Smith Mountain Lake February Fishing Report - Crazy Low Lake Level, Fishing Expo and Fishing the Ice line…?
DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE BAIT SHOP FOR ALL THE WINTER TACKLE
I RECOMMEND
I feel like I pull facebook up every day to a post about a Dam test or people debating if this is the lowest the lake has ever been or what ramps are still usable. We are again dealing with a drought, super clear winter time water and now ICE! A lot of the main river channel up the lake has been frozen for a good part of the month, most the lower end pockets have ice forming as well…. BUT when you can get out there the fish are BITING!
I was able to sneak out last week for a quick afternoon of practice and was able to catch my first 7lber of the year and a bag for 22.12 in 4 hours which really keyed me in on where these fish have moved. If you look back before this month started we got snow and ice 3-4 days and it created unusable ramps for over a week. As much as I wanted to get out there and do another snow video these fish needed a little break from everyone scoping on them. I think that time off will actually make for a really nice month of fishing.
I was pleasantly surprised to find some big ones shallower then I would have thought with catching that 7lber in about 10 feet. As a general rule when we get super cold snaps you want to start looking shallower for the aggressive bass that move up on stunned shad. However, I never really found that. Most fish came off longer rock vains since the water is so low and were stuck to the bottom. Still focusing on the slow presentation of stunned shad I focused on getting the jerkbait dialed in for the right size. As we start to get into the warming and longer days I like to start with bigger baits. An over sized jerk like the Megabass Kanata in Mat Shad. Showing these fish something different than the minnow can really get them to commit now that they are a bit shallower. However if I do get a follower I also have a Megabass X-Nanahan on stand by in GP Pro Blue. I catch a ton of fish that follow out of structure and stall out then I rip that smaller one by and its over.
As for locations to look, it’s still time to focus on main lake, but the pockets that have channel swings close by should start seeing fish coming in almost everyday. Most of the lake is about the same clarity but keep a close eye on the weather because as soon as we get some bigger rain events we should start to see areas like Linville, Beaver Dam, Stony and Gills get some color and the big girls wont be far behind. On sunny days look for fish to be pushing higher in the water and closer to the bank and on cloudy days look for fish to head down to lock on the bottom but be willing to chase a bit more.
Now is also the time to get ready for what the first big warming weeks will bring for lures. This is the one month of the year where with in a few days you can go from throwing a moving bait to having to slow down with a jig or shaky head. The big swimbait bites are also quickly approaching. Make sure you stock up on some MissileBaits Warlock heads, MissileBaits HeadBangers Football jig and some Megabass Magdrafts in both the 5” and 6” size.
Striper fishing is still super good right now with big groups hanging around the bait in the middle of river channels. Gills is loaded about halfway back, Craddock has large groups at the mouth and the back areas of Beckys and Bettys.
Single big crappies are creeping around in areas like Campers creek and Stony. If you can handle targeting the single fish you could catch the biggest one of the year.
Lastly, if you’re around the lake 2/21 come on over to the East Lake Church from 12-4 for their Sportmen’s Encounter Seminars. I’ll be talking all things SML for Bass Fishing.
Good Luck out there and tight lines!
Monthly Highlight Sponsor! Welcome Bugg Insurance to the team! If you need a quote on anything from ATV, RV, Boats, Rental Properties or Lake Homes he is your guy! Get a free quote today.
