Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, May 27, 1993                   TAG: 9305270053
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Bill Cochran
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

That makes fishing for them a dandy pursuit this busy Memorial Day Weekend. These sunfish offer everyone, from kids with red and white bobbers to tweedy adults casting Orvis fly rods, the opportunity to catch fish and come home alive.

Let's take a look at three super bluegill impoundments:

\ GATEWOOD RESERVOIR: The big sunfish are just begining to turn on at this 162-acre Pulaski water supply impoundment.

"We are getting dozens and dozens of fish 12, 13, 14 ounces, but only a few have been a pound or more," said Mike McManus, the assistant park manager.

It takes a 1-pound sunfish to merit citation status. Most that size will show up in the weed beds about the middle of June, McManus predicted. Last year, Gatewood anglers registered 13 citations.

The clear, cool water of Gatewood holds both bluegills and redear (shellcracker) sunfish. Bluegills are the common catch, because they tend to be found in shallower water, said McManus.

The bluegills currently are holding to structure before their move to shoreline weedbeds. Visiting anglers might want to ask park officials about the location of a couple of reefs made of Christmas trees, which can hold impressive numbers of fish.

Hot baits at Gatewood have been meal worms and night crawlers, but the lake offers excellent opportunities for fly casters. Fly-rod poppers and black gnats are favorite patterns. The tube jug also is a good artificial offering.

Gatewood is reached by traveling west out of Pulaski on West Main Street, right on Magazine Street, then left on Mount Olivet Road.

The lake is restricted to boats 16 feet or less powered by paddle or electric motor. Rental boats and motors are available for $2 the first hour, $1.50 for each additional hour. There is shoreline camping. The phone number is 703-980-2561.

\ BRIERY CREEK LAKE: If you want to gauge how productive the bluegill fishing is at this 845-acre lake near Farmville, just stop off at Worsham's Grocery, on U.S. 15, and ask how the cricket sales are going.

"We've sold 8,000 since last Thursday," Sandra Fore said Wednesday.

Last year, Briery Creek fishermen registered 50 sunfish citations, which ranked it third in the state. (The top trophy bluegill producer was Western Branch, in Suffolk, with 347 citations.)

Briery Creek bluegills and redear sunfish can be hooked on a variety of lures and baits, but a common trick is to locate hungry fish with a fly rod popper or fly, then hook on a live cricket.

The Worsham Grocery crickets are the gray type that come from Georgia. They are sold in tubes of 50 for $1.75.

Briery Creek is full of standing timber, which gives it a deep-south look and offers ideal cover for all types of fish.

You can put a boat of any size on the lake, but can operate it with nothing larger than a 10-horsepower engine. That gives it a small-lake flavor even during a busy weekend. Some anglers use their bass boat, by keeping their outboard in a tilted position and maneuvering with an electric engine.

The lake is reached by traveling east from Roanoke on U.S. 460, then south at Farmville for about 5 1/2 miles on U.S. 15. Information is available from Worsham Grocery, 804-223-4373.

\ LAKE ROBERTSON: Compared to big lakes like 20,000-acre Smith Mountain, this is a mere 31-acre puddle, but it has an excellent bluegill-redear population.

With the peak of the fishing still a couple of weeks away, Robertson already is producing impressive numbers of 12- to 14-ounce sunfish, said Wayne Nicley, the concessionaire.

Last year was a slow one for citations, but the season before accounted for 41. This year, a half-dozen or so citations have been registered, leading Nicley to believe it will be a bounce-back season.

A couple of the best spots to search for sunfish at Robertson are weedbeds and the stump beds on the flats. A large beaver complex also holds fish.

"Right now, the best bait up here is meal worms," said Nicley, but crickets, garden worms and other offerings are hooking fish.

The concession rents boats and canoes for $10 a day, but no motors. You can launch your own boat; however, only electric motors are allowed. Camping is available, and a swimming pool opens for the season this weekend. Don't expect to have the place to yourself. All 50 campsites have been booked for the weekend.

Robertson is located nine miles west of Lexington. Take Virginia 251 to Virginia 770, then Virginia 652 near Collierstown. Additional information is available by caling 703-463-4164.