Is a 5 pound Smallmouth a trophy fish?

If so my son and I have been on lake Millie Lacs the last 2 days ,total fish caught 51 smallmouth 27 walleye.

9 smallmouth over 5 pounds one 6 pound fish 31 over 4 pounds
Here is a 6 and a 5,8oz

Awesome!

Gotta be a blast!

OMG so much fun for my son and I and our guide said this was a slow 2 days 😳 due to the weather .
He caught a 7.9 last week

Who is the guide? Smallmouth fishing is on my bucket list!

Nice!!

Trophys in my book

Beautiful fish! Well done. Trophies in my book.

That's awesome. Great fish.

Sounds like an awesome trip. To answer your question, I don't think a 5 pound smallie is a trophy. I would mount a replica of a seven tho.

Nice. Trophy is in the eye of the beholder. I've caught 1 4.10 and 1 4 .7 in Central Texas. If I ever weigh one over 5 I'm getting a replica just like a LMB over 10.

I would say 6 makes a trophy. That sounds like a great trip.

Yes sir nice fish 5 and 6 pounders are hard to get, I've had a few in Texas over the last 50 years👌

Nicely done!

Nice fish. Good job.

Going up there to visit family in a month. Are you using a guide?

Here is the list of Texas Top 50 all time smallies. I guess 6# is a giant but I wouldn't mount a replica of one unless it was over seven pounds. Thats just my opinion. That and $2 will buy you a cup a coffee at 7-Eleven.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/programs/fishrecords/freshwater/top50_smallmouth.phtml

To get your picture in the Lunker Club in the back pages of Bassmaster magazine shallows have to be over 6, but tonhell with what they say, a 5 or Over is still an impressive feat. Awesome job.

Mille Lacs is a great place to fish. I have been up there the last 4 years for a trip. Can’t believe I don’t have one scheduled for this year. Josh Douglas is a great guide if he isn’t away fishing tournaments. I would highly recommend him.

Late May and early June can be so good. Lots of 4# fish on that lake. 5+ separates out some. 6+ is trophy territory. 7+ is career fish. At least that’s my opinion.

Very nice.

We use RD outdoors guide service. Great guide/ great equipment! Smallmouth expert

Interesting Ken that the biggest smallmouth recorded on TPWD list were caught 20 years ago, plus or minus.

Most excellent!!!!

Cheers,

George

I'd say prolly down here in Texas. Up north...not so much. Great fish, btw....

Yes and to add to that, look at how many times Ron Gardner is in the books. Has anyone seen or heard from him in the last 10 years? I worked the Dallas Boat Show with him numerous times but haven't ran into him in a long time.

Only 1-7 lber caught in last 20 years?

All in what the fishermen thinks.

I consider my 3.84 lb smallmouth from Ivie and 3.83 lber from Texoma trophies to me. Never thought of getting a replica, but I was just as excited to catch those fish as any of the biggest largemouth I’ve caught.

Smallies are definitely on my bucket list. Awesome catches.

Getting it done!

I'm not sure about Minnesota, but in Missouri we considered anything over 4lbs to be bragging rights and over 5lbs to be trophy. I rarely heard of anything over 6lbs... I believe the state record was 7ish lbs.

Guide said state record was 8 pounds

It would be for me seeing how I.ve never caught one lol. Sounds like y'all had a blast!

Headed to Massachusetts this summer. My BIL got access to some lakes that fishing isnt allowed on but a few people have access. He caught a 7.5 pound smallmouth from the bank. Planning on taking the flat bottom boat in there.

Awesome fish. That would be a trophy to me for sure.

I'm fairly sure those Minnesota guys don't spend much time calling 5 pound smallies "trophy" fish but they would DEFINITELY call an 8 pound LMB a trophy. But, many Texans mock the fact that some guys are calling 8 pounders "lunkers", so it's all about where you are catching those fish.

Agreed. My BILs biggest LMB is 8 pounds. He got a mount of it. I've caught tons of 8 and 9 pounders and they arent trophies to me. Still looking for a DD. That would be my trophy. With that said my biggest smallmouth is shy of 5. If I caught a 5 to 6 pounder I'd probably get a replica.

yes even in places where they commonly caught

Would be to me. From reading the posts it appears that where you catch it would be the deciding factor. Where your at probably not but down here absolutely.

In Texas 18in is a trophy according to TPWD

Up in that neck of the woods 5lbers are a dime a dozen. Fish like that are caught every day. 6lbs is the equivalent of a 10lb largemouth up there in the minds of most people and is considered a trophy among serious anglers.

It's very strange. I've caught probably a hundred smallies over 5 lbs, but I have personally never caught one over 6 lbs. My PB is 5.68 lbs. I've had buddies catch 6s out of my boat, but it just hasn't happened for me. For whatever reason their numbers decrease exponentially around the 6 lb mark.

Josh, post that sheet from the tourney on Sturgeon Bay you sent me.

This was from a Tournament in Sturgeon Bay a few weeks ago. Unreal.

Yes, 5-6lb smallmouth are trophies in my book. Run into any giant musky yet?

I'd say yes ! A 5lb smallmouth is a trophy fish. Most smallmouth fisherman would agree.