Largemouth vs. Smallmouth

[Glaucus]

Already know Smallmouth fight harder than Largemouth. Consensus and experience tells us all this. Recent experience tells me this again. Caught a big SM yesterday. Took me 5 minutes to safely land it. Peeled drag like a boss. Did some cool air stunts. Caught a big LM today. Took me a minute to safely land it. Bout the same size fish. Larry hit harder but gave up. Smallie wanted to drown me.

[GeekOutdoors]

On 7/21/2018 at 3:42 PM, Glaucus said:

Smallmouth are much more ferocious fighters.

Years ago I was told that Smallies fight harder because they spend a lot of time in the current. And then years later I fished a SM pond for my first time, and they fought just as hard in water with no current. Up til then I had only fished for them in rivers and creeks. They're hardcore. Love it.

In rivers, they tend to fight like larger specimens from other BOW with no current. I put it on the fact they need muscles to cope with that current

[joru100]

Largemouth are great because they always surprise me where I find them, but smallmouth are way more fun.

 

Largemouth give you a large surface strike or a strong tug straight down, but turn into wet boots after 5 seconds. I've never fought with a largemouth for more than a full minute. I've had true 5+ minute fights with 18+ inch smallmouth.

[Russ E]

even though the smallmouth pound for pound fights harder than the largemouth, I still spend 90% of my time pursuing largemouth bass. I personally catch much larger largemouth bass. 

Here in Kansas there are several lakes that have both.

there are certain times of the year that i can catch quality smallmouths, but most of the time I get smaller fish. 

the state record smallmouth is 6.88 lbs.

I have been fortunate enough to catch 6 Largemouth bass over 5 lbs. this year(that doesn't count the 4 I lost at the boat) . 2 were bigger than the smallmouth state record.

my personal best smallmouth is only 4.5 lbs.

 

 

 

[Zackopi]

When I first moved to Eastern South Dakota I was bummed that most of the bass here are smallmouth.  Before then I had never caught one, and I’d heard they were a little more difficult to fish (at times they can be).  Then I caught my first smallmouth and was blown away by how they fight.  I still have an easier time locating and catching LM consistently, but I’d rather battle a Smallie any day.

[NHBull]

Yesterday I caught this years first 5+ SM, and lost a bigger LM. It's rare to get a 5 pounder on my lake, neve mind a SM. Both we caught in 2-3 feet of water, but my boat was in 20'. Both had great horizontal fights, but when it became a vertical fight, the SM kicked the LM butt and was taking line for minutes more.  The LM was like dragging boot.

[Heron]

I’ll go ahead and be the odd one out.....

 

while a hard fighting fish fish is lots of fun, I think over the years I’ve come to the conclusion, that I like a fish that doesn’t fight quite so much.

 

Why?  Well because all to often, we have those fish that fight like a 5lber, but when it gets to the boat, we pull up a 2lber.

[ShenandoahAngler]

I am one that loves that fight. Hell, I prefer river largemouth over lake fish any day. I just find it so much more fun.

[islandbass]

Love this topic!

 

One thought that comes to mind that we might overlook is that we tend to use “lighter” gear (generally) and so does this contribute to the sensation and perception of the smallie to fight “harder”?  Even a 1.5 blue gill on a UL rig feels like a freight train, lol. 

 

I do not mean to diminish the smallie fight.  

[A-Jay]

 Largemouth vs Smallmouth ~ 

I say yes to both. 

A-Jay

 

[soflabasser]

I came back from a fishing vacation in the north. I caught lots of river smallmouth bass which was fun.These smallmouth bass fought good for their size but they do not compare to a peacock bass. Peacock bass are far more powerful with more endurance.

[ShenandoahAngler]

On 10/7/2018 at 11:36 PM, islandbass said:

Love this topic!

 

One thought that comes to mind that we might overlook is that we tend to use “lighter” gear (generally) and so does this contribute to the sensation and perception of the smallie to fight “harder”?  Even a 1.5 blue gill on a UL rig feels like a freight train, lol. 

 

I do not mean to diminish the smallie fight.  

So, I'm someone with limited tackle and gear. I use the same gear for smallies, largies, cats, everything. The only exception is an UL setup for trout and gills. I can definitely say that a 1.5 lbs smallie fights harder than a 5 lbs largemouth on the exact same setup.

[Russ E]

14 minutes ago, VirginiaBureaucrat said:

So, I'm someone with limited tackle and gear. I use the same gear for smallies, largies, cats, everything. The only exception is an UL setup for trout and gills. I can definitely say that a 1.5 lbs smallie fights harder than a 5 lbs largemouth on the exact same setup.

pound for pound a smallie usually fights with more vigor, but a 1.5lb smallie is nothing like catching a 5lb largemouth.

 

[ShenandoahAngler]

11 minutes ago, Russ E said:

pound for pound a smallie usually fights with more vigor, but a 1.5lb smallie is nothing like catching a 5lb largemouth.

 

Was for me. My 5 pounder was just like pulling in a log.

[Russ E]

1 minute ago, VirginiaBureaucrat said:

Was for me. My 5 pounder was just like pulling in a log.

I have caught 4-4.5 lb smallmouths that did not fight at all.

Bigger fish pull harder, but don't always fight with as much energy as smaller fish.

[islandbass]

1 hour ago, VirginiaBureaucrat said:

So, I'm someone with limited tackle and gear. I use the same gear for smallies, largies, cats, everything. The only exception is an UL setup for trout and gills. I can definitely say that a 1.5 lbs smallie fights harder than a 5 lbs largemouth on the exact same setup.

Gear wise, we are pretty much the same, including a UL rig. ??

[bowhunter63]

River Smallies are hard to beat.They never give up.

[bostonsox2904]

On 10/8/2018 at 1:03 PM, soflabasser said:

I came back from a fishing vacation in the north. I caught lots of river smallmouth bass which was fun.These smallmouth bass fought good for their size but they do not compare to a peacock bass. Peacock bass are far more powerful with more endurance.

Leave it to the Florida resident to bring up exotics and saltwater fish species ? You just need to mention sharks and /thread

[soflabasser]

7 hours ago, bostonsox2904 said:

Leave it to the Florida resident to bring up exotics and saltwater fish species ? You just need to mention sharks and /thread

Forgot to mention that I also caught muskie (''fish of 10,000 cast''), walleye, northern strain largemouth bass, and other species of northern fish. No guide needed just me and my better half fishing together. None of those northern fish could compare to how strong South Florida exotics and saltwater fish are. These northern fish where fun to catch and I still feel that every bass fisherman should add as many bass species to their species of fish caught.

19 hours ago, bowhunter63 said:

River Smallies are hard to beat.They never give up.

Yes smallies are very fun to catch in rivers but fighting a tarpon in running water will quickly change you mind on a smallies fighting ability.

On 10/9/2018 at 8:22 PM, Russ E said:

pound for pound a smallie usually fights with more vigor, but a 1.5lb smallie is nothing like catching a 5lb largemouth.

 

A 10 pound or better largemouth bass tends to fight better than a sub 5 pound smallie as well. 

[J Francho]

15 hours ago, soflabasser said:

Forgot to mention that I also caught muskie (''fish of 10,000 cast''), walleye, northern strain largemouth bass, and other species of northern fish. No guide needed just me and my better half fishing together. None of those northern fish could compare to how strong South Florida exotics and saltwater fish are. These northern fish where fun to catch and I still feel that every bass fisherman should add as many bass species to their species of fish caught.

That's nice, but the discussion is specifically LMB vs. SMB, so let's stay on topic.  My belief is that if you're in it for a fight, bass is not the species to chase.  The reason I fish for bass is the chess match that catching them regularly, and of larger size, presents.  If I want a fight, I have northern pike, muskie, salmon, trout, steelhead, carp, etc. all available in the same waters I fish for bass.

[soflabasser]

If I had to choose between a smallmouth bass vs largemouth bass I will choose a Florida strain largemouth bass since Florida strain largemouth bass have a larger average size compared to smallmouth bass. A 6 pound or better smallmouth bass is considered a trophy and a 6 pound Florida strain largemouth bass is common enough where you can expect to catch several of them in a month if you wanted to in many parts of Florida.

[J Francho]

We generally fish for what's in our locale.  I'll take the variety of species, variety of waters, lack of hurricanes and gators, and the harsh winters over Florida any day of the week.  I like catching big smallmouth, but I prefer power fishing for largemouth.  I have been to Florida many times, and fished, every February, after the strawberry festivals, and it's nice to visit.

[senile1]

9 hours ago, J Francho said:

The reason I fish for bass is the chess match that catching them regularly, and of larger size, presents.  

On occasion they make me feel like I have nothing but pawns on my side of the chessboard.  

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, senile1 said:

On occasion they make me feel like I have nothing but pawns on my side of the chessboard.  

Some trips I can't even find the BOARD ! 

A-Jay

[tkunk]

18 hours ago, soflabasser said:

If I had to choose between a smallmouth bass vs largemouth bass I will choose a Florida strain largemouth bass since Florida strain largemouth bass have a larger average size compared to smallmouth bass. A 6 pound or better smallmouth bass is considered a trophy and a 6 pound Florida strain largemouth bass is common enough where you can expect to catch several of them in a month if you wanted to in many parts of Florida.

Where I fish, a 6 lb smallie isn't a trophy.

 

I don't follow professional fishing much, but you'd probably have to average around 5 lbs per fish on smallmouth waters like the Great Lakes or Mille Lacs to do well in a tournament. From what I've seen, that average is a lot lower on most southern lakes.