Indian Summer Stripers

[trout-r-us]

Hard to beat a 70 degree day in mid November, in the boat with my son, who happens to be my best fishin' buddy, and fish chasin' bait all around the boat. And to top it off, one of my favorite species on the dinner table.
This old man couldn't ask for a better day.
Life is good. 🙂

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[driver]

Nice haul, Smith Mountain? You get any on the fly?

[Dougfish]

Good eating!

[trout-r-us]

Nice haul, Smith Mountain? You get any on the fly?

Yes, on Smith Mountain. Way up the Roanoke side at Hardy.
Didn't have a fly rod on the boat, but it would have been ideal. Fish were feeding on a big flat, four feet deep, jam packed with Shad, making the presentation of feeding fish appear like bombs dropping all around the boat. I've never seen the surface action last for such long periods of time in the middle of a bright and warm sunshiny day. And not much of a lull between feeding periods. Wait 15 minutes and it started over again. We actually left to go home with the fish actively feeding.😳 And the runs from the fish in that shallow water were excellent on light spinning gear.
I normally see some fly guys in that area this time of year, but saw none on Monday. Only two other boats fishing the area, as numbers of boats were speeding down river to get to the "hot" community holes.🤣 Just one of those special days.

[Fishbug]

Nice!

I need to dust off the 2smoke Merc and figure out the SML Striper thing.

[trout-r-us]

Nice!

I need to dust off the 2smoke Merc and figure out the SML Striper thing.

I used to go up there more often, but I don't really know much of the lake or its fisheries, with one exception.
Over the last 30-35 years, I've limited my visits to once or twice per year, and always in the November/December time period. At that time, tremendous masses of Shad are found in the upper riverine sections of both the Blackwater and Roanoke river arms, and Stripers follow them and gorge on the readily accessible forage species. It is high on my list of predictable/reliable lake fisheries. Though as with any fishing there are no guarantees, I always approach those trips with a great degree of confidence, as success rates are extremely high.
On the Roanoke River side, you may not even need to crank your "2 smoke", as an electric trolling motor could often times put you on fish literally right at the boat launches.
Here's one I lucked into a couple years ago about 50 yards from Hardy boat ramp.
Good luck if you go.
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