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| For most of its 40-year history,
Smith Mountain Lake's reputation has been linked to
its striped bass fishery, which produces fish in the
30- to 40-pound class. Today, however, largemouth
bass are the lake's favorite fish, and this
20,600-acre Roanoke River reservoir has become one
of Virginia's most popular lakes. One of the most scenic impoundments the Elite pros will visit this season, Smith Mountain offers over 500 miles of winding shoreline along its 40-mile length. That means it's full of coves, cuts and drainages along both the Roanoke and Blackwater river arms, and along with the coves are lay-downs, stumps and other shallow cover largemouth love. What most pros will end up fishing during the Blue Ridge Brawl, however, will be boathouses. There is no shortage of them, which isn't surprising, given the area's natural beauty. There has only been one previous Bassmaster event on Smith Mountain Lake, the October 2004 Northern Division Open, which was won with 33 pounds, 14 ounces, all taken from the boathouses. In June the bass may be using them even more. Although boathouses will get the most attention, the different types of cover along the rivers or in tributaries like Craddock Creek will also let anglers use crank-baits, spinner-baits and even top-waters. Some anglers will also likely fish jigs near the Smith Mountain Dam and its rocky riprap. Location - Sounders Pointe at the very end of Smith Mountain Lake Parkway (route 608) about 5 minutes past the Smith Mountain Lake State Park entrance. |
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