Size doesn’t matter - to me . . . kinda.

Pictured above, you will find a small bass.  A Spotted Bass - I think, from a small creek.  And it took a lot of work to catch this fella.  

This little one took some effort too.  These fish live in the headwaters off a good warm water fishery.  A number of fish caught have scratched and claw or even bite marks.  I know where to look for the big ones and that’s pushing 12”.  They are so skittish that you got to do your best wading and presentation.  It’s been good practice on this small headwater.

I think that folks forget to be at your best when wading warm water creeks - Fly fisherman, bait angler or lure plopping’ fella.  Walking the bank above those fish and setting up for the afternoon let’s fish know you’ve arrived.  Heck, even me wading or waking soaks the best I can will do that too.  I like to let things settle down a bit before casting.  Or, just be as calm as I can be when fishing as not to set them off with something unnatural.  

My son asked for a scale to weigh his fish.  I token him  that I don’t use one and size doesn’t matter.  Well, I guess it kind of does because it’s the larger fish I like to play too.  It’s those battles with a 16” Smallmouth that takes my breath away.  It’s almost as if I’ve stopped breathing - it’s become shallow even with a rush of adrenaline.  I try to shift into a mode that puts me at my best as I figure out how to best land it without losing the fish.  

But it’s also the little guys that give me a lot of satisfaction too.  It just depends on the situation.  Sometimes, you earth the little fellas and other times, you earth the big fellas.  Or, you’ve just gotten lucky.  Either way, you grow as an angler.  That’s what I want my son to learn.  Size doesn’t always matter.