[Bleedingblue]

I saw this video in a link on BBC and wanted to share. Truly a giant smallie.

[video=youtube;ptR7QiYz0O0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ptR7QiYz0O0[/video]

 

[gambusia]

I've heard of 8 pound smallies coming out of Lake James and Lake Lure but not 9 pound fish.

That is a huge fish, thanks for sharing

 

[Abert43]

Huge smallie

 

[Bleedingblue]

Believe it or not the NC state record is 10 lbs 2 oz from Hiwasse Reservoir in 1951. So that monster came out of the lake about 10 years after the dam was completed. The world record that came out of Dale Hollow was 11 lbs 15 oz. The fish was caught in 1955 which was about 12 years after the dam was completed. Pretty interesting parallel there.

A bit off topic but....

I also think it is interesting to compare the look of the fish in the video to a picture of the world record fish.

Look how big the head is on the WR fish compared to the 9 lb fish in the video. The WR fish has a head proportial to the body size while the 9 lb fish in the video has a relatively small head with a very massive body. There have been several other 10 lb smallmouth caught over the years but no other fish even made 11 lbs. I personally think the WR fish was some kind of genetic freak to have a head that large and IMO that WR will stand for a very long time. Love to be proven wrong and see a 12 lb smallie, epsecially if it was on my line!

 

[Mack in N.C.]

its a whopper but if the guys can afford a Nice video camera they need to throw that old scale away and get a good digital scale.
I was kinda shocked to see that nice video then they pull that old crusty scale out....

7 plus lb smallie..7.2 i think was caught in a tournament i was in a couple weeks ago,.......

 

[Bluecord]

That is a fish of a lifetime for sure, the one i am holding in my profile pic is right under 6lbs and it is my PB smallie and am very proud of that fish, I would crap my pants if I caught a 9lber!!!!

 

[ozarks transplant]

this is the biggest smallie i've ever personally seen. one of the guys in our group caught it up in the boundary waters (northern minnesota, we were maybe a half-mile from the canadian border at the time) many years ago. we didn't have a net, and it was my job to grab it on a slick rock bank. i fell into the water as i tried to lip it, but wound up cradling it and made sure it didn't get away. would have never forgiven myself. measured just a hair shy of 24 inches. two freaking feet of smallmouth. can you imagine? had to be seven pounds.

man, i miss the boundary waters. i've caught maybe a dozen smallies in my life of at least 20 inches, and all but two of 'em came in my three weeks (three separate week-long trips) i was up there. one in the missouri ozarks (black river) and one in the new river in southern virginia two years ago.

nothing in my experience compares to the boundary waters, though. seriously, it got to the point where we were almost disappointed in 18-inch smallies because they didn't hit 20 inches. that's how good the fishing was on those trips. i think i just talked myself into going back next summer.

yep, i did. ely, minnesota, here i come ...

 

[Bluecord]

Ozarks that is a hog of a smallmouth for sure!!!!