Lake Blue Ridge Fishing Report June 2012

Blue Ridge: Level: 7.8 feet below full pool. Temp: 75-79 degrees. Clarity: Great; 8-plus feet visibility.

Bass: Guide Eric Crowley reports, “The topwater bite is pretty steady around points 1 and 2 at dawn. I like to throw the new Smackjack from Smack Tackle in herring color. I have been tying it to a 5-foot piece of 10-lb. fluorocarbon tied straight to 20-lb. Power Pro. This makes a great long-distance casting setup to really reach out to busting fish. The retrieve can be fast one day and slow the next, so try and switch it up till you find what is working. If the larger bait isn’t getting the attention, try to follow it with a smaller bait like a fluke, even alternating them from cast to cast. As the day goes on, look for the smallies to go a little deeper and follow the schools of herring and shad. The morning bite seems to be a little stronger than the afternoon or evening bite. Largemouths and spots seem to be pulling up to structure like rockpiles and down trees or brush. For these fish, I have been throwing a wacky-rigged worm like a Tiki Stick in green or yellow. Little to no weight will slow this bait down and keep it near or on the structure longer. Adjust weight to the depth of the structure, and you should be boating fish.”