19.75 Little Miami Smallmouth

After such a good morning yesterday I decided to see if I could repeat it today. I got to the river about an hour before dawn. Right away a fish blew up on my buzzbait throwing water every where but not getting hooked. I tried for a few casts then tied on a minnow plug hoping the fish would hit that. Nope. So I worked my way up to the riffle with the minnow plug still tied on. After about ten minutes I thought I was hung and gave it a bit of slack then yanked the lure shot free and was nailed by a beautiful 17 inch smallie. A few minutes later I caught a small fish and then another nice fish just under 17. I cast back to the seam where the fast water from the riffle makes a hard line against the slow water of the pool. Wham! line screamed off the reel. But it hugged the bottom doggedly. No smallmouth here. But an absolutely gorgeous channel cat. One of the prettiest channels Ive caught all year and santa claus fat. It was then I noticed two does downstream about 100 yards standing on the opposite bank watching all the commotion. After unhooking the channel and snapping a few pics I waded back out to where I could reach the seam again. I cast and the minnow plug came back spinning on the surface. I thought the line was tangeled on the hooks but nope all the excitement with the channel had broken the bill on the minnow plug. Rather than wade back to the bank I tied on the buzzbait that was in the chest pocket of the waders. I cast across the seam nothing. Then again slightly downstream. The buzzbait gurgled back till it was only maybe ten feet from me and Whoosh! It seemed someone threw a brick in the water. But nope it was a big smallmouth shooting across the riffle with line peeling off the reel. Most smallies I love to see jump, this one I stuck the rod tip way under water trying to keep it from jumping. No luck it rocketed skyward but stayed attached. After a few more heart pounding runs I finally lipped the fish. Try as I might I couldn't get 20 out of her twice I got 19.5 and twice 19.75 with the tail pinched. Man I love September smallmouth fishing. Makes you wonder just where the heck these guys are all summer. Walking out the two does were stll there aross the river watching. A very very nice morning..