fishrman Posted February 7, 2005 Posted February 7, 2005 I love smallies. Where is your favorite lake or stream for smallies both in numbers and in size? I don't have many in my nieghborhood of SE Iowa and am envious of those of you that live amongst them. Don't worry about me taking your favorite place as I am, as I am sure most of you are, strictly a catch photo and release guy. I just want to catch that 6 pound smallie so I can get a nice replica made after I get his photo and let him loose so you can catch him when he is 7 pounds. ;D Quote
squid Posted February 7, 2005 Posted February 7, 2005 Lake Erie is where you want to go catch them at....if you find a good hole...average 4lbs....but I like Muskegon Lake, only cause I have a honey hole I can catch them all the time... ;D Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted February 7, 2005 Super User Posted February 7, 2005 4 lb average? I spend a week on the Great Lakes every summer and the fishing is really good, we've had days where we have caught fifty smallmouth- a piece! However, I have NEVER caught a single fish that weighed 4 lbs. We don't catch the numbers here in the Mid South, but if you want to go after a hawg, this is where they live. I don't recommend the summer. The VERY best fishing is NOW through late March and then again, September through November. Got out last Saturday and caught seventeen but only one over 5 lbs. Total for the year ('05) is sixty-eight smallmouth, eleven over 5 lbs including two just over 8 lbs. Quote
fishrman Posted February 7, 2005 Author Posted February 7, 2005 Just point me the right direction. That sounds like some great fishin Roadwarrior. Can you possibly email me and let me know particulars. By the way, I fished Erie one time for smallies and it was fun but was on a charter and the captain was more interested in seeing how fast we could get our limit and get back in than quality fishing. Quote
CoalCracker Posted February 7, 2005 Posted February 7, 2005 The Susquehana and Juniata rivers in pennsylvania can't be beat!!!!!!! Quote
pyrannah Posted February 8, 2005 Posted February 8, 2005 I just signed up for this site and seems like there is a ton of info here. Â Can't wait to get through it all. I am from PA and do a lot of fishing in the susquehanna and it is really the only fishing I know. Â There are certain areas you can go and catch fish all do long. Â The best is wading in warm waters discharge from power plants. Â As for lunkers I have never seen any but I know they are there!! I would love to fish erie sometime can you guys post more info on where to go and such? Thanks a lot!!! Quote
michaelnous Posted February 9, 2005 Posted February 9, 2005 I agree with Roadwarrior. I live 10 minutes south of Chicago and drive down to Arkansas every year for their smallmouth and trout fishing. You can definately get 4 pounders out of Bullshoals, Norfork and the White river. Midsouth definately has some great places for Smallmouth. Hopefully I will have a picture to post after my trip in April Quote
mcorr Posted February 9, 2005 Posted February 9, 2005 In my area there is only one place, Dale Hollow. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted February 9, 2005 Super User Posted February 9, 2005 Well mcorr, Dale Hollow being home to the current world record, who can argue with that? I suspect you fish Percy Priest, Center Hill and the Cumberland River, too. I'm in Germantown and haven't made it over to your neck of the woods, yet. When do you think is the best time to hunt that 12 lb smallmouth I'm looking for? Quote
Big_Bass_Rich Posted February 9, 2005 Posted February 9, 2005 I agree with Lake Erie, although I'm partial since I live on it! Â ;D If you find the right spots, a 4lb average is not tough to come by. In the fall we can raise that to a 5-6lb average... just gotta know the right areas. Quote
Nick_Barr Posted February 9, 2005 Posted February 9, 2005 I have heard that Dale hollow in Tenn. and lake champlain are good. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted February 9, 2005 Super User Posted February 9, 2005 Big_Bass_Rich, this is just for fun, I'm not calling anyone out. My best day EVER was a few weeks ago and if I assign 4 lbs to our 10 under 5s and round up to 6 lbs for our seven over 5, the math is 82/17 = 4.82. Â I can probably talk myself into stretching it to a 5 lb average, but here in the land of monsters, that's a big day. Quote
Big_Bass_Rich Posted February 9, 2005 Posted February 9, 2005 My best day ever was last fall when we never got a single smallie under 5lbs the entire day. We weighed them all with a Normark scale and we ended up getting 12 or so between 2 of us, biggest being 6.2lbs. We're talking late late fall with huge jigging spoons. Almost too cold to keep the rod in my hand without dropping it lol. Lots of huge fish out there but it's all in the spot you choose. You can't go out to a big hump where everybody fishes but rather smaller humps near the big one, or spots that look like nothing. Half the time we'll find some sparse weeds in the middle of nowhere, mark it on GPS and fish it for a while and find a whole bunch of big smallies there. If we fish the main shoals that everyone else fishes a limit of 3lbers is pretty good. The thing is finding these secondary spots is kind of an unreliable way to fish and I wouldn't exactly count on them producing on tournament day. These are "here today, gone tomorrow" type areas but if you get onto them you can get a 4-5lb average no problem. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted February 9, 2005 Super User Posted February 9, 2005 WOW! Â I need to book a trip with you. Â Quote
fishrman Posted February 9, 2005 Author Posted February 9, 2005 Wow and Wow again, I need to book a trip with Roadwarrior and a trip with Big_Bass_Rich. Just let me know when I can come. Quote
Big_Bass_Rich Posted February 9, 2005 Posted February 9, 2005 Bass season opens up here June 25th, best fishing for big smallies is September - November  ;D ;D Quote
Nick.Culver Posted February 10, 2005 Posted February 10, 2005 Don't forget Washington! Every where you turn theirs some kind of good smallie fishing. Lots of great numbers lakes. Good amount of big fish lakes. THe columbia river has put out some big bags in tournaments. Quote
bronzeback_NW Posted February 11, 2005 Posted February 11, 2005 I'm just following you every where tonight Nick. Yes the columbia is an untouched resource for BIG small mouth. I saw bags from my club derbys last fall that went 22.00-25.00lb. now those are GREAT bags no matter what kinda fish your after. I will be going out starting March 20th or so for big SMALLIES at the mouth of the Yakima River pouring into the Columbia. I know of one fish caught by a client of a friend of mine that went 7lb12oz. And that was right in town. Some day I will make it to Dale Hollow. Was at a seminar with Mr.Yelas last winter and he said that he thought that the smallmouth on the Snake and Columbia was 2nd only to Lake Erie. I tend to beleive Mr. Yelas when he says that.......Jim Quote
Phishn_Phool Posted February 11, 2005 Posted February 11, 2005 Sorry, but I guided for 25 years for smallies and I'm afraid I don't believe you can catch 12 smallmouth bass any place anytime that will average 6lbs Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted February 11, 2005 Super User Posted February 11, 2005 Well Phishn_Phool, here's a story for you. I have been fishing with a guy now for almost four years. He's a great fisherman and a good man. In November of '03 he caught a 10 lb smallmouth which I netted and weighed. So, that's the lead in, but here's the story: Every time we go smallmouth fishing on the Tennessee River, we start out anchored on the downstream mouth of a little creek. We waste thirty minutes to an hour at a spot where I have NEVER gotton a bite. The reason we ALWAYS start here is becase my buddy caught seven fish over a two hour period with a total weight of just over 45 lbs! Now this was several years before I started fishing with this fellow. I now know him very well and I believe this story, if you knew him I think you would, too. That's not twelve averaging 6 lbs, but it's seven with a 6.428 average weight. When I had my biggest day ever, last month, I was reminded several times that it was NOT his biggest day. Quote
fishrman Posted February 11, 2005 Author Posted February 11, 2005 ;DI am still waiting on my invitation Roadwarrior : Quote
L.D. Posted February 13, 2005 Posted February 13, 2005 We have pretty good fishing here on the North Branch of the Susquehanna, but it seems nothing in comparison to you guys. 2004 was one of my slowest seasons due to all the floods we had, but we still managed to boat 4161 smallmouths for the season. My average is 5600 per season. Even though I fish five to six days a week, I seldom get more than one five pounder a week. But we get pretty constant action which keeps my clients happy. L.D. Quote
LUNKER Posted February 25, 2005 Posted February 25, 2005 I believe you guys need to check out this sleeper. In Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin. Last June we were up there or as they say UP NORT and had a Smallmouth Fiesta. 5 fish limits of 16 lbs were not uncommon. Â Door County is absolutely beautiful and rich in culture which makes it a great family outing. Still confused? Its the inlet between Lake Michigan and Green Bay. A great kept secret and a worthy trip. Im going again this year, just for fun. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted February 25, 2005 Super User Posted February 25, 2005 Lunker, I have been vacationing in Door County every summer for the past ten years or so. Â Although we catch a lot of smallmouth, I've never caught anything over 4lbs. Maybe my buddy doesn't know where the big guys hang out. But as far as numbers go, you won't be disappointed. Quote
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