yesterday wasn't that good, the water was up a little so today I thought I would get a few dozen shad and move around the river more hitting some of the swift deeper holes of water.

In the first hour I caught 5 or 6 good size smallmouth, a lot of fun in the deeper- stronger current. I'll post a picture of one of them. I moved down river and out close to the middle, I made a cast up river in the edge of swift-deep water the bait settled on the bottom I started moving it along with little jerks when bam! something big and heavy hit, I set the hook, I could tell I was in for a big fight. The fight seemed to last 15 minutes going out river, down river, up river still hadn't seen what it was then it made a run across river past me Muskie (oh no) 6# yo zuri line- swift water, and rocks. I had the rest of the fight cut out for me.

I took my time, seemed like another 10 minutes, at one pass the muskie looked like it rolled 2 times trying to bite the line but I was hooked in as good spot, corner of the mouth and got it in. I tried to take some good pictures but was hard to do out in the middle of the river by myself, I think it was the same muskie that swam past me last year and bumped my waders with its tail.

I was tired after this fight and so was the fish, I released it and went back fishing, I caught 3 smallmouth 20 yards from where I caught the muskie. on my way out of the river I have to back the way I go across, 30 yards from where I released the muskie there it was resting next to the ledge I was wadding on.

2 nice fish.

wow!  that's great man.  i always wanted to catch a muskie or a pike.  

Nice!

i love suprises like that.  Nice fish!

Super!  That's a beautiful smallmouth.