Guys/gals,

I got my PB smallmouth today! I'm so excited I feel like a kid at Chrismtas! I picked up some Rage Craws per Hookingem's suggestion awhile back and finally went out to the James river to use them. Got this fellow on my secret spot, never caught a smallie there before. I felt a bite and thought no way, but hook sets are free and made contact with him. I think he was 3 lbs. he had some type of fleshing eating parasite on him, see pictures. I tried to get it off him the best I could (hope I dont have a flesh eating parasite now!) I'm so happy I could do a back-flip! (Not really, but I am that happy!)

Well, it seems a couple of the pictures are too big, but if you look hard you can see his skin being eaten away from something.

WOW, I love fishing!!

Wdy

Nice Brown Bass !

Congrats ~

A-Jay

Thanks A-Jay! I was yelling and screaming like a 13 year-old girl at a Justin Beiber concert! (But, in a manly way!!!) Got my table on cloud-9 now!

Thanks A-Jay! I was yelling and screaming like a 13 year-old girl at a Justin Beiber concert! (But, in a manly way!!!) Got my table on cloud-9 now!

We really need an audio app on here, because I didn't know there was a manly way to scream like a 13 year old girl!

Anyhow, that's an awfully pretty looking fish with great colors. Not sure about the disease thing though. Looks almost like a wart on the back part of it's dorsal fin, which might be what caused the wound on it's side. Maybe a quick email of your photos to your State's fisheries dept could get you a more definitive answer.

Very nice. Congrats to you! Bitsy bug and baby craw if favorite rig when I fish for smallies.

HAhahah!! Thanks Lund, I exxagerated for the sake of a joke, but I was yelling and screaming. I sent a couple of pictures off to the game department here in VA.

Thanks everyone for the congrats!

Wdy

NIce smallie, i caught one on the potomac about a month ago that had a similar sore below its eye. It was pretty nasty.

That's a nice river smallie. Congrats on the new pb.

Nice fish indeed!

How was the fight?

Thanks! The fight was good, but I was cheating because i did not have usual smallie equip. I was rocking my Powell 723C with Cuardo 50E and 12# line. I personally thought it was a good size largemouth bass with the weight I felt at the other end on the hook set.

I sent a picture of him to VA State and game fisheries nothing back from them about the fish. He was a beaut though!!!

too bad you couldnt turn me on to one like that last time we went smallie fishing! most of us fish with lures bigger than the smallies i caught! CONGRATS...jealous... PB's are always a thrill...well done Wdy