July bring on the heat baby!!!!! We have had one strange spring but we are finally getting some super hot days (heat index over 100) and that is putting the fish back on track to where they should be. The bass fishing is getting really good, the stripers are back in the tree tops and the bream and crappie fishing is loaded up. July gets a lot of slack for being a hard time to fish, but once you locate the schools it can be lights out for good numbers and some big fish.
Largemouth are are in two different places right now. A good part of the population did their normal fish movements out to the main lake points, into brush piles and around channel swings, but some of the bigger fish turned right around to focus on eating bluegills way back in the pockets in the super hot water. Spend some time this month graphing main lake points to find good areas of hard bottom, brush piles and rocks for schooling fish. An early more topwater bite is one for about the first hour or light or a long if you get a cloudy day. Focus on areas with deep water near by and structure anywhere from 12-20 feet deep. It’s also time to get out the big guns and start big worm fishing. Texas rigging a big worm is a great way to have a chance at a giant one. On the other side of this a dropshot shines this time of year. Shad style baits like the Missile Baits Bomb Shot and straight tail worms like the Missile Baits Magic worm are great options on the end of a dropshot. For the bluegill eaters a Missle baits 48 or a texas rigged D-bomb are hard to beat around those bream beds.
Smallmouth are roaming in schools right now off main lake points, red clay banks and near channel swings. They are heavy on chasing bait so a fluke style bait is a good call. Also a swimbait should always be tied on. A Missile Baits shockwave on a ball head is all you need. Focus on the lower end of the lake around rock for the bigger sized fish. Another great call for smallies and largemouth is running a mid or deep diving crankbait through schoolers. My go to is a Spro Little John DD 60 for anything around 10-14 feet and a Spro Little John DD 90 to get to those deeper fish.
Stripers are everyone on main lake points and shoal humps. A fluke, topwater or 3.3 swimbait are killing it right now. Low light hours seem to be the best for targeting those fish.
Crappie are loaded in the brush in 10-20 feet of water. I am seeing large schools getting together and make for easy fishing when you find a pile loaded up. Focus on the river areas with little guts or large laydowns near the main river channel. Small grubs or minnows will always work.
The shad spawn is all but done at this point now that the water temps have reached close to 80 degrees.
Always check local fishing regulations and obtain any necessary permits before fishing. Pay attention to weather forecasts and adjust your techniques accordingly. Good luck fishing at Smith Mountain Lake!
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