh water coming in and looking great for fishing.

Focusing on locating bass in September can end up feeling like you are spinning out, but I can promise this month can be killer if deploying a few key techniques and by keeping an open mind to how fast things change. Like I mentioned earlier the schooling bite has been getting better every day. The main thing to figure out with this bite is matching the hatch. Some schools of bass will be focused on 1-1.5” bait while some schools may be hunting down 4”-5” blueback herring. I like to have multiple top waters ready to test each school.

Starting small I like to have the Megabass Karashi Twitch Bait on a Megabass Lavante 7.4” Enforcer using 10'lb braid to get the casting distance to stay off the groups. Moving up a size for something in the mid range is Megabass Pop Max. I toss this on a Megabass Lavante Flatside Special and 30lb braid. This provides something with a lot more splash as well as matching that slightly larger baitfish look. Last is throwing something like the Megabass Dog-X Diamante. I toss this on a Megabass Lavante Diablo Spec R again with 30lb braid. I really like this topwater due to the three treble hooks for getting a point on those fish that are just swiping on the baits. I would always start by working these baits as fast as possible. These groups should be super aggressive in the mornings.

For mid range presentations it is super hard to beat a fluke style bait. Most guys are going to throw a fluke either weightless or on a belly hook, but this is where I really like to use the Donkey or Double Fluke rig. This creates a unique look for these fish that have seen baits all summer long. It’s hard to beat a Zoom Super Fluke but I have also been loving the NEW Megabass Sling Shad. The Sling Shad has a much softer body and creates some cool movement on the double rig. The fish are also already starting to eat a minnow/damiki rig again. I am focusing on a heavier head this time of year to be able to pull/run the minnow away from these schooling fish. The Megabass Sling Shad has been a great bait on a Queen Tackle Rolling Strolling Head. I have also been tossing around the 6th Sense Ozzie which has a really smooth side to side action that is easy to achieve.

Bottom fishing has been solid as well after the sun is up and the fish start looking more for bluegills and crawfish. A solid choice to present something is a wobble head. A 3/4oz head can really help keep good bottom contact and a larger bait like the Missile Baits D stroyer has a lot of draw power for those fish that haven’t come to the backs of the pockets yet. I have also been catching lots of good fish on the Missile Baits Micro football jig paired with the Micro D bomb trailer. A lot of this years crawfish hatch are now in that 1”-2.5” range so that smaller look is perfect for matching their size.

Wolf pack fish are hard to locate, but when it do its BIGS! I like to have something big to toss at them like a 190 Whopper Plopper or a glide bait like a Clutch Co. OG that has a really big gizzard profile. Try searching for these fish on red clay points from the main lake all the way to the backs. Keep your glasses on and focus on these fish during the mid day time.

Stripers are schooled up super heavy on main lake points and in the first 25% of pockets in the ditches. Typical larger creeks like Beckys, Bettys and Gills have some really good fish. I have not quite seen the big topwater schooling, but its close. A lot bites are coming on a underspin matched with a fluke style bait. Use a heavier head so you can swim that bait away faster once the school sees it.

Crappie are starting to group up on some brush on channel swing areas.

So remember, watch the water level on the SML+ app to see how its looking before you go, keep an eye on the water color at each stop and see if you can find some either stained water or clear water and check your water temperature to see if you can find cooler water this time of year.

Check out The Bait Shop for a bunch more baits for the early fall transition.