My Biggest Smallie!

[Lunker]

No pic as of yet, but we'll see when it comes out. I'm mostly a largemouth fisherman(largest largie is 21"), but have started fishing smallies the last couple of years as well. I just got back to the cities from school in WI Stevens Point on the WI river, and have done quite a bit of fishing there this spring. Caught a lot of fish, mostly under 15" but a few around 17" this spring, but I went out yesterday for a few hours and had a blast catching smallies and a few eyes. Caught 9 smallies from shore, and that included my biggest to date. I'm not sure what this one woulda weighed but it went an easy 18" with a gut to rival jabba. I mean fat! I know most river run fish weigh less but she was a fatty, and beautifuly barred and colored. Whatya think a fish this size would weigh? I would guess 4lbs easy, but I'm better at judging largies. Caught it on a white yum twister tail and jig, on the second hit. First attempt bit my plastic in half, figured it for a pike. O, and by the way, for those fishermen taking advantage of rivers with an open season now, here's the report. First decent day(65) after that cold front, fish were very active. Hugging rock and wood structure(mostly rock), but not in the slack water, they were all in the water in front of the rocks and limbs. All the fish took it as I brought the bait over or around the structure to the front of what ever it was. And this was in a high water fast current situation. Think maybe I'll hit pool 2 tommorrow....

[Ray Esboldt]

"Hahahahaha" - in the voice of Jabba the Hut.

Cool deal, Lunker. Most people will take a smallmouth over a largemouth. And, I know some guys that pursue them with the zeal of a musky fisherman or trout fisherman. I think there's some sort of parasite those folks contract that causes that condition.

Check right behind your ear for any bites because it sounds like you caught that smallie bug.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Congrats on the HAWG... an 18" smallie, that was really fat could go 4 lbs... not much more. But a trophy all the way!... congrats again.. cant wait to see the picture.