DROVE 25 Hours for THIS???? Smith Mountain Lake Bass Fishing

[@HellaBass]

*Watch NEXT >>> Pre Spawn Color Selection - **kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnS8d3-se7OEpq8*

[@bassmastermatt]

Looked like fun! Good to see some open water!

[@HellaBass]

Should be just the start!

[@bobpayseno7481]

It looked like you were enjoying yourself Rich, especially once you caught those bass on the swimbait.👍☺

[@HellaBass]

Swimbait bite is so addicting 🤘🤘

[@bobpayseno7481]

@@HellaBass I couldn't agree more!👋

[@TheTinHorseMonty]

Looks like you guys had a blast. Enjoyed it.

[@HellaBass]

Good start to the year, fun playing with LiveScope

[@SeriousAnglerBassFishing]

Rich has the MOST swag with those shoes

[@HellaBass]

It's really more or a combo swag with the Visor tbh

[@Garminrules]

Some good fish!

[@HellaBass]

Can't complain Garry

[@treyferguson2965]

Ain't them stripers fun to catch??? I know that won't your target species but man there fun to catch. I'm lucky to live about 5 minutes from that lake. I bass fish mainly but those stripers distract me all too many times!!!!

[@HellaBass]

They are a cool fish, that's a great lake to be so close to!

[@treyferguson2965]

@@HellaBass yes it has its moments lol. I am always amazed at how guys come in from out of town and wear bass out and do good. In places I've fished 100s of times and never caught a fish. Where y'all was in bull run and caught few bass I've striper fished in there alot. I've tried bass fishing in there a whole lot. Because it looks good, good deep water with shallows close by. I've never caught a bass past that first rip rap bank on left going in. Right at penhook ramp I've caught 2 of the biggest bass ive ever caught in my life right there at the dag on pier. One from bank and it was my personal best. I had it at 7 pounds. But looking at other 7 pound fish I've seen weighed in and 6 pounders I've caught since and weighed, this fish was easily 2 pounds bigger. It was February. And she was full of eggs. Had big bug eyes and just a giant. I didn't have scales with me and I didn't want to kill her so I guess I'll never really know but she was a trophy fish. Then next year in spring I caught a 6.12 about 25 yards from where I caught big girl at. There's some giant small mouth in that lake too. Big a small mouth as anywhere in country. Just don't see em too often. Good video

[@clearforkoutdoorswithkendr631]

We got 2 lake houses here and it’s absolutely a great place to fish

[@treyferguson2965]

@@clearforkoutdoorswithkendr631 2 lake houses??? Good day can I work for you???

[@PunchFishing]

looked fun!

[@HellaBass]

No bites on Ned all day FYI

[@PunchFishing]

@@HellaBass the magdraft bite made me tingly

[@HellaBass]

You and me both 🤘

[@sobifishing]

VISOR GANG🤘

[@tesch21]

Getting me fired up for open water!

[@HellaBass]

Stay thirsty my friend

[@fishinfools183]

Damn dude I didn’t know people came that far to fish lakes that are “local” to me.

[@HellaBass]

Fun lake, I would go back

[@jimmydixon2632]

At the start of the video it said Topsoil Beach. Is this where you live?

[@HellaBass]

That's where the family was renting a house for the week on Vacation, I live in MN

[@rogerdudra178]

From my place, I think I can go anywhere in a 25 hour radius in my '88 Bronco II and still have to go 25 hours more to get to open water.

[@HellaBass]

Won't be long now for that ice to melt

[@rlindgren8577]

Only thing better would've been a couple jig bites 🤘

[@elonmust7470]

they like the ol monster on a shakey head there at sml.

[@blakeripley89]

at 8:32 you can hear a gobbler

[@HellaBass]

100% correct, heaed that too during edit

[@blakeripley89]

@@HellaBass Love to hear it!

[@elonmust7470]

Should've driven 2 hrs further & gone to Sharron Harris in NC.

[@HellaBass]

Actually that would've saved me 2hr as I was staying in Topsail Beach

[@elonmust7470]

@@HellaBass Well dang! Thats part of the fun of fishing, NEXT TIME!

[@HellaBass]

Yeah my buddy was at SML, so that's why I went up there

[@bradwhitaker9262]

Dude, you should have made a pit stop in Dayton Ohio and I could have put you on some river smallies

[@HellaBass]

We did drive through Dayton late on Friday night, not sure my wife and kids would have wanted to hang out while we fished LOL

[@bradwhitaker9262]

@@HellaBass lol. Yeah that could cause some trouble

[@tylercarr6238]

I live 25 minutes away from sml and it’s not really worth that to many boats on the lake but it is summer

[@HellaBass]

I thought it was a cool lake the one day I spent out there

[@kendricksconstructionco]

When I went up there a few months back and more times previously to that, there’s supposed to be areas were u can’t fly through bc there for fishing

[@markschwieterman2296]

You going for musky or bass

[@HellaBass]

Hahaha that's not even a big bait for bass

[@treyferguson2965]

They both swim in there so

[@elonmust7470]

I fish 8" swimbaits regularly.

[@treyferguson2965]

@@elonmust7470 I do as well. Certain times of year anyway. Not something I keep tied on 365 but there's always one real close in my boat lol. Those big baits are not only good for catching fish and big fish too, but for exposing where the giants are. You'll have fish come up and follow those big swimbaits but not commit. Then you can go back and slow down or whatever and catch em. The drawing power of a big soft body swimbait or glide bait is insane

[@elonmust7470]

@@treyferguson2965 I got one today around 3:30pm at a local lake (its a city park). big old post spawn female. She went 6.70, bet she was 8 before she dropped her roe. These "neighborhood" lakes & ponds here in the Raleigh Durham area are slammed full of healthy bass! I totally agree with you about how they will show you fish even if you aren't catching.

[@Ty-fs9tp]

So you're saying Striper is Trash fish 😕 😒

[@HellaBass]

I prefer the term "Non Target Species"