What's considered a big smallmouth vs. a trophy in Missouri?

[ozark trout fisher]

OTF's Totally Arbitrary and Meaningless Standards

16-18"= "Good one"

18-20"="Holy crap!"

20-22"= "Welp, that's probably the biggest one I'm catching this year"

22+" I, uh, I don't have experience in this area.

[Hog Wally]

There's just nothing like a 5 lb or bigger smallie on a ozark stream.  For me it's comparable to a 150" buck or a triple bearded gobbler. And you actually get satisfaction from releasing it.  I have lost 3 this year that haunt my thoughts and keeps me going back to try again.  

[snagged in outlet 3]

13 hours ago, Hog Wally said:

I have lost 3 this year that haunt my thoughts and keeps me going back to try again.  

I lost one a couple months ago that I hooked after it followed an 18"er the boat.  I dropped a fluke back to it and it smoked it.  I lost it fumbling for the net.  But compared to the 18 incher it was a slob.

[ozark trout fisher]

7 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

I lost one a couple months ago that I hooked after it followed an 18"er the boat.  I dropped a fluke back to it and it smoked it.  I lost it fumbling for the net.  But compared to the 18 incher it was a slob.

I lost a monster a couple years back in the Big Piney that haunts my dreams (like, I've literally dreamt about it.) Couldn't have been any less than 6 pounds. 

[Hog Wally]

46 minutes ago, ozark trout fisher said:

I lost a monster a couple years back in the Big Piney that haunts my dreams (like, I've literally dreamt about it.) Couldn't have been any less than 6 pounds. 

Wow!  Now that's what I'm talking about !  

[fshndoug]

I caught a 6lb smallie on Pickwick years ago on a deerhair jig I tied 20 years ago on a November morning.It was a pig ,very fat.

[ozark trout fisher]

16 hours ago, Hog Wally said:

Wow!  Now that's what I'm talking about !  

It honestly didn't even look real. I've never seen a smallmouth anywhere near that big outside of a Bass Pro fishtank.