Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 8, 1993 TAG: 9304080081
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
BIG BASS DEFY THE ELEMENTS, START GRABBING LURES
Never mind the lousy fishing conditions - water levels too high, water temperatures too low - bass have started hitting across the state. Big bass, at that.At Kerr Lake, a 9 1/2-pound largemouth was landed in Grassy Creek, an 8-pounder in Bluestone Creek, an 8-pound, 15-ounce trophy in Nutbush Creek.
All this from a lake that is high and muddy and doesn't have a reputation of turning out big bass even during the very best conditions.
Chartreuse spinnerbait and black and blue jigs are a couple of the lures grabbing the attention of bass at Kerr.
The lake's level has been dropping about a 6 inches a day, but it likely will be another two weeks before Kerr is back to normal.
All that water flowing out of Kerr has kept downstream Gaston Lake muddy. Even so, anglers have been reeling in some nice catches.
The bass in Smith Mountain Lake turned on in time to delight participants in Saturday's Roanoke Valley Bassmasters partners tournament. Winners Jimmy Coleman and Roy Dunn weighed a 37.86-pound catch. The tournament lunker, caught by Gary Brantley of Amherst, was an 8.42-pound largemouth.
Ben Wright and Ed Smith had 34.82-pounds for second place. Others finishing in the money were Jay Thomas and Alvin Ayers, 33.82 pounds; Butch Thorpe and Bob Bennett, 32.96 pounds; Jimmy Andrews and James Welch, 30.76-pounds. Many of the bass were hooked on spinnerbaits.
Several impoundments in Henry County have been producing excellent catches. James Griffith of Martinsville caught a 10-pound, 12-ounce largemouth from a small impoundment. Catches at Philpott Lake have included a 4-pound smallmouth and a 7-pound, 5-ounce walleye. Allen Carter of Collinsville landed a 15-pound, 5-ounce catfish from Ferry Stone Lake.
At Claytor Lake, Earl Adams of Pulaski weighed a 5-pound, 1-ounce smallmouth. Crappie fishing is improving at Claytor. James Rice of Christiansburg caught 14 keeper-size crappie, the best a 1-pound, 3-ounce fish.
State-owned Briery Creek Lake, near Farmville, is producing its best bass fishing of the new year. Several largemouths weighing 6 to 7 1/4 pounds have been landed.
Bass fishermen have been getting strikes along the points of Lake Moomaw, where the level rapidly has returned to normal after high-water conditions. One Moomaw angler reported landing 17 pounds of bass during one outing.
\ A BAD EGG: Easter Weekend is the traditional beginning of the surf fishing season along the Outer Banks of North Carolina. But the word from places like Nags Head and Hatteras is "Don't come." Or if you do come, "Don't expect to catch many fish."
"It's bad," said one tackle shop operator at Buxton. "Zero," said another at Nags Head.
A northeast wind has been blowing 40 to 50 mph, the surf water is in the 40s, and the only catches have been a few blues at Ocracoke.
\ TROPHY TROUT: One of the best trout catches of the season is the 6-pound, 4-ounce brown landed from the Roanoke River at Wiley Drive by E.G. Gibson of Roanoke. The fish measured 25 inches.
Several 3 1/2-to-4 3/4-pound rainbows and browns have been caught from the Smith River below Philpott Dam, where anglers have had to cope with high water.
\ FLOCKING TOGETHER: The Roanoke Valley Bird Club will join with members of the Virginia Mountains Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society on Saturday for tree planting and an Adopt-a-Highway clean up in the Tubb Run are of Craig County.
The grouse club has had a habitat improvement project in the Jefferson National Forest area for a couple of years, and members want to share that experience with birders, said Jack Wakeland, the grouse chapter president.
Participants will meet for breakfast at 8:30 a.m. at the Bread Basket in New Castle.