Jeff says: "On Sept. 30th while fishing near my home in Chaumont, NY. I had a banner day on the water. I pulled in 8 bass, 3 Largemouth and 5 Smallmouth. None weighed less than 3 pounds 5 ounces. All of the fish were released unharmed.
The Smallmouth in my left hand weighs 6 pounds 4 ounces. It measured 22 inches long and was a staggering 16 inches in girth. It nearly dwarfs the the fish in my right hand which weighed exactly 4 pounds.
The monster Smallie was caught on a Rapala lipless crankbait at a depth of 8 feet, with a water temperature of 67 degrees. I caught it under clear skies with winds less than 2 miles per hour. The fish was caught at 10:01 am.
Chaumont, NY is in the heart of the 'Golden Crescent' fishing area, and is famous for Smallmouth, Walleye, Northern Pike, and Freshwater Drum fishing."
Jeff 'soldierboy' Froelich
Sergeant First Class
U.S. Army
Fort Drum, NY