A short but sweet article was written by Sam Anderson for The Walleye Hunter website.  He goes into some details about getting ready for the up-and-coming warm weather fishing season and includes some good tips like the one quoted below:

When getting ready for this fishing season spend some time going
through your tackle box and maybe it is a good time to get a new box.
Check all the compartments and remove all the lures and set them aside
so you can wipe out the box itself and let it dry. Don’t use chemicals
or industrial cleaners, a damp rag will clean up most of the plastic
boxes that have been out there for over twenty years. Then inspect your
baits and lures. Do they need to have new hooks put on them? How sharp
are those hooks? Now is the time to touch them up with a file and get
them sharp for the up coming season.

The Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries has also written a great webpage about Smith Mountain Lake fishing for Largemouth and Stripers as well:

According to a creel survey conducted in 2003, the most sought after species are
Black bass, crappie, catfish, and sunfish. Annual stockings of striped bass are
required to maintain the fishery since they do not reproduce successful at at
this reservoir. The other sportfish such as largemouth bass, smallmouth bass,
crappie, white perch, yellow perch, channel catfish white catfish, and flathead
catfish are all maintained through natural reproduction. The only species that
are not managed with statewide regulations are black bass and striped bass.

Isn’t it great just thinking about all the opportunities for world-class lake fishing we have coming up here at Smith Mountain Lake this summer?  See you on the waves!