Smith Mountain Lake March Fishing Report - Fish are on the move shallow
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. Water temps are jumping back up super quick and the fish are moving around. We are catching bass in both a late winter stage on main lake points as well as some that have already moved back on flats. The stripers are pulling off their standing timber spots and heading to the bait that is quickly moving to the backs of pockets to warm up. Keep an eye on your extended forecast for 2-4 days of warming trends and get to the water they will be chewing.
Smallmouth bass are already pulling into pockets to start thinking about spawning. Look around the lower end of the lake around main and secondary rocky points. These fish will be the first to pull up into flats to spawn. These fish are super aggressive right now and will be hitting jerkbaits and swim baits on windy days and ned rigs on those slow no wind days.
Largemouth are chewing. It’s cranking time!!! Start focusing on any rock you can find on the lake. It warms faster and will hold some giants this time of year. Grab a DT4-DT6 and put the trolling motor on high. If you find yourself in some stained water its also spinnerbait time! Laydowns in the back half of pockets will hold some true large females. Once you get a bite slow down with a big jig around those same types of cover.
Stripers are schooled up big time. It’s a great time to get a kid out fishing as it will be a big striper run up the river in the next 30 days. Keep an eye out for the other striper boats and focus on finding the bait. Main lake still seems to the best area but you can find bait running to the back of pockets!
Enjoy the amazing weather we are about to have and tight lines!