7-1/2 pounds, caught about 10 years ago on wheeler lake in 2nd creek. I was fishing a texas rigged black/firetail worm with 3/16 ounce sinker. I had worked the worm from the bank down into 20 feet of water and I bounced the worm off the bottom 1 time straight under me and the worm didn't go back down so I set the hook, never felt the hit. I had a heck of fight with that fish but we finally got him in the boat.

I live on the island of North Hero in Vermont on Lake Champlain.

A couple of pictures from last summer with the standard size I usually catch every time out. Both fish were 18-19" and close to 4 pounds.

The second picture.

never fished a lake for smallmouth.....what is the technique that you guys use on lakes?

This time of year until the spawn I get a lot of them fishing with a white 3 or 4"twister tail on a 1/8 oz chatreuse jig head near shore. I use an UL 6' pole with 4 or 6 pound test and it is a blast. I usually go along the shore with my boat and toss the jig right up near the rocks and pull it back. I alternate between a steady retrieve and a jerk retrieve to see how they want it. When they are spawning I use a tube rigged texas style and drop it near or on the nest and shake it. If they are staging just before or just after the spawn I use a jerk bait, spinner bait or top water presentation if the conditions are right. Post spawn they are usually in deeper water and I drop shot, or carolina rig with tubes or rubber worms for a good biteon larger fish. If you fish the shallows along shore in summer you usually only get smaller fish.

The only smallie fishing we do is in Canada and we use spinnerbaits crankbaits and we also vertical jig with a jighead and a minnow. For poles we use medim 6 to 7 foot poles and 20 lb fireline.

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I catch a few 3-4lb smallies a year and have caught one that I am sure went 5lbs, but I didnt have a scale . I dont fish bass all that much so when I do get into some I am ushaly riged up for blue gills or pearch and I tend to brake off alot of the bigger fish.

Maybe I can up that number in July, that is when I plane to show all you bass guys how it is done.Lets just say I have an Ace up my sleeve [:-], and no its not a fish pond.

do all you guys fish lakes, or are there some others out there that fish stream like i do too?