Jim J Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 One of my favorite myths to get excited about. The ol' "this is a 4lb or 5lb smallie" I have fished with a lot of people and I can only remember one carrying a digital scale. Read this thread about a beautiful "legit" 20" smallie. Read and read again what the scale said: 3.75 lbs on a legit 20" fish. Now as you look at the pic, this fish is not real fat nor real skinny. I would say more like a typical big river smallie. http://www.customfish.com/2007/08/man-on-mississippi.html Guess what? That was accurate. Very few fishermen will EVER catch a legit 5lb smallie. I won't even go into guy's estimations of length. Thanks to Jack Nicholson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pts9889 Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Jim, I agree with you 100% on this one. It wasn't until I started fishing bass tournaments several years ago that I became better at estimating 13"-15" bass. LOL- I don't catch enough bigger bass to practice and master estimating those fish lengths. And weight? Most 15" bass are not 2lbs and a lot of 20" fish are not 4lbs but if you heard how guys talked about the size of what they caught....... But in the end, who really cares? I take most of that talk with a grain of salt! Good fishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bterrill Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 I just measure them. Don't like sticking that metal in a fish's jaw and letting their weight hang on it just for my curiosity. Weight all depends on time of year. I don't fish tourney's so amd only mildly curious about weight- unless it's a near record fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skjordan Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 I agree with Brenden's statement. Measure it, and let it go! Weight not, want not. Yep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbonney1835@sbcglobal.net Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 What do you guys feel about guys who set up the tripod and try to get that perfect picture? Someone once told me that as soon as you get the fish out of the water you should hold your breath, if the fish isn't put back by the time you need a breath ,your taking too long. Arms' length photo of larger bass when i fish solo is just fine, i'm too ugly for self portraits anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonn Graham Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 A true four pound smallie in our state's rivers is fairly rare as well. Big difference between a 3 pounder and 4 pounder. Five pounder? I don't think so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim J Posted August 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Have never seen anyone carry or use a tripod while bass fishing. That's funny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bterrill Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Have never seen anyone carry or use a tripod while bass fishing. Probably so far and few between to worry about. One thing I always do when I kayak with someone is to familiarize them with my camera, i.e., on/off switch, zoom, and button to take the shot. I let them take a practice shot or two and rehearse so when the time comes for a shot of "the big one" it can be done as quickly as possible. It's especially important that the photographer know how to preview the shot once it is taken to ensure that they actually got it! That's where the practice comes in. Once the fish is lipped and unhooked, I / they hold it in the water until the camera is on and ready. Lift the fish out of the water right before the shot. That's how to get those super-slick looking shots. Keep the flash on no matter what the conditions. The flash will help to add better color and detail to the photo. My self-timer stuff when wading solo usually turns out like crap. Once in a while I'll successfully setup the camera on a nearby rock or piece of wood on shore and actually get the fish (and me) framed and the shot off without a blur. It's a rarity though. Like you, mostly arm's length's pics for me. I like the closeups and details of a smallie when photographed in the water while out wading. It's nice to see the color and detail of part of the fish. They are beautiful fish. 9 times out of 10 I get soaked by a tail splash upon a smallie release. They never quit! Well cropping and lightening your photos after is easy enough. Do try to place the camera at head level or above. Camera lower tends to make your face look fat as the angles are all messed. It takes me 20-30 seconds to take a photo- my camera is in my vest pocket. One of the things I always take with a grain of salt is mention of 3-5 lbers in any stream, by any local. Translates to mean 16-17"er. That's a big fish compared to the 8-12"ers they are used to seeing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skjordan Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 One of the things I always take with a grain of salt is mention of 3-5 lbers in any stream, by any local. Translates to mean 16-17"er. That's a big fish compared to the 8-12"ers they are used to seeing. I think you have hit the nail on the head with that observation. Very good point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kend Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 Its been reported, many 4-5lb smallies, with some over 5lbs, have been weighed in at recent SMB tournaments, in the Sturgeon Bay Wisc area. One 5 fish limit, reportedly weighed in at 26lbs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Clifford Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 Yeah, but that isn't a fair assessment, Ken. Come on, it's Sturgeon Bay! Those fish are sick, I tell ya...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim J Posted August 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 Ken That was so far off this topic. I fully understand some waters (Erie) etc have 5lb fish but I was referring to what 95% of us are doing here in IL. Name the last 5lb stream smallie? Lake Mich doesn't count though even there it's overestimation like everywhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 Joz is right. Below is my personal best smallie ever. I don't think this fish went much over 4. And we're taking a couple inches over 20. I've personally seen 2 smallies bigger than the one pictured. They both hit 24". Those fish probably went over 5#...but they were in the Pipestone Lake system in NW Ontario. As far as around here goes, I just don't think the water lends itself to producing a 5# fish...even 4# is a reach. I'm almost into double digits of 20+" smallies and I don't think a single one with the possible exception of the one pictured hit 4#. And even the one pictured is a "possible" 4# fish. The fish around here just don't have any shoulders to them in my opinion. They're great fish, don't get me wrong...but they just don't get to be that classic football shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team9nine Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 A personal favorite topic of mine... I think almost all fishermen over estimate...just human nature. Here is my profile pic 'in large' with a pair of smallies I caught a year ago on the same trip. Want to guess their weight? These were 18"-19" fish from a local river. Left one (in the pic) went 2.89 and the right one went 2.78 pounds on certified scales. Also had a deformed (weird tail/spine anomaly) smallie that if he could have been "straightened" might have went 20" and he was only 2.97 on the certifieds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim J Posted August 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 Yep... A beautiful 19" just about hitting 3lbs. Most guys would have called that a 4lb to 5lb fish. This topic is sort of dumb anyway but what I find fun out of this kind of thing is that when you start talking fishing with someone you don't know (say in a store) and they start telling you about all the 4lb and 5lb smallmouth they (or someone they know) catches, you immediately know that they have no idea about what they're talking about. That puts the conversation in a different light so to speak. You can substitute "all the 20" smallmouth they (or someone else) catches in that same conversation. Sure, sure, lots and lots of 20's are around and catchable. HA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 when you start talking fishing with someone you don't know (say in a store) and they start telling you about all the 4lb and 5lb smallmouth they (or someone they know) catches, you immediately know that they have no idea about what they're talking about. The converse is true as well: when I'm B.S.ing with a stranger and they talk about a 15 inchers as nice fish and 18 as huge, they have instant credibility. (Rare, but it has happened) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim J Posted August 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 Yea Jude, That's what I'm referring to. Most experienced smallie river guys know a 15 is a nice respectable, mature fish and an 18 is a really good one that doesn't happen very often. When you start talking to some guys it gives you a good handle on if they have a clue... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Don R Posted August 20, 2007 Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 And then there's the guy that catches a 15"er and it somehow changes into a 19"er when it's time to tell the story "Puts the conversation in a different light".....that's for sure. If it's an outright lie the guy loses some serious credibility points with me! ....and we have the tape measure guy I caught this Apple river smallie yesterday. It actually measured 17". And no, the yardstick isn't down its throat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim J Posted August 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 Are you living there? I heard you bought a condo in Galena and are working the front desk at Eagle ridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm M Posted August 20, 2007 Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 Over the last 6 years I've probably got more 20 inch fish than most and the only ones I would say were over 5 lbs were the ones in excess of 21 inches and not even all of those . I've had one fish that weighed over 6 lbs on a De Liar scale while fishing rivers in my life . That was a prespawn female with full egg sack that was in excess of 23 inches . I don't even bother to carry a scale anymore , measure the length and let it go . I don't bother with the girth as it just adds to time out of the water . Over the years I've seen and heard way too many over generous weights and for that matter have seen too many over generous length estimates on fish that were not measured . You just learn to take it all with a grain of salt , sometimes a huge hunk of salt . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie Posted August 20, 2007 Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 I weighed a fish once. It was a pike. I think I was 12 years old. I then stopped weighing fish when I realized that a 36" pike is all of about 8 lbs. Norm, I've got the one 23 under my belt and I'll be the first one to say that there's no way it went anything close to what the average shmoe would say. I always get a kick out of the pictures in our area publications (I'll refrain from saying which ones) that have a picture of some guy with a 6lb 18" bass. Bwhahahahaha! It's even funnier when the picture is in front of the guys garage and the photo caption says "RELEASED!". Yeah..right..released into what? A frying pan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Lee Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Jamie my good man, I believe it's catch 'n' release 'n' grease a damn shame to say the least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm M Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Even the fish was released back into the water instead of the cast iron it's to become food for the turtles and crayfish . I "love" those shots in garages , driveways , etc that say released . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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