What a treat it was to watch 78-year-old Leonard Crouch do battle with a monster smallmouth. It's not like I keep records, but I believe that at 6.2 lbs., it is the largest smallie any of my clients has ever captured.
Leonard is the grandfather of former Hamilton County game warden Nick Luper. Nick is now stationed in Decatur County. Leonard lives in Cheatham County. The pair traveled back to the "Mother Ship" to fish with me on Thursday. The catfish bite was actually pretty slow, but Leonard was already committed to sticking with a live shiner (also known by some as "a natural swim bait"). He caught one quality brown fish early (19 inches). And we caught several other species on the shiners.
We also had a very poor hook/boat record. We broke off two fish, and had several just come unbuttoned. :bash: No telling what they were?
It was later in the morning and Nick and I had switched over to catfishing, but Leonard hung tough with a shiner, when "Boom!"
I use 6# flourocarbon on my smallmouth rods and I quickly loosened Leonard's drag when I saw the first run this fish made. It was a good thing because that fish gave and took line a dozen times before we ever saw it the first time. It moved toward the surface, but never jumped so I wasn't totally convinced it was a smallmouth. Until finally I saw him roll on top near the boat and my heart stopped.
When Leonard finally brought him to net, I'm not sure who was happier -- me or him.
Leonard has some arthritis and actually had a hard time holding the brute up for a picture. But he managed.
In the last two or three weeks, we've actually been sticking at least one or two quality smallmouth on almost every trip. You have to work for them, but do the work and the payoff can be big. (See pics below) Not sure how long this bite might last, but we'll be there to find out. That means life is good and gettin' better everyday.
Leonard is the grandfather of former Hamilton County game warden Nick Luper. Nick is now stationed in Decatur County. Leonard lives in Cheatham County. The pair traveled back to the "Mother Ship" to fish with me on Thursday. The catfish bite was actually pretty slow, but Leonard was already committed to sticking with a live shiner (also known by some as "a natural swim bait"). He caught one quality brown fish early (19 inches). And we caught several other species on the shiners.
We also had a very poor hook/boat record. We broke off two fish, and had several just come unbuttoned. :bash: No telling what they were?
It was later in the morning and Nick and I had switched over to catfishing, but Leonard hung tough with a shiner, when "Boom!"
I use 6# flourocarbon on my smallmouth rods and I quickly loosened Leonard's drag when I saw the first run this fish made. It was a good thing because that fish gave and took line a dozen times before we ever saw it the first time. It moved toward the surface, but never jumped so I wasn't totally convinced it was a smallmouth. Until finally I saw him roll on top near the boat and my heart stopped.
When Leonard finally brought him to net, I'm not sure who was happier -- me or him.
Leonard has some arthritis and actually had a hard time holding the brute up for a picture. But he managed.
In the last two or three weeks, we've actually been sticking at least one or two quality smallmouth on almost every trip. You have to work for them, but do the work and the payoff can be big. (See pics below) Not sure how long this bite might last, but we'll be there to find out. That means life is good and gettin' better everyday.
