Tackle for My Personal Best Smallmouth

Gear

Apr 30

Best tackle for giant smallmouth bass in Northern Michigan

I’ll never get tired of writing about my personal best 6.40 pound smallmouth – at least until I catch one 6.41 pounds or heavier, at which point it will become a quaint and semi-passé memory. I recall the feel of the strike, thinking it wasn’t all that big as it ran toward me, and then just about crapping my pants when the football surfaced and first showed off her girth. I must’ve held my breath the rest of the way because I can also still feel the pressure relief that occurred when Keith Combs grabbed her and lifted her into the boat.

I’m fortunate to have what I generally consider to be an exceptionally good memory. That’s particularly true when it comes to fishing, but I’ll pat myself on the back for never forgetting my wife’s birthday, our anniversary, or other such occasions that are critical to keeping a marriage intact.

For most of my significant personal best fish – from largemouth to peacock bass to tuna, and beyond – I have sensory memories similar to those that my smallmouth generated. Oddly enough, though, in most cases I can’t remember the tackle that I used. I remember the lure that I used to catch my PB largemouth, as well as the rod model (Dobyns DX745 – because it’s memorialized on Bassmaster.com) I have no idea what the reel or line were. I remember the jig that I used to catch my PB peacock, but not the rod, reel or the specific line (likely 50- or 65-pound braid, brand uncertain). I have no idea what lure produced my biggest musky.

Given my generally good memory, my obsessiveness, and my extreme tackle fetish, that kind of surprises me. Fortunately, I have this blog to record such matters and I’m going to take full advantage of that, especially because now that I’m past 50 I don’t expect my memory to substantially improve going forward.

Shimano Stella FJ spinning reel for smallmouth bass

Here’s the gear that I used to catch that Northern Michigan brute:

Rod: Shimano Zodias Spinning Rod

Reel: Shimano Stella FJ Spinning Reel

Main Line: Seaguar Smackdown Braid

Leader: Seaguar Tatsu Fluorocarbon

Soft Plastic: Strike King 2.75” Rage Swimmer (Lavender Shad)

Jig Head: Strike King Squadron Swimbait Heads

None of it is super-secret stuff – in fact, to the extent that the supply chain allows all of it is available from Tackle Warehouse.

Strike King Rage Swimmer 2.75 in Lavender Shad is deadly on big smallmouth bass up north

Other Keys to the Catch

We were fishing large sand flats with occasional logs, boulders or patches of grass. Keith and the other pros up there that week, including Mark Zona and Kevin VanDam, were using their Humminbird Mega 360 to find those key isolated pieces of cover. I just used my keen writer’s intuition (aka, good luck) to catch that one jumbo.
Of course, it also pays to have a guide like Combs leading you on your hunt for big fish. Unfortunately, you can’t buy that at Tackle Warehouse at any price.

Additional Notes on My Personal Best Smallmouth

Of all of the major freshwater gamefish PBs I’ve caught that I can recall (largemouth, smallmouth, peacock bass, musky) this was the first one I’ve caught on spinning tackle.
Even though I’ve fished in Michigan only about 20 days total, it has produced two of my personal bests – smallmouth and musky.
Writing all of this made me realize how fortunate I was to catch this fish, and made me hunger for more jumbo bronze.