huskybass

I recently had a replica made by Richard Benedict in upstate NY. He did an incredible job. It looks like I just pulled it out of the water. Here is a sample of his work. email address: rbenedi2@rochester.rr.com

We have caught some in Maine like that too. They all seem healthy, but are limited to a few lakes.

zoom super fluke.

One more Kent, photo credit to my 8 year old son Carter. The flash makes it look much lighter color than it really is.

Here's a photo of my actual reproduction mount, received today. It looks so much better in person. I am thrilled with the job he did.

Congrats on both the catch and the release.

Beautiful smallmouth, congrats.

Nice smallie. I have fished Pickwick in October many times with my buddy Ronnie. I love that place.

Crestliner, I've only broken 5 pounds at the Q once, fortunately she was 6-4. I get many, many smallies there between 3 pounds and 4 1/2 pounds, but that is where they top out usually. There seems to be quite a few right at 3 pounds, a bunch just under 4 pounds, and another bunch just over 4 pounds. The better ones are usually in the 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 range. That said, we catch plenty of 1 and 2 pound smallmouth as well, with the average being about 2 pounds. I really think early season and late season are the best times to get smallies of 4 1/2 pounds plus at the Q. By that I mean pre-spawn and October.

Here are 6 of my favorite baits for big smallmouth. Add a spider grub and an old wiggle wart and thats all I need.

Here are my two best Largemouth caught in Connecticut. Both were released immediately after the photos were taken. The second weighed 7-7 and I suspect the first was bigger than that.

Nice thick smallmouth, congrats.

Thanks everyone. I went back today and managed a few more on the frog. The dang frog is so much fun to fish, its hard to put it down.

Some very nice smallmouth there, congrats.

Had 8 bass on a frog Thursday morning including a 6-0 and a 7-7. Here is a photo of the 7-7.

That one weighed 4-8. She was extremely fat. Just trying to show that it takes a lot of smallmouth to reach 4 1/2 pounds.

Those are some very nice smallmouth, congrats.

What do you think? I am about 190 lbs for reference purposes.

Here's a link to the actual report. http://www.nybass.com/showthread.php?t=16115&highlight=maine Sorry, I don't name individual bodies of water out of respect to other guys who already fish there. But many waters in northern new england are capable of producing huge numbers in the spring.

You need some higher choices. My boat record for 2 guys in a day is 162 in Maine in 2006. They averaged about 2 1/2 pounds each, with at least three dozen over 3 pounds and the largest went about 4 1/2. I believe this was the largest one that day.

Tin, I know that you won a recent tourney on Champlain with three smallies for 12.74 pounds, that is a great limit and I offer my sincere congrats. If I recall correctly, second place on the co-angler side was 10.44 pounds, just about a 3.5 pound average. I guess what I am trying to say is that three pound smallmouth are far more common than 4 pounders, even on a great fishery like Champlain. Too many guys assume a quality smallmouth will weigh 4 pounds, usually when they meet a scale they weigh less. I have fished quality smallmouth fisheries all over New England including Maine and Vermont, and have caught my share of quality smallmouth with a personal best of 6-4 and 14 others of 5-0 or more. That being said, I know from experience that 4 pound smallmouth are not as common as many reports would seem to indicate. Smallmouth that weigh between three and four pounds are still darn good fish, and I can see how an unweighed 3 1/2 or 3 3/4 pound smallie gets reported as a "4". I've had smallies that I thought would go 5 pounds actually weigh 4 1/4. It takes a whole lot of smallmouth to weigh 4 pounds, let alone 5. By the way, I have spoken with the guide who is featured on the videos. He confirmed that the size range is from 2 pounds on up to 6 or 7 pounds. His statement alone is far more true and realistic than the 40 over 4 pounds statement. No doubt Dworshak is a great fishery, but even the videos show a range of sizes.

I'm not sure that I understand your poll. Are you asking us what our largest SMB is or what we think you will catch when you make the trip?

Thanks for the honest feedback B Rob. It is much appreciated. And congrats on getting two over 5 pounds while you were there. 5 lbers are great smallies!

Two key distinctions. You are talking about lake erie, and not every fish you caught was over 4 pounds. Take a look at the guides website and there are fish of all sizes displayed.

Not only that, but anyone who tells you they caught 40 smallmouth and they were all over 4 pounds is probably related to pinnochio. I watched the videos on Youtube. There are many nice smallmouth in them, but some are 1 to 3 pounds in addition to a few larger ones. If you go, I would expect to catch smallmouth of all sizes, not just hawgs.