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[Flysmallie]

No problem. I knew it wasn't intentional and felt a bit like an jerk for even mentioning it.

[MOsmallies]

No worries guys... It's a well known stream, but thanks anyways!

And you're correct Andy... they are beautiful in that stream. Bright gold with bright white bellies and the bigger ones tend to get real nicely tiger striped,

[Ham]

i got a 20 inch and 21 1/2 inch on back to back days on the New River in Virginia in March 2005.

I've caught some pretty nice ones local, but I usually am in search a hurry to get them back in the water that I don't measure or photograph. I'll try to do better.

[Guest]

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[Feathers and Fins]

22 1/4L x 16 1/2 g

[Smalliebigs]

22 1/4L x 16 1/2 g

Holly crap that is a sweet smallie!!!! good for you....that is a PIG

[Geoff]

Best so far is about 12-13"....I hope/need to change that this year. i'd just like to catch one this year. its been close to 12 years since i've seen one in person.

[Al Agnew]

My three biggest were 22", and two 21.5". One of the 21.5s and the 22 were caught many years ago, and I kept and mounted both. Both weighed about the same at 5 pounds even, give or take an ounce. I released the other 21.5 without weighing it, but it probably weighed a bit less than 5 pounds. The 21.5 came from the Meramec, and the 22 came from lower Big River. Smallies over 20 are tough to catch. I probably average about two over 20 per year, seldom having a year where I don't catch at least one, but seldom having a year where I catch more than two or three. But besides the three biggest, I think I've only caught two more that made the 21 inch mark.

And although I've fished in some other parts of the country on some really great smallmouth streams, I believe I've only caught two other fish that were 21 inches, one from the St. Regis River in New York, and one on the upper Mississippi.

[fishinwrench]

Only one over 20" for me, but I caught it topwater on the fly (red-faced deer hair frog) which I wouldn't trade for a dozen on gear and plastic.

Seems to me that once they get over 16-17" they quit jumping and making hard runs. Big ol'bulldogging fish are cool to see every so often but I think I enjoy the slightly less obese ones with more explosive energy.

[hank franklin]

I have one 21-inch and one 20-inch. Fortunate to have caught them both. Both were exactly 21 and 20, tip of nose to tail pushed together. Both on the Meramec, though far apart.

A 20-inch stream smallmouth to me is the Holy Grail of Ozark stream fishing.