Now that you have the top 3 lakes and their information at your fingertips, what are you waiting for? Smith Lake was selected for this program because striped bass had never been stocked into this lake. They thrive in the cooler waters partly because of better oxygen supply. We offer trophy striped bass trips and provide everything you need for your day on the water. Catch'em Big!! FishinMoney.com also participates in affiliate programs with Bluehost, Clickbank, CJ, ShareASale, and other sites. But, with a bonus also comes a few exceptions to rules and regulations on the Reservoir. If you’re fishing for a giant striper, you need … Weiss Reservoir/Lake is a camping and fishing paradise for all ages. == SMITH LAKE STRIPED BASS. Drop your lure in the middle of that, and get ready for the fight of a lifetime! Lake Weiss offers boat rentals, convenient stores, restaurants, bait stores and more very close by. striper was caught. There are really no specifics on finding the striped bass. Currently striper and bass fishing is fair. Valid from Sept first to October 31 of the following year, the cost for an annual residents license is $13.85. Trolling and cast surfing are also very effective methods for catching these stripers at Smith Mountain Lake. Buying a kayak for fishing can be a bit tricky. In 1983 the Alabama Department of Conservation started a stocking program for the Gulf Coast strain of striped bass into Smith Lake. 2. It will be challenging, but you need to focus on a depth of 4-8 feet to land a big striper. Whether fishing is a hobby, a profession, or something in between you will have a great time tracking and catching the trophy sized stripers on the Lakes of Alabama. Moving to spawn, their location will change frequently. If you want to cool off yjough you could try one of these. Annual fishing license is $53.30. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; It’s an awesome soft, strong, invisible line that comes in relatively small 30yd spools, so you’ve always got fresh leader material. Bill Vines, Striper Guide - Commercially Insured - U.S.C.G. There is also 1,500 miles of inland waterways; body of water that is navigable if it is deep, wide and slow enough for a vessel to pass, which is 2nd largest in the United States. Fish population counts continue to show large, healthy populations of striped bass feeding on Lake … Only 5 spots left open, below is a couple reports of a club member who didn't know how to fish for stripers. It is recommended that you land your lure in the middle of one of those huge school, let it sink for about 5 seconds and then reel in slowly. In the fall and early winter, top water bait is preferred. Because you have to have water to fish, no matter what type of fish you are going after. We are 23rd in the United States for the amount of surface water we boast. Fishing 24-7 Guide Service - Service and Rates. That is why we’ve put together this Journey 10 SS Kayak review. Here are some of my go to baits for Smith Lake’s spotted bass. Smith Lake: located about 90 miles Northwest of Huntsville, is about 22,000 acres in size. TEAM OLD SCHOOL -This is a "FOLLOW-UP" to" Fresh Water, Live- Bait, Striped Bass/ BASICS-Old School " on my channel that has been very popular. The best depths will be from 20 to 80 feet. “This site is owned and operated by FishinMoney.com headquartered in Nevada, USA. Mitchell’s Point Fishing Guides are ready to put you on the fish! Now that is the kind of striped bass fishing that avid anglers LOVE to hear about and be a part of. From mid-December through late February is going to be a profitable tie for striped bass on Lake Martin. Several 40-pound fish are caught each year, and 30-pound stripers are not uncommon. After the first 30 lb. IF you can handle the cold temperatures, trolling will be extremely effective at this time because all of the stripers are hanging closer to mid/bottom range. Now that is what I would tag as a HUGE school of stripers. Fisheries have stocked the Gulf Coast strain of striped bass annually for almost 30 years. amzn_assoc_default_category = "All"; Our average temperatures in January is between 32-40 degress. Stripers will be caught in the lower to mid-sections of the lake and in the larger creeks. With that being said there are many Striper Fishing methods, Baitwell tips, Bait Rigging tips, and such that you find work better than expected. striper, many more 30+ lbs stripers soon followed in the years to come, with 40 lbs, and some mid-40's caught each year. 205-435-4009 As the weather gets cooler, the striped bass get hotter. Winter: 1/2 oz Strike King Jig with KVD Chunk, 1/2 oz Hopkins Spoon, Strike King 5XD Crankbait in Green Gizzard Shad. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; Long Head, projecting lower jaw; body is 3 1/2 times as long as deep (trunk). Plus see all the other services we offer. Smith Lake Fishing Adventures strives to offer the best striped bass fishing guide service on Lewis Smith Lake in Alabama. So, from mid-September to early December, you will want to stick close to Smith Lake. Licensed #277918 This Daiwa BG 2500 review tells you all the ways you can reel in some serious... Darren Enns and family at Pine Valley Reservoir. Locate Realtors selling Lakefront Houses and Waterfront Real Estate. “Stripers really like the shad, but I call redhorse suckers ‘striper candy,’” Hare says. The great state of Alabama! But, don’t forget the live shad, that is striped bass’ one true weakness. FishinMoney.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. A bonus to Weiss Lake; the creel limit is 30 per day!! But is now catching fish on a regular bases. There are a few public launch ramps available for you to load and unload your preferred water-craft. Smith Mountain Lake is a fairly clear body of water, therefore I prefer to use a fluorocarbon leader when planer board fishing. At times you can see 2-3 acres of wall to wall stripers swimming on top of the water. The striper that do live past the third year, and some striper will live 10 plus years, are the ones  that keep people coming to Smith Lake for a chance to catch a trophy striper. Atlantic Coast, Gulf of Mexico and Pacific Coast. Captain Daniel Berthiaume holds a U.S. Coast Guard License and is fully insured as a fishing guide of Smith Mountain Lake. Page 9 Rely on weather and water conditions, time of year, clarity of water and knowledge of habitat to lead you in the proper direction. Alabama is one of the top states for striped bass fishing. In the summer months, you may have to go as deep as 80 feet to find the striped bass. It is illegal to possess blueback herring in Alabama, so don't use them for bait. A week or two later we took the same boat to the same lake and went fishing again in the evening. Distribution: Search MLS listings. How much there is and what the ranking is, in terms of all 50 states. Like the Smith Lake Striper Club, Striper … It was evening time and it looked like it would be a good fishing trip for catching stripers. You can return … One of my best, I caught seven big largemouth bass and five stripers weighing 10 to 12 pounds. From mid-June to November it is a deep water fishery and the striped bass are found on the lake points via depth finders and can be snagged using live gizzard shad. In 1983 the Alabama Department of Conservation started a stocking program for the Gulf Coast strain of striped bass into Smith Lake. From late December to early March the striped bass are still active on Smith Lake. How would you describe the current striper fishing on Smith Mountain Lake? The purpose of this striped bass guide service is to assure you of a quality, safe and memorable fishing trip. A. Arrell Internet Services, Call Early For Best Dates - 1-205-647-7683. Lake Weiss/Weiss Reservoir is located on the Alabama/Georgia border. The heat of the summer drives them down to cooler water with better oxygenation. There are numerous lakes and rivers where you can locate the feisty, elusive species. I am very knowledgeable of Smith Lake and the fishing in its waters. You have to hunt them down. FishinMoney.com is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.”, © 2020 Copyright Fishin Money- Fishing Tips, Top Three Lakes To Catch Striped Bass In Alabama, fishing for striped bass; the daily limit is 15 and no more than 5 of those 15 can be over the 22 inch length limit. Fishing in wide-open seas and vast lakes require confidence—something that the Daiwa BG 2500 can deliver in spades. Vertical jigging is one of the better methods to … Each year the state biologists come to Smith Lake during the first part of April to collect stripers for the hatchery. Smith Lake Striper Club added its 20th member last week. Winter. The rules and regulations for the state of Alabama, when fishing for striped bass; the daily limit is 15 and no more than 5 of those 15 can be over the 22 inch length limit. Some of the lakes boast about the number of striped bass that are available in their lakes, while other places boast (and brag) about having the biggest striped bass living in their lakes. The striper, also known as the striped bass or rockfish, is an extremely popular recreational fish found in North America. Down lines with live bait is the recommended and preferred way to catch striped bass way down deep; but artificial lures will produce results too. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "fishinmoney-20"; In the spring months, top water or shallow running plugs work wonders at twilight and beyond. My son And I went fishing at Lake Mead Nevada in our new little 10 foot boat. If you see them schooling, even if you don’t catch fish or only catch one or two, then you know they are living there. So grab those poles, lures, and lets get to fishing! Watching them swim in school just below or on the surface. So you can have a fun filled, challenging day of striper fishing and come away with 2-4 meals depending on how many people are fishing with you. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; Although some of the novelty has worn off, striper fishing is a fascinating sport. You can locate 10-14 pound striped bass, also known as schoolies, by watching the seagulls or using your sonar. [wpforms id=”408″ title=”false” description=”false”]. The best months to fish for striper on Weiss Lake; February through May and then again in October and November. Call and make those reservations, whether it is a weekend trip or a full weeks vacation, and get out there and catch striped bass until you just can not catch no more! Theyre are in Virginia and Maryland in the winter time and migrate North of New Jersey in the Summertime. Oklahoma is blessed with some of the best striped bass fishing in America. A 7-day fishing license for 168 consecutive hours, in fresh water, is $29.95 and in salt water it is $28.95. For catching stripers busting the surface, Parramore recommends a 1/2-ounce bucktail jig with a curlytail grub. Catching a trophy sized striper on Martin Lake is more than likely to happen in the springtime; from the end of February to the end of April. The preferred bait here is live shad. But he says stripers can be caught from the land using top bait, white or yellow jigs, spoon lures or fly-fishing techniques. So, can you imagine how many you could catch during the cooler spring months? Enter Below. "Good Fishing." Striped bass fishing in the great state of Alabama. Sport fishing licenses are required for anyone over the age of 16. I’m not sure what that says exactly except that fishing is fun weather you catch fish or not but it’s always good when you can say you’ve caught some fish. Now, that sounded more like the beginning to a history ‘article’, but I wanted to make sure that you knew about the water in Alabama. If you are going to be on a boat, make your sure have plenty of line on your reel. Be sure to check all rules and regulations and license requirements before taking your trip to Alabama has pricing can change. As a full time Striper Fishing Guide on Smith Mountain Lake there are many striper methods, tips, and techniques of Striper Fishing that you find throughout your fishing career that may not work. So, you can find the “big one” in/around Smith Lake, but it will take some hunting and researching to find them. Autumn fishing for striped bass, black bass, crappie and walleye can be good at Beaver Lake. Spend an afternoon of fun and challenging fishing on the cool waters. The deep clear water combined with underwater trees and brush makes Smith Lake the perfect habitat for stripers. In the fall and early winter, top water bait is preferred. Make sure you have a good selection of top water lures, as you can spend hours out here following them and catching them. There is over 447 miles of coves, drop-offs, shoreline, flats, and deep channels where the striped bass can be located. Smith Lake is a very recreational lake during the summer months. The maximum depth of Smith Lake is 265 feet. If you have a boat, your fish finder is going to be your best friend. So, now that our history is done for the day; lets move on to the real reason why I am spending my afternoon with you all. Find Lake Homes for sale on Lewis Smith Lake, in AL. If you are here on vacation to land that HUGE striper for your trophy wall, then make sure you seek out the lakes that have the biggest sized (length and weight) stripers. The average Lake Norfork striper weighs about 16 pounds, with the lake record weighing in at a little over 50 pounds. Most fish are caught on live shad; however artificial baits can also be used. Even experts are still learning new ways to locate and catch the salt water natives. They will treat you exceptionally; giving you any tips, tricks, or advice on catching striped bass in the area. Smith Mountain Lake reigns as Virginia’s top freshwater Striped Bass fishery and holds a lake record of 49.4 lbs. There’s more than one way to catch a fish, and you can up your chances of landing a big catch if you utilize a variety of methods. Use a heavy fishing rod with a light spinning outfit and 10 to 20 pound fishing line Fishing 24-7 Guide Service is located on Smith Lake, Alabama. Special circumstances and prices for elderly and disabled are available. There are a few HUGE ones in the other lakes we have mentioned, but they typically have higher numbers of stripers where Martin Lake has the bigger striped bass. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; The money for this stocking program was a federal grant to see if the striped bass could be put back into the Gulf, as they lived years ago. Around the same time that Striped Bass are returning to the lake from smaller streams, schools of gizzard and threadfin shad begin to spawn nightly in the shallow bays. Weiss Lake: (pronounced “Wice”) is one of the more popular areas in Alabama for striped bass fishing. All Rights Reserved Enabling you to have everything you need at your fingertips, whether it is a weekend get-a-way or a week long family vacation. Its hard to go back to sweating in the hot summer sun when tempted by Alabama’s cooler night fishing and less people on the lake. Best lures will be swim baits, jigging spoons and Zoom flukes fished on 1/2- to 3/4-ounce lead heads. For non-residents, unfortunately, you are going to pay quite a bit more; but it is definitely worth every single penny. But you do have a handful that prefer this time of year, because the lake is empty, giving them more opportunity and chances to locate and hook a striped bass. Smith Lake is 35 miles long with 500 miles of shoreline, so if you do not own a boat, you still have prime areas where you will be able to catch a striper. 3-4 dark lateral stripes above lateral line, one on lateral line, three below this line. They often hang around baitballs in the lower lake, so it takes a good bit of sonar study, simply chugging along and watching the screen, to get on them most days. amzn_assoc_linkid = "a8cd68f0e3699fb0fbf3fde893d303fd"; For me, fishing is an enjoyable release from the pressures of life. The stripers grow fatter there. Smith Lake Striped Bass Smith Lake: located about 90 miles Northwest of Huntsville, is about 22,000 acres in size. You may not fish with more than 3 rods/reel or poles in the water at any one time as long as you are on the Neely Henry Lake or Weiss Reservoir. This was during the winter months! Advertise Lakeview Property. If the fry can survive the first two years, their growth rate between the third and seventh year can be as much as 4 to 5 pounds per year. In early March to mid-June top-water action is going to be incredible on Smith Lake. amzn_assoc_default_search_phrase = "striper lures"; Martin Lake: one of the largest man-made lakes in the United States. for the Striped Bass. Well, that was technically correct - though not of the typical size stocking done at SML. Landlocked form exists in many Southern Impoundments and soutwestern U.S. The next several weeks should be some of the best fishing this season. Book your fishing trip today. I am going to give you information on the top 3 recommended lakes in Alabama to lure and catch the striped bass of your dreams. My professional fishing career started by winning numerous local bass tournaments on Smith Lake and other lakes in Alabama. Martin Lake is said to be one of the only lakes in Alabama to house trophy sized striped bass. Using Gizzard shad on Smith Mountain Lake in the March-April Timeframe can produce large Smith Mountain Lake Stripers. Martin Lake hosts many events throughout the year including multiple fishing tournaments. We were able to catch many fish even though it was freezing cold outside because it was winter. But remember, the limit is 15 per day, per person. Part of the Black Warrior River, Smith Lake has an abundance of striped bass for your fishing pleasure. Morone saxatilis. From mid-June to November it is a deep water fishery and the striped bass are found on the lake points via depth finders and can be snagged using live gizzard shad. Fishing guide Mike Walker is the owner and operator. Though they say that some of the other lakes have the bigger striper, in 2013 a huge 70 pound striped bass was caught on the Black Warrior River. This club offers the weekend angler a weekly report with maps of where, when, and how we are catching fishing. Here you will find prices for all the striped bass guided trip we offer. They’re voracious and carnivorous predators that prey on eels, smelt, shad, minnows, and on small creatures such as worms, crabs, eels, crayfish, squid and mayflies. If you are looking to catch “the BIG one”, spring is the prime time to do just that. amzn_assoc_search_bar_position = "bottom"; The surface area is 41,500 acres with an average depth of 41 feet and 31 miles in length. Winter is 1 of 2 seasons when fishing with an artificial lure works very well. In 1 year, 145 stripers there were hooked, weighed between 25-40 pounds each. A large Gizzard shad post spawn (Late May) can be ticket for prime-time Striper Fishing after the Spawning period. The money for this stocking program was a federal grant to see if the striped bass could be …