Its Always Good To Dream

[Bonefish]

Since the FNF season is starting, I thought I would bring up an old subject that is always fun to knock around, which is where the next world record smallmouth will be caught. I think most will agree the fish will come from depths from 15 to 35 feet because a fish that size has stayed away from lures long enough to reach that size in the deeper water. Most think the fish will caught between December and March, however, Apil and May can produce big fish, and the world record as it stands was caught in July. Most think the fish will be caught on a slow jig or the FNF, which should get everyone's heart rate up a little at least. One of biggest smallmouth ever hung and came unhooked was on live bait. So, the jury is out and will continue to be out until someone boats this fish. One last point I want to make here is this fish may not come from Dale. Don't forget Cumberland has produced some big brown fish as well as Laurel. The next world record smallmouth may come from either of these lakes. And finally, there is the chance that a "fluke of nature" could be lurking in the 15 pound range which would destroy that beloved FNF rod in your right before your eyes.

[kygorski]

I'm not usualy a live bait fishermen,but my biggest bass and striper were caught on live bait, and a fishermen who knows how to properly fish live bait will catch the biggest fish.there was a pictuere o0f an 8 lb smb caught on cumberland on a shiner.The world record will NOT be caught on fnf.Those old fish do not have the matabalism to chase small baits. My biggest smb was caught on a sliver, not a small bait!

[elnutsmalljaws]

Muskie Fisherman, trolling Dale Hollow, 17-20lb test, 7' Heavy action rod with a 10" Rainbow Trout imitating lure is my choice. I will say that I woud not throw out hooking a Record Smallie on the FNF with the following reasoning. Personally I have had one on that was an EASY 8, Feb 2005 with my buddy Cliff in the boat, looked like a 4x12, got her just out of net range 3 times (if I had my Striper net she would have been caught). Fish was an EASY 8 maybe a 9 but we will never know. I thought she was an easy 7 but after seeing an 8-4 replica up close and in person at Justin Hall house, my fish was bigger. I have landed 3 over 6 and 5 more that went 5-15 so the thought that big fish don't hit the fly is a bit tainted. I am not in the league of Fred McClintock but have spoken with him several times and he was amazed that I had caught so many big fish on the fly. He too thought that big fish like this would not hit the fly. Fred has caught 3 over 8, all while trolling for Muskie at Dale Hollow. I agree the OLD fish don't want to chase a small baitfish like the fly, but what are they chasing? The free meal is just sitting there quivering and I have a hard time believing that in the winter when they don't want to chase a meal they would pass up an easy free snack like a 1-2 inch baitfish that the fly resembles. Not saying that I would ever get her in because the odds are not in my favor but I would to take my shot at the next one. As long as Stripers are swimming in Cumberland and there is lack of structure in Laurel then Dale Hollow is the Smallmouth king lake in the US........................But those California lakes that stock trout with their extended growing season are catching up pretty quick. Love to see it stay at Dale Hollow where the top 3 biggest of all time were caught but it would not suprise me if California produced it either.

[Bonefish]

Elwood, you have brought up an excellent point in that everyone who is after the bigger fish should have a big-long-handled net in the their boat because you would like to have such a piece of equipment when the big one is on line, and you have those seemingly "short arms" and sweat-drenched eyes trying to net the fish.

[AndyG]

My net barely fits in my boat... can't have too big of a net.

[waterdog101]

My net barely fits in my boat... can't have too big of a net.

you have the big net, for that 12lb smallmouth. you think that fnf 6lb leader will bring it to the big net.... just me thinking about bobber fishing.

[mhall]

It will be caught either at Dale Hollow, Cumberland or one of those deep clear lakes in California. My money says it will not be broken in our lifetime. A 11 plus smallmouth is ancient and most die from old age and the elements way before they ever reach that size.

If it does happen and again I doubt it, my bet is it will be on live bait.

[ON3 3Y3D WILLI3]

Here's an interesting link compiled from vsarious State Records and the IGFA.

http://www.rubfsite.com/RUBF/SMALLMOUTH_RECORDS.html

The current CA record is from Pardee and I think most of the big CA smallies come from there or Trinity and Shasta. All of them are clear, deep, lakes with trout forage. I would agree that the behemoth SoCal bass certainly have the longer growing season and trout forage, but it gets just as cold on the northern lakes like Shasta as it does on Dale come February. Their metabolism slows. On the SoCal reservoirs like Castaic and the San Diego lakes, well, it's 75 and sunny in San Diego pretty much every day of the year so those LMB's have no down-time.

It's interesting to see that the a few of the larger fish on that list come from some pretty random places. A 10 pounder from North Carolina? A 10.8 from Alabama. These are close.

I would say that catching a record smallmouth bass is a much more random event than targeting any other freshwater record. We all know LMB's are being grown, morphed, and hulkified to where the **** things look like they need to be living in a wreck deep in the sea. And, every close call on the LMB in the last 5 years has been by those same few dudes in CA who camp out on top of a fish for months at a time until they feel she's gained enough weight or has enough eggs in her belly to get that record. The only fun I see in that is the fun I have laughing at them when they don't break it. To me, smallies are much different and in a much more elite class. I guess you can say I see the SMB as a more natural fish- certainly one with a lot more mystique. It's a fish with a lot more factors. I don't think it can be narrowed down to one particular body of water, or even one method of fishing, time of year, or bait but I too hope it comes from Dale- the Kentucky side, and I hope I catch it, my 6 year old catches it, or one of you fellas on here catches it.

[elnutsmalljaws]

Top 3 of all time, 5 of the top 7 of all time, 6 of top 9, 10 of top 21 of all time from Dale, speaks volumes about the quality of the fish in Dale Hollow. Center Hill in TN has 2 in the top 25 for second place on the lake list. Add in Pickwick and Tellico with 1 each and you have 14 of the top 25 of all time from TN lakes, which speaks boldly as well. Other than the record, maybe the 9.8 pounder caught in Ontario Canada might be the most impressive fish on the list of the top 25 considering how cold it gets up there.

[elnutsmalljaws]

I did this analysis early in 2009 and posted it on another site, looked it up and will post it here under this topic. Probaby useless information but like I said below to a Smallmouth nut like myself with nothing to do but heal up, here it is.


I looked up the top 25 biggest Smallies ever caught on record according to BASS. They ranged from 9.0lbs in #25 to 11-15 world record of David Hayes. Billy Westmoreland has #6, #7 and #19 on the list, the only person with multiple entries and Dale Hollow has produced 6 of the top 9 of all time including the top 3. Only 7 fish over 10 have been recorded and what makes Hayes fish even more immpressive is it was caught in July and not in April or May which is prime big girl time. Of them I came to the following conclusion for I took the dates caught and looked up the moon phases back then as well. There were no months or dates on a few of the 25 but of those listed the following is what I came up with:

# of fish caught by month, Feb - 1, Mar - 5, April - 4, May-1, June-3, July-2, Sept-2, Oct-2. None in Jan, Aug, Nov or Dec.

Moon Phase - 2 caught 3 days before or after full moon, 2 caught 3 days before or after new moon, 6 caught from 4 days past full moon to 3 days prior to new moon, 7 caught from 4 days past new moon to 3 days prior to full moon.

Just my analogy but seems to me that the biggest fish will be caught in Mar/April (makes since due to the Smallies putting on eggs beginning in January so they are their biggest before they spawn) and the moon phase does not play any part in it for only 2 were caught around the new and full moon phases while 13 were caught in the middle of the full and new moon phases either coming in or going out.

When I looked this up, I really wanted to find some reasoning that said the full or new moon was MUCH better or certain months were so much better than others. I succeeded in that I will never have a shot at a 12 pounder on the fly since the FNF months have produced none in the past but did succeed in seeing that the moon phase does not play a role in it. I have caught more fish on the new moon and bigger fish on the new moon and thought I would see the same but did not. The earliest entries on the list were in 1925 and the latest was July 3, 2007. Hayes fish is over a pound bigger than second place and the 2 biggest fish Billy Westmorland recorded a 10.0625 and a 10.00 both were caught in March of 1970 and 1972. The third of Billy's fish did not have a caught date on it.

I have been chasing the 12 pounder for over 5 years now and thought I had a shot at it but now I begin to wonder if one ever gets that big anymore. When a 9 pounder puts you in the top 25 EVER and a 10 pounder puts you in the top 8 EVER and only 1 EVER has exceeded 11lbs then makes me wonder. I will still try and love all the 5's and 6's that I catch just as much but still hoping for the 12 to pull my bobber under. Don't have a clue what to do then but sure would like to find out. This is probably all useless information to most but to a Smallmouth nut like myself, sort of neat. Elnut

[Chubminnow]

It will be caught either at Dale Hollow, Cumberland or one of those deep clear lakes in California. My money says it will not be broken in our lifetime. A 11 plus smallmouth is ancient and most die from old age and the elements way before they ever reach that size.

If it does happen and again I doubt it, my bet is it will be on live bait.

I agree...there's not another 11.15 oz smallmouth in Dale...this is my opinion.

[demodan]

I agree...there's not another 11.15 oz smallmouth in Dale...this is my opinion.

I hear ya on that Chubminnow...but I believe there is...There has to be at least one pushing 11 pounds...or 12lbs during the spawn. My personal largest came during late Dec. on a white spook, walking it like a pro, side to side! My arm has never been so sore from fishing that day, never so exhusted, ...I had to get a room that night...unable to drive home back to Oldham Co.. It was my best day on Dale ever, never stopped throwing the top water bait from dusk, till dawn, and maybe took 1 break to eat a pj sandwich...It was frezzing rain all day, two years ago. I had 9 under just under 21 inches...5 just a pinch over 21 inches, and one that went over 23 inches...it was whopping 6lbs and 13 ounces!!!! I wanted to take it home, and put her on the wall. But where I caught her was so beutiful...she was beutiful...a huge waterfall pooring into the lake where I caught her...I released the rest..might as well let her go to, I did. I had three times the blow ups on that spook, than I had hooked!!!!...There were times that day that the smallies would hit it so hard...the spook would just get knocked into the air. Total of 15 smallies...all day! My partner stuck with the CB bomber ( he didn't have a spook or a sammy), nor did I for him to use;...he only caught 4 that day, only one over 21 inches. Hell of a day...got love that top water bite!!!!