It seems like every year I read several articles on smallmouth and once in a while the author will mention something like for what they lack in looks a smallmouth makes up for in fight or they're fighters not lookers?? Am I the only one that thinks smallmouth are an awesome looking fish? Granted they can look really plain at times but if you get a tiger striped, bright red eyed smallmouth they're about the prettiest fish in freshwater IMO. What do you guys think? Am I crazy or are these writers just more attracted to bright colors on trout? I just don't think it gets much better than this.

I also think smallmouth are a beautiful animal! And that one your holding sure is. Maybe it's because their coloring is more subtle than LMB.....? I think there's as much individual variation, it's just harder to see sometimes. Hey, what was the weight on that gal?

I'm with you, I think smallies are beautiful fish.

Ugly?

 

Try this, courtesy Fish Chris: Put the fish in your livewell, lid shut, for 10-15 minutes.

The darkness will bring out whatever coloration the fish has. Some are better than

others, but even "plain" fish have some stripes, almost always on the head.

 

 

 

 

I also think smallmouth are a beautiful animal! And that one your holding sure is. Maybe it's because their coloring is more subtle than LMB.....? I think there's as much individual variation, it's just harder to see sometimes. Hey, what was the weight on that gal?

I'm not sure the exact weight. I caught it on a day in early November last year fishing with my wife. We caught a bunch in the 17-18 inch range that weighed from 3-3.5 pounds so somewhere in that range. 

 

Ugly?

 

Try this, courtesy Fish Chris: Put the fish in your livewell, lid shut, for 10-15 minutes.

The darkness will bring out whatever coloration the fish has. Some are better than

others, but even "plain" fish have some stripes, almost always on the head.

 

 

 

 

Fish Chris' smallmouth pictures are some amazing looking fish. They do light up after spending some time in the livewell. The one in my picture was lit up like that when she came into the boat. It wasn't big enough to put in the livewell, they have to be 18" at the lake I caught that one at to keep. 

I think they are beautiful. I've never seen one in person just the ones you guys share here and some on tv. The tiger stripes are especially awesome. I think if you can't see the beauty you are either blind or you can't see the trees for the forest.

For me all smallmouth are beautiful. It's just some are more pretty than others. The heavy tiger stripes contrast really sets them off. Time in the livewell does help enhance the coloration.

 

 

 

 

If someone thinks they're ugly, they must be blind. There are more colorful fish in freshwater, but I really like the way they blend into their enviroment, sometimes pure white on the belly and the color of melting butter on the sides with tiger stripes - pretty cool.

I love the Tattoos!

Ironically i have none.

With you 110%

some smallies are just beautiful ...

 

 

and some are just butt ugly...

 

 

funny thing is both of these were caught within 50 yards of each other...

These two were caught 15 minutes apart from the same spot.

 

 

These two were caught 15 minutes apart from the same spot.

 

 

 

 

Something tells me those are not drop-shot caught smallies ~

 

A-Jay

I think those 2 would each beat the Kansas state record.

One thing on my bucket list is to get to fish for smallies on Lake Erie! Breathtaking fish! That lighter one has got to be the lightest color smallie I've seen. Against your purple shirt it even looks a bit pink

Here's a pretty one I got a few years ago. Too bad she wasn't fatter...

I think those 2 would each beat the Kansas state record.

 

KS state record is 6.88lbs 21-1/2" long 

 

last fish pic was 6.75lbs 23" long

 

One thing on my bucket list is to get to fish for smallies on Lake Erie! Breathtaking fish! That lighter one has got to be the lightest color smallie I've seen. Against your purple shirt it even looks a bit pink

 

 

That was the lighest coloration I have ever seen as well. About 5lbs as I remember.  

Best looking fish in the water.

Pete

If someone thinks they're ugly, they must be blind. There are more colorful fish in freshwater, but I really like the way they blend into their enviroment, sometimes pure white on the belly and the color of melting butter on the sides with tiger stripes - pretty cool.

I think that's a big part of what I really like about them. I've fished for them in some small rivers in the Ozarks and it never ceases to amaze me how you can look all over a shallow area and think there's no fish there but you run a fluke or Sammy through and a solid fish materializes out of nowhere to slam the thing. I think it's really cool how you can catch fish off the exact same spot and one will be almost black while the other might be tiger striped or sand colored, not many other fish I know of will vary that much off the same spot.

 

Thought I'd add another picture of one that was really neat looking I thought. It was really dark overcast and I was fishing clear water. It really looked like she was glowing gold when I was fighting her in, one of most uniquely colored smallmouths I've ever seen.

It's hard to beat a smallmouth on looks, what pushes them over the top is when they have brighter red eyes

For me all smallmouth are beautiful. It's just some are more pretty than others.

 

This,  I honestly think the colors are cooler then largemouth.

 

Nice fish BTW.

This, I honestly think the colors are cooler then largemouth.

Nice fish BTW.

X2 . I love the varieties they have.

I'm all about the smallmouth and love the tiger stripes. This is probably my last smallmouth for the year caught last week and one of the more unique ones I caught this year, with the dark belly.

Not trying to hijack the thread but maybe some more experienced fisherman could shed some light on this. Do you think the colors on smallies on more pronounced in rivers or lakes? Is one sex more likely to have the tiger stripes then the other?

 

Yup ~ Just Plain Ugly - but the Fish are Gorgeous.

 

 

A-Jay

Yup ~ Just Plain Ugly - but the Fish are Gorgeous.

 

 

A-Jay

^ Jerkbait? I just got a Tatula typeR spooled with braid and a 7'MM rod I'm going to try using braid for jerkbaits...