Smallies have ruined me

[bweave09]

I think I have a problem. I caught my first smallmouth (about a 2.5 pounder on pickwick while on a guided prefishing trip with Jimmy Mason)on September 10th of this year and ever since I haven't had as much fun catching anything else. I even dreamed about them the other night. I am not near a healthy smallmouth population and it is driving me crazy. Is this normal?

[fishermantony]

Very normal, smallies have had a similar affect on me. 

[tjc76]

They ruined me too.  But thankfully I am close to some great smalllmouth fisheries.

[MNGeorge]

Do you have any rivers near you?  You won't understand the true meaning of being addicted to Smallies until you're addicted to river Smallies.  Fortunately, I live within a few miles of some excellent river Smallie fishing.

[Dwight Hottle]

Welcome to the normal smallie withdrawal syndrome.

[Nick]

George,

Your Minnesota waters are a dream to fish usually, but what's the deal with all that river weed clogging up the stretch above Little Falls? In three years, it's made that stretch almost unfishable on the Mississippi. Thanks.

[gotarheelz14]

As far as NC goes (noticed your Raleigh, NC stat) you got the Mayo, Dan, Uwharrie, New, Yadkin, French Broad, and some others.

Out of all those I have personally fished the Mayo, Dan, Uwharrie and the New. I have caught smallmouth in all. This was at the very beginning of the summer though when I had JUST started fishing. What does this mean? If I could catch one back then lol, well its safe to say there had to be pretty stable populations of fish!

If you are ever close to any of those rivers, I would definitely check them out.

[bweave09]

There are smallmouth here in Columbia in the Broad and Congaree Rivers, but I haven't caught any. All largemouth so far. Anything specific to target in the river for smallmouth?

[MNGeorge]

George,

Your Minnesota waters are a dream to fish usually, but what's the deal with all that river weed clogging up the stretch above Little Falls? In three years, it's made that stretch almost unfishable on the Mississippi. Thanks.

Nick,

That stretch has been somewhat of a mystery to me and all my fishing buddies...those weeds do make it tough to get around for sure. 2010 was worse than normal due to low water and warm temps in the Spring. Many places I've never seen weeds in 30 years of fishing the upper Mississippi had vast stretches of weeds. It was bad enough when the weeds were just growing everywhere, but when the water rose so dramatically mid to late Summer, many of those weeds tore loose and we had floating and suspended weeds in the water for almost the remainder of the season. Many Summer/Fall presentations were not an option at all...anything with a blade or a treble hook would foul almost immediately upon hitting the water.

Instead of beating your head against a wall on that Little Falls stretch, I suggest you drop down to the stretch below the Royalton dam and try that. If you have to stay on the Little Falls stretch, the 2 best options we've found are a swim jig fished along the edges of the weed beds or over the top of them and a soft plastic jerk shad fished along the sides and/or just downstream of the weedbeds. Keep your fingers crossed for high dirty water and a cool Spring. ;D

[Bluebasser86]

This last fall I found myself driving an hour and passing several good largemouth lakes just to fish for smallmouth that don't get nearly as big around here. Problem is that a 2 pound smallmouth fights as hard as a 5 pound largemouth does most of the time and is way more acrobatic. There is something intoxicating about catching them. I'm very lucky to live within a couple hours of some pretty decent smallmouth lakes or I would be in real trouble.

[Clyde]

I have to say that chasing smallmouth is a serious addiction. I am not very good at it but I catch small ones out of the creek just behind my house. Then we catch them out of a canoe in a small river about 20 miles away. I would much rather spend the day chasing them .

[Blu]

I am a some what recent convert to Bass fishing. I do enjoy catching a Smallie over a large mouth any day but to me nothing beats any trout in the very early in the year when the ice is first melted off the lakes.

[tipptruck1]

I can count the number of large mouth I have caught on both hands. small mouth on the other hand no. I have caught and beaten my 5 lb small mouth pb. Were I fish its not uncommon to hook in to many fish over 4 lbs.

Heres my pb caught last year. Yea it is dirty. I had to beach it. No net and treble hooks flying every were. That fish was still fighting while I took the hooks out.

[flippin and pitchin]

I started to fish for smallies seriously about three years ago and would rather go after them than largemouth.  My only regret is not getting serious about them 20 years ago.

[roadwarrior]

Man, that's a beauty!

                                    

[J Francho]

I'm probably better at fishing largemouth, but I do love the smallies too.  Some nice catches from this fall:

[flippin and pitchin]

Man, that's a beauty!

Thanks Kent,

I caught 4 more about the same size all in about 45 minutes.  The best trip of my life to date.  My hand still shakes.  BUT !!!!!!! When I grow up, I want to be Dwight Hottle.  The man is a pig master.

[Big Al23]

Wait until you catch some 4+ bronzebacks!

And my buddy's 5

[new2BC4bass]

Hey, Big Al, was your buddy frozen with shock? My grin would have been from ear to ear with any of those fish!!! What nice hooooggzzz. ;D

[GrundleLove]

I have been fishing for a long time and have never even caught 1. ever.

[Dave T.]

Do you have any rivers near you? You won't understand the true meaning of being addicted to Smallies until you're addicted to river Smallies. Fortunately, I live within a few miles of some excellent river Smallie fishing.

Man, if that's not the truth! Our smallie river is just a few miles away... I've been dreaming about the spring bite already, and all my gear is cleaned up, and ready to go. Now I just need the foot or so of ice on the shoreline to thaw out. LOL

[CAdeltaLipRipper]

This last fall I found myself driving an hour and passing several good largemouth lakes just to fish for smallmouth that don't get nearly as big around here. Problem is that a 2 pound smallmouth fights as hard as a 5 pound largemouth does most of the time and is way more acrobatic. There is something intoxicating about catching them. I'm very lucky to live within a couple hours of some pretty decent smallmouth lakes or I would be in real trouble.

mmmmm... i dont think so lol a 2 pounder fighting as hard as a 5?ive never noticed really a difference between them,although i havent caught many smallmouth. The largemouth we have out here fight excellently,especially the ones in the delta because they have to fight current. I think that yes smallies can be more acrobatic,and they use more tail movement,but i think largemouths have more pull. I just think a 2 pounder compared to a 5 pounder is a little too much,but maybe its different in other places and i also havent caught many smallmouth. Sorry if i might be being biased because largemouth is my favorite lol. But the fish over here fight extremely well, i think

Please smallmouth fanatics dont chew the crap out of me for my opinion lol

[bigredxlt]

This last fall I found myself driving an hour and passing several good largemouth lakes just to fish for smallmouth that don't get nearly as big around here. Problem is that a 2 pound smallmouth fights as hard as a 5 pound largemouth does most of the time and is way more acrobatic. There is something intoxicating about catching them. I'm very lucky to live within a couple hours of some pretty decent smallmouth lakes or I would be in real trouble.

mmmmm... i dont think so lol a 2 pounder fighting as hard as a 5?ive never noticed really a difference between them,although i havent caught many smallmouth. The largemouth we have out here fight excellently,especially the ones in the delta because they have to fight current. I think that yes smallies can be more acrobatic,and they use more tail movement,but i think largemouths have more pull. I just think a 2 pounder compared to a 5 pounder is a little too much,but maybe its different in other places and i also havent caught many smallmouth. Sorry if i might be being biased because largemouth is my favorite lol. But the fish over here fight extremely well, i think

Please smallmouth fanatics dont chew the crap out of me for my opinion lol

without a doubt pound for pound small mouth fight harder than largemouth. I love fishing for both, but the I think the main difference is the fighting style a lot of times largemouth will swim up making the easier to bring in, but the majority of smallies I have caught will dive and dive especially when they get close to the boat. Now if it is 2 to 5? not too sure about that but 3 to 5? I think thats a fair comparison.

[Dave T.]

Yea, I don't know about that 2lb to 5lb or 3lb to 5lb stuff. However, I do now that I've been fortunate to fish lakes near where I live that have a good population of both largemouth and smallmouth bass. I've caught plenty of similar sized fish of both species on the exact same tackle, and I would still have to give a slight edge to the smallies in lakes.

Now, river smallies is a another story... especially those that get to decent size in a fast flowing river like portions of the Susky and New River... and similar. The same size smallie in those places will "slap the snot" ;D out of both those lake fish. After all, they battle some form of current 24/7/365... sometimes for 10 years or more.

Throw in the possibility that if you connect on a good one, he has the current on his side... sometimes a LOT of current. Then, add in the fact that if you are targeting smallies specifically, you are probably using lighter tackle to begin with... the result is like having a stick of dynamite on the end of your line.

Whatever the case, they both are great game fish, but a good size river smallie is really something special.

[CAdeltaLipRipper]

This last fall I found myself driving an hour and passing several good largemouth lakes just to fish for smallmouth that don't get nearly as big around here. Problem is that a 2 pound smallmouth fights as hard as a 5 pound largemouth does most of the time and is way more acrobatic. There is something intoxicating about catching them. I'm very lucky to live within a couple hours of some pretty decent smallmouth lakes or I would be in real trouble.

mmmmm... i dont think so lol a 2 pounder fighting as hard as a 5?ive never noticed really a difference between them,although i havent caught many smallmouth. The largemouth we have out here fight excellently,especially the ones in the delta because they have to fight current. I think that yes smallies can be more acrobatic,and they use more tail movement,but i think largemouths have more pull. I just think a 2 pounder compared to a 5 pounder is a little too much,but maybe its different in other places and i also havent caught many smallmouth. Sorry if i might be being biased because largemouth is my favorite lol. But the fish over here fight extremely well, i think

Please smallmouth fanatics dont chew the crap out of me for my opinion lol

without a doubt pound for pound small mouth fight harder than largemouth. I love fishing for both, but the I think the main difference is the fighting style a lot of times largemouth will swim up making the easier to bring in, but the majority of smallies I have caught will dive and dive especially when they get close to the boat. Now if it is 2 to 5? not too sure about that but 3 to 5? I think thats a fair comparison.

mmmm..maybe lol.Idk i still think itd be even with a delta largemouth those guys are a lot feistier than the ones up in our lakes. And we've caught quite a few 4 plus pound fish at the delta,and they dont mess around lol theyre straight beast.Plus the delta is like cover trees vegetation galore hahaha that doesn't help out much.I really would like to go to lake erie or something and bed fish for smallies that looks awesome!

And just another comment here,it seems like from what ive seen on tv, the 3 to 4 pound smallies fight harder than the bigger 5 pound plus smallies.It seems like they have more energy