I caught my biggest Maine smallmouth this morning. She launched out of the water a couple times and even once out of the net, so I got an early look at how long she was. She was thick too. She hit a Whopper Plopper, a lure I don't use much anymore. Of course, she wouldn't be still for a photo:

 

Congrats Katie..

1 hour ago, GaryH said:

Congrats Katie..

 

Thanks, Gary! I watch Hank Parker's videos of catching smallies in Maine and the YouTuber, Old Lady Angler, and I don't see either of these fine fisherfolk catching smallies like @A-Jay's, @Dwight Hottle's, etc. For whatever reason (no gobies?), Maine's smallmouth just don't reach five, six, or seven pounds here. As others have noted, we can only catch the bass that are available to us and having caught a few brown bass in Maine, she's my biggest yet. She put on quite a show, tail-walking like a tarpon and even when I had her in the net, she launched out of it. 

Beautiful fish. Congrats! Any idea how long she was?

48 minutes ago, Steveo-1969 said:

Beautiful fish. Congrats! Any idea how long she was?

 

Between 18 and 19 inches. I didn't measure her, but I've caught a lot of smallies that size (and bigger) in northwestern Ontario. She's my first in Maine over 18 inches. She was bonkers in my net and canoe, which is why I passed on measuring her, but I'm good at estimating weight and length. I watch YouTube videos of guys catching bass. They guess what their bass will weigh and then put them on the scale. I often guess within an ounce or two.  

 

Here's a Canadian 19-incher. She's not full-armed or even half-armed. I've got my elbow behind my head. She's not quite as fat as this morning's bass, but she's a tad longer:

 

That is a beautiful fish.  Smallmouth are special.  Congratulations.

Congrats! Nice fish.

Beautiful fish Swampy!!!  Next week, I hope to be catching some of those fine Maine Bass! Both Brown and green!

FM

Beautiful fish!! I got my PB smallmouth a couple months ago on a Choppo - great minds think alike!

6 minutes ago, ElGuapo928 said:

Beautiful fish!! I got my PB smallmouth a couple months ago on a Choppo - great minds think alike!

 

Ha! You're right. Choppo = Plopper

Awesome ! A beauty !! Wonderful to see such a healthy/strong fish, tail walking SMB are always fun !   

You bring up a good point that we have to keep perspective on what size fish are in the lake we are fishing - I watch YouTube (and follow Old Lady Angler as well) but have to remind myself that in TX/CA/FL they have 10 plus pound bass in abundance, where in my local lakes (west central MN) a 20 inch/5 lber is considered a "trophy" bass - I have taken to looking at the DNR "Lake Surveys" of the lakes I am fishing to see what size fish they have found in their surveys over the past 20 to 25 years to give me perspective on what size fish are in that particular lake

8 minutes ago, WaskaCrank12 said:

Awesome ! A beauty !! Wonderful to see such a healthy/strong fish, tail walking SMB are always fun !   

You bring up a good point that we have to keep perspective on what size fish are in the lake we are fishing - I watch YouTube (and follow Old Lady Angler as well) but have to remind myself that in TX/CA/FL they have 10 plus pound bass in abundance, where in my local lakes (west central MN) a 20 inch/5 lber is considered a "trophy" bass - I have taken to looking at the DNR "Lake Surveys" of the lakes I am fishing to see what size fish they have found in their surveys over the past 20 to 25 years to give me perspective on what size fish are in that particular lake

 

And ^THIS^ is why Minnesota-based In-Fisherman says that a 10-pound largemouth caught in Florida is equivalent to a 6.5-pound lmb caught in the north. 

 

It's cool that you watch OLA too! You see the smallies she catches. I've never seen her land a smallie as big as the one I caught. Of course she might have and I just missed it, but I've caught hundreds (thousands?) of Maine smallies and the one above is my PB. 

 

I catch enough bass to run my own surveys. A four-pounder comes into my canoe about every 40 bass. I see a five-pounder about one every 400 bass. So, they're rare in Maine too. 

2 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

I catch enough bass to run my own surveys. A four-pounder comes into my canoe about every 40 bass. I see a five-pounder about one every 400 bass. So, they're rare in Maine too. 

For comparison.....A 4lb smallmouth in Tennessee is about 4-6 years old. A 4lb smallmouth in New York is 12-14 years old. A a 4lb smallmouth in Maine is 15-18 years old. These are only averages of course, but you get the idea.....It is similar for Largemouth also.

@Kirtley Howe: Wow! She was pretty good-looking for an old, old gal.

Congrats, Good one there 

Beastly! Also getting a PB on topwater is a double bonus!

6 hours ago, pdxfisher said:

Beastly! Also getting a PB on topwater is a double bonus!

 

Thanks! I'm just glad Peyton Manning wasn't in the boat. He would have reflexively thrown her.  

 

Hopefully, he would have yelled "Omaha!" first giving me a chance to yell, "No, Peyton, NO!"

On 8/27/2025 at 11:45 AM, Swamp Girl said:

 

 

 

 

Nice fish!

 

As I was looking at your photo, the paddle caught my attention. At first I thought 'did she break her paddle?'

 

So I had to go look up the "bent" paddle, and just spent the last 15 minutes reading about its design, reasoning behind it & proposed efficiency increases based on angle of the bend. The following quote is what kick started the interesting "efficiency" debate:

-----------------------------

"To add some specifics for the nitpickers, let's say I'm talking about an all-wood 11-degree bent shaft and a comparable (that is, to the extent that they are comparable) all-wood straight shaft. Solo paddler. Average strength and abilities. Mixed paddling conditions and wind -- lakes, rivers, etc. (Alternatively, though, if anybody has insight into bent shaft efficiency for *their own* particular paddling and body characteristics, that could give me a ballpark idea.)

I suppose this could be measured/estimated by how much more efficient a bent shaft is *per stroke*, or alternatively, how much more efficient it is over the course of a day or week of paddling. Those two percentages might be the same, might not. Obviously, though, the larger the sample size the more accurate the number will be. Perhaps the best metric to use is paddle times, on a regularly traveled route, over the course of multiple trips, of bent vs straight. Or a GPS logging MPH."

----------------------------

At this point based on that entire debate, I am not sure what is the best angle of bend. I suppose it would also depend not only on the height of the user, but also the width of the canoe can change the desired positioning and angle of bend required.

 

Curious SwampGirl what angle of bend is that paddle? Do you notice any twisting as you use it?

 

According to the debate/arguing I just read, there is a point of diminishing return on a bent paddle. It was an interesting read. From what I could tell or get out of the "debate" was that it was designed for mid-canoe paddling where canoe is widest. And the bend on your paddle is greater than some of the other paddles I saw. I guess 1 degree of angle bend makes a difference between different people and different boats. I learn something everyday.

 

 

I kind of like the straight paddles down here in Florida. They fit under front deck better and slide out quicker when I need to knock a gator on the head- the straight paddles are more "efficient" for that. 😁

1 hour ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

it was designed for mid-canoe paddling where canoe is widest.

 

I paddle mid-canoe solo most often. I can paddle with a straight paddle, but I prefer a bent shaft. I don't know the degree of the bend. 

 

2 hours ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

They fit under front deck better and slide out quicker when I need to knock a gator on the head- the straight paddles are more "efficient" for that. 😁

 

Ha!

Terrific fish.  It's always great to catch a PB.  Congratulations.

Nice. My PB New Hampshire SM was 4lbs even. NH and ME are a different fishery than the Great Lakes and Midwest. So PB discussion has to be adjusted accordingly. 

15 minutes ago, MassBass said:

Nice. My PB New Hampshire SM was 4lbs even. NH and ME are a different fishery than the Great Lakes and Midwest. So PB discussion has to be adjusted accordingly. 

 

I agree. I've caught hundreds of smallies in Maine, but whereas in northwestern Ontario I could land half a dozen four to five-pound smallies (thick 19 to 21-inchers) in a great morning or evening, the fish above is my first smallie near four pounds in Maine. And the Midwest and Great Lakes grow even bigger smallmouth than northwestern Ontario. 

Congratulations 

Fabulous!!