Quest for a big old bronzeback

[Jig Man]

The lake I fish most of the time has the state record smallmouth 7 lbs 2 oz.  It was caught in 1994 so there is bound to be another one someplace in that little pond (25000 acres with 300 miles of shoreline).

I can catch a 4 lbr every few months but I have only managed a 4.25 # as my pb so far.  I'd really like to get a 5 or 6 # in the boat.

You smb experts tell me what I should be doing.  

I am basically a deep water fisherman who works ledges, rock piles, rip rap and point drops even though 2 of my biggest smallies have been in less than 4 fow on jig and buzzbait.

[IDbasser]

I have pulled out many 4# and my PB of 5+ off of water less than 8 feet deep.  I fish the rocks with craw cranks, and this past year I started using trick sticks from *** rigging them wacky with no weight.  Some of the big fish fish came off rock piles that come up to within 2 ft from the surface that have good drop offs to 8-11ft of water.  My favorite crank for going over the tops of the piles is the Storm thundercraw, while letting the trick stick sink down the edge of the piles.  

Good fishing.

[roadwarrior]

Stay with structure in deep water or immediately

adjacent to the deep. Stick with it, there's a monster

in there with your name on it!

8-)

[SLO_ROLL]

I'm in the same boat as you Jig Man, my home lake has big smallies but they are very hard to catch. I can break the 4-5# range only in the winter. All the things you read on smallies say deep but I think that depends on the lake, on my home lake the water is very rich with plankton so its not uncommon to catch fish very shallow year around even in the winter. I catch my biggest fish in the winter just fishing for one bite. I fish a spoon in the winter, it took some time to build confidence in the bait but when I do get bit its really a good one.

[Matt 825]

I agree

Metal Baits + Winter + Location = Giant Smallmouth

[stratosjoe]

My pb is a 7.2 from dale 5 years ago in 30+ fow bouncing a 1/8 oz hairjig with a u2 porkrind down a deeeep bluff wall  near the dam slow fishing but my partner from the same exact spot 10 minutes later got a 5.6 . But my heart of hearts says same as previous poster buddy+cold water+ miserable above water conditions (snow, sleet rain)