November / December 2015 Newsletter
In This Edition
|
|
|
Club Board Members
|
Committee Chairs
|
Lake Clean-up
Cindy Turlington / Bob Rowe Club Photographer Bob Rowe Joe's Coffee Joe Wolf Christmas Party Rick Boettcher Tournaments Steve Nagel |
Upcoming Meetings & Events
Unless otherwise noted, Club meetings are held at 7pm, the 1st Friday of each month at the Moneta Community Center - in the back-side, lower-level of the Pharmacy building on Rucker Rd, just off VA-122. Visitors and New Members are always welcome.
November Club Meeting - 11/6
Chili Night, Swap Meet, Annual Review & Board Elections
Striper Mafia Fishing Tournament - 11/7
Due to Mother Nature throwing a wrench in our plans for our October tournament, and challenges with rescheduling, the Club will be joining forces and supporting the November Striper Mafia tournament - see more details later in the newsletter
Club Christmas Party - 12/4
Join us for our annual Club Christmas party at the Casa di' Amici multi-function room. See additional details later in this newsletter.
January Club Meeting - 1/8
Note this is technically the 2nd Friday in January, but with the first being on the 1st, we will push this out a week. Officer Shannon Smith from DGIF will speak with the group on some of the "tale from the field". This is a great chance for the Club to build a rap-our with the enforcement officials who help to keep everyone on the lake safe and look after our fisheries.
November Club Meeting - 11/6
Chili Night, Swap Meet, Annual Review & Board Elections
Striper Mafia Fishing Tournament - 11/7
Due to Mother Nature throwing a wrench in our plans for our October tournament, and challenges with rescheduling, the Club will be joining forces and supporting the November Striper Mafia tournament - see more details later in the newsletter
Club Christmas Party - 12/4
Join us for our annual Club Christmas party at the Casa di' Amici multi-function room. See additional details later in this newsletter.
January Club Meeting - 1/8
Note this is technically the 2nd Friday in January, but with the first being on the 1st, we will push this out a week. Officer Shannon Smith from DGIF will speak with the group on some of the "tale from the field". This is a great chance for the Club to build a rap-our with the enforcement officials who help to keep everyone on the lake safe and look after our fisheries.
President's Corner
I'm having a hard time processing that this is the last newsletter of 2015. We're on the back half of October and before we know it it will be time to break out the jigging gear and start chasing the sea gulls.
It seems like just yesterday that we were having our Christmas party and I was being handed the reins from Joel. We've had a good, busy and productive year. Together we took part in many events from Lake Clean-up, In-Water Boat Show, 4H Fishing, Freedom Alliance, Bedford Youth Day, Fish Fry's, Swap Meet and more. We also completed a member survey and updated the Club's By-Laws ensure they reflect the state of the Club as well as return some power back to the membership. I want to say Thanks to all those members - both the long-timers and the new members - that help to make this Club what it is. We've added over 30 members to the Club in 2015 - and we've also seen some past members re-join us. I'm excited to see the new faces - but also just as excited to see those long-term members returning month after month, and event after event.
I also want to express a BIG THANKS to our Board members - they do so much to ensure the on-going operation of the Club and help run as smoothly as it can. We're going to spend some time in our November meeting taking stock of what we have achieved this year, the good, as well as a few areas of not-so-good. It's important that we do this to help keep our focus and know where we need to focus going forward. As always, I and the other Board members want to hear from you - about the good and the not-so-good - otherwise we cannot continue to improve the Club going forward.
I hope that all of you have sufficiently benefited from the Club this year and that you will plan to renew your membership for 2016. Before long you will be receiving your annual membership renewal form. Help us by returning this in a prompt manner. Know that your membership in the Club does not just benefit you personally, but it also benefits the overall striper fishery by helping us speak with a louder voice when issues arise that threaten to impact the fishery we love.
I hope you all are getting a chance to get out there and enjoy some Fall fishing. We're entering my favorite time of the year for fishing - a time when you can fish all day, mix it up with bait and artificial, and enjoy all the beauty that Smith Mountain Lake has to offer.
Fish On! - Mike Ward
It seems like just yesterday that we were having our Christmas party and I was being handed the reins from Joel. We've had a good, busy and productive year. Together we took part in many events from Lake Clean-up, In-Water Boat Show, 4H Fishing, Freedom Alliance, Bedford Youth Day, Fish Fry's, Swap Meet and more. We also completed a member survey and updated the Club's By-Laws ensure they reflect the state of the Club as well as return some power back to the membership. I want to say Thanks to all those members - both the long-timers and the new members - that help to make this Club what it is. We've added over 30 members to the Club in 2015 - and we've also seen some past members re-join us. I'm excited to see the new faces - but also just as excited to see those long-term members returning month after month, and event after event.
I also want to express a BIG THANKS to our Board members - they do so much to ensure the on-going operation of the Club and help run as smoothly as it can. We're going to spend some time in our November meeting taking stock of what we have achieved this year, the good, as well as a few areas of not-so-good. It's important that we do this to help keep our focus and know where we need to focus going forward. As always, I and the other Board members want to hear from you - about the good and the not-so-good - otherwise we cannot continue to improve the Club going forward.
I hope that all of you have sufficiently benefited from the Club this year and that you will plan to renew your membership for 2016. Before long you will be receiving your annual membership renewal form. Help us by returning this in a prompt manner. Know that your membership in the Club does not just benefit you personally, but it also benefits the overall striper fishery by helping us speak with a louder voice when issues arise that threaten to impact the fishery we love.
I hope you all are getting a chance to get out there and enjoy some Fall fishing. We're entering my favorite time of the year for fishing - a time when you can fish all day, mix it up with bait and artificial, and enjoy all the beauty that Smith Mountain Lake has to offer.
Fish On! - Mike Ward
September & October Meeting Overviews
Capt. Dewayne Lamb speaks on fishing at the Bay
In September, Mike Ward provided a tutorial on understanding and interpreting your sonar - including traditional as well as side-scan & down-scan sonar. We also got a "look into the future" with some new technology advances coming early in 2016 such as "StructureScan 3D" from Lowrance.
Then we talked Fall fishing characteristics and tactics - fish moving out of their large schools, spreading throughout the water column - and generally starting to move up the lake arms, being located in the main channels largely until November when they can more readily be found in the creeks. We also talked about specific tactics for live bait and artificial bait fishing
In October we had the pleasure of having Capt. Dewayne Lamb come and speak to us about chasing those big stripers that visit the Eastern Shore each December & January. Dewayne shared how most of the techniques that we use here at Smith Mountain apply out on the Bay - with just a slightly different bait on the end of the hook. I think after Dewayne's talk there were multiple boats lining up in a caravan ready to head towards the shore! We then followed up the September meeting by talking about application of some of the techniques we covered in the September meeting for Fall fishing.
As with most of our recent Club meetings - both meetings were recorded and you will be able to view the meeting in its entirety once we have a chance to process and upload the material by going to the Meeting Videos & Notes section on the Club Website
- http://www.smithmountainstriperclub.com/meeting-videos--notes.html.
Then we talked Fall fishing characteristics and tactics - fish moving out of their large schools, spreading throughout the water column - and generally starting to move up the lake arms, being located in the main channels largely until November when they can more readily be found in the creeks. We also talked about specific tactics for live bait and artificial bait fishing
In October we had the pleasure of having Capt. Dewayne Lamb come and speak to us about chasing those big stripers that visit the Eastern Shore each December & January. Dewayne shared how most of the techniques that we use here at Smith Mountain apply out on the Bay - with just a slightly different bait on the end of the hook. I think after Dewayne's talk there were multiple boats lining up in a caravan ready to head towards the shore! We then followed up the September meeting by talking about application of some of the techniques we covered in the September meeting for Fall fishing.
As with most of our recent Club meetings - both meetings were recorded and you will be able to view the meeting in its entirety once we have a chance to process and upload the material by going to the Meeting Videos & Notes section on the Club Website
- http://www.smithmountainstriperclub.com/meeting-videos--notes.html.
"Sea School" is Coming Back to SML
"Sea School" is returning again this coming January to teach the Captain's License Course. If you've ever been interested in getting your USCG Captain's License, this is a great way to accomplish that goal. Several SMSC members took this course last year and highly recommend it.
If you already have your Captain's license but are interested in getting your Master's license, this will also be offered. Give Sea School a call to let them know of your interest and get additional details. The SMSC has no direct affiliation with Sea School - providing this as information for our members. |
Member Catches
Fall is kicking into gear - and SMSC members are getting out there and catching some nice fish! As always, we love to feature member catches - please submit yours - you can post them to the Club Facebook page, or send them to [email protected].
Fall Gill Netting
by Bruce Brenholdt
It was an exciting, memorable, beautiful morning. I've watched those Alaska shows where they net salmon & thought many times how much I'd like to try it, and today I did! The SML fish biologist, Dan Wilson, set the nets yesterday afternoon, in the same 4 places every year the first week of Oct, Nov & Dec. A fellow Striper Club member, Ray Witte, & I worked with two fish biologist colleagues of Dan Wilson's, collecting from two of the nets. One net had 50+ stripers and the other had about 20. The biggest was 35" & 17 pounds. When we were done collecting the fish, we hauled them over to the State Park, where we met Dan Wilson & his two volunteers, & the fish they had collected. Their number of fish was much less, and they were smaller fish, maybe because the nets they were using had smaller mesh & the water was much clearer where their nets were located, whereas our nets were a bigger mesh & upstream in very muddy water, so maybe "our fish" couldn't see the net until it was too late to take evasive action.
After the volunteers weighed & measured each striper & recorded that info, Dan Wilson removed the otolith bones from the stripers & looked them over for any obvious evidence of parasites or tumors. Ray's job was to weigh the stripers & hand them off to Dan. My job was to put each pair of otolith bones into little envelopes so that later he can "read the rings" under a microscope to age the fish. When we were all done, the volunteers divided up the stripers (& a few each of crappies, catfish, white perch, white bass & largemouth bass; I may be forgetting 1 or 2 other species, but no muskies or walleyes or sunfish). We also caught 3 varieties of carp, 2 flatheads, lots of big gizzard shad (one was 15"), but those were "buried at sea" after measuring them (no otolith extraction on them). Most fish we caught in the net were already dead, but the 10-15% still alive were put back into the lake, unless it was a striper.
Editors Addendum: There was a question on the SMSC Discussion Forum where Bruce initially posted the above article, asking what the data is used for. Overall there are two main goals - to determine the effectiveness of the previous year's stocking and then to collect data points on the growth rates of the Striper. The nets mostly collect younger fish - 2-3 years typically but the occasional larger one. Most of the age data for the older fish comes from angler fish head collection - where the younger years come from the gill nets. Don't forget the Fish Head collection site in the freezer outside of Captain's Quarter's - leave the fish head in a plastic bag long with info on the date caught, length of the fish and if you wish, contact info.
Your Help is Needed - DGIF will be doing two more rounds of gill-netting - with collections on Tuesday, 11/3 and the third in early December. If you are interested in assisting in the collection, drop Dan Wilson a call at (434) 942-0405 or e-mail him at [email protected]
It was an exciting, memorable, beautiful morning. I've watched those Alaska shows where they net salmon & thought many times how much I'd like to try it, and today I did! The SML fish biologist, Dan Wilson, set the nets yesterday afternoon, in the same 4 places every year the first week of Oct, Nov & Dec. A fellow Striper Club member, Ray Witte, & I worked with two fish biologist colleagues of Dan Wilson's, collecting from two of the nets. One net had 50+ stripers and the other had about 20. The biggest was 35" & 17 pounds. When we were done collecting the fish, we hauled them over to the State Park, where we met Dan Wilson & his two volunteers, & the fish they had collected. Their number of fish was much less, and they were smaller fish, maybe because the nets they were using had smaller mesh & the water was much clearer where their nets were located, whereas our nets were a bigger mesh & upstream in very muddy water, so maybe "our fish" couldn't see the net until it was too late to take evasive action.
After the volunteers weighed & measured each striper & recorded that info, Dan Wilson removed the otolith bones from the stripers & looked them over for any obvious evidence of parasites or tumors. Ray's job was to weigh the stripers & hand them off to Dan. My job was to put each pair of otolith bones into little envelopes so that later he can "read the rings" under a microscope to age the fish. When we were all done, the volunteers divided up the stripers (& a few each of crappies, catfish, white perch, white bass & largemouth bass; I may be forgetting 1 or 2 other species, but no muskies or walleyes or sunfish). We also caught 3 varieties of carp, 2 flatheads, lots of big gizzard shad (one was 15"), but those were "buried at sea" after measuring them (no otolith extraction on them). Most fish we caught in the net were already dead, but the 10-15% still alive were put back into the lake, unless it was a striper.
Editors Addendum: There was a question on the SMSC Discussion Forum where Bruce initially posted the above article, asking what the data is used for. Overall there are two main goals - to determine the effectiveness of the previous year's stocking and then to collect data points on the growth rates of the Striper. The nets mostly collect younger fish - 2-3 years typically but the occasional larger one. Most of the age data for the older fish comes from angler fish head collection - where the younger years come from the gill nets. Don't forget the Fish Head collection site in the freezer outside of Captain's Quarter's - leave the fish head in a plastic bag long with info on the date caught, length of the fish and if you wish, contact info.
Your Help is Needed - DGIF will be doing two more rounds of gill-netting - with collections on Tuesday, 11/3 and the third in early December. If you are interested in assisting in the collection, drop Dan Wilson a call at (434) 942-0405 or e-mail him at [email protected]
Welcome New Members
We'd like to take a moment to welcome our newest Members in the Smith Mountain Striper Club! We've had more than 30 new members join the Club in 2015, and we want to say "Thank You & Welcome" to each of you. We look forward to your involvement in the Club.
|
|
|
We always welcome new members to the Club and ask all our existing members to make a point of inviting a guest to a meeting or event so that they too can see what the Club is about and learn & share with us.
From now until the end of 2015, New Members can join the Club for 1/2 Price - $15 will provide membership for the balance of 2015, along with access to the Club Website's Member's only area, Newsletter, Discussion Forums and other member-only discounts such as 50% off Fitec Cast Nets, 10% off Rock Creek Planer boards and more!
From now until the end of 2015, New Members can join the Club for 1/2 Price - $15 will provide membership for the balance of 2015, along with access to the Club Website's Member's only area, Newsletter, Discussion Forums and other member-only discounts such as 50% off Fitec Cast Nets, 10% off Rock Creek Planer boards and more!
In Our Thoughts
Our well wishes go out to a few members & their spouses who have been fighting illness or injury in recent weeks and months - we've had a few members in, and now thankfully out, of the hospital - we wish them all speedy and full recovery.
In you are aware of a Club member (or their family member) who is experiencing sickness or has suffered a loss, please pass along the information to one of the Club board members so that we can reach out to let them know the Club is thinking of them and see if we can aide them in any way.
In you are aware of a Club member (or their family member) who is experiencing sickness or has suffered a loss, please pass along the information to one of the Club board members so that we can reach out to let them know the Club is thinking of them and see if we can aide them in any way.
Memories
Editors Note: In August the Club had the opportunity to submit articles to be included in an upcoming edition of Lake Life magazine, or future printing in the Smith Mountain Eagle. A number of our members submitted articles and several were selected and printed in the current edition of Lake Life that is on newsstands now. This article is one of those submitted - and Travis was selected by the editors of Lake Life to receive the year's subscription to the Smith Mountain Eagle.
by Travis Graves
It was a beautiful Spring Saturday morning as my oldest nephew and I headed up to Smith Mountain lake for some spring striper fishing. Since purchasing our lake home, this was Michael's first trip to Smith Mountain as the years before he had been busy completing college and training to become a fire fighter. After a delicious lunch and ice cream stop at Homestead Creamery, we dropped down the boat and headed to Captains Quarters for fuel and some 411 on the bite. As usual, Dewayne Lamb gave us the latest intel and we were off to catch some bait and drop our lines.
Like many visiting Smith Mountain lake for the first time, Michael was mesmerized by the beautiful views. From the custom homes to the natural beauty of the hills, trees and water, he looked like a kid seeing the ocean for the first time. By midafternoon we were at the dam and had our lines in the water. As we were waiting for the first bite we reminisced about many things. We talked about God and His countless blessings. We laughed about memories we had shared through the years. From our hunting and fishing trips together, to hanging out with family and friends. Michael shared his plans to ask Hillary his girlfriend to marry him. How he wanted to give her the engagement ring and all of the future plans they had together.
Then suddenly we heard a splash as one of the left hand planer boards went missing. "Uncle T we got one, we got one", Michael shouted as he grabbed the rod. After several minutes, Michael landed his first striped bass. A beautiful 29 inch 10 pound fish. Michael was elated. After a few quick pics for bragging rights, we safely released her back into the water. "Man that was awesome". We picked up another fish and had plenty of hits on our bait but as luck would have it, we were unable to catch any more that evening.
On the boat ride back from the dam to our dock, Michael snapped many pictures of the beautiful sunset. I couldn't help but think what a wonderful memory we were making. That evening we headed to Moosies for a warm meal and continued fellowship. When we came home the next evening Michael thanked me. “Uncle T, that was a great memory I will never forget,”. Little did I know that would be the last fishing memory I would have with Michael.
On June 28th 2015 Michael Perry died in a tragic car accident at the young age of 24. He left behind the love of his life Hillary, his parents and siblings along with the rest of his family and friends that continue to mourn his death daily. Michael you are a great nephew and friend. I am proud of the man you became and the legacy you left us with. By God’s grace I know that you are only temporarily gone from my sight and one day we will see each other again.
To all you fellow fisherman I bid you good luck and remember the next 10 pound plus fish that catch could very well be the one that Michael Perry released on April 18th, 2015. Remember life is not a destination but a journey and memories are life’s diary that we always carry with us.
by Travis Graves
It was a beautiful Spring Saturday morning as my oldest nephew and I headed up to Smith Mountain lake for some spring striper fishing. Since purchasing our lake home, this was Michael's first trip to Smith Mountain as the years before he had been busy completing college and training to become a fire fighter. After a delicious lunch and ice cream stop at Homestead Creamery, we dropped down the boat and headed to Captains Quarters for fuel and some 411 on the bite. As usual, Dewayne Lamb gave us the latest intel and we were off to catch some bait and drop our lines.
Like many visiting Smith Mountain lake for the first time, Michael was mesmerized by the beautiful views. From the custom homes to the natural beauty of the hills, trees and water, he looked like a kid seeing the ocean for the first time. By midafternoon we were at the dam and had our lines in the water. As we were waiting for the first bite we reminisced about many things. We talked about God and His countless blessings. We laughed about memories we had shared through the years. From our hunting and fishing trips together, to hanging out with family and friends. Michael shared his plans to ask Hillary his girlfriend to marry him. How he wanted to give her the engagement ring and all of the future plans they had together.
Then suddenly we heard a splash as one of the left hand planer boards went missing. "Uncle T we got one, we got one", Michael shouted as he grabbed the rod. After several minutes, Michael landed his first striped bass. A beautiful 29 inch 10 pound fish. Michael was elated. After a few quick pics for bragging rights, we safely released her back into the water. "Man that was awesome". We picked up another fish and had plenty of hits on our bait but as luck would have it, we were unable to catch any more that evening.
On the boat ride back from the dam to our dock, Michael snapped many pictures of the beautiful sunset. I couldn't help but think what a wonderful memory we were making. That evening we headed to Moosies for a warm meal and continued fellowship. When we came home the next evening Michael thanked me. “Uncle T, that was a great memory I will never forget,”. Little did I know that would be the last fishing memory I would have with Michael.
On June 28th 2015 Michael Perry died in a tragic car accident at the young age of 24. He left behind the love of his life Hillary, his parents and siblings along with the rest of his family and friends that continue to mourn his death daily. Michael you are a great nephew and friend. I am proud of the man you became and the legacy you left us with. By God’s grace I know that you are only temporarily gone from my sight and one day we will see each other again.
To all you fellow fisherman I bid you good luck and remember the next 10 pound plus fish that catch could very well be the one that Michael Perry released on April 18th, 2015. Remember life is not a destination but a journey and memories are life’s diary that we always carry with us.
Tournament Fishing
Unfortunately Mother Nature dealt us a tough hand in October on our planned Fall Open tournament date - and the high levels of rain, rough lake conditions and at the time the forecast for strong winds resulted in the decision to cancel the tournament for the day. Unfortunately we were not able to find a suitable date elsewhere in October, so the Tournament Director and SMSC Board made the decision to "team up" with the already planned Striper Mafia tournament series event scheduled for Saturday, November 7th - and is participating as a sponsor in the series along with providing food & beverage at the November event in order to help raise visibility and awareness for the Club.
These events have a similar entry fee and payout structure to what was planned for the Fall Open - $75/team entry - 1st - 4th place payouts, a cash raffle for the non-placing teams, and an optional Big Fish pool with a $25 entry and 100% payout. There will also be raffle prizes in which all participants are eligible - with over 60 prizes available for drawing at each event - including some nice prizes such as planer board sets, custom shirts/sweatshirts, $100 Gift Certifications for custom Tim Wade cast-nets, Hydro Glow lights, and much more. We will also be featuring a youth competition as a part of these events, with prizes for the 1st - 3rd place youth (15 and younger).
In full disclosure, this tournament series is something that I (Mike Ward) and a few others have had in the planning stages for a while - and is something I am doing outside of my capacity and role as Club President and I and other others putting on these series are not profiting at all from these events. This series is being held as a "Catch-Photo-Release" tournament in order to promote the ability to hold a successful, competitive tournament during the timeframe in which the "slot" is in effect - but also to promote the importance of releasing our big fish to continue to grow and be caught again.
The goal with these events is that there is something for everyone - and we hope that many of you will consider participating in the November tournament or the others to come. You can find out more information at www.SMLStriperMafia.com, or www.facebook.com/StriperMafia
These events have a similar entry fee and payout structure to what was planned for the Fall Open - $75/team entry - 1st - 4th place payouts, a cash raffle for the non-placing teams, and an optional Big Fish pool with a $25 entry and 100% payout. There will also be raffle prizes in which all participants are eligible - with over 60 prizes available for drawing at each event - including some nice prizes such as planer board sets, custom shirts/sweatshirts, $100 Gift Certifications for custom Tim Wade cast-nets, Hydro Glow lights, and much more. We will also be featuring a youth competition as a part of these events, with prizes for the 1st - 3rd place youth (15 and younger).
In full disclosure, this tournament series is something that I (Mike Ward) and a few others have had in the planning stages for a while - and is something I am doing outside of my capacity and role as Club President and I and other others putting on these series are not profiting at all from these events. This series is being held as a "Catch-Photo-Release" tournament in order to promote the ability to hold a successful, competitive tournament during the timeframe in which the "slot" is in effect - but also to promote the importance of releasing our big fish to continue to grow and be caught again.
The goal with these events is that there is something for everyone - and we hope that many of you will consider participating in the November tournament or the others to come. You can find out more information at www.SMLStriperMafia.com, or www.facebook.com/StriperMafia
It's Time to Renew Your SMSC Membership
Be on the looking on the coming weeks for your annual SMSC Membership renewal letter. Help us get the new year off to a great start by returning these membership renewals as quickly as possible. We certainly hope you will plan to renew and join us in the new year. Also, please use this to consider inviting a friend to join the Club in the new year as well.
Water Temperatures
We're only looking at less than 10 degrees of temperature separation across the depths near mid-lake - and the temps across the range are comfortable to the fish anywhere in that range, which means they could be throughout the water column - but look for the bait - and find the fish!
Smith Mountain Striper Club Christmas Party
We will hold our annual Christmas party this year again at the Casa di' Amici multi-function room, located in the back-side, lower level of the "Moneta Town Center" off Hwy 122. The cost this year will be $15/person, which is a great deal for a wonderful meal and time to socialize with fellow Club members and their spouses / significant others.
This year's menu will be catered by Barnyard Catering. We will kick off the evening with a Social Hour at 6 pm, featuring cheese & vegetable trays, and dinner will start at 7, consisting consist of roast pork loin, baked chicken, red smashed potatoes, garden salad, iced tea, lemonade assorted cakes for dessert.
We'll also spend some time "looking back" at 2015 - and taking time to recognize those that helped support the Club in it's activities during the year. And.... if everyone has been really good this year.... Santa may just pay a visit with some goodies for all the little (and big) boys & girls!
The deadline to register and pay will be at our November meeting. As a reminder, all that attend, adult or youth, must register and pay. This is always a great time to socialize with other members and their significant others - we recognize that the Holiday Season can be a very busy time, but we hope that you will be able to spend an evening with us to cap off another great year for the Club.
This year's menu will be catered by Barnyard Catering. We will kick off the evening with a Social Hour at 6 pm, featuring cheese & vegetable trays, and dinner will start at 7, consisting consist of roast pork loin, baked chicken, red smashed potatoes, garden salad, iced tea, lemonade assorted cakes for dessert.
We'll also spend some time "looking back" at 2015 - and taking time to recognize those that helped support the Club in it's activities during the year. And.... if everyone has been really good this year.... Santa may just pay a visit with some goodies for all the little (and big) boys & girls!
The deadline to register and pay will be at our November meeting. As a reminder, all that attend, adult or youth, must register and pay. This is always a great time to socialize with other members and their significant others - we recognize that the Holiday Season can be a very busy time, but we hope that you will be able to spend an evening with us to cap off another great year for the Club.
2015 Fish Ladder
We have a few new entries onto the Fish Ladder. C.D. Holbrook caught a nice 34.5" fish to tie in length with Stephen Bartnett (though Stephen leads due to date of catch), and Ray Witte jumps on the ladder with a 30" entry.
As fall approaches and the fish begin to put on their feed-bag, don't forget to keep a camera ready to submit a pic of your catch from Smith Mountain or Leesville on a measuring device and secure a spot on the ladder. You can submit multiple fish throughout the year - but you can hold only one "rung" - so as you improve on your year's personal best you can improve your chances. Pictures can be submitted via e-mail to the Club's e-mail address ([email protected]), post to the the Club's Facebook page, or bring a copy to a meeting.
1st - Mike Ward - 38.25" caught on 4/9
2nd - Tyler Early - 37" caught on 4/4
3rd - Keith Matteson - 36.25" caught on 4/4
4th - Bruce Brenholdt - 35.5" caught on 8/26
5th - Stephen Bartnett - 34.5" - caught in the 1st days of January
6th - C.D. Holbrook - 34.5" - caught in September
7th - Ray Witte - 30" - caught in September
8th - 10th - Still a few open rungs.... and always a chance to bump someone off.
1st - Mike Ward - 38.25" caught on 4/9
2nd - Tyler Early - 37" caught on 4/4
3rd - Keith Matteson - 36.25" caught on 4/4
4th - Bruce Brenholdt - 35.5" caught on 8/26
5th - Stephen Bartnett - 34.5" - caught in the 1st days of January
6th - C.D. Holbrook - 34.5" - caught in September
7th - Ray Witte - 30" - caught in September
8th - 10th - Still a few open rungs.... and always a chance to bump someone off.
Fishing Outlook for November & December
While we often think of Fall as October and November, I find that the Fall fishing patterns really kick in more in November and carry into December - assuming we do not have a early, severe cold snap.
By the start of November the striper will be fully into their Fall patterns. With the water surface temperatures having cooled into the low 60's the fish can find their "comfort zone" pretty much anywhere in the water column they chose. Generally they will be minimally schooled and spread throughout the water column. Look for the bait and the fish will be near by. As November progresses, look more and more into the creeks, especially in the mid to upper ends of the lake arms. The fish can be up very shallow, but then may move deeper in the peak of the sunlight during the day. Keep a rod rigged with a topwater or swim-bait handy as you never know where some surface action will break out - particularly first thing in the morning or just before dark.
While we associate December with winter, in the first few weeks it can still have many characteristics of Fall fishing. Look for fishing roaming the banks in the creeks and upper lake arms off main channel points. Bigger baits will being to be more readily accessible and also more productive. As December moves on, if you've not packed up and headed to the Chesapeake Bay to chase the big stripers, you may find yourself starting to chase the sea gulls. Often it takes the cold of January to really kick this off, but we will start seeing some gulls and likely some fish tipped off by diving sea gulls, especially towards the end of the month. Jigging of spoons & flukes will again come into play as the fish begin to once again school up together.
As the colder temperatures approach, be ever more cautious - those frosty early mornings can create slick surfaces on your boats decks. Be even more mindful of wearing a PFD, letting someone know when you're to be expected back and what part of the lake you plan to be fishing on. Winter fishing can be great fun - just do it safely.
By the start of November the striper will be fully into their Fall patterns. With the water surface temperatures having cooled into the low 60's the fish can find their "comfort zone" pretty much anywhere in the water column they chose. Generally they will be minimally schooled and spread throughout the water column. Look for the bait and the fish will be near by. As November progresses, look more and more into the creeks, especially in the mid to upper ends of the lake arms. The fish can be up very shallow, but then may move deeper in the peak of the sunlight during the day. Keep a rod rigged with a topwater or swim-bait handy as you never know where some surface action will break out - particularly first thing in the morning or just before dark.
While we associate December with winter, in the first few weeks it can still have many characteristics of Fall fishing. Look for fishing roaming the banks in the creeks and upper lake arms off main channel points. Bigger baits will being to be more readily accessible and also more productive. As December moves on, if you've not packed up and headed to the Chesapeake Bay to chase the big stripers, you may find yourself starting to chase the sea gulls. Often it takes the cold of January to really kick this off, but we will start seeing some gulls and likely some fish tipped off by diving sea gulls, especially towards the end of the month. Jigging of spoons & flukes will again come into play as the fish begin to once again school up together.
As the colder temperatures approach, be ever more cautious - those frosty early mornings can create slick surfaces on your boats decks. Be even more mindful of wearing a PFD, letting someone know when you're to be expected back and what part of the lake you plan to be fishing on. Winter fishing can be great fun - just do it safely.
Tackle Tip for November - Snelling your Hooks
Snelling your live-bait hooks is recommended when using circle hooks, and even Octopus style hooks - which results in a strong knot and when using circle hooks, applies force in the required direction to help seat the circle hook well into the fishes mouth. There are several variations of a snell knot that exist. The three versions shown below only require the tag-end of the line to be available, which is convenience when retying a hook to a leader. The "traditional" version in the first image below requires wrapping a loop of line around the hook - which can be challenging with larger test leader. The Uni-Knot version is simple to tie if care is taken to tighten up the wraps when snugging the knot down. The "Easy Snell" is somewhat a variation of the others.
Personally, I am a big fan of the "Kite Fisher" snell knot - this is an extremely simple snell to "tie", but it does require that you have access to both ends of the leader / line. There is a good video made by one of the striper guides on Smith Mountain Lake - Travis Patsell of Cats-n-Stripers Guide Service that is hosted on YouTube where you can see how to tie this snell - https://youtu.be/EPnnfm6pGeg
Image Credits: www.netknots.com
Personally, I am a big fan of the "Kite Fisher" snell knot - this is an extremely simple snell to "tie", but it does require that you have access to both ends of the leader / line. There is a good video made by one of the striper guides on Smith Mountain Lake - Travis Patsell of Cats-n-Stripers Guide Service that is hosted on YouTube where you can see how to tie this snell - https://youtu.be/EPnnfm6pGeg
Image Credits: www.netknots.com
Fishing Report - 10/11/15 - Rockin' Rocktober
Water: 62-63, visibility of a couple feet, colored but greenish
Weather: low 50's rising into low 70's, overcast & foggy to start, burning off late morning with a S/SW wind around 5 mph
Techniques: Freeline planers (6) with 8" - 12" gizzard shad
No fishing on Saturday as we hit the Virginia Tech / NC State football game in Blacksburg on Friday night and didn't get to the lake until around 1am. So I went out looking for bait on Saturday afternoon and after a few hours I had around 2 dozen baits - on the smaller size with most of them being around 8" / dollar-bill gizzards and 2 bigger boys who were happy swimming in the tank treated with Shad Crack - even if the water from the creek looked like crap......
Tyler was coming down early Sunday morning and Travis had a day off from guiding, so of course he wanted to go fishing - so we made plans for him to jump on with us. All the rain the previous few weeks has left a lot of the lake a mess - and then add to that patchy fog, it was a fun ride to pick up Travis and Tyler.
Weather: low 50's rising into low 70's, overcast & foggy to start, burning off late morning with a S/SW wind around 5 mph
Techniques: Freeline planers (6) with 8" - 12" gizzard shad
No fishing on Saturday as we hit the Virginia Tech / NC State football game in Blacksburg on Friday night and didn't get to the lake until around 1am. So I went out looking for bait on Saturday afternoon and after a few hours I had around 2 dozen baits - on the smaller size with most of them being around 8" / dollar-bill gizzards and 2 bigger boys who were happy swimming in the tank treated with Shad Crack - even if the water from the creek looked like crap......
Tyler was coming down early Sunday morning and Travis had a day off from guiding, so of course he wanted to go fishing - so we made plans for him to jump on with us. All the rain the previous few weeks has left a lot of the lake a mess - and then add to that patchy fog, it was a fun ride to pick up Travis and Tyler.
But, made it through, picked up the guys and we were fishing around 7:45. Didn't take us too long to get in the swing of things..... We had a some decent consistent action through the morning - healthy plump fish that were all in the 29" - 32" range with the biggest going around 11 lbs. We thought we were going to get a triple at one point - could have been a double but the hook didn't find home on the 2nd fish. The fish were playing with the bigger baits - putting on a show - but they didn't have any problem smacking and then slamming the dollar-bill sized shad either. It sure was good to be back in the Fall fishing mode swing..... heck - to be back in the fishing mode swing overall as it was early Sept since I'd been on the water last and sometime in August since I had a fish on the other end of my line.
The bite slowed as the sun came up, but we did manage one on the back-side of a flat as the sun was getting on higher in the sky. We ended up with 6 or 7 fish to the boat and two that came unbuttoned, along with few blow-up chases that didn't follow-through. Definitely has me fired up and ready for full on Fall fishing.
The bite slowed as the sun came up, but we did manage one on the back-side of a flat as the sun was getting on higher in the sky. We ended up with 6 or 7 fish to the boat and two that came unbuttoned, along with few blow-up chases that didn't follow-through. Definitely has me fired up and ready for full on Fall fishing.
Tackle Tip for December - Night-time Plugging
For those willing to brave the brisk temperatures at night in early Winter, plugging the banks can be a rewarding way to bring fish to the boat. Using plugs that dive 3 to 5 feet, such as the Rapala X-Rap in the XR08, XR10 or XR12 sizes, tossed towards points and retrieved to deeper water can be very productive at night in the winter time.
Certainly use caution when fishing at night in the winter time, especially when temperatures drop below freezing and water on your boat turns into slippery ice. Wear your PDF and let someone know where you will be and when you are expected to return. But with a few precautions this can be a great time to enjoy the water.
Certainly use caution when fishing at night in the winter time, especially when temperatures drop below freezing and water on your boat turns into slippery ice. Wear your PDF and let someone know where you will be and when you are expected to return. But with a few precautions this can be a great time to enjoy the water.
Please Support our Club Sponsors & Advertisers
Our Club Sponsors and Advertisers provide a valuable support to the Smith Mountain Striper Club and our membership. When in need of goods or services, please give our sponsors consideration and also let them know that you appreciate their support of the Club.
Smith Mountain Striper Club members receive a 10% Discount
Call or e-mail for details. [email protected] / (304) 928-7653 www.rockcreekplaners.com/planer-boards/ |
Check us out on the net at www.castnets.com or call us at (800) 332-6387 ext. 100 and tell them you a member of the Smith Mountain Striper Club to order your nets and receive a 50% discount of list prices.
|