Big Smallmouth

[Fish2win]

Hey guys I just got done writing this article for my Job at the paper. This is a great fish.


One exciting thing about bass fishing is that you never know when you might catch a fish of a life time. Allen Gunner experienced just that a couple of weeks ago while fishing at Tellico.
It was late in the day and had started to rain. Allen was fishing with lure maker and tournament partner Josh Moore when the fish hit. The pair was fishing a drop in about 14 feet of water. Allen was rolling his bait about 4 inches under the surface when suddenly the big smallmouth exploded on his bait coming about 3 feet out of the water. The bait Allen was using was a Swimmo swim bait manufactured by Josh Moore’s HPP Plastics lure company. It was the 5 ½ inch model in the pearl color.
Josh recanted the battle saying” once the fish jumped on the initial strike it went down and tried to stay there.” Allen was using 17 lb test fluorocarbon line and was trying to wear the fish down before he brought it to the net. Josh went on to say “the third time it circled the boat I was afraid it would pull off so as it came by the trolling motor I put the net down and it swam right into it”
These two anglers catch a good number of lunker smallmouth, but when they saw this fish out of the water they knew it was a special fish. “The fish was 27 inches long and 20 ½ inches in girth” Josh said. The pair knew they needed to get the fish certified. Currently the official lake record for Tellico is 9 lbs even. There was a 9lb 6 oz smallmouth weighed in a few years ago in a tournament at the canal ramp but the fish was not certified nor weighed on official scales.
They quickly made arrangements to fill out the paper work for an official fish. The official weight was 9 lbs 4 oz. That’s a smallmouth of a life time. Allen is awaiting the official results of the certification from the TWRA.
The world record smallmouth was caught in 1955 at Dale Hollow. Kentucky and Tennessee both claim that fish as their state records. The International Game and Fish Association recognize that fish as the world record. That fish was certified at 11lbs 15 oz. Tennessee holds seven of the top ten largest smallmouth officially documented.

[dubyatee]

man that must be a heck of a fish! any pictures?

[Bender]

Wow! I am trying to plan a trip up north here in Michigan in the next month or so looking for big ones, but maybe I'm looking in the wrong direction!
Is there a good population of these big smallies down there? I don't know much about those TN lakes, are they mixed LM and SM? What does it take weight-wise to win tournaments there?

[Fish2win]

There will be pics on the company web site soon. http://handpouredplastic.com These guys are good ole boys that fish almost everyday and started a lure manufacturing company to supplement thier winnings. Not BASS pros.

Bender, The growing season for smallmouth is the longest in the country. The minimum size limit is 18 inches and this time of year that will be a 3 1/2 lb fish. There are lots caught up to 22 inches that are 5+. Six to seven pounders are common. The SM over 7 are hard to catch on lures. Striper fishermen catch a lot that are 7 to 8 pulling shad in the winter.n The November thru early January and then late feb through april is the time to catch the real big guys. Having said that the biggest I have caught this year is 211/2 5 lbs. I have caught around 70 that were over 18 and no telling how many 15 to 17. I fish Norris much of the time because I live there but Loudon, Tellico Cherokee are good also. Dale Hollow, South Holston or Pickwick are great. If you want to go further Wheeler in North Ala is good also. Guides are readlily availible at Dale Hollow and motels food are cheap and decent in all around the lake.Google Dale Hollow/celina Tn or Hoarse Creek Marina.