[RNeiswander]

I had just over an hour before dark, and I hit a popular spot on my favorite flow. It was a slow decent sized pool right after a bridge. I was using these

on a 2/0 hook, weightless. I caught 2 or 3 10-12" smallies. The strikes were coming on the landing or the drop. A few strikes came after a few flicks but none on a steady retrieve.

A few minutes after those fish, I cast out, waited a few seconds, started reeling and nothing. Reeled faster, and the fish had picked it up and swam straight at, it felt the weight a half jumped a few times, it was about the shape of a football. I was standing on a downed tree, he swam right into the branches and broke me off. Might have been 14" but it was fat!

I was a little bummed about that, and after that it slowed down a little. 15 minutes or so went by, then this happened.







Went 16.5"
I thought it was a bit bigger but I'm happy with it, can't imagine what an 18"-20"er looks like in the water.
Caught a 14" on the very next cast, caught a handful of others and called it a night. Pretty productive hour!

 

[SMBHooker]

Good lookin fish. Those paddle tails are DEADLY on the fall rigged weightless! On the retrieve as you stated they SUCK rigged weightless. If you fish them like Senkos near timber a PB smallie would not be a surprise.

Good report. Considering the time of year and the bite turning on I'm surprised the boards have so few reports lately.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire

 

[co-angler]

Great post!
That was certainly an outstanding hour of fishing.
Those are some pretty fish as well.

 

[deltaoscar]

That's a great looking smallmouth.

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire

 

[9Left]

Gotta love the paddle tails!!! Nice fish!

 

[RNeiswander]

I went back today, took my kayak. Something is off weather wise, the fish aren't biting like they were, same thing as yesterday.
Did manage to get this guy

And this guy

That rock bass was funny, solid bite then strong pull then almost nothing. He got his head up, I saw the mouth and thought this bass sure isn't fighting right, got him in and I figured out why.
He hit a caffeine shad.
That was the last strike I had on that, switched to a crawdad, that's what I got the smallie on. Not as many as I was expecting but better than nothing.

 

[bgrapala]

Big Rockie! I got one about the same size the other night and thought the same way about the fight. It hit hard then just kind of limped in after a very tame head shake. Still love catching them though! I think its about high time to start busting out some suspending stuff for the bronze.

 

[RNeiswander]

Yeah it was! Haven't caught one that big in a while, biggest was 11.5" forever ago in a tiny creek