# 19" Topwater Smallie Adventure 9-10-13



## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

I stalked extreme shallow water that the late summer had rinsed clear. I took calculated long casts and moved with stealth. My hunting skills were sharp and my presence went unnoticed. I could see many smallmouth stacked up on my pursuit down river. They are clearly beginning to group up and seek out their fading prey before winter. Not ten casts deep into my smallmouth search a small but extreme storm cell pounced on me and let loose a soaking I was not prepared for. I moved into the woods to take shelter but even here under a thick layer of leafed canopy there was no shield that could fend off the hard rain. I moved under an enormous trunk that had a small hollowed opening. Not wanting any of my electronics to be ruined I crouched my way into the opening to wait out the storm. I took in my surroundings and pulled out a flashlight and walked the light slowly up the interior of the tree trunk. The light went higher and higher and I began to fear that directly above me I may not be alone. All I could think was that my flashlight was sure to spook a nest of bats my way. The void within the trunk was vast and I stood straight up and the light finally stopped at the end of the opening that went up almost fourteen feet within the trunk. I was pleased to find there was no residence occupying the dark space high above me. By this time the thunder was sounding farther off to my East and the rain weakened to a trickle and I left the woods and the sleepy hollow I had took shelter in. 

*Cave Man*










*Standing Inside the Hollow*










Making up for lost time the storm had stolen from me I moved quicker through the river and twitched a C-Shad fanning the water for a strike. I received my first fish with a hard thump. 

*1st Bite*










After not receiving the response I expected after the fist smallmouth on the C-Shad I switch my presentation to a topwater plug. The intense rain tore off every loose leaf from the trees and I had to work hard to pop the plug between a constant flow of fresh floating leaves. I got into a bunch of dinks that kept the evening exciting but I got bored quickly with them and moved on but let the plug remain at the end of my line. 

I had so much fun exploring new areas today working the surface of the river. I had some great explosions on top and most were in clear enough water that I had a front row seat watching them follow or come up hard to take a bite. 

*Topwater Bronze*










Eventually I found myself in a space on the river where some push water flowed out leaving a perfect seam that cut a border that walled off the current from the slack water. Here I positioned a perfect cast on the partitioned line that separated the still water from the fast water. I took an aggressive approach and knocked the plug forward with a pair of hard twitches. The plug pushed a copious amount of liquid in a ball of splatter. Before the lure or the water it sprayed could come to a rest a massive fish performed a full breach exposing the entirety of its mass as it attacked the lure. My heart pumped a hard beat. My eyes gapped and I set the hook knowing this could be the moment. When the weight I expected never came my entire being felt disillusioned. As panic, disappointment and frustration set in like a fire set with gasoline I threw my line out in another cast. To my surprise this time not only did I duplicate a perfect cast I replicated the same action that first drew this water dragon out. This time I was not disappointed. I had a solid hook up. The fish took to the air more than once. At first I thought he was foul hooked because I could not locate the lure on any of the first few jumps it took. But as the fight drew closer to me I could see he had taken the whole bait down in one bite. I feared I would lose the fish now knowing it was thrashing around with the line sawing back and forth in its mouth. But, the line held and I brought her in and was shocked once again that this fish only measured out to 19 inches. I am starting think that my tape measure is defective. 

Night moved in and I walked back under a crescent moon that glowed through the fog lifting from the rain that fell earlier. I was guided home by a lit path along the bank where glow worms faded in and out of sight with beautiful bioluminescence. The woods were alive and everything seemed enchanted after such a great night fishing the river. 

*BEAST*










*Took the Whole Thing*


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

awesome read smb! Thats a heck of a nice topwater fish. I noticed the wading shoes...keens...you like those? I have a pair and i think my feet slip around in them too much when the shoe is wet.


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## co-angler (Jan 3, 2010)

Fantastic narrative SMBH! Love the tree shelter. Reminded me of the book, "My Side of the Mountain"
Really cool find and very impressive catch! 


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## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

Thats a great looking fish,congrats


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## HOUSE (Apr 29, 2010)

Wow he sure snarfed that thing down! Did you have to remove the hooks through his gills?



co-angler said:


> ...Reminded me of the book, "My Side of the Mountain"


 That's not the book you were trying to read to me while I was doing all of the work paddling your lazy butt upstream in the canoe, was it?


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## zaraspook (Jun 16, 2009)

Beautiful bronzebacks and great narrative!


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## Crawdude (Feb 6, 2013)

Beautiful fish!! I like how the water is dripping off it's fin in the photo, makes the photo look more editorial.



> Love the tree shelter. Reminded me of the book, "My Side of the Mountain"


Exactly what I was thinking!


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## Stekor (Mar 25, 2012)

Hell of a smallie! Great post.

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## deltaoscar (Apr 4, 2009)

That's a gorgeous smallmouth SMB.


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## gibson330usa (May 15, 2012)

Definitely a beauty, you'll get that 20 soon keep at it.


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## SConner (Mar 3, 2007)

Beautiful fish and like the tree too! We must get together this fall.


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## Britam05 (Jun 16, 2012)

Great looking pics SMB! You found a jackpot on that day. Nice report as well!


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## Fisherman 3234 (Sep 8, 2008)

Awesome Smallie, they are definitely starting to be more and more aggressive.


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## yakfish (Mar 13, 2005)

Great fish as usual! Awesome tree too! That river sure produces some beautifull smallies!


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## GMR_Guy (Apr 10, 2004)

That's a gorgeous smallie. There is nothing better than the topwater bite.


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## co-angler (Jan 3, 2010)

HOUSE said:


> That's not the book you were trying to read to me while I was doing all of the work paddling your lazy butt upstream in the canoe, was it?


Not quite H. 
That was " The Desiderata of Happiness"

Are you still griping about that?
We did the best 2 out of 3 with Rock-Paper-Scissors. 
Geez.




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## Bazzin05 (Feb 2, 2011)

Awesome looking fish!


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## Cat Mangler (Mar 25, 2012)

Man SMB, your name isn't a lie one bit. When was the last time, if ever, you were skunked? Not meaning to be rude or anything, just that every post of yours is full of some fine fish. You always seem to get em in.

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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

9Left said:


> awesome read smb! Thats a heck of a nice topwater fish. I noticed the wading shoes...keens...you like those? I have a pair and i think my feet slip around in them too much when the shoe is wet.


I have two pair one is years old but starting to wear and have no issues. The second pair is new that I bought a half size big because it was on sale half off. It fit better I thought until it got wet wading. It slips a tad like you said but nothing I can't deal with, this one pair I use mostly on the yak so its no big deal. I would suggest buying a 1/2 size smaller I guess, they are great shoes. 


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

HOUSE said:


> Wow he sure snarfed that thing down! Did you have to remove the hooks through his gills?


No, lucky for me this was a King Kong sized smallie so it popped out with pliers no problem. 




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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

SConner said:


> Beautiful fish and like the tree too! We must get together this fall.


Yes sir, we need to set somethin up . . 


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Awesome smallie and great report as usual.


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## GarrettMyers (May 16, 2011)

Great fishes and awesome report smb. Don't know how I missed this one.


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