Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 22, 1995 TAG: 9506230040
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But to do so, you've had to buy a trout license in addition to your fishing license, because those sections are stocked in the spring and fall and classified as trout water year-round. Never mind that your chances of catching a trout in July or August are about as good as landing a sturgeon.
The same can be said of hundreds of other streams and impoundments across the western half of the state, where a trout license has been required to fish places that are trout water in name only.
No longer. A new Department of Game and Inland Fisheries regulation eliminates the trout license requirement from June 16 through Sept.30 on all designated trout streams and impoundments.
``There are some exceptions, but most of our put-and-take trout waters don't hold large numbers of stocked trout during the summer months,'' said Gary Martel, the department's fish division chief. ``Our feeling was that there is a significant amount of water that we stock with trout that wasn't being utilized for summer fishing recreation.''
The Roanoke, Maury and the Middle Fork of the Holston are prime examples, Martel said.
The new deal should be particularly attractive for nonresident visitors to national forest streams and impoundments. They come to camp, picnic and hike, yet because of the cost of a nonresident trout license many are excluded from casual fishing.
``What we have done is to allow those people to fish for bluegills and bass on a nonresident trip license,'' Martel said. ``So where it used to be they needed $36 to fish, they now can fish for $6.''
HIGH TIMES AT KERR: The level of Kerr Lake has been above the 300-foot mark recently, which means the water has moved into the shoreline willows, buck bushes and sweet gum trees. And so have the bass.
Kerr anglers know the lake level and the catch rate for bass rise in unison, but some think that happens only in the early spring. Not so, says guide Jim Abers.
``Any time water in this lake moves up high enough, say 3 or 4 feet above normal pool to reach [elevation ] 303 or 304, that puts bushes in the water, that puts sweet gum trees in the water, and the fish move in there. It is like a new territory for the bass,'' Abers said. ``There is a lot of forage in there.''
Wednesday morning the elevation had fallen to 302.15, but anglers still were finding bass in cover where they would hit plastic worms and lizards and spinnerbaits.
The same high-water conditions that improve the bass fishing scatter the crappie and make them tougher to catch, although crappie still can be found along the abutments of the U.S. 58 Bridge.
STRIPERS SCATTERED: Fishermen at Smith Mountain Lake report the striped bass are scattered and holding to late spring-early summer patterns. Many of the fish are being caught on live bait during daytime hours.
Nighttime fishing is producing trout catches at Moomaw Lake, where browns and rainbows up to 6 pounds are being caught by accomplished fishermen.
Crystal Mayberry of Covington landed a 11/4-pound sunfish at Moomaw. Briery Creek Lake also is turning out big sunfish. Live crickets and fly-rod popping bugs are the hot offerings.
Claytor Lake fishermen have been pulling in impressive numbers of flathead catfish that weigh up to 30 pounds.
The Shenandoah River smallmouth bass fishing is classified as ``excellent'' by Trace Noel of River Rentals Outfitters near Bentonville. The 78 Rapala has been the top artificial bait, but other lures attracting fish include the Rebel Crayfish and the Bass Assassin. Catches of 150 bass a day have not been unusual.
COBIA UPDATE: Cobia continue to produce the best action in recent memory in the Chesapeake Bay, where some boats are docking with reports of a dozen catches. Two of the hot spots have been Bluefish Rock and Latimer Shoals.
At Wallace's Marine, Donnie Wallace saw more than 80 cobia cross his dock during the past weekend. Nearly half of them met the 45-pound minimum to earn a citation in the Virginia Salt Water Fishing Tournament.
Local citation winners include Robert Pendleton of Vinton for a 61-pound cobia and Thomas Nelson of Moneta for a 45-pounder.
by CNB