Floating fish
"Floaters" can prove to be the ultimate frustration for anglers, because those fish can be impossible to catch. The best chance is that those fish will move up shallow to spawn.
2009 Elite Series - Blue Ridge Brawl
A Pro’s Approach: John Crews
Smith Mountain Lake, will be home to the fourth Elite Series event of the 2009 season. The lake spans a little over 20,000 surface acres with more than 500 miles of shoreline, most of it characterized by coves, docks and boathouses.
A better day for bed fishing
As far as 98 other anglers are concerned, Jordon has a big bull's-eye on his back, one about the size and shape of the nest of a spawning bass.
2009 Elite Series Blue Ridge Brawl
Despite his prior success here, Casey Ashley didn't have any spectator boats following him. No one had their eyes on him, and if he had his way he wouldn't have had to depend on his eyes, either.
2009 Elite Series Blue Ridge Brawl, Jordon
Kelly Jordon stuck to what he knows best and sight-fished his way to the Day One lead at the Blue Ridge Brawl on picturesque Smith Mountain Lake.
2009 Elite Series Blue Ridge Brawl, Wolak
Wolak drew the coveted No. 1 boat position and had his choice of bedding bass to start on. Yet he couldn't take advantage of the early start because of one particular fish's stubborness.
2009 Elite Series Blue Ridge Brawl, Broderick
With three events in the books, he's not quite at the bottom of the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, but he's far too close to triple digits for comfort.
2009 Elite Series Blue Ridge Brawl, Sight fishing
While rainsuits and facemasks may have been the key pieces of equipment in this season's first three tournaments, it seems that Power Poles and polarized sunglasses will finally be the anglers' most treasured possessions.
2009 Elite Series Blue Ridge Brawl, Picks
On the eve of Day One of the Blue Ridge Brawl, we asked the Elite Series anglers to pick three anglers they think should excel on Smith Mountain Lake.
Expect shallow bite and finesse fishing on Smith Mountain
When the Bassmaster Elite Series pros arrive at Smith Mountain Lake for the April 23-26 Advance Auto Parts Blue Ridge Brawl out of Moneta, Va., they will find markedly different conditions than those presented to them in 2007, when the Elite Series first visited. The anglers can expect pre-spawn and possibly spawning conditions on the crystal clear waters of the scenic 20,600-acre lake nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
