Thursday, July 23, 2009
Fishing report: July 23
Eighty-one-year-old Bob Wright of Hiawassee pulled this 15-pound channel catfish from Claytor Lake on July 4.
Mark Taylor is outdoors editor at The Roanoke Times.
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@roanoke.com
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Mark Taylor
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Overview
The striper fishing scene at Smith Mountain lake has taken on a unique look lately.
"We've got guys out there trolling for stripers in $50,000 wakeboard boats," said Mike Snead of the Virginia Outdoorsman in Moneta.
They're not only trolling, they're catching.
With water temperatures unseasonably cool, many fish are still within 15 feet of the surface, and the good fishing has attracted some attention from those outside the normal circles.
At that depth the fish are still reachable with live bait fished on planer boards and freelines. Trolled spoons, Sassy Shads and umbrella rigs are also working for anglers whose $50,000 wakeboard boats don't include bait tanks.
Lakes
Striper angling has been excellent at Smith Mountain Lake, reports Mike Snead at The Virginia Outdoorsman. On the Roanoke River arm, fish are concentrated between Halesford Bridge and Bettys and Beckys creek, while the hot area on the Blackwater arm is from the Cliffs to Gills Creek.
Bass fishing has been decent, with night fishing especially productive. Nighttime tournaments continue to produce impressive limits in the 13- to 18-pound range for winners and some nice lunkers, including a couple fish in the 7-pound class. Claytor Lake bass fishing remains challenging, reports Wyatt Blevins at Rockhouse Marina, with finesse approaches taking some daytime fish and soft plastics and spinnerbaits picking up a few fish after dark. Winning weights for night tournaments have been in the 10-pound range. Catfishing remains excellent.
Streams
Shawn Hash at Tangent Outdoors in Pembroke said action has been good for smallmouths. A trip Monday produced about 70 smallmouths, with the clients picking up about a half-dozen in the 17- to 20-inch range. Soft plastics and topwater lures are working well, and the best action has been in the noon to 4 p.m. time frame.
Action and patterns have been similar on the James River, though fewer big fish are available.
Saltwater
Offshore anglers have picked up some nice bluefin tuna off Virginia's Eastern Shore.
