As a new member of the Smith Mountain Lake Striper Club, I would like to take the time to let you all know what brings me to the Club and to introduce my family and myself.
When my wife and I were teenagers, I use to bring her to the lake and sit on the docks at the State Park at night and talk and plan our future together. The plan always included how we would be on the lake one day and hopefully retire waterfront.
Caryn and I have been married for 16 years and have been very blessed by the Lord to have achieved all the goals we set except for the retirement part. I guess we should have set higher goals.
(Click the "Read More" link to the right for the rest of the article)
When my wife and I were teenagers, I use to bring her to the lake and sit on the docks at the State Park at night and talk and plan our future together. The plan always included how we would be on the lake one day and hopefully retire waterfront.
Caryn and I have been married for 16 years and have been very blessed by the Lord to have achieved all the goals we set except for the retirement part. I guess we should have set higher goals.
(Click the "Read More" link to the right for the rest of the article)
My name is Lee Brown, I am a Diagnostic Sales Developer for Snap-on Tools. I work with 30 franchisee’s in an area covering Charlottesville down to Yanceville, NC and Roanoke/Salem across to Richmond. I started fishing with my grandfather (my dad’s dad) on Lake Marion (Santee Cooper) in SC when I was very tiny. Then my dad was transferred to VA with G.E. when I was 11. I did not get to fish much after that, except when I would go visit my other grandfather who built me a 2 acre lake in Florence, S.C. I learned a lot about fishery management in that pond. I over fished the bass then my bream became over populated and stunted. I had to then focus on catching more bream and used them for fertilizer in the corn field. Now my uncle owns the pond and you can catch 12lb bass there and 1 lb bream.
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My wife Caryn is the Unit Manager for the Pulmonary Unit at Centra Health. I used to have to bait her hooks and take all her fish off until I took her on vacation with my grandmother. My grandmother never needed assistance and as long as I can recall always out fished everyone. Our home is on Caryn’s family farm in Boonsboro, Va.
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Our son Barret is now 13 years old and has decided to graduate from panfish to larger fish. So last year I paid to take him out with the Shad Taxi and invited my dad and my friend Chris to join us. It was February, cold and raining. We all caught at least one fish, but the winner of the day was Barret with an 18 pound striper. Needless to say he was hooked. Barret also likes to play baseball and to go hunting. Barret always seems to get the biggest fish. You can read his secret later.
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While I was out with Todd on the Shad Taxi I made a comment about how I wish Campers Paradise was still open. He told me that Tom Buck was looking to open it back up so as soon as I got home I called Tom and was delighted to hear he was trying to purchase the property. I got on Tom’s list for what is now Halesford Harbour. The wife was eager to get on the lake and it seemed like an eternity for the new campground to open. We bought a camper and the wife said if we were going to be on Smith Mountain Lake the 18ft ranger was not going to cut the mustard. I was told to find a bigger boat.
Now when the wife tells you to go buy a bigger boat…..you do not hesitate. I was looking for a 21 to 23 ft center console. My son wanted to make sure we had a boat that we could target stripers in, take to the saltwater, and enjoy riding on the lake. With the economy the way it is I had a lot to choose from in the used market. I ended up with a 24ft SeaChaser with a 300 hp HPDI that was less money than most the 21 ft models I was looking at.
I mounted a Minn Kota I-pilot on the front. Which I have been very pleased with except I had to add the foot control to have the control I wanted when close to docks or shore.
So I have the family at Halesford Harbour and the boat is in a slip. We love the social aspects of the campground. I am having to learn how to fish for stripers now, taking kids out for bream was much easier. So I joined the Striper Club to try and share what I have learned and learn from everyone else. This year I have learned to catch bait and struggled to keep them alive. I can now keep them alive. There is a valve in the livewell that I must close when I go on plane or the water turns over to fast and kills the bait. We have caught fish. Not many but all but one have been over 8 pounds; so it has been quality fish. I also learned to put my big motor in gear when trolling with the trolling motor. The line got caught in the prop that was freely turning and caused a big mess. Barret claims the only way to catch big fish is to have some high quality beef jerky to eat. That is when all his big fish have come.
So I have the family at Halesford Harbour and the boat is in a slip. We love the social aspects of the campground. I am having to learn how to fish for stripers now, taking kids out for bream was much easier. So I joined the Striper Club to try and share what I have learned and learn from everyone else. This year I have learned to catch bait and struggled to keep them alive. I can now keep them alive. There is a valve in the livewell that I must close when I go on plane or the water turns over to fast and kills the bait. We have caught fish. Not many but all but one have been over 8 pounds; so it has been quality fish. I also learned to put my big motor in gear when trolling with the trolling motor. The line got caught in the prop that was freely turning and caused a big mess. Barret claims the only way to catch big fish is to have some high quality beef jerky to eat. That is when all his big fish have come.
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