Smith Mountain Lake August Fishing Report - It’s hot and the fishing can be too.
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 good one from a school they are all generally the same size.
Using your electronics is key this time of year. You have to spend the time to find the bait, the schools and the locations they are holding too and you have to stay on the move. The fish are actively chasing the bait and that means they can be somewhere at the start of the day and an hour later be gone. Do yourself a favor and scan main lake points and humps until you see bait and fish together. Once you have found your school back the boat off the area and make super long cast. The fish can be spooked easy this time of year so distance away is a good idea.
Stripers are schooled up and eating like crazy. Just like last month a spoon is a great tool if you plan to throw artificial. 3/8oz and 1/2oz on 15lb line is a great set up to get bites and still hold the bigger fish on. Also, have a swimbait with a smaller bait on it 3.3” or smaller. The shad they are chasing is smaller this time of year so tricking them into biting requires smaller baits. Have a topwater ready for when they decided to bust the shad at the surface.
Smallmouth are harder to find this time of year. Yes they are schooled but with bluebacks being in the lake they are harder to target. Keep an eye for busting fish WAY off longer points into the main river channel. Sometimes these fish can be suspended over 60-80ft of water. Front facing sonar like Livescope is really the best way to target these fish.
Largemouth are chewing this time year. A Carolina rig with a large bait on it can get you some monster bites. Try throwing a Missile Baits Destroyer or large brushhog. It’s also big worm season. 10-14” worms Texas rigged or rigged on a shaky head worked down the points is a great way to catch a giant. If you have good electronics I would try to focus on the 20+ ft range and find some rock or brush. This is also the best time to be night fishing on the lake.
If you do plan to night fish please be extremely careful. always have a life jacket on at night and know what the lights mean. Also, if you plan to catch fish deeper grab a fizz needle from Dewayne at Captains Quarters and learn how to fizz a fish. This happens when you catch a fish deep and bring they up too fast. If you do this it will kill our bass. If you have questions on how to fizz check out this video link. Being a good conservationist to our waters is what makes this lake great so learn how to do it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2jls62ZG8Q