Smallmouth, Ugly??

[A-Jay]

^ Jerkbait? I just got a Tatula typeR spooled with braid and a 7'MM rod I'm going to try using braid for jerkbaits...

 

Yes Jerk baits -

 

I was fishing with Dwight - I'm not allowed to fish anything else . . . .

 

A-Jay

[RandySBreth]

I think that's a big part of what I really like about them. I've fished for them in some small rivers in the Ozarks and it never ceases to amaze me how you can look all over a shallow area and think there's no fish there but you run a fluke or Sammy through and a solid fish materializes out of nowhere to slam the thing. I think it's really cool how you can catch fish off the exact same spot and one will be almost black while the other might be tiger striped or sand colored, not many other fish I know of will vary that much off the same spot.

 

Thought I'd add another picture of one that was really neat looking I thought. It was really dark overcast and I was fishing clear water. It really looked like she was glowing gold when I was fighting her in, one of most uniquely colored smallmouths I've ever seen.

 

I get them like that in sandy areas of the James and Finley rivers - very nice looking.

[Brian Needham]

if you are into smallies, they a pretty. not that I am saying they are ugly.

 

Me, I have never caught an ugly Spot. Spotted bass are the prettiest of the black basses to me.

[moguy1973]

The thing with smallmouth is they can be the lightest shade of brown one second, get mad and turn the darkest shade, almost black, and then back.  They can really change their color to adapt to their surroundings as well as their mood at the time.

[Oregon Native]

Not only are they pretty but I like their attitude!!

[DavidWH]

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder!  Me, as a previous poster mention, I love their attitude and fight!  That makes them beautiful to me!!!!  Just like my wife....lol

[retiredbosn]

I think smallmouths are the best looking fish native to the US period, second would be a native trout during spawn. But one man's trash is another's treasure, I respect other people's right to be wrong.

[pbrussell]

Smallies run all over the place. Some of the smallies I've caught are among the ugliest fish I've ever seen (with the exception of drum, they take the cake).

And then on the other side of the coin, I've caught some smallies that are among the prettiest fish I've ever seen.

[basshole8190]

if you are into smallies, they a pretty. not that I am saying they are ugly.

Me, I have never caught an ugly Spot. Spotted bass are the prettiest of the black basses to me.

agreed. I've never caught a smallie tho but spots and shoalbass are some of the most beautiful things that swim

[cbass12]

 

Me, I have never caught an ugly Spot. Spotted bass are the prettiest of the black basses to me.

 

I'm a smallie addict, but to me spots are right up there with them. I wish we had a lake where we could consistently catch them around here, closest is Table rock 4 hours away.

[pbizzle]

Excuse the small size, but it was my first smallmouth. It was huge when I was 8. Not a bad looking fish though.

[Bluebasser86]

Excuse the small size, but it was my first smallmouth. It was huge when I was 8. Not a bad looking fish though.

My first smallie was about half that size, and I was still really proud to have caught him.

[msk]

Love Smallies! My favorite fish to catch.

[pbizzle]

My first smallie was about half that size, and I was still really proud to have caught him.

That's sadly my PB smallie. It felt HUGE on a spincast reel. 

[Bluebasser86]

That's sadly my PB smallie. It felt HUGE on a spincast reel. 

It was years before I caught a bigger one, and I had to go to Canada to do that. Since then the state has stocked several lakes with smallmouth so they're now readily available, thankfully

[fishindad]

pbizzle, you get my vote for best smallie picture! We all have those memories of our "first bass" and your photo is a keeper.

 

There are so many good-looking freshwater fish - pumpkinseeds, northern pike, black crappie, even bowfin look cool! Don't want to stir the pot but, I have to vote for steelhead (migratory rainbow trout) as best looking freshwater fish. Though my first choice is to chase smallmouth, if I lived as close to the Western MI rivers as I do Lake St. Clair and Erie, I'd probably fish steelhead during fall/winter/spring. Caught this about 25 years ago in WA state and something about that shiny chrome gets me.

 

 

As far as fight though, pound-for-pound smallmouth win easily!

 

 

[simplejoe]

Smallies are a great looking fish, I think their sexier than a bucketmouth. Lol. Pound for pound the smallie is better fight. I've caught big largemouth and had no fight all the way back to the boat.

[pbizzle]

It was years before I caught a bigger one, and I had to go to Canada to do that. Since then the state has stocked several lakes with smallmouth so they're now readily available, thankfully

I've been saving money to get a guide on Dale Hollow. I'd love to catch some more, but sadly the Chickamauga smallmouth aren't nearly as good as the largemouth. I'm going to try to get my friend to show me how to catch more on the Tennessee River for now.

 

pbizzle, you get my vote for best smallie picture! We all have those memories of our "first bass" and your photo is a keeper.

 

There are so many good-looking freshwater fish - pumpkinseeds, northern pike, black crappie, even bowfin look cool! Don't want to stir the pot but, I have to vote for steelhead (migratory rainbow trout) as best looking freshwater fish. Though my first choice is to chase smallmouth, if I lived as close to the Western MI rivers as I do Lake St. Clair and Erie, I'd probably fish steelhead during fall/winter/spring. Caught this about 25 years ago in WA state and something about that shiny chrome gets me.

 

IMG_0003.jpg

 

As far as fight though, pound-for-pound smallmouth win easily!

I've got to give it to the Sunfish species as the prettiest freshwater fish. Mainly the tiny orange spotted sunfish. Here's a picture I found on Google that matches one's I've caught by the boat docks.

[Sam]

Smallmouth are OK as far as being "pretty."

 

Snakeheads are "pretty" too.

 

If the article's writer thinks smallmouth are not "pretty" then I suggest he take off all of his clothes and look at himself in the mirror. He will then understand what "ugly" looks like.

[mod479]

Here's the stripey-est one I have a pic of, she went about 19-20", maybe 4 - 4.5 lb.  

 

 

Here's the same one right before release...such a nice looking fish, love the ones with red eyes too.

 

 

Heres a smaller one from last year, it had nice coloration.

 

[SwimJiggin]

I think they are cool looking. I kinda see them as an A-10 Wart Hog. They are built to hunt. I always tell my buddy that the stripes on their faces is war paint. I know it's silly but they are bruisers.

[Ratherbfishing]

Smallmouth?  Ugly?  Can one really use those two words in the same sentence?  All I have to say is there are some men who think Heidi Klum is ugly but the vast majority do not.  I I had a picture of Heidi Klum posing with a 5 lb smallie, I know I'd pin it on my wall.