Biggest Smallmouth I have ever caught Updated 5-30-11

Went back to Cuba, MO today to the management area and caught a 16.25" smallie on a crawdad lipless crank bait. We caught 3 smallies, 2 tiny largemouth, one weird looking blue gill all on the same bait. Lost 2 smallies at the boat. One was probably 14" and one was a fingerling. 5" smallie biting a 2.5" lipless. Crazy fish.

My buddies did not stop giving me crap about my pro team shirt and called me a poser all day. Pretty funny.

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Captain Ahab said:

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Don't be jealous Ahab. They are only going to get bigger as I learn the 14 mile stretch of the trophy management area. I have about 2-3 miles of it down pat.

Bulldog....was that caught on a spinning outfit?
Jeff

00 mod said:

Bulldog....was that caught on a spinning outfit?
Jeff

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No, on a 7' Berkley Lightning rod with a Quantum Tour PT burner reel and 10 pound test. I kept the drag really loose on it so the fight was great. I do have a new to me Loomis spinning rod that is just waiting to be used as soon as I get my busy butt to Bass Pro to buy a new reel. :LOL2:

The Meramec I presume. Do you put in at Hwy N bridge?

I put in smack in the middle of the trophy management area at Riverview. 75 miles from my doorstep to the ramp.

Looks like you had a good day. Thanks for the info,will have to check it out later on.

I'm slowly learning the river about a mile or more each time I go so if you ever want to go out that way and learn where the channel is and catch some bass, just let me know. It is pretty darn shallow in the upper meramec and the channel is hard to see. I had my buddies white nuckling all day yesterday. When people aren't used to running a jet in shallow water, they see the gravel and assume it is 2" deep and get all flustered. Took me a while to get used to it myself. I am so addicted to smallies now I look for any excuse to go to the management area.

I am trying to find a good guide up there to show me the ropes. I see all these pictures and hear stories of guys catching 20+ lb 5 fish limits of smallies and I want to know where they are catching them.

Nice shirt!

looking forward to the reports as you learn that body of water.

I still white knuckle it myself. Don't know that I'll ever get used to it. I'll have to join you sometime. Fished that in my canoe years ago, but would love to go back.

It is so beautiful out there. I love it. Pristine water and huge bluffs. Anytime Fender you want to go, or anyone else for that matter, and our schedules allow it, I'm ready.

bulldog said:

It is so beautiful out there. I love it. Pristine water and huge bluffs. Anytime Fender you want to go, or anyone else for that matter, and our schedules allow it, I'm ready.

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:LOL2: We must get together sometime just to say hello. Sounds like this would be a fun trip too. I'm in, but probably not before sometime next month. I have a couple trips already planned in the coming 3 weeks and I can't push my luck at home. Have to keep an even medium so I don't get in trouble with my wonderful wife.

I can't wait to catch my first one...

Went out to the management area on Saturday and got the big old SKUNK!!!!! My buddy lost one at the boat and I had one follow my crank bait to the boat but none were landed. The water was pretty murky and about 2 feet high. Also, apparently the 3-4 mile stretch that i have been trying to learn is a popular cabrewing/float trip area. We saw probably 30 rafts and at least a hundred people in a 4 mile stretch. I will be putting in at a different ramp next time. Crazy drunk people yelling and splashing with their radios up. I'm not too surprised we did not catch anything. People watching was fun. I wish I had a video camera at times.

A lot of people that were floating had no idea they were in a management area. Crazy to me. People kept asking what we were fishing for. You would think that they would have some signs or something at the resorts. Makes me wonder about the future of the area.

Also I got a lot of nice comments about the boat. I like those comments. We got mobbed at the boat ramp with a crowd of about 20 floaters asking questions. Tinboats.net will get some more visitors if the drunk people remember the site.