where are the smallmouth?

[CalebVT9]

So I've been having trouble learning Claytor Lake. We fish the most of our club tournaments there since it's so much closer than anywhere else, so it's important to me to get good there. It a tough lake anyways, but with its steep and sometimes rocky shores it is way different than the small lakes i'm used to fishing around chesterfield. I have noticed though that smallmouth seem to be the most reliable tournament fish on the lake...where should i be looking especially this time of year for these smalljaws? I love fishing shallow or docks in creeks and haven't caught any smallmouth yet, they seem to be mostly around the main lake. Also, I am thinking about planting some of my own brush piles in the lake since i can't find any without any electronics (is this legal?) where would be good places for that?

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Modified by CalebVT9 at 9:52 AM 10/26/2010


Modified by CalebVT9 at 9:52 AM 10/26/2010

[Varinabassin]

I never been to claytor lake but if anything like any other lake. I would run up as far as you can up river and fish. This time of year the fish should be moving to the backs of creeks.

[1781ccT]

That's pretty much what I'd do, also.

I haven't had the opportunity to fish Claytor from anything but the bank for several years now. But even being boatless bank trash, I've had luck with a slow jig, or small (~4" plastics) when the water starts getting bit cooler than it is now.

[07SkeeterZX225]

I fish Claytor weekly, all year long, unless the water is frozen. I catch the majority of my smallmouth from the State Park down to the dam. They're moving into the backs of the creeks now. Using electronics I'll make a pass through the coves until I find one with some baitfish. Then I'll start throwing a spinnerbait, fluke, crankbait and then slow down with a shakey head and a jig. Just keep throwing until you get an idea of how far back in the creeks they are and you can duplicate that in other areas. How did you do in the club tournament this past weekend? I was up there Sunday morning and saw a bunch running out of Peak Creek than heard later in the day VT had a club tournament and another tournament was going on out of Rockhouse.

Just reread your post and saw where you don't have any electronics....so I'd just pick a cove down lake and start fishing from the back to the mouth of it. If you want to find the brush on Claytor (and there's alot of it) just throw anything with a exposed hook. Works for me everytime, as I'm always hung up on something Good luck

[CalebVT9]

Did okay. We got 4th out of 12 boats. Had 6 lbs with 4 fish. That's usually how it goes for me at claytor, I usually can't catch but one decent fish, the rest are these little spots just barely 12 inches. Had a few short ones in the tourney too. That's why I want to figure out how to find the smallmouth in this lake. Seem to be better size on average. Someone had a 4lb smallmouth at the Rockhouse tourney, and when I was out there saturday there was a tourney won with 12+lbs...all 5 were smallmouth. I've always liked fishing for LM better, but can't ever catch more than one good one at claytor.