Smithville Lake

Type: Nontidal
Region: Eastern
Location: Smithville Lake

When I pulled up to Smithville Lake, a mist covered the water, light rain fell. I couldn�t see the far shore as I took my first cast across old lily pads. A swirl near my bait, but I missed the fish. I cast again and missed a second strike. Making my way across the lake, I worked the shoreline by casting a 1/4 oz paddle tail jig. I was casting over and working the edge of lily pads, laydowns and overhanging limbs.

I worked about fifty yards of shoreline without luck so, I headed back to where I missed the first fish. After I casting a second time, my line went tight and the fight was on. It�s a respectable 20� pickerel. I then headed back to where I left off on the other shore. The next fish I caught was a largemouth bass. I continued working my way down towards the dam at the south end of the lake.

I stopped to talk to another angler, Kyle Morgan. He told me that I had just missed a largemouth bass feeding frenzy. He had caught six bass before it turned off. We notice movement on the surface of the lake, Kyle cast a gold-colored hard bait. He hooks into a largemouth bass. I take a cast and do the same. We admired our catches and talk a moment. After a few moments, I moved on to pursue what I came here for, big pickerel.

I fished for another few hours and caught a total of five pickerel and four largemouth bass, but not that big pickerel I�d been hunting. Kyle told me that he had caught a total of ten bass, two pickerel and a handful of crappie while we talked at the boat ramp. He said he was using a small plug and handmade jig. Nice haul!

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