Fish Ohio Flathead

So I set the alarm for three am thinking I'd get a bit of fishing in before work. Little did I know it would feel like October out there this morning. The wind was whipping and and it was cold. And I'm thinking this was a very bad idea. Two hours later and no strikes and it seemed like an even worse idea. But fish were everywhere just not biting. Twice I nearly gave myself a heart attack spooking fish out of very shallow water in the dark. And fish were swirling everywhere so I kept at it. Just after daylight Wham! the vendetta rod bent double and line began coming off at a serious rate. Just as I began to worry about how much line I had it turned. And back and forth it went. A smallmouth rod is not ideal for a big cat. I put as much pressure as I dared but I've learned with a crankbait you cant put the pressure on them you can with bait. The smaller trebles with pull out. I finally began to gain more than I was losing and eventually grabbed the big protruding lower jaw of a Flattie just a bit over 42 inches. I guess it was a good idea to go out in the cold after all