Look at this S.O.B.

[FinsnFur]

I was down wallowing in the Poison Ivy again Friday after work, and lost several monster smallies so I knew they was still running, but I was getting to the point I was so worked up I couldnt even throw the jig where I wanted it, I was falling apart at the seems, drunk on adrenaline and frustration. I couldnt believe the size of these things, and how easily they were coming off the hook. 

I hung it up and went back down this morning. Started out with my typical skirted spinner bait in a white, and caught four decent smallies within the first hour. All around 14-15 inches.


I was trying to decide on which of my holes I wanted to hit next, when the water boiled about 25 yards down the river,  where I just was about 15 minutes ago.
Thinking it was a Gar, I ignored it and made a few more casts where I was.

He kept throwing water around so I walked down there and started casting.
He didnt want nothing to do with it.
I'm thinking ok it was a Gar then, but to make sure lets try a crank bait.
Nothing.
Yeah it's a gar. I'm trying to convince myself of it.
Just for giggles I cobbled up a 1/2 ounce gripper jig, outfitted it with a pumpkin seed skirt, and then covered the hook with a green pumpkin seed Power Grub, that was coffee flavored and sprinkled with salt. (They come that way seriously)

That musta been exactly what he wanted. He boiled again while I was preparing his Grub sandwich, and I'd glance over quick to take note where was was last.
I walked over and flipped the symphony of coffee, rubber and salt down river of his last swirling barrage and let her sink to the bottom...for about 5 seconds. I could feel the jig come clattering up out of the rocks and slowly take flight through the rapid moving water as I twitched her towards me enough to close the gap approx 2 foot.
It didnt make it About half way through, it felt like someone cracked the backbone of my fishing rod with a baseball bat Paul Bunyan style.
I bent my knees and leaned back as I ripped the pole up towards my chest to set the hook, and when it was all drag coming from my reel I knew I had holy hell on the end of that thing

It was taking so long to get him tired out and close enough to the bank to grab, all I could think about was my house payment coming due June 5th before I got this thing out of the water. I didnt think I was going to make it.
I kept thinking he's gonna get off, he's gonna get off. I even got him close enough at one point to reach out and grab.

He tried standing on top of the water at the last minute, and slipped out of my grip. I yelled "FRICK! as he took off
But wait a sec!....my pole tip slams downward, and the drag starts spewing out line again HE's STILL ON!!
That was his last surging bout though. After that he calmly let me crank him to shore and let me grab him, and when I picked him up out of the water...the jig fell out ...and to the ground I thought holeee crap, one more flop and it woulda been all story.

20 1/2 inches, just under 3 pounds And this is my biggest small mouth to date. Man I was friggin stoked

[Okanagan]

WOW!  Greaaaat story and photo.  I've never seen a smallmouth that big, and we caught them where I grew up.

WTG!

[coyote101]

Wow, that is a beauty Jim! 

Pat

[coyotehunter_1]

Did you kiss it? 


It always amazes me how much of a fight those river smallies can put up. Landing any boss bronze back, especially one of that size, is something to be proud of.

[possumal]

Jim, nothing like those smallies.  My favorite fish by a mile.  My late brother and I used to talk about them all the time, and we both believed that you could hook a 5 lb. smallmouth, lip to lip, with a 5 lb. largemouth, and he'd put that largemouth through an ordeal he wouldn't like.  Glad you got him after all that effort.

It used to be fantastic fishing in the jumps for smallmouth on both Dale Hollow and Center Hill Reservoir.  We used to fish a lure called the Cedar Stump at Center Hill and 5 to 6 lb. smallmouth were caught pretty regularly.  Those old wooden rental boats and no trolling motors back then made it real work.  One of us would row and the other one do the fishing and then we'd switch jobs.  It was great.

[hunter724]

sweet

[weedwalker]

Way To Go Jim!! That's a great smallmouth.
They make a neat lil gadget for those fish that just won't stay hooked now. It's call a HOOK SHARPENER.

[FinsnFur]

Yeah, dull hooks I wish I woulda thought of that?
You mean I'm suppose to take the little clear plastic tube off the end of the hooks before I use them?

[slagmaker]

Very Nice. I hooked one that was close to that and the figth it put up was notihng short of amazing. Glad you were able to take pics to go along with the story. I agree with Ed, a hook sharpener is a small investment to help ease the frustration.

[nastygunz]

Nice fish and exciting narrative  ...smallies on a flyrod is the best 

[iahntr]

  Very nice Jim !  Thanks for the write up too. 

[markTNhunter]

nice smallie jim and great story

[HaMeR]

WOW!! That is one monster smallie!! Congrats & Thanks for sharing the story!! I was there the whole time the way you wrote it!! 

I yelled "FRICK! as he took off 

Nice catch there as well!! 

[Hawks Feather]

WOW!  That is one nice smallmouth.  Way to go Jimbo.

Jerry

[shaddragger]

  WooooooHoooooo!! I could almost hear you grunt when you set the hook! Awesome story Jim, and two thumbs WAY up on that river pig!

[Todd Rahm]

Nice one Jimbo!!!!!!!!!!! Thats a nice slabber. 

[Tikaani]

Nice fish Jim, I gotta tell ya, you look like the guy who builds them choppers. 

John

[CCP]

 Nice Bass Jim!!!  I have only caught a limited amount of Smallies and they weren't anything close to that size. The little ones i have caught amazed me on the power and could only image I would be grinning like Hell too if I caught one that size.

WTG!!!!!!!!   

BTW why aint you smiling? I say why aint you grinning?

[Todd Rahm]

Lol, a young Paul senior, with a tad smaller arms, but just a tad you beast. 

Your supposed to hold that fish a lil further out from your body. 

[FinsnFur]

That must be my Poison Ivy tainted swollen face. Man it looks likes it's ready to pop.
That pic was taken hours after I was finally able to shave since the Ivy...boy I was scared to.