48 replies to this topic

[Lucky Craft Man]

I have been fishing for smallmouth for sometime and have developed a mild obsession with wanting to catch a 7 pounder.  I have caught several in the 6 pound range, but have yet to eclipse the 7 pound mark.  I was wondering who here has caught a smallmouth over 7 pounds and if you have, please post a picture along with where you caught it and any good story that might have gone along with it.  I think seeing these pictures will help appease my obsession in this quest for the time being and I think would be entertaining for all who hunt for Smallmouth.  Thanks!

[Fish Chris]

Well Lucky Craft, I have caught 6 Smallies over 7 lbs, and 2 over 8 (a totally spawned out 8.2 lb'er, that should have been well over 9 lbs) and my PB that you see in my avatar, which was an extremely fat 8.5 lb'er.

Here's the thing though >
It's NOT that I am such an awesome Smallmounth angler, but rather, 3 years ago (going on 4 now) we had a lake up here in Nor Cal, which was just going stupid crazy, with HUGE Smallies ! In 2007 alone, this little 1100 acre lake produced no fewer than 30 Smallies over 8 lbs, and maybe 5 over 9 lbs ! And then, just for icing on the cake, it kicked out a 9.7 lb'er, which crushed our 30 year old state record of 9.1 lbs !

Unfortunately, the cycle for Smallies in this lake peaked in 07', and has quickly fallen ever since Now, you'd be pretty lucky to get a 5 lb'er or two. I never caught a legit 6 lb'er there last year

On the other hand, this same lake has a great, and seemingly growing, number of 8 to 10+ Northern strain Largemouth's !
......which, of course, are great Northern Strainer's, right ?
And it's beautful lake too, with crystal clear water, tons of wildlife, NO water skiing (I love that part )
I just LOVE fishing that place.

The only problem is, without the draw of a HUGE, potentially record breaking Smallmouth, I kind of feel like I'm just spinning my wheels their nowadays

I just know their are much better places for me to hurry up and catch 11 more double digit Largemouth's (I need 11 more to hit 100). Pretty much "only" places with Florida strain bass, and hatchery trout.

Hmmmm....

Oh, here are some pictures for you
A nice, wide 7.5 lb'er, that photo'd well...


Believe it or not, this is the 8.2. What might look like a little belly fat, is actually a totally empty, sagging gut. This fish had such a huge frame, and head. I hate the photo, but....


A nice, long, strong 7.5 lb'er.


My 8.5 actually had a much smaller frame than the 8.2 above, and no bigger frame than the long, strong 7.5.... but she just had that HUGE gut


My 8.5 was SOOO strong too ! She fought me the whole time I was trying to take photos... never rolled over in the livewell, and would snap her mouth shut tight, to try to keep me from lipping her. She finally realeased with an explosion that drenched me Whoo Hoo


Again, pretty much anybody fishing this lake, in 07', as much as I did, would have caught fish just like these, and maybe even more.

I was sure lucky to be one of the guys there doing it when it was ON !

Peace,
Fish

[Lucky Craft Man]

WOW...thanks Fish Chris!  These are the kind of pictures I was hoping for.  Really great looking fish.  I don't know what I would do if I caught an 9 lb. (or 8 lb. for that matter) Smallmouth.  I might just sell off all my equipment and give up fishing, because it can't get much better than that.  Thanks again!  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Dwight Hottle]

Here's my pb erie fish at 7lb-6oz. Another fish just under at 6lb-14oz. Both were 22 inches long.

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[Lucky Craft Man]

Beautiful fish, Dwight.  I have spent many of hours on Erie looking for that 7 pounder.  I knew if anyone had pictures of one from Erie, it would be you.  Thanks for posting and I can't wait until Spring to give it another shot.  Maybe I'll see you out there.

[roadwarrior]

The Saturday before Thanksgiving, 2004, my partner,
Speedy Madewell caught a 10 lb smallmouth that
I netted and weighed. On January 15, 2005 I caught
the fish in my avatar, the fat one just over 7 and
the longer fish just over 8.

Here are some other 6 & 7 lb fish caught a week earlier:

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/smallmouth_record.html


8-)

[Lucky Craft Man]

The Saturday before Thanksgiving, 2004, my partner,
Speedy Madewell caught a 10 lb smallmouth that
I netted and weighed. On January 15, 2005 I caught
the fish in my avatar, the fat one just over 7 and
the longer fish just over 8.

Here are some other 6 & 7 lb fish caught a week earlier:

http://www.bassresou...uth_record.html


8-)

RW, great article and unbelievable fish!  So you held a 10 pound Smallmouth.  What a run of big fish you had in the Fall of '04 and the Winter of '05.  Have you still been catching fish that size or has the fishery peaked (much like how Fish Chris said his fishery peaked in '07)?  I am a little afraid Lake Erie has peaked and maybe on it's way down.  My biggest several fish from Erie came 3 to 4 years ago and I haven't caught any in that size since.  The good news appear to be that I catch more fish, but they seem to peak at 5 pounds.  Maybe in 4 to 5 years, all these smaller fish will grow up and continue the cyclical process.

[Dwight Hottle]

Lucky Craft Man wrote

RW, great article and unbelievable fish! So you held a 10 pound Smallmouth. What a run of big fish you had in the Fall of '04 and the Winter of '05. Have you still been catching fish that size or has the fishery peaked (much like how Fish Chris said his fishery peaked in '07)? I am a little afraid Lake Erie has peaked and maybe on it's way down. My biggest several fish from Erie came 3 to 4 years ago and I haven't caught any in that size since. The good news appear to be that I catch more fish, but they seem to peak at 5 pounds. Maybe in 4 to 5 years, all these smaller fish will grow up and continue the cyclical process.

I hear you on the peaking issues. Last year was just a tough year on erie for most everyone except for the one guy who pulled an 8lber. Saw that picture. I can tell the fish are there confirmed by commercial fisherman net hauls. We just didn't get the quality we are used to catching. My theory is that there was too much bait in the system. This year should tell the story if things improve. Most guys think we are spoiled fisherman because we complain about catching four & five ponders but not any or many sixes. Maybe we should blame it on global warming.

[milepost43]

I give up...what are the steps to post an image?? thanks...

[ww2farmer]

I only have one SM right at 6. Even on Erie my best is just a mid 5. No 5+ SMB from Conesus either. But I do have a 6-0, a 5-9, a 5-3 and a 5-2 from a place that dosen't have any SMB  ;D :-X

[milepost43]

My +40yr fishing buddy and I have been going to Dwight's "backyard" since 2005. I can agree that 2008 was definitely DIFFERENT. Since I was an engineer in my other life, I have kept records of our trips. Attached is 2008 vs 2010. In fact, in 2010 we didn't catch A FISH on some structure that in all the other years always produced at least one +50 fish day. Only about 80 days till we should be saying....FISH ON....

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[milepost43]

Oops, CRS had kicked in...meant to add...go early with plenty of jerkbaits and Silver Buddys.....

[MaineBassMan]

Must be nice to be looking for that first seven pound smallmouth!! I'm personally looking for my first over Five pounds. I have caught alot of four pounders but for some reason the all mighty doesn't feel that I'm ready for a five plus!! I don't agree with him! 8-)

[Shane J]

I'm with you, Mainebassman. My PB smallie is 4-5, and I can't break it to save my life!

[Bob Kavanaugh]

The Saturday before Thanksgiving, 2004, my partner,
Speedy Madewell caught a 10 lb smallmouth that
I netted and weighed. On January 15, 2005 I caught
the fish in my avatar, the fat one just over 7 and
the longer fish just over 8.

Here are some other 6 & 7 lb fish caught a week earlier:

http://www.bassresou...uth_record.html


8-)

Neat article, but the Alabama record was caught on Wilson Lake, in the Wheeler tailrace. Not on Wheeler in the Guntersville tailrace.