Some people spend their lunch breaks eating lunch, catching up with friends and various other things. I, however, prefer to spend mine chasing those brown fish of middle tennessee. I have spent my summer free time on the quest for a twenty inch smallmouth, and my appetite had increased after catching two smallies of eighteen inches and several others sixteen and seventeen inches. My lunch break on a Monday found me trying to accomplish the feat of catching one of those big smallies.
Having found a feeder creek into the Duck River, I was sweating like a dog on one of those sultery, Tennessee summer days trying to locate a trophy fish. After catching a few spots, a largemouth and a decent smallmouth, I decided to wade downstream in the river to make an attempt at landing another fish on the Zoom Super Fluke. I knew my time was about to come to a close, as I was needing to head back to the church office to finish up some study time in the book of Romans for my Bible class.
As I was walking along in the water having noticed a couple of good structures in the current, my eyes panned ahead to notice a long, black fish facing upstream at about a forty-five degree angle. I knew by the appearance it was a trophy smallmouth. I flung my fluke downstream past the fish, working it back toward the lunker who was lurking in the current. About the time my fluke reached the fish, it looked as if my bait would go unnoticed. What happened next was a different story.
Just as the bait got right over the fish, the predator changed positions, whirled around and attacked the artificial minnow with a vengeance! Struck with an incredible force, the fight was now on to see who would win. Even though I have caught many good smallmouth this summer, I have lost my share of fish on the fluke. As I was reeling in the monster, I had the thought of what disposition I would have if the hook just popped out of the fish's mouth.
Thankfully, I managed to land that big smallie, and the photographs ensued to verify my catch and provide more long-lasting memories. This was the biggest smallmouth I had ever landed, and the quest for the twenty inch smalljaw had come to an end. I now had a twenty-one inch trophy. This was a very rewarding angling experience.
The next time you're thinking about what you're going to eat for lunch, try a change of pace and wet your line in one of our middle Tennessee streams or rivers. You just might wind up with a prize fish that will make you forget about your appetite. Oh, by the way, do eat something as I don't want you to starve!
