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SinglePortage
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05/29/2018 08:38AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
How long was your best smallmouth? My personal best is 21", but I had one on last week that was much bigger. I was fishing from an elevated rock in an outflow from Lake Two casting a taildancer in the current when at the end of the cast I let the bait work in the current right next to the huge boulder I was standing on. The taildancer was just a few inches under the surface when the largest smallmouth I have ever seen exploded from below, grabbing the bait as she went airborn only a few feet below me. In my shock I did not get a good hook set, but with the very strong current and only a few feet of line between me and the fish, the battle was a short one.

I had just caught a 19" fish a few minutes earlier and this one was MUCH bigger. Dare I say 23 or 24 inches? I have never even wet a line in Lake Two before, choosing to pass through quickly to get to less traveled waters. Just goes to show that even the most heavily fished lakes in the BWCA have trophy potential.
 
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missmolly
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05/29/2018 09:01AM  
21". Kinda puny compared to what many of the fishers here have caught.
 
Lotw
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05/29/2018 09:24AM  
21" for me too.

Saturday I lost one at boat side that I'm certain would have pushed the 2 foot mark.
 
05/29/2018 10:25AM  
Same here... 21
 
BearRaid
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05/29/2018 12:28PM  
20" with a few real heartbreakers over the years that we still tell the stories of!
 
05/29/2018 12:31PM  
21" came up 1 ounce under #5
 
buzz17
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05/29/2018 01:01PM  
22" twice on the same lake, same bwca trip. I have hit the 20 " mark numerous times, but nothing close to that special experience. I fish smallies regularly in Indiana where I live, but when I visit the bwca our target is mostly walleye. We always catch smallmouth and someday I hope to catch a real giant!
 
GeoFisher
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05/29/2018 01:41PM  
missmolly: "21". Kinda puny compared to what many of the fishers here have caught. "


I've only caught a few over 21 in the 30 plus trips I've taken to BWCA or QUETICO.
Over 21 is truly a rare fish. I've caught a few maybe 20 or so outside of CanoeCountry.

Now, I've not measured every big fish, but I do weigh most "big" fish. If I think I have a 3.5lb or bigger, I weight it. I've never caught one over 5. Many over 4.5 but none over 5....

Later,

Geo
 
Bumstead
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05/29/2018 02:09PM  
My largest came at the end of a BW trip after getting back to the outfitter to spend the night and leave the next day. Told one guy in our group, 'let's keep one rod rigged for some evening dock fishing'. Miss Molly has convinced me to call this one 21-3/8" instead of 22"+. Didn't have a measuring tool, but my next largest smallie would be knocking on 20", I'll say 19.5", and I've yet to see another close to this size. 6' ML rod with a 1500 reel.....Heddon torpedo right after sunset. It was great!
 
FlambeauForest
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05/29/2018 02:58PM  
22"
That was a fun bachelor party. I don't think anyone would have believed the story without video evidence. I had just tied on a new hook with a plump leech and snagged a fish crib on first cast. Buddy refused to pick up anchor, so I jumped in to pull from the other direction. As soon as I freed the hook fish on. Now I'm not much of a bass guy, but after 8 hours without a single fish that brown carp saved the day. Looking forward to the replica mount and topping that fish tale.

Huge Flambeau Bass

 
05/29/2018 03:00PM  
I have caught several at 20", never one that is at 21". Measured correctly, with the nose against a board and the tail pinched, I don't think there are many 21s out there.
 
SinglePortage
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05/29/2018 03:30PM  
Like I said said in my initial post, I had just caught a 19 incher and the one that came out of the water five feet away from me was much larger. I am obviously guessing about 23" or 24", but I would bet anything that it was at least 23".

Has anyone fished the spot I am talking about?
 
murphylakejim
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05/29/2018 03:50PM  
20.5? or 21? I dont remember anymore!







I had a nice 21"+ largemouth from murphy lake on sunday night :)
very fun!
 
GeoFisher
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05/29/2018 03:56PM  
GeoFisher: "
missmolly: "21". Kinda puny compared to what many of the fishers here have caught. "



I've only caught a few over 21 in the 30 plus trips I've taken to BWCA or QUETICO.
Over 21 is truly a rare fish. I've caught a few maybe 20 or so outside of CanoeCountry.


Now, I've not measured every big fish, but I do weigh most "big" fish. If I think I have a 3.5lb or bigger, I weight it. I've never caught one over 5. Many over 4.5 but none over 5....


Later,


Geo"


I should say that at one of my primary lakes I fish, Dale Hollow, there is a 16-21 inch slot, so catching an "over" is a big deal........There have been 5-6 overs the past 3-4 years in my boat. Probably 20 in the past 20 years, but not very many.
 
Savage Voyageur
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05/29/2018 05:00PM  
I have caught many 17”-19” and a few 21” Smallmouth Bass. I have read about a few fishermen here who have caught 23” fish.
 
missmolly
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05/29/2018 05:08PM  
Savage Voyageur: "I have caught many 17”-19” and a few 21” Smallmouth Bass. I have read about a few fishermen here who have caught 23” fish. "


Did you see Mike's still frame fish? That and Analyzer's wife fish are the two biggest I've seen. Here's a 20" fish I caught last June, but the photo is lousy.

 
thlipsis29
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05/29/2018 05:17PM  
21" exactly in the Dahlgren River. Probably the most fun fish I've ever caught from a fight perspective.
 
ledhead
member (34)member
  
05/29/2018 08:15PM  
21.5".... I was with a good friend, jigging on a hump.... we had a net (which I rarely bring) and had him toss it back to me... after three times, I just couldn't hold him with one arm high enough to net.... so I tossed my buddy the net and he did the job. Had no camera with us, 2004 so before the days of smart phones everywhere. He wanted me to keep it, I told him there's no way I could put the knife to this fish... so I just held him for about a minute, and then let him go... colorwise, he was very dark, almost black, darkest SMB I've ever caught... early August, middle of the day

 
Savage Voyageur
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05/29/2018 08:23PM  
Nice fish MissM. Here is a past thread. TGO caught a 25” Smallmouth. 25” Smallmouth by TGO
 
analyzer
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05/29/2018 08:28PM  
missmolly: "
Did you see Mike's still frame fish? That and Analyzer's wife fish are the two biggest I've seen. Here's a 20" fish I caught last June, but the photo is lousy.

"


I have personally never caught a smallmouth over 4.5 lbs. I've caught quite few that were over 4lb, but nothing close to my wife (Nette's). I've posted it a few times on here. I still can't get over that fish. It was like it had shoulders. The lower jaw was so thick you couldnt bend it. The head was super thick across, and had a pronounced hump where the forehead would be. We were keeping a 2lb smallie for dinner, and this fish dwarfed it.

I didn't get a great tape measure picture, as I was trying to get her back in the water quickly. The girth didn't strike me as all that fat when you compare it to pre-spawn ones, or Mille Lacs footballs. (EDIT, I went back and read a story I wrote upon returning from the Boundary waters, apparently I did get a girth measurement, and had forgotten, it was 14". I'm not sure how that compares, I don't usually get girth measurements. But I suppose, knowing I was going to get a graphite replica, I probably took one). I'd have to guess it was in the 6- 6.5 lb range, but unfortunately we didn't have anything to weigh her with.

You can see she had a chunk out of her tail, and with her flipping around in the bottom of the canoe, it was tough to get a perfect picture.

We bought a graphite replica at 23", but she's probably 22 1/4 - 22 1/2 hard to say. I guess you can kinda make up your own mind. I know the graphite replica doesn't come close to giving the same impression. The replica doesn't have a thick enough lower jaw, doesn't have the cheeks, and doesn't have the pronounced hump in the back, that's kinda hard to see in the pictures. The graphite replica just doesn't have that "WOW" factor. For a guy who's caught more than 500 (3 lb) smallies, and at least a dozen over 4 lbs, they were dwarfed by this girl. It's really hard to put in words. I sat there with my mouth open. I couldn't believe how thick everything on this fish was. It was like a mutant.

Notice how big the fishes mouth is compared to my wife's fist. Nette can damn near get her fist in it's mouth. Granted, Nette is only 5'1" and has small feet and hands, but nevertheless...I would love to see a fish like this again.

It's so hard. I can't stomach keeping the fish, so the opportunity to hold it only lasts a minute or so, but man I'd love to be able to hold that thing again. I think Graphite replicas are better long term, but if ever I wanted to keep the real thing, this might have been the one.







 
carmike
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05/29/2018 08:58PM  
Wow, a real, honest-to-goodness photo of a bass on a ruler. Beautiful fish.

I believe the universe is organized in such a way that truly large smallmouth bass are scared away by rulers, as it's exceedingly rare to see them actually on a bump board. When the bump board is around, the big girls don't seem to come out to play, alas.

A similar phenomenon explains why various mythological creatures never show themselves now that 99% of the population has a cell phone/camera at all times.

One final example: Large fish appear to be able to tell which fishing lines belong to anglers who are fishing tournaments, as the real, at-the-scale weights during tournaments are *always* less than the "estimated" weights caught before or after the tourney.


 
LightFish
member (34)member
  
05/29/2018 09:01PM  
Savage Voyageur: "Nice fish MissM. Here is a past thread. TGO caught a 25” Smallmouth. 25” Smallmouth by TGO "


Fun thread to read...
I will post my monster bass pics after I have properly edited them and after I get back from my trip in a few weeks.
 
zski
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05/29/2018 09:34PM  
Approximately 19.725"
 
GickFirk22
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05/29/2018 10:45PM  
Mine is 23”. Caught off a rock Pile that was producing consistent 20-24” walleyes with 2 @ 28”. I thought I had a 30” class walleye on and was equally thrilled once he got in the boat. My taxidermist friend actually has that fish mounted on his wall. Said he needed the “practice”. One of these days I’m gonna steal it back.
 
05/29/2018 10:53PM  
I would guess somewhere around 21-22"? I keep adjusting it in My memory based on different pics I see. It was probably the best hour of fishing that I have had, but my boat partner only snapped one pic for me. Had 3 in this range back to back all on top water lures. the one in the pic came on a black jitterbug. When it took the lure it was like a hole opened in the surface of the lake and sucked it down a cyclone. One of the coolest things I have seen. Wish I had more pics from that trip.

 
missmolly
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05/30/2018 05:52AM  
carmike: "Wow, a real, honest-to-goodness photo of a bass on a ruler. Beautiful fish.


I believe the universe is organized in such a way that truly large smallmouth bass are scared away by rulers, as it's exceedingly rare to see them actually on a bump board. When the bump board is around, the big girls don't seem to come out to play, alas.


A similar phenomenon explains why various mythological creatures never show themselves now that 99% of the population has a cell phone/camera at all times.


One final example: Large fish appear to be able to tell which fishing lines belong to anglers who are fishing tournaments, as the real, at-the-scale weights during tournaments are *always* less than the "estimated" weights caught before or after the tourney.



"


Funny post! To further confound size appraisals, smallmouth come in different shapes, as analyzer both noted and clearly displayed. Here are two nineteen inch fish, but both might be bigger than the measured 20-inch fish. QM, please post your still frame bass again!


 
lundojam
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05/30/2018 06:38AM  
20"
 
missmolly
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05/30/2018 06:40AM  
Analyzer, I love these lines: "It's so hard. I can't stomach keeping the fish, so the opportunity to hold it only lasts a minute or so, but man I'd love to be able to hold that thing again."
 
missmolly
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05/30/2018 06:54AM  
thlipsis29: "21" exactly in the Dahlgren River. Probably the most fun fish I've ever caught from a fight perspective. "


I love that color in bass!
 
missmolly
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05/30/2018 07:02AM  
Another 19"-20" bass caught last June.

 
Ambushunter
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05/30/2018 09:27AM  
in 2000 I caught a 24" and 24.5" SM in the BW's. STill my biggest by length. They were both huge females full of eggs, I am uncertain about weight. Outside BW's I have caught a couple over 7#'s on St clair and erie, unsure of the length as was fishing in tournaments and no need to check the length on those pigs.
 
blutofish1
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05/30/2018 11:00AM  


The wife has me beat on the smallies 22 3/4.
 
missmolly
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05/30/2018 11:06AM  
Ambushunter: "in 2000 I caught a 24" and 24.5" SM in the BW's. STill my biggest by length. They were both huge females full of eggs, I am uncertain about weight. Outside BW's I have caught a couple over 7#'s on St clair and erie, unsure of the length as was fishing in tournaments and no need to check the length on those pigs. "


Pics, please! PUH-LEEEEEZZZZ!!!
 
missmolly
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05/30/2018 01:40PM  
blutofish1: "


The wife has me beat on the smallies 22 3/4."


Huge fish!
 
Basspro69
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05/30/2018 03:28PM  
22 out of Hungryjack Lake. And I caught a 23 out of the Mississippi no picture
 
analyzer
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05/30/2018 05:48PM  
Basspro69: " 22 out of Hungryjack Lake. And I caught a 23 out of the Mississippi no picture "


Looks like it swallowed a squirrel.
 
analyzer
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05/30/2018 05:49PM  
missmolly: "Analyzer, I love these lines: "It's so hard. I can't stomach keeping the fish, so the opportunity to hold it only lasts a minute or so, but man I'd love to be able to hold that thing again.""


It's kind of sad. You might fish for a certain trophy fish, for a lifetime, and when you finally catch it, you may only get to hold it one minute.

Someone who climbs mountains, may finally climb everest, and depending on the time of day, or the amount of oxygen, might actually get to stay up there for an hour to enjoy it.

Even your wedding/reception that you've been dreaming about for years, lasts several hours.

Not in fishing. That trophy moment is so short.

It kinda reminds me of hunting, except I don't kill it. Hunting deer, I may wait a decade to see that monster buck come walking in, and it may only last 30 seconds. But the adrenaline rush is worth every second.

Now I'm in the mood. I want to hear my drag.



 
analyzer
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05/30/2018 05:55PM  
missmolly:

"


Love that pic. It may not be as long as some, but it has that WOW look. The head, lower jaw, cheeks, etc are so thick.

I love those moments when you catch a species of fish, that's 2 standard deviations bigger than what you are used to catching.

That moment where all that comes out of your mouth is "HOLY....".
 
missmolly
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05/30/2018 06:57PM  
analyzer: "
missmolly:


"



Love that pic. It may not be as long as some, but it has that WOW look. The head, lower jaw, cheeks, etc are so thick.


I love those moments when you catch a species of fish, that's 2 standard deviations bigger than what you are used to catching.


That moment where all that comes out of your mouth is "HOLY...."."


Thanks! That bass was a bulger.

You are so right about how brief your moment is with a big fish and the more you love the fish, the briefer it is. The In-Fishermen guys said hold your breath when you bring a fish out of the water and so when you're wishing for air, they're wishing for water. I know in terms of physiology, a bass =/= a human, but it still strikes me as a good reminder of how quickly it can become uncomfy for them. I once spent half an hour reviving a musky and I don't even know what I did to it to stress it so as I didn't even lift it out of the water. Sometimes the tussle alone can drain them.
 
analyzer
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05/30/2018 11:44PM  
missmolly: "
analyzer: "
missmolly:



"




Love that pic. It may not be as long as some, but it has that WOW look. The head, lower jaw, cheeks, etc are so thick.



I love those moments when you catch a species of fish, that's 2 standard deviations bigger than what you are used to catching.



That moment where all that comes out of your mouth is "HOLY...."."



Thanks! That bass was a bulger.


You are so right about how brief your moment is with a big fish and the more you love the fish, the briefer it is. The In-Fishermen guys said hold your breath when you bring a fish out of the water and so when you're wishing for air, they're wishing for water. I know in terms of physiology, a bass =/= a human, but it still strikes me as a good reminder of how quickly it can become uncomfy for them. I once spent half an hour reviving a musky and I don't even know what I did to it to stress it so as I didn't even lift it out of the water. Sometimes the tussle alone can drain them. "


I like that suggestion. I am not a biologist, but I would think the bigger the fish, the older the fish, the more likely they stress from the fight. I have heard that crappies only live to be about 12 or 13 years old. I don't know if that's true. Seems sturgeon live 50, 60 years, whatever. I'd like someone to chime in about fish longevity. I suppose I could google it. I wonder how long small mouth live?

If memory serves, King Salmon live 4 years. Year 4, they run up to spawn and die. I suppose it varies significantly from one fish species to the next.

======

Just googling it, I see small mouth generally live 7-10 years, but some will live as long as 15 years.
 
carmike
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06/01/2018 06:08AM  
analyzer: "

Even your wedding/reception that you've been dreaming about for years, lasts several hours.

"


Wha?!?!? :)

 
06/02/2018 12:59PM  
23.5” caught by my brother out of our “home” lake- Lake Winnebago In WI. We were trolling for walleye at the time, but that’s one heck of an accidental catch. Alas, no pictures either, but the image etched into my brain is still crystal clear 20+ years later.
 
BigFlounder
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06/02/2018 01:10PM  
Personal best here in Indiana is only 17". Have never been to the BWCA but am going in for my first trip on June 10th, through EP-47 (Lizz/Swamp Lakes). Probably staying on Horseshoe and hoping to catch some nice smallies in that lake or one of the neighboring lakes. Am taking both a spinning rod and a fly rod, so to get a 20"+ smallmouth on the fly rod would be AWESOME!
 
PineKnot
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06/04/2018 11:42AM  
Lots of nice fish....here's a 21.5 inch smallie I caught on Carp Lake on May 22....the little gold forceps is just under 6 inches long....my biggest was 22 inches from LLC (Lady Boot Bay) about 10 years ago...

 
analyzer
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06/04/2018 05:52PM  
PineKnot: "Lots of nice fish....here's a 21.5 inch smallie I caught on Carp Lake on May 22....the little gold forceps is just under 6 inches long....my biggest was 22 inches from LLC (Lady Boot Bay) about 10 years ago...

"


Lol, you had a tape measure lying right there....
 
PineKnot
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06/04/2018 06:44PM  
I know....that's how I knew she was 21.5...I was solo and hurrying to get her back in the water....
 
analyzer
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06/05/2018 12:22AM  
PineKnot: "

"


I always love that really thick lower jaw, when they reach that length.
 
06/07/2018 06:48AM  
Ambushunter: "in 2000 I caught a 24" and 24.5" SM in the BW's. STill my biggest by length. They were both huge females full of eggs, I am uncertain about weight. Outside BW's I have caught a couple over 7#'s on St clair and erie, unsure of the length as was fishing in tournaments and no need to check the length on those pigs. "


24.5 female smallmouth full of eggs?!?! Had to be the state record...
State record largemouth is only 23.5.
Would love to see a photo of that beast!
 
06/07/2018 06:57AM  
Caught this 20.5 smb in Voyageurs NP last weekend. She put up a great fight.
 
Gunflinter
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06/09/2018 01:02PM  
Last week Vilas County WI. I guessed 23 but only 21 when measured.
 
PineKnot
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06/10/2018 01:33AM  
Gunflinter: " Last week Vilas County WI. I guessed 23 but only 21 when measured.
"


May be "only" 21, but the color on that smallie is really purdy....excellent photo!!
 
carmike
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06/10/2018 11:50PM  
Gunflinter: " Last week Vilas County WI. I guessed 23 but only 21 when measured.
"


I suspect that's the reason so many guys get 23 inchers...I've got more than a few that way myself. :)
 
manmountain8
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07/12/2018 02:38PM  
My dad caught a 24.5 incher in Jackfish Bay in 2014. My biggest was 21.5.
 
Bumstead
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07/12/2018 06:46PM  


Longest from this year's trip came from Jack Lake, last fish of the trip. Measured 19.75", just couldn't quite get to 20 this year.
 
mgraber
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07/12/2018 11:37PM  
21.5. Fun thread
 
07/13/2018 09:48PM  

Not the longest, but the longest so far this year. Mississippi River.



 
Tjc76
  
07/14/2018 05:48AM  


20 1/2 inches, but cut me some slack. I live in and caught this fish in New Jersey.
 
missmolly
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07/14/2018 06:52AM  
Gunflinter: " Last week Vilas County WI. I guessed 23 but only 21 when measured.
"


Hey, what's an honest man doing fishing?!?
 
manmountain8
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07/14/2018 07:36PM  
manmountain8: "My dad caught a 24.5 incher in Jackfish Bay in 2014. My biggest was 21.5."


manmountain8: "My dad caught a 24.5 incher in Jackfish Bay in 2014. My biggest was 21.5."


My dad's friend measured the fish and I don't take him for the type that would exagerate. Especially for someone else. He said it was 24.5 inches with the tail pinched. It only looks like a 6 lber in the picture because he's not holding it out at all, but our calculations put it somewhere between 7' 14", and 8' 1". They did not take a girth measurement so we had to measure within the picture which only gives us a ballpark. He caught that on a 20 foot hump on the south side of Jackfish. My biggest smallmouth was caught on the Rum River in Oak Grove. It was actually in a feeder creek during a flood. It was 21.5 " and all of 6 lbs and then some. I caught 2 more over 20" and 4 over 18-19 in the same creek within 45 minutes, then that was it. Fished out. In the rest of my life I've only managed 3 other Smallmouth over 20 inches.
 
Andrew100
member (24)member
  
07/15/2018 07:48AM  
20...on the fly
 
07/15/2018 11:11AM  
For those that love smallie fishing, I highly recommend fishing in heavy current. The fish seem stronger and the fight is just fantastic. Smallies are obviously great fighters, but they are twice as fun in heavy current and at least 5' of water. Their stamina makes me just laugh.

I fish a lot on the Mississippi and it is incredible. A popular outdoor magazine once had an article on the 10 best smallie locations. The picture showed an aerial of the river, including my house!
 
clambdin
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07/15/2018 12:32PM  
Girlfriend caught a 22.5 on Ottertrack many years ago our first trip to the bwca,we have a hard copy photo of it but nothing digital..back then we didn’t have all the electronics we have today.
 
manmountain8
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07/19/2018 09:41PM  


"My dad caught a 24.5 incher in Jackfish Bay in 2014. My biggest was 21.5.

My dad's friend measured the fish and I don't take him for the type that would exagerate. Especially for someone else. He said it was 24.5 inches with the tail pinched. It only looks like a 6 lber in the picture because he's not holding it out at all, but our calculations put it somewhere between 7' 14", and 8' 1". They did not take a girth measurement so we had to measure within the picture which only gives us a ballpark. He caught that on a 20 foot hump on the south side of Jackfish. My biggest smallmouth was caught on the Rum River in Oak Grove. It was actually in a feeder creek during a flood. It was 21.5 " and all of 6 lbs and then some. I caught 2 more over 20" and 4 over 18-19 in the same creek within 45 minutes, then that was it. Fished out. In the rest of my life I've only managed 3 other Smallmouth over 20 inches. "


I stand corrected. I could have sworn he said 24.5 but he just told me it was 23.5, athough he thinks it was more like 23 3/4. It's hard to pinpoint where the end of the tail should be and they were arguing back and forth. Our weight calculations are the same though. That's what we calculated right after we got back. He says 8'1", I say 7'14. Any way you look at it. It was a monster. I wish I could have seen it in person.
 
mastertangler
distinguished member(4432)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
07/20/2018 07:36AM  
About 3 weeks ago we hit our "spot" on lake st Clair with chubs and couldn't beg a bite.

After a few hours I checked the temps and noticed it was very cold water so we ran the 5 miles back toward the launch and quickly caught twin 20" fish and a few smaller ones. I no longer take pics of 20" smallies as they are redundant. My wife already mocks me and fish pics as being the only pics of me are ones holding a fish (and then she mimics the various poses > it's actually pretty funny).
 
adibee
senior member (76)senior membersenior member
  
07/23/2018 10:25PM  
Interesting that you mentioned Lake Two, I caught my 2 largest bass in Lake 2 two years back the first one was from shore and it was about 21 inches. The second one I caught was on the water and have a picture of it. It was around 22 I would say from how I placed it on the ruler.

 
QueticoMike
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07/24/2018 12:17PM  
adibee: "Interesting that you mentioned Lake Two, I caught my 2 largest bass in Lake 2 two years back the first one was from shore and it was about 21 inches. The second one I caught was on the water and have a picture of it. It was around 22 I would say from how I placed it on the ruler.


"


Did you eat that fish?
 
adibee
senior member (76)senior membersenior member
  
07/24/2018 12:25PM  
QueticoMike: "
adibee: "Interesting that you mentioned Lake Two, I caught my 2 largest bass in Lake 2 two years back the first one was from shore and it was about 21 inches. The second one I caught was on the water and have a picture of it. It was around 22 I would say from how I placed it on the ruler.



"



Did you eat that fish? "


Initially, I kept it, but let it go after I caught several other eater walleyes and smallies.
 
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