The French Broad River fished well today as I managed to catch 26 smallies. The majority of the fish were between 16 and 19 inches, but the highlight of the trip was landing three large smallies over 21 inches. I have fished for smallmouth bass for decades but I don’t ever remember catchig three over twenty-one inches in a single outing. They weighed 4 lb. 7 oz., 4 lb. 8 oz. with the longest a 22 incher that weighed 4 lb. 10 oz. Because of the lack of rainfall this spring the tailrace below Douglas Dam has been productive due to stable water flows making it easier to find and pattern actively feeding fish.
Three Smallies Over 21
