I'll be home in Virginia from Mississippi for a week this December. I'm looking particularly at December 10 for a target date, and I'm planning on commandeering my friend's boat (along with my friend) at Smith Mountain Lake for a day of fishing whatever. I've never fished smallmouth before (not intentionally, at least), and I haven't got the slightest clue where to start for stripers. Might be interested in pike/walleye/musky/whatever else worth a shot too if conditions allow for it, we don't have any of those where I'm living now.

 

I'm anticipating that the conditions will either be rather pleasant for December, or blustery, cold, and debatably not worth going out. Anyone got some surefire tactics or at least general strategies to land some fish in both pleasant and cold conditions?

Carolina rigs off the rocky points.

 

Slow fished plastics.

 

1/2 ounce jigs and pigs if  you are patient and are looking for a few big ones.

 

Lake is way too big to give you exact locations and the water temperature, wind and sky conditions will change your battle plan every day.

You should expect to see one of the prettiest lakes around! I love to look at all the beautiful homes around the lake! Good luck!

there are no pike in SML, and good luck trying to find wall-eye(supposedly theres a small breeding population) and same for musky, tough to find them. smallmouth are there, but ive never caught one there, supposedly theyre mostly in the main lake section and over around the dam. largemouth outnumber the smallmouth like 10-1 i think. if you want some table fare you can probably get some good crappie fishing, or some good white and yellow perch fishing in december. though thats just a guess/hunch as ive never fished their past early november. as for stripers, theyre going to be schooled up. live bait such as shad or alewives caught under a dock light at night with the old throw net is probably your best bet bait for them. you just have to find them9striper), probably most likely up the river arms, id try the roanoke river side. if the seagulls are there yet, youve probably found some striper where they are...

Jerkbait, if you dont get fish on that, try a drop shot.  If that doesn't work, throw a jerkbait!!