First one of the year here in NH from a couple weeks ago. Caught on a black hair jig. #3.1

My first one this year. Felt good. Caught on a blade bait. 

Been hammering largemouth on Champlain up until today.

This 4.21 lb. smallmouth took palmered black and purple marabou I tied on a 3/32 oz. Midwest Finesse jighead April 21.

 

I can guarantee you guys that my first smallie of 2023 won't look like ^these!^ Nor will my last smallie of 2023 nor will any of the smallies in-between. You guys catch big SMBs!

42 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

I can guarantee you guys that my first smallie of 2023 won't look like ^these!^ Nor will my last smallie of 2023 nor will any of the smallies in-between. You guys catch big SMBs!

A-Jay's and Dwight's pictures got me so tore up yesterday that I had to slip away early and wet a line. (Hope my boss doesn't follow this forum). The Cumberland River is so low and muddy that it was like fishing in a stagnant puddle. I went up the Stones River (a major tributary) until I found clean water. Not much chance of boating a picture worthy Smallie, but at least I was away from the barges, ocean cruisers, and jet skis. Had the beautiful river all to myself and caught a bunch of dinks on the Aglia, including a Sauger, and the prettiest fish that swims, the Longear Sunfish.

 

Keep it up fellas and I'll be unemployed!

Making my third annual pilgrimage to Dale Hollow next week. Going after the SM record! Seriously, I will be trying to get a PB but also to catch the giant Shellcrackers. They are nothing like the Lake Havasu Crackers but they are spectacular just the same. Get to fish again with my childhood fishing buddy who will be camping at Standing Stone. Funny how fishing with very old friends makes you feel young and carefree again after all these years! We fished together couple weeks back and boated 100 dinks on the Cumberland. Just like old times except I was sober! This time though, we will be fishing gin clear mountain water as opposed to the Cypress swamp water we grew up on. Hope we can figure it out.

On 4/8/2023 at 9:37 PM, Jeff Zurawski said:

I've gotten a few floats in and have been catching some fish since my pitiful March 13 post on this thread.  Dug out the camera for this nice 19"er caught drifting a fluke near bottom on a light jig head through a current seam on an inside bend in the River.  @Jessco87 had his scale along and weighed it a 3.5lbs.  

 

That is about as bassy of a spot as any. Love the description.

I caught my first smallie this evening. I told you it would be smaller than the bass you guys catch. Nearly every smallmouth I catch in Maine is 16". They're always thick, but I've never caught a longer one here. 

On 5/6/2023 at 9:10 PM, ol'crickety said:

I caught my first smallie this evening. I told you it would be smaller than the bass you guys catch. Nearly every smallmouth I catch in Maine is 16". They're always thick, but I've never caught a longer one here. 

Looks like that fish would explode if you pricked it! What do they eat all winter up there? Looks like that one ate somebodys cooler! Looks like you had a warm day to fish or else you're just punishing your kneecaps.

21 minutes ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

Looks like that fish would explode if you pricked it! What do they eat all winter up there? Looks like that one ate somebodys cooler! Looks like you had a warm day to fish or else you're just punishing your kneecaps.

 

Ha, Bob! All the smallmouth are fat up north. Unfortunately, they're also all 16 inches. 

 

On 5/8/2023 at 12:59 PM, Blue Raider Bob said:

Looks like that fish would explode if you pricked it! What do they eat all winter up there? Looks like that one ate somebodys cooler! Looks like you had a warm day to fish or else you're just punishing your kneecaps.

 

Bob, I was thinking that it would be funny if they held a smallmouth kayak tournament in my area and everyone would tie for first since their best five would all be 16" each for a total of 80". 

Here's Big Fish Jeff's entry~

A real brute.

A-Jay 

No pic of mine. I went fishing for 2 days this week in lake champlain. Caught a bunch of them but nothing I felt like I needed a pic of. My biggest one weights 3lb 11oz. Those first bass of the year always seem bigger than they are! Lol! I weighed it because i thought it was huge! My inner scale is messed up from all the crappie and perch fishing! 

April 23rd Blade bait

River finally calmed down enough for me to find my way to some favorite spots. However none of the usual locations seemed to be holding many fish yet, perhaps just a bit too much current and not enough eddy yet. Figured the weather was nice, and spurned on in the search for a little more action, I found a secluded back channel I had yet to seek out at the proper time of year. A little wading in some enjoyable 60 degree water led me to a juicy looking current seam littered with some sunken wood, and away we go. Fish are certainly still waking up, very subtle bite, and less fight than the usual 3 pounder revved up in 70 degree water, but no complaints here. Caught on a 3/32 black marabou jig, something that has become a go to for me until frankly late June, early July. A little by catch early in the morning kept me hunting for more action, she was not much, but a fun fight on a ML setup regardless.

Not huge, but it's the first one this year 

On 5/11/2023 at 8:33 PM, cvaicunas69 said:

River finally calmed down enough for me to find my way to some favorite spots. However none of the usual locations seemed to be holding many fish yet, perhaps just a bit too much current and not enough eddy yet. Figured the weather was nice, and spurned on in the search for a little more action, I found a secluded back channel I had yet to seek out at the proper time of year. A little wading in some enjoyable 60 degree water led me to a juicy looking current seam littered with some sunken wood, and away we go. Fish are certainly still waking up, very subtle bite, and less fight than the usual 3 pounder revved up in 70 degree water, but no complaints here. Caught on a 3/32 black marabou jig, something that has become a go to for me until frankly late June, early July. A little by catch early in the morning kept me hunting for more action, she was not much, but a fun fight on a ML setup regardless.

 

Gorgeous photos. 

My first one of 2023 was a pretty good one.  Had nice color too.

Got this guy with a green pumpkin/blue flakes on a Tokyo Rig. 
 

 

This was what I was hoping to show instead of those peanuts out of the Rappahonock River. We just got back from lake St Clair and the fishing was good.  

13 hours ago, Phoenix Guy said:

Durn what a hoss!

On 6/2/2023 at 9:24 AM, Blue Raider Bob said:

Durn what a hoss!

 

That fish made me shake my head and blink rapidly. So round! 

Reminds me of this pic, short & sweet.