Does anyone else exclusively target smallmouth?

[umckibben]

I love chasing river smallies but not exclusively, river smallies always seem active and feeding, not a lot of "skill" involved to catch 30+ fish/ day, just have to make good casts to prime spots, imo of course...

Lake smallies on the other hand can be feast or famine, much harder to locate and catch the same 30+ fish/ day unless it's good/ great conditions.

Although I love catching some beautiful Wisconsin Bronze, rivers or lakes, I'm a frog fisherman at heart...

[TnRiver46]

22 hours ago, umckibben said:

I love chasing river smallies but not exclusively, river smallies always seem active and feeding, not a lot of "skill" involved to catch 30+ fish/ day, just have to make good casts to prime spots, imo of course...

Lake smallies on the other hand can be feast or famine, much harder to locate and catch the same 30+ fish/ day unless it's good/ great conditions.

Although I love catching some beautiful Wisconsin Bronze, rivers or lakes, I'm a frog fisherman at heart...

Smallies like to blow up frogs where I fish. It’s a riot 

[12poundbass]

11 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Smallies like to blow up frogs where I fish. It’s a riot 

I’d be in heaven! 

[Sphynx]

Gotta say that I'm not entirely sure I agree with the proportion of a smallie being better than that of a bucketmouth, you catch a big enough smallmouth and the head looks kinda goofy, a largemouth always has a certain proportional correctness to it

[shimanoangler]

On 10/22/2020 at 9:00 PM, A-Jay said:

Just found this one.

Entertaining read so far that surely includes some interesting perspectives; especially by the OP.

Although I routinely fish waters that have quite a varied mutli-species population, I do mainly target Brown bass.

While there's some decent green bass fishing (mostly somewhat south of me) the more local lakes are super fertile and do support some true trophy size smallmouth; that will always get my attention. 

The past few seasons I've been able to connect with a some of these freak pandas.

It's always a very special event for me when I do and I never take it for granted. 

I think it's fair to say that I have a healthy (or unhealthy depending on how one looks at it) addiction to fishing for them.

Additionally there's a distinct possibility that I may have, on the rarest of occasions,

over indulged in the Picture posting of said brown bass, perhaps ever so slightly.   

However, this particular thread just seems to be begging for at least a few.

So here's some of my past efforts to feed my addiction.  

Finally, it should be noted, that there may be many ways to describe the various inland lakes

these brown bass all came from, however stagnant, certainly is not one of them.

A-Jay

 

ABSOLUTE TANKS!  Now you are just showing off!! Fall or spring of the year fish? Thank you for sharing! 

[A-Jay]

9 minutes ago, shimanoangler said:

ABSOLUTE TANKS!  Now you are just showing off!! Fall or spring of the year fish? Thank you for sharing! 

Thanks ~ Spring fish are pictured there.

A-Jay

[NHBull]

For years catching a LM was an anomaly as my lake is a great SM fishery.  That said, many of us have noticed LM in what was predominately SM areas.  so......while I target SM, LM can end up in the net.  This year it was SM over 95 % of the time

 

[Sphynx]

Thank you @A-Jay for posting pictures demonstrating exactly what I was talking about, the mouth on some of those big girls looks comical and small like it belongs on a much smaller fish, by no means should this be taken as my having any dislike for smallmouth, but I certainly think that giant largemouth are more proportionally pleasing than giant smallmouth, that having been said, if I get the chance at a trophy sized fish of either species I won't be complaining, you can bet on that.

[r83srock]

A-jay, those fish are impressive! 
 

I love catching smallmouth, this time of year I try harder for them. 
 

Pound for pound, smallmouth seem to have more attitude and fight than largemouth.

 

However, I’ve had some largemouth fight as hard as any smallmouth I’ve ever caught. Smallies almost always seem more acrobatic which is fun in itself.

 

Largemouth or smallmouth, if they live in a river they seem to fish harder to me. 
 

I enjoy both species.

[umckibben]

3 hours ago, Sphynx said:

Thank you @A-Jay for posting pictures demonstrating exactly what I was talking about, the mouth on some of those big girls looks comical and small like it belongs on a much smaller fish, by no means should this be taken as my having any dislike for smallmouth, but I certainly think that giant largemouth are more proportionally pleasing than giant smallmouth, that having been said, if I get the chance at a trophy sized fish of either species I won't be complaining, you can bet on that.

I see what your saying but I rarely... if ever have seen a smallie spawned out skinny, where I've caught many big head 5-6# largemouth only weighing at 3 and change that were spawned out with skinny skinny bellies, I'd say even the 5#+ class smallies pre or post spawn look more proportioned than any post spawn largemouth..

[Dwight Hottle]

I have not targeted smallies exclusively but did spend most of my bass fishing time chasing them for a decade. They are addictive after you catch your first one. 

[soflabasser]

On 10/22/2020 at 9:49 PM, Ohioguy25 said:

Nice fish, but they look deceivingly big how you are holding them. Or are they really that big??

The TrophyCatch program recently did a study on how people estimate weights of bass based on pictures. What they learned is people tend to overestimate the weights of bass being held close to the camera lens and underestimate bass held close to the body or far away from the camera lens. Pictures with the fish eye lens effects are even worse since they distort the true size of the bass and make the bass look bigger than they really are. For example a true 8 pound or bigger bass held next to your body can appear smaller than someone holding out a 5 pound bass close to the camera lens. That is why it is best to take photos of the bass being weighed and photos of the bass on a measuring board. 

[umckibben]

2 hours ago, soflabasser said:

The TrophyCatch program recently did a study on how people estimate weights of bass based on pictures. What they learned is people tend to overestimate the weights of bass being held close to the camera lens and underestimate bass held close to the body or far away from the camera lens. Pictures with the fish eye lens effects are even worse since they distort the true size of the bass and make the bass look bigger than they really are. For example a true 8 pound or bigger bass held next to your body can appear smaller than someone holding out a 5 pound bass close to the camera lens. That is why it is best to take photos of the bass being weighed and photos of the bass on a measuring board. 

Why? So you have proof of the "true size" with out taking in to consideration the quality of scale or if it's locked in or......

If you ask him the size of the fish in the pictures I'm sure he'll tell you, I guess it's up to you if you want to believe him or not. 

I personally like long arming fish for a picture, I think the pictures just turn out better...imo

[A-Jay]

3 hours ago, soflabasser said:

The TrophyCatch program recently did a study on how people estimate weights of bass based on pictures. What they learned is people tend to overestimate the weights of bass being held close to the camera lens and underestimate bass held close to the body or far away from the camera lens. Pictures with the fish eye lens effects are even worse since they distort the true size of the bass and make the bass look bigger than they really are. For example a true 8 pound or bigger bass held next to your body can appear smaller than someone holding out a 5 pound bass close to the camera lens. That is why it is best to take photos of the bass being weighed and photos of the bass on a measuring board. 

So I suppose I am a multiple offender then.

I use a fish eye lens to video my fish catches and then I even hold them Super Close to the camera lens.

And I am talking only inches away, long arming them the whole time.

Admittedly I do not do that for you - I like it that way. 

Displaying the fishes accurate weight on the scale very close to the camera - so it's clear & easy to read -

I do that for you. 

 

 

A-Jay

[J Francho]

Using a photo to measure a fish is like using a typewriter to take a picture. Weigh your fish with a scale. Tell your story with words. Share that memory in a picture. 

[soflabasser]

Nice catches @A-Jay. I was just mentioning the results of the study TrophyCatch did and how fish eye lens exaggerate the size of the fish. For me there is no need to hold such nice fish so close to the camera or use fish eye lens but you can take pictures whichever way makes you happy since in the end it is for your photo albums. For me I rather see the fish on a measuring board since it shows the true size of the fish. A 25 inch bass is a 25 inch bass on a measuring board but you can make a sub 24 inch fish look like it is +28 inches in a photo.

[Manly Studson]

10 hours ago, A-Jay said:

So I suppose I am a multiple offender then.

Making fish look massive in photos is fun. For me, you needn’t report an accurate weight. Just say, “It was around 5 or 6 pounds.” Just guess so that you’re not lying. Fishing lore and such stories are fun. Although I don’t believe in Bigfoot, it is more fun to believe in him than not to. Keep “offending” A-Jay.

[A-Jay]

1 minute ago, Manly Studson said:

Making fish look massive in photos is fun. For me, you needn’t report an accurate weight. Just say, “It was around 5 or 6 pounds.” Just guess so that you’re not lying. Fishing lore and such stories are fun. Although I don’t believe in Bigfoot, it is more fun to believe in him than not to. Keep “offending” A-Jay.

Thanks ~ 

I like to get the actual weights on plus size fish for a couple of reasons.

One, the GoPros and filming angles clearly distort their appearance (but in a good way).

And two, my 'thumb scale' is in serious need of calibration as it's always on the heavy side of life. 

A-Jay

[gim]

11 hours ago, J Francho said:

Using a photo to measure a fish is like using a typewriter to take a picture. Weigh your fish with a scale. Tell your story with words. Share that memory in a picture. 

I actually don't weigh my fish very often.  I prefer to measure them instead.  It takes less time than weighing them and I believe that it causes less stress on them, whereas hanging a heavy fish vertically from a scale possibly could.  The less time a fish is out of the water, for me, the better.

[TnRiver46]

32 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I actually don't weigh my fish very often.  I prefer to measure them instead.  It takes less time than weighing them and I believe that it causes less stress on them, whereas hanging a heavy fish vertically from a scale possibly could.  The less time a fish is out of the water, for me, the better.

But I can’t tell how long any of those 3 fish are? 
 

top one I would guess 19”, no clue on the bottom two 

[J Francho]

Unless you drop them or weigh them without using a grip, you aren't going to hurt a bass hanging it vertically.  Bigger Esox spp., yes, you can kill them doing so.

[gim]

27 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

But I can’t tell how long any of those 3 fish are? 
 

top one I would guess 19”, no clue on the bottom two 

I guess if you can't zoom in on the photo (you can't on this website) then it might be an issue.  Most of the photos I send to others are via email or mobile phone and they can easily zoom in and tell how big the fish is.  I participate in a work fishing contest every year too, and a photo of it being on a measuring board is a requirement for entry.  Lets be honest, do you think I would share photos of a 15 inch bass?

 

The top one is 19 inches, middle one is 20, bottom one is 19 FYI.

 

15 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Unless you drop them or weigh them without using a grip, you aren't going to hurt a bass hanging it vertically.  Bigger Esox spp., yes, you can kill them doing so.

The fish is simply going to be out of the water longer if you're weighing too.  Fumbling around with a digital scale takes longer than laying a fish on a measuring board.

 

The other issue is that scales may or may not be accurate.  I know how to calibrate my digital scale, but I'm guessing I don't do it nearly enough and neither do others.  A measuring board is always accurate, it does not need any calibrating and it can't run out of batteries either.

[Mike L]

Fella’s

Why does it even matter?

Someone can hold a fish under thier neck or across the street if they want to. 
They’re proud of what they caught and want to share. 

Isn’t that enough??

 

 

 

Mike
 

[J Francho]

Putting a fish on a bump board is rougher on a fish than weighing.  Neither is too time consuming, and not usually fatal.  I only put fish on a bump board if it's required in an online tournament.

[TnRiver46]

6 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Fella’s

Why does it even matter?

Someone can hold a fish under thier neck or across the street if they want to. 
They’re proud of what they caught and want to share. 

Isn’t that enough??

 

 

 

Mike
 

Why are you always posing things that are sensible and logical???? The nerve........