The State record was broken last year at Ute lake here

AND WHAT IS THE STATE RECORD?

7lbs 3oz

HUMMMMMM.... :-?...MIGHT HAVE TO HOLD OFF ON THAT ROAD TRIP....LOL...I HAVE A CHANCE AT THAT EVERY YEAR ON ST CLAIR OR ERIE...CLOSER TOO.

It's hard catching a State Record around here, it's gotta be north of 11 lb 15 oz.

Maybe #2 would be a more realistic goal.  Do you think 10 lb 14 oz is doable?

My partner caught a 10 in November, 2004. That brown fish should be about full grown by now. Maybe you should come down here. If she is still alive, I know EXACTLY where she lives.

TEMPTING...VERY TEMPTING... :...SHAME ON YOU TO BE THE SMALLIES DEVIL ON MY SHOULDER...LOL....WILL HAVE TO GIVE IT SOME SERIOUS THOUGHT..... 8-)

I keep preachin bout these okie pigs. Very few target them, so it is an untapped resource...well almost untapped

THOSE ARE OKIE SMALLIES? .....HUMMMMM..NEW THOUGHT...LOL

Lake St. Clair, MI. Used to live 4 miles from it. Great smallie fishing!!

Road Warrior, I don't think they believe you, they'll just have to come down and try it for themselves. By the way do you use live bait in the Pickwick tailrace or strictly artificial?

I think the best lake fishing would be Dale Hollow and Lake Erie.  For river fishing, I personally think, from an unbiased viewpoint, that West Virginia's New and Greenbrier Rivers are at least up there on the list.  Again, I'm not from West Virginia or anything.  ;D

DALE HOLLOW LAKE!!!!!!!!!!!

But Kentucky Lake is very overlooked smallmouth fishery.

And a small river next to Kentucky Lake called the Buffalo has som pretty good smallie fishin.You won't catch too many big ones but 8-14 inchers you'll catch quite a few.

Gotta love St. Clair.  ;D  

Jeff

lazeebum,

I'm almost exclusively live bait. Specifically, I fish live minnows on a split shot rig and spinning tackle.

As I think I have already stated on this thread, the Tennessee River is not even in the running for the best river for numbers. If it's a shot at the next World Record your after, now that's another story. This is is big bass river. The Cumberland River and it's tributaries are the only other contenders when it comes to size.

The northern end of Lake Champlain is absolutely incredible. If we pull up to a spot and the fish are under 3lbs we leave to go to a better spot. In the middle of the summer last year we were catching 100 fish a day with the largest at 6 lbs 13 oz. It was smallie heaven...

Lake Saccandaga in New York is also underated for numbers of fish but not size.

Lake Winnipesaukee is also a fabulous smallmouth lake but a little harder to fish.

Roadwarroir i am from New Brunswick which is next to Maine and fish what is called the grand falls flowage that borders on maine you can catch 3-4 pounders until your arms fall off but nothing i have ever seen much over 5lbs but the fishing is incredible there in may but watch out for stumps!!!

roadwarrior,

When you fish below Pickwick Dam, do you launch at the ramp below the dam or somewhere else? Also are there any other Tennessee river rats out there?