Smith Mountain Lake is a great place for fishing especially for those looking to catch largemouth bass smallmouth bass stripers and crappie. With already warming temperatures in early February you are going to see all species of fish be on the move to shallower water. Largemouth Bass are usually found in areas near drop-offs where flats meet on th...

I hope this fishing report finds you well and ready to wet a line at beautiful Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. January is a great time to target largemouth bass smallmouth bass stripers and crappie in the lake. We have seen large temperature swings again this fall and early winter that have made the fishing somewhat of a roller coaster but the fi...

Sorry i’ve been a little MIA this report guys. I had lots of travel and family time. The fishing has been slightly off at SML this fall. The AEP crew dropped the water for an incoming hurricane that never showed up and that threw the fish for a loop for sure. Now that we are in a true winter temperature the fishing is about to get much much much b...

VA weather has been so up and down the last two falls. We seem to get a great cooling trend in October that kicks fall off then a warming trend and high pressure systems keep unusually warm air temps and low chance of rain. This causes the water temps to dip at night and rise as much as 4-6 degrees during the sunny days which can cause the fish to...

This year could be a really special October. We are having some strong Arctic high pressure systems coming south that are bringing low temperatures into the 40’s at night which is pretty early for this time of year. This will have the fish on the move a little faster this year so be ready to check some areas that you may have overlooked in the las...

Who’s ready for fall??? The cooler weather is here early this year with nightly lows in the lower 60’s for the first week of September. The fish are moving every day and getting active. We had a somewhat hot summer but nothing compared to last years. Water temps topped out around 81-83 and at least for me that bass never really moved out that deep...

It’s HOT out there. First and foremost before we jump into fishing make sure you guys are staying safe out there. Bring and drink tons of water in the boat put on the sunscreen and wear breathable fishing style clothes. The sun can take a lot out of you on a long day of fishing so be prepared. The lake is fishing well right now. Schools of all typ...

The heat of summer is here and the fishing is just as hot at Smith Mountain Lake. We are catching some good numbers of fish that are moving out to deeper water for the next few months and still catching a few big bass up shallow eating bream. Stripers are starting to school up super well and eating a ton. It’s a green time to get the kids our fish...

This June has been an interesting one for me with guiding. The weather this spring was very up and down with a few times of 8-10 degree swings. Our spawn started early then stopped then came back and stopped again. We hit 80 degree water in May and dropped back down to low 70’s in early June. This has the fish kind of all over the lake. The smallm...

If you’ve never experienced the biggest topwater bites you could think of then its time to hit the water! The shad spawn is here and the most aggressive topwater bites are about to go down. This is one of the most fun ways to catch all types of fish. The lake is just alive from top to bottom. The stripers are chasing bait on the main lake points i...

It’s time to catch um. What felt like a super long winter that never seemed to end with the up and down weather has finally worked itself out. Bass are shallow and all over the beds. Stripers are loaded on points and the bluegill and crappie are on the move. Striper fishing is lights out on the lower end of the lake on most secondary points in the...

Spring is here and it’s coming quick. After a little break I took to Florida I am back and rocking and rolling on the home waters and my lord I am glad I am back home. The water temp was so strange this winter with it staying warm well into January and then fall off for most of the last two months. Well nature is looking for do about the same. Wat...

It’s finally here! After another year of a mild early winter we have finally turned the corner and have true winter air temperature and water temperatures. We have had a few snow storms and some very cold evenings that has dropped the water temp from 52 in December to 43 degrees as of January 13th. That snaps was all we needed to get these fish to...

Wow fishing has been super tough this year. With the lack of rain low water and unusually warm air temps we are still stuck in a late fall pattern of fishing. The stripers are FINALLY stacked up and can be pretty easy to catch on points and super deep chasing bait but the largemouth and smallmouth are harder to convince. With the extended forecast...

Wow did that weather take a turn from October to November. We were on a path to have another great fall bite with some super cold nights in October that sent the water temp into a free fall but that all changed when 60-70’s decided to show up for a few weeks. Fishing is a little more tough right now. Bass and Stripers are still up chasing bait but...

Bring on the big fish! It’s about to get very good out on Smith Mountain Lake as we turn from late summer into early fall for the region. Fish are starting to move around a lot more the bait is moving shallower and the cold nights are driving the fish to be more active and start feeding. Early October is completely different then late October so g...

Chilly mornings lots of fog and cooling water temps are going to get things moving this September. Each year is different with how the weather will advance the move to the shallows but this year is getting a kick start with lows in the 50’s right at the start of the month. The fish are going to be schooling for the next few weeks before moving to...

August is here. It’s going to be HOT and the fishing can be hot as well….. if you spend the time looking for them. School is out for the kids but the fish are all about hanging out together. Schooling is when the fish bunch together based on their species and size. There are exceptions of course but this is the time of year where if you catch a go...

July is a funky month some years. The fish are moving out to the summer holding patterns and can be finicky when and what they want to eat. Most fish are chasing shad style baits as the smaller fish are also moving out to the deeper oxygen rich waters. However it’s always worth a look up super shallow for those bluegill eating largemouth and small...

The weather is out of this world nice right now in south west Virginia. Lows in the 50-60’s each morning and highs in the mid 80’s is keeping the fishing exciting and fast paced. If you can get up early enough the topwater bite for both largemouth and smallmouth is fantastic and the stripers are almost everywhere. The water temperatures are going...

DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE BAIT SHOP FOR ALL THE WINTER TACKLE I USE It’s about damn time I get another report out! Sorry about that folks. New born life running a few businesses and work like balance pulled me away last month and most of December but I’M BACK and so is some killer fishing. We have now transitioned from early winter to some tru...