then largemouth pound for pound. I think it might be because they are tired of being called small.

In all seriousness don't you just love how these bad boys fight. I can't waite until I can get me a few pigs this spring.

I just know that every time i hook into a smallie in the river, i always an thinking its a biggun!!! Thats not usually the case, its just that im not used to the awesome fight that they put up

The fish found its niche in nature in fast current. The tail is proportionately bigger than a largemouth and over time smallmouth have evolved stronger swimming muscles than their cousins. The fish is built for speed and contoured for current. River smallmouth spend most of their life "working out".

Why it has a "small mouth" remains a mystery.

I fish for largemouth because there are more of them, but pound for pound, smallmouths fight a LOT harder than largemouths.

KB HERE in my home lakes there are more smallmouth  i would rather catch 3-4 small mout that weigh 2-3 lbs than any size largemouth  the next fish i like are spots  they are great fighting fish.  when i was it tx i caught a 11-07  largemouth and it felt like a old boot pulling it .  kb

If I can paraphrase Will Rogers, I never met a smallmouth that I didn't like. Even the dinks fight hard. Just a super fish.

RW hit it right on the head.  I'm a biologist and couldn't say it better my self.  

Tight lines

I also agree with the warrior: current, and they are just plain mean.