“Whenever possible, I try to jig under my transducer or within its cone,” Abshire said. “Using this technique eliminates all the guesswork because there’s no need to count it down or guess lure depth. On a sensitive sonar, I can watch the fish and the rig, and then stop my lure just above them. I really get a kick out of calling the strike as I see them move up to take it.”

Once you become accustomed to the sink rate of the Abshire rig, pay close attention to your line. If it stops prematurely, one of two things has happened: It has either landed on some obstacle or a fish has inhaled it. As with all jigging, learn to be a line watcher.

“Don’t be surprised if you see an extremely large arch appear on your screen and you then hook something that decides to go downtown,” the angler advised. “There will be the occasional bass, catfish or striper that really likes the looks of this thing.”

Abshire’s favorite location on Smith Mountain Lake is Gills Creek off the Blackshire River arm on the west end of Smith Mountain Lake. This area is easily accessed from the public ramp off Route 616 on Gills Creek or the semi-private Magnum Marina on the Upper Blackwater arm. Gills Creek is a magnet for baitfish and accordingly, all species of game fish that follow the bait.

Once the water temperature reaches 50 degrees, baitfish will bunch up in the mouth of Gills and work toward the back as the water warms. There can be a daily migration from suspending out over the main creek channel to holding in pockets near shore, particularly after a string of warm days, so it’s a good idea to motor over the intended areas and locate the bait on your sonar to find active crappie.

Additional information on lodging, marinas and other attractions can be obtained by calling the Smith Mountain Lake Visitors Center at (800) 676-8203, or visit the Web site at www.visitsmithmountainlake.com.