With the forecast calling for blazing hot temps and some chores to do around the house I was up and out right at daylight for a quickie trip before the day really got started. Last year I lost a really big fish, one of those fish that haunts you. This morning I was back at that spot. A big bend in the river covered in concrete rubble. In one place a little point of concrete juts out and the whole force of the river seemingly pours over it in a raging torrent. Just the kind of place I'd think a big fish would hide on a hot day. I fished a paddle swim on a 3/8 ounce jighead. Yep, 3/8 ounce that's really heavy for a stream which tells you how fast the water was as the jig still getting swept downstream pretty rapidly. Whap! And the line began screaming off the reel. I'm thinking wow, I've never hooked a hybrid way up here before. I'm fiddling with the drag looking at the reel. When I heard the fish jump. JUMP?!? OH, lord it's a smallmouth! More drag peeling and then she jumped again. Yep it really is a smallmouth!
Then twice more. Okay, stop it already!! But the fish stayed buttoned up and I landed her without too much drama. Probably as big a fish as I've ever caught here in southern Ohio. But I have to confess, I'd run out with just a rod and some paddleswims and jigheads in a ziplock baggie and nothing else. No tape measure. So I can't say for sure just how big she was. Which, I guess really doesn't matter, she was big enough and in great shape, fought like a demon and jumped four times. The perfect fish.
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