Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 6, 1990 TAG: 9003061682
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Bill Cochran
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
There's no telling how many mossy-backed, record-book candidates are swimming about in the deep recesses of the 20,000-acre impoundment. It is just a matter of setting a hook in one and holding on for the rodeo ride that is sure to follow.
The record stands at 42 pounds, 6 ounces, landed May 3, 1988, by Joe Harris. The North Carolina fisherman caught that one on his first trip to the lake.
Luck? No. He had hired a guide, Spike Franceschini.
The fact that Harris' catch has dominated the record book for nearly two years is surprising and should make the next record all the sweeter.
The record-breaking fish is out there, like a million-dollar lottery ticket, just waiting for someone to come up with the right numbers. The odds of doing so, if it is any comfort, are better than winning a lottery.
Last year, Steve Morris of Rocky Mount came close. In mid-April, he took a 41-pound, 3-ounce striper from Smith Mountain. It was the largest of its type registered with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries during the '89 season.
This year, on a sunny February day that coaxed him to go fishing, Jerry Betterton of Gretna landed a 41-pound, 8-ounce striper from Leesville Lake. He took it while trolling a Red Fin plug behind a pontoon boat.
Betterton said the fish was big enough to produce a distinctive blip on his depth finder before he hooked it. By late April or early May, that fish might have been even bigger, with additional egg maturity. It might even have been big enough to break the record.
It's worth noting that Betterton landed his striper at Leesville, which is Smith Mountain's downstream, smaller and mostly overlooked sister impoundment. Leesville has been turning out some mighty hefty stripers and must be viewed as a serious spot to land a record.
Even so, Smith Mountain continues to dominate the big-fish catches. Last year, it accounted for slightly more than 750 striper citations - registered fish that weighed 20 pounds or more. Already this season, it has produced a pile of big ones.
Fishermen lament that the old gal isn't what she used to be. Maybe so, but there are a lot of anglers across North America who gladly would trade their local lake for Smith Mountain.
The March issue of Field & Stream carries an article titled "Blue Ribbon Spots for Trophy Fish." Among the handful of dream lakes listed, from Alaska to Florida, is Smith Mountain.
"Of all the lakes that produce true trophy-size striped bass, few are as reliable and predictable as Virginia's Smith Mountain Lake," reads the feature. "If you're looking for a fish in the 15- to 20-pound class, this is the lake to visit."
Fifteen to 20 pounds? Shucks, that's actually on the small side, as far as Smith Mountain trophies are concerned. Last year, 25 were registered that weighed 34 pounds or more. There were 50 weighing better than 30\ pounds apiece.
What's more, the best time to land a jumbo fish is January through May. That's when the great majority of the 34-pound-plus fish are taken.
And that's now.
\ BASS FEDERATION: The BASS National Federation Championship will be held June 28-30 at Smith Mountain Lake. That's a week later than had been announced previously by the organization and reported in this column.
by CNB