River Smallies, Orange stuff?

17 inch bruiser

Orange stuff around the mouth?

Pretty Night 

More orange stuff around the mouth...

18 1/2 incher fought like mad!

 I love fishing smallies in the fall!  Unfortunately, this doesn't help me to cull in the bass derby, because the 18 1/2 incher was a lean machine.  Seriously, this beast bent my medium heavy rod in half, and had me wondering if I had a pike or muskie on.  I was using twenty pound braid, and my Shimano reel was screaming!  The 17 incher was much fatter, and I had to cut my Gamakatsu hook off to avoid injuring this pretty fish.  I still think I could cull a largemouth with a big smallmouth this fall.  But the river fish are stronger, than they are fat.  Last fall I caught a 20 incher, but I am still looking for a river smallie that is over 5!