A whole lotta action but not much catchin' (no pictures so dial-up safe)

Hit the usual local river this morning.  After some thunderstorms during the week, the river was down to normal levels but a bit murky.

This is about prime time for topwater, and I rigged up a the familiar Heddon Zara Puppy, and on the other rod, a Reaction Innovations Little Dipper swimbait.

The fish didn't seem interested in either offering initially, but then I started getting bites on the swimbait and some attacks on the Zara Puppy.  Finally after an hour, a smallmouth came out from nowhere and hit the swimbait about 10 feet in front of me.  It thrashed around and did an SDR (short-distance release) before I could get it out of the water.  It looked to be at least 12 inches, likely more.

In another spot a half hour or so later, a redbreast sunfish decided it was brunch time and snagged a Hubs Chub* that was chugging across the surface.  I contemplated keeping the fish because it was hand size, but it wriggled free when I was trying to take a picture.

On to another spot, and a smallmouth torpedoed the swimbait after a few casts.  It was a bit smaller than the first smallmouth, but it also did an SDR before I could take a picture and make it internet famous, and that was that.

I meandered down the river and tossed lures into a few spots without much interest from the fish.  At the turnaround point, I decided to switch things up with my mystery spinnerbait that I still have after almost three years.  After a few casts with nothing pursuing the little spinner, I tied on a classic Rapala floating minnow on my other rod.

The ol' Rapala is a pretty versatile lure.  On the first cast when I started reeling after it hit the water, I thought to myself, "Should I use it as a jerkbait?  Maybe just a steady retrieve?  It could be worked as as a topwater HOLY SHIT THAT'S A BIG FISH!"

An enormous smallmouth (by this river's standards -- at least 15 inches, maybe bigger) emerged from the stained depths and pounced on the Rapala.  I felt the tug on the other end and set the hook.  The fish pulled back briefly ... that was it.  This time an LDR (long-distance release) and freed itself from two treble hooks.

I didn't get any other bites after that, although there were some follows, but it was like a switch had turned off.

It was kind of like the Potomac last week -- it would have felt like a better trip if I actually landed every fish I hooked.

* Donated the Zara Puppy to a river tree so had to switch.  Also, no link to Hubs Chubs because they were discontinued earlier this year.