Really Small Smallmouth - Memories

[Dan Hughes]

As a kid in the 1960's, I fished Eagle Creek on the west side of Indianapolis. For those of you who know the area, this was long before the reservoir. It was just a small creek, maybe a foot deep in the rapids and eight or ten feet deep in the pools, and you could easily cast to the opposite bank.

I used tiny spinners and spoons to catch 8-inch smallmouth bass, and I had a ball!

Hate to say my tackle wasn't light - the Zebco 202 reel came with 10-lb test line, and it sold for about what it costs now - $5.95. And that was all I could afford from my paper route money.

Anyway, I think I had more fun "landing" an 8-inch smallmouth then that I do landing a two-pound largemouth now. The fight those little things put up was just tremendous, and they leapt all over the place.

Anybody else have similar experiences?

[islandbass]

You couldn't be closer to the truth. I started fishing for smallmouth just this season and until then, I only read about how they fight. When I hooked into my first one, I was blown away at how they fight compared to a largemouth.

I got my dad into fishing for Smallies (and bass fishing in general) and he got hooked on smallies instantly. On the second fish that he caught, he called me to observe with him the tapping of the his rod's tip and the twitching of the line. The rod's tip took a nice, strong turn downward, and my dad said, "Oh my gosh! I got a big one here!" I rushed over and got into position to pull up the fish and much to our surprise . . .

We both couldn't stop laughing when we saw it. He was puzzled how a little fish could fight so hard. I was puzzled as to how this little guy bent his rod so far down.

This is not a knock on largemouth, and I still like to fish for them, but a smallmouth's fight puts to shame a largemouths.

[Gunrunner26]

Same up here in Warren County, IN on Big Pine Creek.  Fishing back in the 60's with a Zebco 66 reel that took me months to save up for.  The smallies are still there, but now I canoe it to get away from the bridges.  If you don't get at least on 15", it was not a good trip, but usually get 25-40 on a 6 hour float.

[thunderstruck]

Hey Islanndbass, my mom would LOVE to have that in the fish tank! Haha, what did he catch it on.  I'd most likely guess worm, but I cought a .5 lb bluegill on a tiny torpedo.

[Mrs.Bladesmith]

Both the husband and I have caught bass that were smaller than the rapala lure they were hooked on. Voracious little buggers.

[islandbass]

Hey Islanndbass, my mom would LOVE to have that in the fish tank! Haha, what did he catch it on. I'd most likely guess worm, but I cought a .5 lb bluegill on a tiny torpedo.

I believe it was a locally made bait called a Sniper Snub. It doesn't look like much, but it is a smallie catcher!

[Gunrunner26]

Well, Big Pine does it again.  I landed 43 in an 8 hour float.  My buddy landed probably another 35.  Two biggest were 17.5" with lots of jumps.  Really a great day in the rain.

[Taliesin]

My experience isn't about the fight they put up, but how big of a bait they will attack.

Just a few weeks ago I caught several 8" smallies on a Zara Super Spook Excaliber Saltwater. That lure is about 6" long, and one of the smallies was only 7" long. That little guy had the front hook in his mouth and the back hook in his tail fin.