Caught this smallie on iron lake in the middle of the heat wave second week of july. Guessing about 7 3/4 pounds. We caught 4 more 5+. Great week for us.

What length was the fish? How were you fishing for it and the other big ones you were catching?

To be honest I can hardly make the fish out in the pictures. Next time you take a picture make sure the sun is behind you and the dark fish is held up to a lighter background!

Great catch, good for you!

There's a fish in that picture?

Just kidding--nice fish--I think? Ditto on what Hopp said about taking pictures.

7# smallies are rare--at least to me.

Tim

Beautiful fish. I caught a smallie that measured 21 1/2" on Lac La Croix in June, but it wasn't nearly as chunky as that fish.

hopp
im on the road right now but have a notch cut (literally) in my rod at home and the piece of twine i used to record her girth at home. ill send numbers when i get back. we were using a devils horse, orange and silver almost all week. thanks for the advice on pictures.

tim
did i marry you? why you wanna squeeze my shoes like that? is this one any better?

set the hook
ever get a double like this. they were small but it was the first time this ever happened to me.

John,
Nice pictures... The best smallie I got on Iron this year was about 4 lbs, wife had one on that went 6 or better and lost it at the boat. I have had several doubles on fishing for white bass, but my most memorable was two 5.5 lb large mouths on a 11g rapala on 6 pound test... it was a blast to land them both... Glad you had a great time!

Bruce

Just got back 10/4 can't beat it but caught a 5# smallie on an ultra-light with 2# test. I was pretty happy about that. Make sure you take better picks next time!

John,

awe come on just some good natured ribbing---I said it was a nice fish--it's just hard to tell by the lighting.

I had the same thing happen to me in '92. Caught a nice 6# largemouth (that's big for MN) and the picture came out dark as well, can't really see how big that fish really was. Now all my friends claim it was really just 3#---just to get me riled up.

Tim

Thats a nice fish! I caught a 22" smallie on mudro in sept. Like you, I don't carry a scale w/me, so I had to guess the weight. My friend and I both thought it was a 6 or 7 pounder. When we got back to the cabin we weighed it on my accurate digital scale. 3# 11. oz.
My heart sank. I thought I had A trophy! I wanted to have it mounted, so I could hang him on my bare wall to remind me of that beautiful day that I caught the largest small mouth that I had ever seen.
I started to contemplate putting the fish in my belly, instead of on my wall.
Everyone knew I was feeling down, so they told me. "There is no weight or length that makes a trophy. It is what you feel is a trophy. Someone else out there has probably caught a bigger fish, but have you"?
I wrapped the trophy smallmouth in a wet towel and placed him in the freezer.
I cant wait to hang him on the wall, so that when people say "WOW! Where did ya catch that lunker" I can tell them the story.

When I get some pics. scanned I will include them.

Here is that pic I was talking about.

It is a shame you had to kill the fish. An 18 inch smallie in this area is typically 6-7 years old. A 20+ is probably 10 years old and produces 1000's of fry each year. My suggestion for all of you who wish to keep a trophy is to obtain an accurate measurement of the length and girth and take a couple of good pictures. Take this info to a good taxidermist and have them do a graphite reproduction. They are as good or better and the best part is that you released the fish back to produce even more for generations to come.

I think that is good advice. I seldom keep fish, unless they are eating size. Next time I catch a wall hanger I will get measurements like Johntaylor did. I promise to practice C.P.R. from now on.

Thanks. It hurts when I see people put the knife to such big fish. I seldom keep any smallie over 16 in, walleye over 20in and pike over 25. It is just the right thing to do and with increasing fishing pressure each year it is even more important to practice C&R. Thight lines.

I know that many people will keep a larger fish to show, or may hook it deep causing it to die... But, for eating I always keep the smaller fish, easier to fillet, quicker to cook and very tasty. I also agree with the idea that it is the larger fish that do the majority of the spawning therefore it is only reasonable to keep the smaller fish. Here in the south many lakes have slots limits that insure the best spawners are released... And the fishing pressure on many of those lake are terrible, but it has helped tremendously.

Bruce

MN has be implementing slots on most lakes. The White Iron Chain (the on we are located on) has a northern slot (24 - 36 released) and a walleye slot will go into affect next year.

It's hard for me to believe a 22 inch smallie could weigh 3 pounds 11 oz. I would check the accuracy of your scale.

I had a replica of a 20 inch smallie made. The mount is beautiful and the fish is swimming Red Rock as we speak.

Take a picture and throw the big ones back!

My two cents...

Best thing to do is have a cloth tape measure, and measure length and girth and then go to this website and get your weight: Website is: www.jdunn.com/personal/js_fish_calc.html/

It has a scale for either bass or walleye or pike!

Bruce

I will have the taxidermist get accurate weight and measurement when
he thaws the fish. I would think that would work. If so I will report back.
Reproductions from now on!

My first two largemouth over 7 lbs I had mounted, one a 7.4lb female and the other a 7.5lb male... since that time I have caught many others, even as large as 9.1 and have photographed them all and turned them back to be caught again... my biggest smallie to date (that I have gotten into the boat) has been only 4.73 lbs. but she too went back into the water to be caught again... I have decided to just photograph and not mount any more... it takes up a whole lot less space on the wall...

Bruce

I agree that putting it back and having a replica made is the way to go. OT .... Here is a 45" muskie which went back in the water on Lake Minnetonka this summer.

canoehat,
the weight of the fish after freezing and thawing will not be accurate. It will be significantly less.

I completely agree with you. Replicas are the way to go, I have five of them. They look every bit as good as a skin mount actually better and never deteriorate and smell. What a shame to kill such a fighter that has survived against all odds to reach adulthood.

Johntaylor, believe or not the first time we went to Quetico we caught three doubles of smallmouth over 1lbs. We actually watched smallies fighting over the lure next to the boat, which resulted in the doubles. My bother-in law actually caught one in a tree. His lure got hung up in a tree branch about 8-10 inches above the water. We watched as a fish kept jumping trying to grab the lure. It was hilarious.

When are you going to put the length and girth up here? I have a 22 3/4 long and 17 1/4 girth smallie on my wall from the B-Dub and we had a digital scale with. It weighed 6 lbs 4.3 oz.