....... I've ever had on the other end of the line yesterday .
Can't say exactly how long it was because it was a breakoff , but it made 20"-21" Smallies look really small .
I was able to see it clearly for about 6 seconds , couldn't believe my eyes .
Have always wondered what it would be like to come across one of these . Just once before have I seen another unbelievable river Smallie , that one swam right under the boat .
I know they are out there and have always figured it would be a once in a lifetime thing should I ever hook into one ... well , I now think that was my once in a lifetime lucky hookup for a Smallie in that size range .
Though it was a breakoff , I'm not sad about it . Happened so fast , it bumped the tube on bottom and as soon as I brought the rod up to confirm ... it took off like a rocket ship , faster than I've ever seen a Smallie burn out . Instantly it had my rod bent over , drag set as usual but that wasn't enough ... it seared across the top of the water in plain view , in an arc for about 6 seconds before the "Snap" !! All I had time to do was hold on , not even enough time to think .
Smallies like this one are out there in the rivers , and though all the other ones are by multiples of times more in quantities of numbers ... one never knows when they might run into one of these monster Smallies . Ken stopped along side for a moment and I told him it was unbelievable large and I suspect I'll never see anything like that again ... and he said , "but just maybe , it will happen on the next cast , you never know" .
what gets me …
...... is that huge Smallie is going to get caught by someone else pretty soon , it's almost a fact . Right now it's in a short and narrow slow creek that gets a fair amount of pressure this month ... it's an especially aggressive Smallie to boot , one of the very few that even bothered to bite in that creek this day because of the too cold water temps. in it still .
And when they catch it , it's going to be wearing my jewelry , a red shank hook w/ 1/4 oz. lead jig head , it will probably have been able to shed the 4" plastic Crawdad tube by then though , but not the hook jewelry in it's jaw , it was stuck good .
Shortly after the break off , it jumped water 50' down stream ... already trying to get rid of it's new jewelry . I hear lip piercing is in now a days !!
It's fact that if one Smallie has a bait in it's mouth that other Smallies will attempt to steal it from him ... we hope it sheds the plastic so they don't try that . Can you imagine the fish wearing the jewelry and the other fish biting it from his mouth ... and getting hooked in the process also . Two stuck together fish isn't going to be very good for either of them , really hope that doesn't happen .
I've seen these Smallies gang up on the fish that just got hooked with that Crawdad hanging out it's mouth . They ram it broadside , bite at it's mouth to steal the bait away , try to make it drop it so they can get it ... crazy aggressive fish they are .
Cool.
I wish it were going to be me that would catch it, but I still haven’t got out this year. I may get out Saturday morning after some shad down on the Rapp.
- Big D
2nd and final chapter …
...... about that huge Smallmouth .
It was exactly one week later on a full moon when the nephew and I went back to this place . Early in the morning we entered the creek were I hooked and lost the huge Smallie before . Water temp. was 49F. and even lower than the previous week , it was also crystal clear this week (those aren't good things) .
We caught 4 Smallies near the mouth of the creek but only a few bumps for the rest of it going up and down it's length .
Took special attention at the hold were the huge Smallie was found . Light was coming up now and then I tossed over the tip of a branch hanging close to the water surface right in the center of the hold (hate when that happens) ... wasn't able to flip it off , so had to go into the holds area to recover it . Figured what the heck , we had already laid cast after cast throughout the hold area and it was time to move on anyway .
As we glided up to the branch and stopped ... there just a few feet off to the side was that huge Smallie just lazily swimming away . Saw her plain as day , she was a monster , if I say 2' long that's probably being conservative .
Made some more cast all about her hold area (still hoping) , not a bite from anything . It was time to leave this creek and head up river to the fast creek again .
We entered the top of the fast creek , same low crystal clear water but the temp. was 56F. in this one , about the same as the main river . We did work a fav. spot of the main river on the way up , but nothing .
Cause the water was lower than last week the fast creek was noticably slower ... and I also did an anchor drag for awhile which allowed us to really cover the shoreline well . We were hopeful , air was still , water temp. a perfect 56F. , excellent boat control for cast presentation , and this creek produced fantastic the prior week when we had to speed down it .
Long story short , we took only two fish from it this time , a Walleye and a Smallie . As we struck out on one hot spot after the other in this creek , hopes began to fade . Everywhere we looked into the water it was like an aquarium , and every fish we saw had seen us first ... they weren't biting at all . The sky was now bright and blue as could be , not a cloud to be found by late morning , combine that with low crystal clear water and that was the ticket for "a nice boat ride" (that's what we call it when nothing bites) .
On the way down the creek we saw big Muskies (4 or 5 of them) just mosy away , river turtles walking on the bottom , Walleye darting away , Smallies running away , big Channel Cats mosying and big Carp doing the same . No matter how we approached , no matter how far away we cast , these fish just had zero intention of eating at this time .
We gave it everything we could , and we had by this time settled on the fact that it was going to be a long slow day . We finished the fast creek and turned up another river close by that joins the main river .
Same story ... fast forward to 5 pm. , it's time to go back to the 1st creek and work the sunset bite , our last and best chance of the day . So far it's been a 6 fish day between us , and our hopes all but crushed , but I talked the nephew into making one last stand back where we started ... I told him the story wasn't over yet and we got some unfinished bussiness back at the huge Smallies hold ... he laughs at me but reluctantly heads back to the slow creek anyway .
As we enter the slow creek again the water temp. has come up some , it's 53-54F. now , the sky is losing it's light which is a good thing on this crystal clear water , the air is still and mild ... and I get that fishy feeling . Ever get that feeling yourself ??
I go into stealth mode with renewed hopes , I'm certain something fantastic is getting ready to happen , the scene is one of perfection and mystery ... the nephew doesn't even care to pick up his rod anymore today , but he obliges me and patiently takes masterful control of the bow mount elect. motor . We work the creek from it's mouth , not a bite ... but I tell him it's not time just yet , don't give up . Soon the Sun will be dropping behind the tree tops up there on the high ridge , and when it does we will be arriving at the huge Smallie's hold ... don't rush it , it's going to happen , the stuff of legend and myth is about to unfold I told him , just believe and don't rush it .
By now he's really laughing at me , starts teasing me with a "white whale hunt" theme , and some Johnna story ... but as we enter the realm of the monsters hold I remind him to just stay way back , take our time because it knows we are here again , he laughs some more .
There's about 75' of shore line that makes up the hold . It starts with the most excellent boulder outcropping on shore , for 10' off shore the bottom is irregular and individual boulders on bottom form deeper holes among them , at the upcreek head of the hold a full size tree has fallen this past winter capping the hold , it's a Smallie castle of a hold .
Wam , I take a powerful hit , where'd it go ?? I tell the nephew it's playing games , teasing us , he laughs again , but I assure him this story isn't over yet .
A couple minutes later another hit and this one takes off running , I set the hook and and bring in a nice 19"-20" Smallie ... nope that's not her I tell the nephew , it's one of her cronies she's sent to harrass us , she's here somewhere believe it !!
Bang , another hit and another nice Smallie taken , that's two from the hold so far and the nephew decides he might as well pick up his rod also .
Another hit , but a miss this time .
We are now near the head of the hold where the fallen tree is , that's very close to where I saw her this morning ... I told the nephew she's there just waiting for us ... he laughs with his "white whale" reply again ... almost at that instant she breaks water right up against the fallen tree with the loudest tail slap you've ever heard , we are startled at the sound and comotion , our silence and stealth have been laughed at by her , she said "BOOOO" I know you're there !!
I said to the nephew , that was her giving us the finger for the jewelry she's still wearing . It has now become a dare and we will back off but sneak up again and continue to work the intire hold once more .
I tell the nephew this is our last shot and that I wish he would put on one of the 4" Crawbugs like I'm using now instead of a spinner , so he figures why not I've taken two fish and as many hits with it here at the hold .
Again I tell him , trust me the story's not over yet , the legend and myth of this place here and now is almost ready to be revealed .
We worked hard again , it's the last of twi-light and as we floated down to the beginning of the hold almost ready to call it day ... the nephew throws one last cast and WAM ... the fish hooks up and runs hard , he's still half shocked but gathereing himself (this is his 1st fish since late morning for him and his 2nd cast at he hold) ... I'm rooting him on saying loosen the drag , hold on to her ... she breaks water and burns another run , Wow it's an incredible battle !!
He brings the Smallie to net and I snap his picture ... we both know this one isn't her , but it might be her younger sister , lol ... it's a fine powerful built Smallie in the 20" plus class , in the 5-1/2 - 6 lb. range , beautiful coloration , healthy and I call her a Arnnie Swartzneger fish , she a beauty !!
As we pull away from the hold leaving and heading home , it's gotten almost dark , the air temp. has become freezing again on the creek ... we are happy fishermen again , the day ended with some great action , the legend and myth of the Giant Smallie remain just as they should be ... we tangled with her , saw here up close and personal , she laughed at us in a water explosion ... and she wears the jewelry I gave her but she's not been boated , she is the stuff of legend and myth and rightfully so ...
and so concludes this tale of , the Nephew and Unc went a fishin ...
http://s1248.photobucket.com/albums/hh482/pilotwingz/
Beautiful fish
yeah it was …
… that’s the nephew with his last fish of the day .
That Walleye sure was a skinny minnie wasn’t it ?? Looked like it was starving or something , probably why it was the only one to bite in the middle of the day .
Good un!
That’s a good story and a nice catch.