what do you consider a big smallmouth?

[Burnham]

also maybe what is your average size smally? where i go i usually catch 15-17 inchers 2-3 lbs...i consider the 4.5-5 lb range gettin big. this summer was my first time smallmouth fishing and i caught about 3 or 4 that were 4+lbs and one that was 5-6 lbs. they are all pretty fat where i am.

[FishOn!]

Its funny! I was watching Roland Martin this morning and he was fishing in wisconsin. He was catching smallies and was calling 4 pounders trophies. 4 lbs. is a very nice fish, but I would say a trophy is in the 5-6 pound class. Just my opinion!

[Bassman55]

I think that a smallie over four is really nice. Once they are 5 or bigger that is just a bonus.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I hope RK jumps in on this.. .I would consider, because of the probably age and growth rate.. any fish over 19" or 4 lbs a trophy in my eyes!

A trophy is all in the eye of the holder.. and actually, all smallies I catch are trophies in my eyes!

[JP Z]

20", at least in my neck of the woods is pushing 5lbs. That is the benchmark for me. But as Deitz said, I also just love catching smalljaws.......only caught 1 last year

[Deitz Dittrich]

Jp--- I owe you a trip... swing my way this summer and we will get out.. that is of coarse if you dont mind riding in my Triton..

[SluggoMaster]

Anything over 20" or 5 pounds for me. I have caught a number of smallies up to 20". I'm still looking for the elusive 22"+

[Daze Off]

Anything between say 17" and 19+" is a nice fish. For me, to be a "trophy" a smallie has to go over the magical 20" mark enough to clear it with ease. I don't weigh 'em just throw 'em on the board. I generally take a picture of anything over 19".

Daze Off

[gotcatfish]

17"-19" = big smallies

20"+ = trophy smallies

[primetime49]

On 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jigs and 4 to 6 pound line ,lightweight rod anything over 18 inches

On 6 to 8 pound line ,3/8 ounce and bigger jigs,crankbaits,senkos plugs etc.and light medium rod anything over 19 inches

Fished hard last 2 seasons and have only seen about a dozen fish over 20 inches

Some just making a hair over 20.

Have caught only 5- 21 inch fish and no 22 inchers.

I havent been on rivers or up north which I intend to do this next 2 years.

in 2008 I will keep a log of fish each day.

one guy I know 70 years old comes in each day with fish lengths written on back of his hand .Some days he has writing upto his forearm.

Sometimes he shows me this and he has caught some 21s and 22s.

This year he promises to take me fishing,he usually fishes alone and I feel that his invatation to go out could be a turning point in my life.

last season I fished with 35 different good bass fishermen in their boats and mine,some several times and without this guys knowledge we have never been able to match his catches.

I do expect to see a 21 and hopefully a 22 this year.

Did catch a couple largemouth over 7 pounds last year and some 5 and bigger,so they fill in for no hogs.

My fishing has only been in central mn

[Fever]

The smallmouth in my avatar picture were 18.75 and 19.25 left to right. Both in my opinion are high quality, fantastic fighting, powerfull fish but not quite trophy material. Like previously stated, trophies are in the eye of the angler. Personally I would concider getting a replica made of a smallie that broke the 20 inche mark... Be nice to hook into one over the 21 mark. that would be a no brainer for me. Man, they are FUN to catch...

[HUNTFISH69]

Anything that is over the 20" mark and 5+lbs would be considered a trophy in my book. Never really fished them to hard last year, hit up the river by SCSU a couple times above the dam and caught a couple 3lb ers nothing special but a heck of a fun fight.

[EBass]

This is a big smallie:)

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/ub...rue#Post1069729

[Burnham]

wow that is a big smallmouth...im thinkin bout gettin a replica of my 20 inch (about 5.5lb) smallmouth sometime...i didnt measure the girth and i wish i did, but i talked to a taxidermist and he said if you have good pictures that that will be enough

[hovermn]

I hooked into a nice 21" smallie last summer. I knew it was a nice fish, but with my limited smallie fishing experience, I didn't consider it to be a trophy. Guess I didn't know exactly what I had after all :-)

[Smallie]

A Smallie is a Smallie. There all trophies in my book something about this fish that drives a guy mad. Am 100% addicted to them and if am on a lake that has them I have figure them out regardless of how good the largemouth fishing is.

But absoulutely right you hit 20 inch mark that's alot of bronze back.

[Bassman55]

I'm with you there I love catching these smallies.

[NBR]

My take is 3.5#=nice fish, 4#+= a dandy, 5# = huge consider a replica mount, 6# absolutely a replica mount.

[Burnham]

yea smallie and bassman..there is somethin bout smallies that drive people crazy, especially me lol

[RK]

Hiya -

Been gone - just catching up... A couple thoughts:

A. Any smallie is a nice smallie

B. Any time you get over 19" you're talking about a pretty serious smallie. 20" is a real nice one in anyone's book I think. Smallies seem to be a lit like pike, where they get to a certain length and then start growing out more than adding length. I've only seen a very few smallies that were honestly over 22"

C. With smallies or any other species, "big" is relative. On a system where the fish top out at 18", 18" is big because it's the top of what's there to be caught. It's really easy to get hung up on an arbitrary number, whether it's a 20" bass or a 50" muskie. But size is relative. Back to point A - they're all fun.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[L_Cappo]

this is a big small mouth.caught ice fishing on lotw

[Deitz Dittrich]

Thats what I am talking about.. great post RK.

[Mark Christianson]

Got this one last weekend.

Biggest of my life.

Break 20 inches, trophy status in my book.

I think if people truly measure fish with mouth closed/tail pinched on a rigid board, there might be an eye opening experience of what a fish truly measures.

I've seen pics of fish on measuring devices, but with bottom lip stretched out, or not lined up good on the board. Those fish don't measure up. You can artificially add significant length if you don't follow the DNR described method of measuring fish.

Almost scraped 20.875".

[FishOn!]

well...being that yours is measured correctly...that makes it the best.

[FishOn!]

Hovermn! You didnt even get a pic of that 21 incher?! By the way, how did you do last weekend? Im off this weekend if you want to go. Ill give you a call.