Been A While

[BronzebackWarrior]

Been back and forth from table rock and stl for the past month, a little work and a little play , helping put in new floor in the cabin etc.  i have been able to hit the mac up lately  on foot only when the waters right  from a spot downstream from the big . I  try and find the cooler clearer water and then head towards the murky stuff from their , Working a jig i found a couple 8 or so inch smallies sitting along a submerged rock ledge , as the water got murkier the fish got a little bigger caught a couple small spots.

 

 

Got to chocolate milk water and switched to a nice tight wobbling crank bait.  Managed a 14 1/2  inch spot? and lil sauger?. 

heres a couple extra fish from tablerock i thought id share we specifically troll main channel points , pea gravel banks, and chase the whites around  , i fish with my grandpa and step dad down their, (something i trully cherish)   theyve converted into trolling their reasoning being its easier to have a beer and they dont want to cast as much these days, 

At both The lake and the River the monster Smallie eludes me 

[Al Agnew]

Nope, that one you thought might be a spot is a largemouth.

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Thanks for sharing your trips.  

[Mitch f]

Monster smallmouth are a rare treat. A smallmouth that's truly 20" is a heck of a trophy.  I'm still amazed how big a 20" smallmouth looks when you're holding it in your hands. They get smarter as they get bigger,  but it seems the times when I caught a big one I didn't seem to do anything special. I was just at the right place at the right time with the right lure. But more often than not, the water was a tad murkier than normal.

But I do think a stealthy presentation works to your favor. My old working buddy at McDonnell Douglas had property on the Gasconade river. He was the first true smallmouth freak I'd ever met. He described what he thought the best way to catch a trophy smallmouth on the river. He  had a John boat and would motor up to a big log jam or rootwad in the middle of the river and tie on. Then he would use what he called "The one cigarette rule". He smoked a cigarette and waited. After he finished the cigarette he would dunk a live craw dad down in the middle and just let it sit there without moving it for up to 10 minutes. He caught a bunch of big smallmouth!?