If this rock strip doesn’t produce, head toward the barges. Now barges might not be the prettiest habitat on the river, but they can be some of the most productive. This is especially true when the sun is bright. Throw small jigs or spinners out in front of a barge and allow the current to wash them back under the barge into the blackest shade available.

At times, the fish can be a bit small here, but their numbers are fantastic. On an especially good day, catches of 40 and 50 fish are possible. And there’s always the realistic possibility of a trophy smallie as well. Hansbarger reports that recently a certified 18-incher was caught from these waters.

For current conditions on the Kanawha River, contact District V at (304) 675-0871.

SUMMERSVILLE LAKE
This 2,700-acre Nicholas County Corps of Engineers lake is one tremendous smallmouth fishery and it’s getting better every year. DNR sampling studies show large numbers of 12- to 16-inch bass with a fair number of big ones -- up to 20 inches in some cases -- mixed into the bag. These bass are fat. They appear to be healthy in every respect.

Last year was an especially good year on Summersville. Tournament data shows that high numbers of 12- to 16-inch smallmouths were caught. There’s no good reason that 2007 should be any different.

Unfortunately, all those fish doesn’t translate into easy fishing, however. According to District III biologist Kevin Yokum, “Summersville is a lot deeper than most of our other impoundments. It can be tricky. The combination of deep, clear water makes it hard to locate fish at times and even harder to get them to bite.”

He recommends anglers concentrate their efforts around McKeys Creek and Battle Run. “There are lots of long, gently sloping points in both areas that hold good fish. They’re easier to fish than the deeper parts of the lake where the drops are steeper.”

May smallies are likely to be aggressive, so fast-moving baits are usually the most effective. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits and, at times, topwater poppers and walking sticks will all produce. If they don’t, give brown hair jigs and small grubs a try.

If you want to try something a little more challenging, try bouncing blade baits along to steep, sharply dropping areas of the shoreline. Shady spots will usually produce the best fishing. Throw your bait out, allowing it to fall all the way to the bottom and then retrieve with a lift-and-fall motion. Watch your line carefully. Most of your bites will come on the fall.

Like all flood-control lakes, this one is subject to severe changes in water levels over the year. May usually is a month of normal, stable water levels. For current conditions, contact District III at (304) 924-6211.

SLEEPY CREEK LAKE
This 205-acre impoundment in Berkeley County is well known to local anglers. Every bass angler should know it, though. After all, Sleepy Creek is full of vegetation and standing timber, most of which holds trophy-sized largemouths. Fish weighing 5 pounds or more are relatively common in this body of water.