# Maumee smallies



## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

How has the smallmouth bite been on the Maumee, has anyone got into some yet?


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## 47dipseydivers (Jan 21, 2011)

I've been catching a lot of small ones around side cut 

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## BFG (Mar 29, 2006)

Please handle those fish with care! That fishery is a true gem and to see guys walk out of there in the summer with smallies on a stringer drives me nuts. 

Mash your barbs...enjoy the fight...and let 'em go!


----------



## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

C&R is all I do when bass fishing. Maumee river smallmouth are a fish I haven't gotten into yet and look forward to getting a few this year from the kayak.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## 47dipseydivers (Jan 21, 2011)

I'm c&r also 

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## zeezbrah (May 23, 2013)

a friend and I have been fishing the maumee for a couple weeks and caught these about 2 weeks ago. we c&r all the fish we catch


----------



## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

Jmsteele187 said:


> C&R is all I do when bass fishing. Maumee river smallmouth are a fish I haven't gotten into yet and look forward to getting a few this year from the kayak.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


I know you love your yak, but youre really better off walking for smallies, especially in the summer. Its gets so shallow some spots you cant even get a yak through.


----------



## LatinoHeat (Sep 2, 2010)

damn thats a big smallie kid! very nice


----------



## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

BFG said:


> Please handle those fish with care! That fishery is a true gem and to see guys walk out of there in the summer with smallies on a stringer drives me nuts.
> 
> Mash your barbs...enjoy the fight...and let 'em go!


Echo that in spades. You just cant get through to some people


----------



## fishdad (Apr 10, 2013)

I agree wholeheartedly with C&R too, that's all I do with bass. 
has anyone caught any smallies on the Maumee in Defiance or anywhere near there?


----------



## 1mecheng (Jul 28, 2009)

It's closed season on all black bass right now ... no reason anyone should be taking them out of the river.

Having said that, I hit up a nice 14" smallie on a white #3 Mepps bucktail while white bass fishing off Bluegrass Island. Fun to C&R! The smallies are not in the river in great numbers yet ... probably another 1-2 weeks or so I'm guessing (if the weather cooperates).

Dan


----------



## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

Just because you can't keep them, doesn't mean you can't target and catch them. 

But please, C&R them


----------



## play6832 (Mar 20, 2012)

I did well last Thursday . Went back down Sunday and the carp moved up . I seem to do better west of waterville with bigger fish .


----------



## homerun (Nov 22, 2009)

I caught 4 smallmouth fishing for white bass upstream from Sidecut. They were small but fun. All were caught on a white 2" twister tail on a 1/8 oz. jig.


----------



## fisherboy (Sep 17, 2012)

I get tired of hearing about catch & release of SB in the Maumee. Apparantely the State of Ohio believes it's OK or they would prohibit it more. NO I do not keep any myself for the same reason most people release them. There are better fish to eat & its nice to catch them over. But again I have kept 2 in the last 20 years or so & they are both on my wall. FO ones. So there are exceptions.


----------



## BASmead (Jan 11, 2008)

Sorry about your fatigue fisherboy. I'm gonna preach that till the day I die.. 


posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

fisherboy said:


> I get tired of hearing about catch & release of SB in the Maumee. Apparantely the State of Ohio believes it's OK or they would prohibit it more. NO I do not keep any myself for the same reason most people release them. There are better fish to eat & its nice to catch them over. But again I have kept 2 in the last 20 years or so & they are both on my wall. FO ones. So there are exceptions.


I don't think anyone would give you crap about keeping two SMB in 20 years. Now, if you were taking home your limit every day you went out fishing, it may be a different story. I personally don't like to eat bass, but love to catch them. So I let them all go. If I did eat them I'd probably take one here and there, but not very big ones. I think I would also get a replica fish mount made, rather than a skin mount. This way that trophy fish goes back to make more trophy fish after a few quick pics and measurements and I still get a good looking mount for the wall. Maintenance on them is quite a bit easier too, you just dust them off every once in a while. With skin mounts, don't you have to bring them back to the taxidermist every few years or so? Otherwise the start to fade and deteriorate. As far as that goes though, to each his own. From what I've been told the maumee smallmouth fishing is still kind of in recovery, which to me, is good reason to C&R.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## fisherboy (Sep 17, 2012)

I hear about limits being taken home? 5 14" is really a decent day in the Maumee. Not decent but great. If I remember right, my best day last year was 20 or so & only 4 were legal keepers.


----------



## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

fisherboy said:


> I get tired of hearing about catch & release of SB in the Maumee. Apparantely the State of Ohio believes it's OK or they would prohibit it more. NO I do not keep any myself for the same reason most people release them. There are better fish to eat & its nice to catch them over. But again I have kept 2 in the last 20 years or so & they are both on my wall. FO ones. So there are exceptions.


Really? Have you ever compared the reg books for Ohio and Michigan? How much effort can you say the ODNR puts into this? Its really up to us to bring back some of these fisheries.How long did it take to get any kind of length regs on Black Bass in Ohio. We still dont have a statewide reg on walleyes. Just keep every 6 inch fish you want. If you want to count on the state of Ohio all you have to do is look at the mishandling of La SuAnn. Good luck with that. Pay attention to all the guys lamenting the slide of quality fishing in every N.W. ohio upground res. Its on you whether you like it or not.


----------



## thistubesforu (Mar 30, 2009)

Most of the fishing I do is for bass and I don't keep a one. Never fished the maumee for smallies before but the bottom line is if people like to eat em and they are legally caught so be it. I've seen people keep largemouths at an alarming rate out of resthaven and I feel it hurt the fishery there but to each his own. If your tastebuds call for bass catfish carp or whatever tear em up. Personally I go for perch gills walleye and crapps when I'm looking for some fish to eat but that's my tastebuds not everyone else's. 


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## LatinoHeat (Sep 2, 2010)

I will keep a bass or 2 on occasion. I like the taste and have no problems with others taking legal fish. That bring said, DeathFromAbove made some excellent points. It really is up to the individual fisherman to preserve the quality of our fisheries. I live in Michigan and fish both states. I would agree that the Ohio DNR does lack a little. +1 for Michigan...now, if we could learn how to take care of our roads like Ohio does!


----------



## Troutchaser (Jan 1, 2013)

I never keep any fish. I couldn't stand the fact that I killed a fish that I love to catch.


----------



## CEO of CCK (Jul 23, 2012)

I busted a super nice 18.50" SMB on an Arkies Crappie Crankbait Friday evening. My personal best. All I do is kayak fish and I wouldn't even think about wading because I can cover more water faster, especially when I use my super shallow Bomber Square A crankbaits. I Google Earth all my spots prior heading out, so I don't intentionally fish super shallow holes. <1ft deep IMO..

I have a gripe about people keeping SMB's as well. I was out Friday and a shore fisherman had a 20+" SMB on a stringer, and he asked me if it was season, and I said it was illegal. He never even acted like he was going to throw the fish back. He just kept it on the stringer...


----------



## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

That's a very nice smallie!!! I really need to get on the river.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## 21579 (Jan 15, 2010)

Catch and Release the river smallies knouckkleheads.


----------



## fishingfoolBG (Oct 30, 2007)

Nice Smallie, I sure miss stomping around the ol muddy Maumee.


----------



## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

CEO of CCK;
I have a gripe about people keeping SMB's as well. I was out Friday and a shore fisherman had a 20+" SMB on a stringer said:


> That was a nice try anyhow. Who would keep a fish like that? Ive caught a thousand smallies from the river but never a 20+. Not only does it take a rare fish from the river, but from the breeding gene pool as well.
> Good bit of advice you gave us- If you can't convince them, Lie to "em !
> nice fish you had by the way. Thats about as big as I get them. Bigger than that are rare.


----------



## Bucket Mouth (Aug 13, 2007)

Breaks my heart to hear about pigs getting pulled out and stringer'ed. People are entitled to it so I won't complain. I've got a few 20's out of Maumee, and DeathFromAbove is right, they are few and far between.


----------



## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

Why does every bass thread have to devolve to crap about eating them? O M G. Throw that in the forums rules. No religion, politics or talk about eating bass.


----------



## walleye28 (May 13, 2013)

Unless you want a mount keeping a big fish is pointless, for the majority of fish beside bluegill the smaller fish are better tasting such as walleye. 14-16 inch walleye taste different than an 18 inches because as a fish gets older they start to lose flavor and are less firm. Iv had bass once and have to say id put it at the bottom of freshwater fish i tried. bluegill, walleye, crappie, sunfish, perch, and catfish are much better and more abundant, no reason to keep a smallie for food.


----------



## HatersGonnaHate (Jun 4, 2013)

walleye28 said:


> Unless you want a mount keeping a big fish is pointless, for the majority of fish beside bluegill the smaller fish are better tasting such as walleye. 14-16 inch walleye taste different than an 18 inches because as a fish gets older they start to lose flavor and are less firm. Iv had bass once and have to say id put it at the bottom of freshwater fish i tried. bluegill, walleye, crappie, sunfish, perch, and catfish are much better and more abundant, no reason to keep a smallie for food.



Exactly!!!! But you have some people that HAVE to keep everything they catch no matter what.


----------



## stex1220 (Mar 23, 2009)

www.bassonhook.com/fishforfood/bassrecipes.html

Here's a few good recipes if anyone is interested


----------



## walleye28 (May 13, 2013)

stex1220 said:


> www.bassonhook.com/fishforfood/bassrecipes.html
> 
> Here's a few good recipes if anyone is interested


there be trolls in this forum :T


----------



## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

stex1220 said:


> www.bassonhook.com/fishforfood/bassrecipes.html
> 
> Here's a few good recipes if anyone is interested


Thats a good read. You should post that in the bass section. They will thank you for it.


----------



## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

walleye28 said:


> Unless you want a mount keeping a big fish is pointless, for the majority of fish beside bluegill the smaller fish are better tasting such as walleye. 14-16 inch walleye taste different than an 18 inches because as a fish gets older they start to lose flavor and are less firm. Iv had bass once and have to say id put it at the bottom of freshwater fish i tried. bluegill, walleye, crappie, sunfish, perch, and catfish are much better and more abundant, no reason to keep a smallie for food.


Cut the dark meat out of a walleye and there is not any difference between a 2 or 10 pounder.


----------



## HatersGonnaHate (Jun 4, 2013)

flathead you of all people shouldnt be condoning eating smallmouth. You were just complaining about the independance dam being worse because people keep all the fish and then this? come on man.


----------



## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

Flathead76 said:


> Cut the dark meat out of a walleye and there is not any difference between a 2 or 10 pounder.


I don't agree with that at all. IMO smaller walleye are sweeter and firmer than larger ones.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

HatersGonnaHate said:


> flathead you of all people shouldnt be condoning eating smallmouth. You were just complaining about the independance dam being worse because people keep all the fish and then this? come on man.


I only keep walleyes during the run. I probably only keep around 10-12 of them a year. As far as big walleyes I send them back because I get more satisfaction out of seeing the peoples faces when I turn them loose. Have only ever kept one smallmouth out of the river because it was hooked deep. As far as flatheads I think that I have only ever kept 5-6 8-10 pound fish ever.


----------



## Fisherman 3234 (Sep 8, 2008)

Just remember there is a closed season for smallmouth, sometimes the knuckleheads who keep everything they catch aren't to savy with the rules and regulations... I never have and never will keep a smallie, too much respect for those little guys, pound for pound one of the best fighting fish in Ohio.


----------



## walleye28 (May 13, 2013)

Flathead76 said:


> I only keep walleyes during the run. I probably only keep around 10-12 of them a year. As far as big walleyes I send them back because I get more satisfaction out of seeing the peoples faces when I turn them loose. Have only ever kept one smallmouth out of the river because it was hooked deep. As far as flatheads I think that I have only ever kept 5-6 8-10 pound fish ever.


hahaha this post is the greatest  

but i gotta agree with jmsteele on the walleye, but lake erie walleye is like second rate compared to the far northern canadian walleye, can't beat it.


----------



## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

HatersGonnaHate said:


> flathead you of all people shouldnt be condoning eating smallmouth. You were just complaining about the independance dam being worse because people keep all the fish and then this? come on man.


Bravo !! Shoes on the other foot


----------



## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

Flathead76 said:


> Cut the dark meat out of a walleye and there is not any difference between a 2 or 10 pounder.


Cut the dark meat out of a sheepshead and they'll taste 10 times better than a big bass or any bass for that matter


----------



## crappiefish (May 17, 2012)

how about getting back to the task at hand anybody been catching any smallies lately.


----------

