what do you consider a big smallmouth?

[EBass]

SUEY!!!

[Daze Off]

Way to go BLB! Also agree totally on the measuring...lots of 20" would not be nearly that big if they ended up on the board.

My best last season was 19.9999999 (2X).

Man I can't wait for open water!

[Fever]

Here is an 18 incher that fought like a whale on 6 lb test, perch X-rap, medium light G-loomis, coupled with spinning real. I admit not a true trophy... but I'll tell you what, I'll remember that fish due to the windy / rocky conditions on Mille lacs that a.m. FUN!!

[Scott M]

Nice fish. I have a boundary waters fish close to 18" and that is my biggest. I really haven't gone out and targeted them like I should. I know of a couple tremendous fisheries, Mille Lacs is one of them no doubt.

[Bassman55]

Here is my biggest, on my electronic scale it weighed 4lb 14oz. Not a great picture, but what a chunky fish.

[Burnham]

nice chunky fish! well now i cant help it so heres my biggest smally- (its the 20 incher i previously metioned) i try not too use nets with smallmouth but when i saw this one i couldnt resist

[HeIsLegend]

Still can't get to or pass the 20" mark. This summer im hoping to land a 22", which I think is definately trophy size. I think I would wait for one with nice black markings like some of the hogs you've guys have caught.

[Coach Dog]

Very nice fish guys. I too consider a decent fish about a 3 pounder. The 20" mark is where I classify the trophies. I have caught a 21" and a 21.5". The 21 is on the wall and weighed 5 lb 8 oz. The 21.5 weighed 5 lb 10 oz and was released. Both torphies in my mind.

[Royce Aardahl]

Nice fish He is legend, looks like 20 is there for you soon. Nice fish BLB you scum sucking river x cold fishin freak I guess a trophy is in the eye of the catcher just like deer hunting.

[LEECH21]

In my mind a 21 incher is worth a replica. I've come close in the last few years. Got a few at 20 inches and one at 20.5. 2008 is the year!

For largemouth 22 inches is the the mark. Got a replica being made of the piggy in my avatar right now. It went 22 inches exact and 7 pounds.

[SJU70]

I consider anything over 20 plus to be a trophy fish. My personal biggest is a 21 incher that i caught in the mouth of the Menominee river/Lake Michigan. My brother and I were hammering them that morning, trolling big 4 inch walley plugs into the bay and back into the river. They were gorging on the alweife (sp?), one of the fish we brought in gagged out a half digested alewife. Man, was that one for the memories, not a fish under 17 inches. I'm emailing him to see if there is a picture somewhere. All that said, come the dog days of summer, its a lot of fun drifting fatheads in the shallower water for the smaller bass.

[sticknstring]

Awesome fish and awesome post - I love smallies! I'm fortunate to have access on a premier smallie lake so I've caught my fair share over the years... still yet to top 21" though. I've caught two at that length - one through the ice that was pushing 6 LB's and the other on a jig & minnow in the summer. The one in my avatar is one from Mille Lacs last year at 20" but anything over 19" (4 LB + mark) is a darn nice fish IMO. The best is getting them babies to hit on the surface on a nice calm moonlit evening.

[Slyster]

23 1/4 inches... 5Lb 4 Oz!!

Poor picture.. I was alone. Look at it compared to the GPS.. which is a Germin GPSmap76 over 6" long.

[Juan Grande]

Nice fish Slyster. I caught my biggest last summer on Mille Lacs. It was right at 20" and a shade under 5 lbs.

Caught this largie about 5 minutes later. Both fish on a jig and plastic craw.

[sticknstring]

Now that's a smallie! I'd guess a fish at that length to be well over 6lbs though... doesn't look skinny? Did you actually weigh her?

Nice fish JG.

[Slyster]

I did weigh her. 5 4oz according to my scale... but my scale hasn't ever been really accurate.. even though it is digital.. the length is pretty hard to mess up though. Had I known how nice fish was I would have made more accurate measurements and made a replica! I was SO new to fishing then.. just beginners luck. Was caught on a dark green large tube.

[YUM]

that is a straight monster Slyster.. very cool

[sticknstring]

Weigh a known weight on your digital and you'll know for sure.

[LEECH21]

Slyster, you can still get an accurate repo just from a length and pictures. At 23+ inches thats one huge smallie!

Check out Artistic Anglers out of Duluth. They do amazing replicas and their smallies look awesome. their HSOforum is artisticanglers.com

[8point]

A big smallie for me would be 25 inches and 7 pounds...NOT lol

Anything over 17 for me I would consider a nice fish.

[primetime49]

Was on the phone today checking for sponsors for upcoming tournament and Fred from Replica and Taxidermy shop tells me that once again a state record smallie is taken and released as off season state regulations are in effect.This fish is weighed and weight is recorded in boaters log.

We know the guy who caught it was fishing walleye so he both knows season is closed and he was not fishing for bass ,so he wonders if being he wasnt in act of trying to catch smallie if it would be legitamte in season.

This is the first fall bass we have hears of and also heard of 2 fish thru ice 3 winters ago that were this size.When does someone get the chance to be the record holder here,

We are hoping this summer one of these 3 fish are caught weighed pictured released and recorded.The Taxidermy and replica shop is offering a free replica and wants to take extensive photos and measurements of fish etc and community is getting more excited .

2008 should be a great year

[Mark Christianson]

I am confused primetime.

When was this fish caught and released and what law was broken?

And where are some pics of all these big fish??

They must grow big and fast down that way.

[Bassman55]

I that he was just saying that no law was broken.

[primetime49]

big lake . we were not implying any laws were broken

as said he immediatly released the fish as he knew it was out of season and he doesnt keep any bass

Just wondering if he is fishing for walleye does a record get put up if bass was in season and he wasnt fishing for bass

its kinda an accidental catch

I didnt hear anything about pictures

Will check on photos in case any were taken

Fish was caught this past fall on live bait,havent heard of any large smallies on artificial around here

We had restrictions on smallies for almost 10 years in an attempt by DNR to make this lake a trophy Smallmouth lake and it worked

[TonkaBass]

Normally a 23 1/4" smallie that chunky would weigh more. I caught a 22" on minnewaska, average girth and it went 6.