Got out today and hammered the smallmouths near the dam.But that's not the story i'm here to share.

The story is i reeled in a 17 1/2 smallmouth in front of 20 something guys and then let it go.I continued to do this from 1pm-7pm.Well everybody kept coming to me asking me why i was letting them go,what i was using...blah,blah,blah(i was getting sick of this and told them nothing...lol).I told them if they want my fish they can catch them.I'd like to see somebody else get the excitement of recatching it and reeling it in.Well,not long after that a little kid came(about 8-9 years old).He dropped in his little zebco rig with a minnow and not more than 10 minutes later he catches my 17 1/2 inch smallmouth.His excitement went through the roof!

Even though he decided to keep it i was happy for him.

That made my day....It couldn't have happened to a better kid. I bet he's hooked for life now.

Yep....he's hooked and he will remember that fish the rest of his life too  

Big O

www.ragetail.com

Must be a good feeling to catch a nice one in front of that many people.  

    If he does get hooked into bass fishing I hope somebody teaches him to catch and release.

    Anyway, I bet it was great seeing that little kid catch that fish.

Hope he does C & R in the future...but those words "catch and release" seem meaningless around here where i fish.Which is why I'm very careful on saying what i am using(unless your a personal good friend of mine).I've studied this lake for over 4 years and put my time in.I'm not about to unload 4 years of experience gathered just so a bunch of guys can clean out my spots.No Way!

Me and one other dude were the only ones C & R out there.We were the only ones catching anything as well in numbers.There was probably over 50+ people by 5PM. I left at 7pm and the park closes at 8pm. When i left everything kinda died down.I just happened to pick the right lure,right technique,at the right spot(just off a little patch of weedline running at 10-12 feet drop off).I ran into a school of smallmouths feeding...when i released the fish i notice them running for the closest weeds which just happens to be where everybody else was fishing at.So when i returned the rest of the fish i was releasing them off from another side so they went back deeper.

Funny thing was i was using a bright green tube that can't be found anywhere around here except online.So my secret color is safe... ;D

All they know is i was fishing some weird looking tentacles looking bait. I wouldn't even tell them all what exactly i was using.

I'm hoping in 3-4 years i'll have enough saved for a small boat.For now that's just a dream away.