Do you love big bluegill?

SMALLMOUTH BRAGGER BOARD

post your personal bests or braggers in this discussion... if possible post a description of the details of your catch.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by B. Waldman on March 7, 2015 at 5:39pm

Sounds like an interesting new group...so I'll jump right in :) This is myself (rt.) and good friend Jacob Wheeler (touring pro) with our best 5 smallmouth from a trip this past November. These are from here in Indiana in a river/reservoir chain of lakes. These bigger fish seem to stay scattered throughout most of the year, but in the late fall when things start getting cold (50 deg. or less water temps), they make a move toward wintering areas and start grouping up, as well as putting on the feedbag for winter. We catch some on jigs and others on jerkbaits, but when the water is halfway clear, the A-rigs are the best deal going for large fish. One of these is my new personal best at 4.69 pounds.

Permalink Reply by jim cosgrove on March 7, 2015 at 6:15pm

the scenery is the midwest but the fish look like canada.what comeback they are making.we are catching them up to 5lbs sometimes in creeks i can jump across.we have a partial catch and release season in the streams in illinois and it really seems to be helping.they are showing up in places not seen in generations.and lake michigan is full of them too.

Permalink Reply by Slip Sinker on March 7, 2015 at 6:55pm

Great looking bunch of smallies!... fall is my best time of year for quantities of chunks... great coloring on these fish!!

Permalink Reply by John Sheehan on March 7, 2015 at 10:00pm

Fantastic Smallies ya got there B! Great work!

Permalink Reply by Slip Sinker on March 7, 2015 at 7:38pm

Fishing the early catch and release season i hooked onto this hawg while fishing the early season pike pattern this 1 oz black and purple bass jig may have had a wire leader on it at the time ... i was dragging the deeper creek channel which ran up close to the bank when she hit. Master Angler sized but they must be in season... however it is my personal best.

Permalink Reply by jim cosgrove on March 7, 2015 at 9:16pm

very nice slip-my biggest wasn,t quite that big but i did lose a bigger one up in canada.we caught tons and went to a lake known for giants.caught a bunch of leopard frogs and used them for bait,dont think i ever had a freshwater fish hit so hard.my buddy who guided up there estimated it at over 8.had em up to the boat 3 times just couldn't lip him.had a net just blew it but will always have that memory.

Permalink Reply by Slip Sinker on March 7, 2015 at 11:17pm

thanks Jim... sorry about that loss i know how you feel... saltwater rules though you touched the leader you owned it!

Permalink Reply by John Sheehan on March 7, 2015 at 10:00pm

SUPER FISH SLIP !

Permalink Reply by Slip Sinker on March 7, 2015 at 11:17pm

thanks John!

Permalink Reply by Slip Sinker on March 11, 2015 at 9:27am

heres another snap of that slob smallmouth...

Permalink Reply by Jim Gronaw on March 7, 2015 at 10:00pm

Love those smallmouth pics! These are all great fish!

I have been blessed to have fished the Susquehanna (PA) and the Potomac (MD) Rivers throughout my lifetime and many of their tributary streams, along with the Juniata River in PA. I'll have to dig through my files to come up with the pics, but my best smallies look like this...

Potomac... 22.5 inches, 5 lbs 4 ozs. November 1986

Susquehanna...19.5 inches, 5 lbs and a 20 incher at 4 lbs. 14 ozs. - November and February catches

Small streams...two fish at 19 inches, one in the Monocacy (MD) and one at Marsh Creek (PA) - both were caught summertime wading.

Lake...Triadelphia Lake (MD) at 19.5 inches and 4 .25 lbs. October 1994 and 20 inches at 4 lbs. 14 ozs. at Long Arm Dam (PA) way back in July of 1981.

Various lures and tactics for each, to include live crayfish and minnows.

Great fish guys!

Permalink Reply by John Sheehan on March 7, 2015 at 10:07pm

I gotta get to the Susky sometime for some Smallies . What sections have have you fished Jim?