Mark Taylor

Mark Taylor's Outdoors column and notebook appears regularly in The Roanoke Times.

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Overview

You don't need to be a skilled detective to figure out the hot fishing bite at Smith Mountain Lake and other reservoirs that have alewives.

The little bait fish are coming up on the banks at night to spawn and are attracting big meat eaters, including largemouth, smallmouth and striped bass, and even monstrous flathead catfish.

Anglers throwing topwater lures after dark can catch some nice fish. For example, plugs produced many of the top catches in last weekend's Optimists Club tournament at Smith Mountain Lake, as well as in the Saturday night bass tournament at the lake.

Water temperatures that were steadily climbing have leveled out, but the climb should resume with more warm weather in the forecast.

Lakes

Mike Snead at the Virginia Outdoorsman reports that spawning alewives are hitting the banks between about 9:30 p.m. and 3 a.m. at Smith Mountain Lake, with anglers who are throwing plugs catching a mix of big smallmouth and largemouth bass, as well as some striped bass.

Live bait on planer boards will take some stripers during the day, with the best fishing in early morning when the sun is out.

The crappie spawn is over and the fish have moved out of shoreline brush and into deeper water, including around boat dock pilings.

Wyatt Blevins at Rockhouse Marina at Claytor Lake said he's heard reports of good channel catfish action. Some anglers are finding good post-spawn smallmouth bass action on points.

With a full moon on Friday, expect a good wave of largemouth bass to move into the shallows to spawn at all of the region's lakes and ponds.

Some warmer ponds may see some early sunfish spawning action, too. But the water is still a bit early for the best sunfish spawning action.

Streams

With water murky on many streams, spinnerbaits are taking some decent smallmouth bass.

Mayfly hatches continue to improve on many streams, which is great for dry fly anglers.

Saltwater

Offshore fishing has been fair off North Carolina's Outer Banks, with a mix of dolphin, yellowfin tuna and a few wahoo, according to Hatteras Harbor Marina.