# My old friend Notch...



## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

Just in case you had any doubts that catch and release doesn't make a difference.... Here is a trophy smallmouth from today in the first photo. In the following two photographs is the same trophy smallmouth I caught twice last year. All were caught within five feet of the same spot over the span of eleven months. You can see it is the same fish by the distinctive notch in it's dorsal fin. Smallmouth live a very long time and this fish is probably well over a decade old. And it's a known fact that smallmouth in rivers live in the same section of stream their whole lives. IF you practice catch and release on smallmouth bass and give that 17 or 18 incher the precious gift of time you can have trophy smallmouth in your piece of river. I'm not a catch and release nazi and I understand keeping a few channels or some crappie isn't going to hurt a thing. (and it's just plain yummy) But science tells us you cannot do the same thing with stream smallmouth. You might have just as many but they sure as heck won't be big, at least not for another 10 or 15 years.....


----------



## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

WOW! That is something to remember forever. Thanks for sharing and the release of a beautiful fish.


----------



## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

So how big is Notch, Steve?


----------



## PJF (Mar 25, 2009)

Hope you encounter her/him again. I laugh when I release a nice fish, I tell them to be thankful I caught them. Good job thanks for sharing.


----------



## crappie4me (Jan 25, 2009)

that's incredible.


----------



## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

RiparianRanger said:


> So how big is Notch, Steve?


 honestly im making an effort to not measure fish this year. I didnt have a tape even with me. I lost it and havent replaced it. Is a 19 3/4 that jumps five times less of a fish thats 2o 1/4 that doesnt? If i remember from last year notch is a 20 tho. As much as im after big smallies, i think ive been a bit too caught up in judging them by how long they are. I need to buy me a tape though, i do want to measure that 23 incher someday


----------



## zimmerj (Oct 17, 2014)

Did you name it yet? Would make a good pet.


----------



## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

nice fish! really cool to catch the same fish year after year and watch it grow... myself, I do like to measure those fish… Not so much for pride or bragging rights… But just to measure the rate of growth year after year .


----------



## BuzzBait Brad (Oct 17, 2014)

I have been measuring less this year as well. I’m just trying to focus on enjoying fishing more than worrying about the size of fish. Catching big fish is nice and fun though. Don’t get me wrong lol


----------



## RickH (Jul 30, 2011)

Cool


----------



## 3 dog Ed (Apr 25, 2014)

Ok so I am am a little confused. And hope I don’t get hammered for this. You caught a beautiful specimen of a fish a few times. Spent considerable amount of time and effort to catch and then photograph the fish each time. Shared it with us. But want to keep from measuring it for what reason? I am a huge fan of your work but find this a little unusual. Keep up the great fishing and great stories.


----------



## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

3 dog Ed said:


> Ok so I am am a little confused. And hope I don’t get hammered for this. You caught a beautiful specimen of a fish a few times. Spent considerable amount of time and effort to catch and then photograph the fish each time. Shared it with us. But want to keep from measuring it for what reason? I am a huge fan of your work but find this a little unusual. Keep up the great fishing and great stories.


 To be totally honest I've been terribly disappointed by fish that i couldn't get to stretch that last quarter inch to be a 20. Fish that were obviously trophies out of a stream, that jumped over and over and fought like demons. And they were lesser fish in my mind because of the stupid tape. Its got nothing to do with wether or not i wanna tell you guys how long it was or not or trying to get anyone else to do so or not. Instead it is about me appreciating the experience and not getting caught up on a number. More about my failings than anything else.


----------



## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

zimmerj said:


> Did you name it yet? Would make a good pet.


He did, he calls it "Notch"...…...


----------



## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

I never weigh or measure fish... I find I catch far fewer 10lb eyes that way. 
If I don't measure them when I tell and remember the stories.... Who's to say? Maybe they were...


----------



## BMustang (Jul 27, 2004)

I used to catch a one-eyed blue cat around five pounds in the Ohio River who lived next to an intake tower at Beckjord Power plant. Always caught it on chicken livers, and caught it a couple
of times one season, and annually for about three years.


----------



## thedudeabides (Apr 13, 2009)

I caught the same catfish 2 years in a row. Not to mention the same day as the previous year out of a spring fed pond. Had a white patch on the top of its head. Caught in the same spot on the same bait. Probably spawning at the time. It probably went about 6-8 lbs. I'm not into weighing or measuring fish. I've never really felt it important to weigh or measure. It's very exciting to hook into a big one. The only time I measure is if they get to my fillet table. Only because of the measuring tape on it. I just enjoy catching any size fish and being in nature.


----------



## ARNfishin (Apr 22, 2011)

I only measure if it's a saugeye and I want to eat it. I never weigh fish. My focus is on getting a quick picture and getting the fish back in the water as soon as I can. The last thing I want to do is kill a 3 or 4lb bass that provided me a lot of fun. And I don't care when fish get off right at the boat either. If it fought and provided excitement without me having to handle it outside of the water, perfectly fine with me.


----------



## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Steve, have you ever had a wall mount done for one of your many trophy smallmouth (replica or otherwise)?


----------

