Nice work getting some smallie action. I always had good luck around the bridges.
First 2022 topwater bass…plus a bonus fish and deer sighting
Topwater is finally starting for me on the Fox from shore in the Aurora area. A couple days ago, I got my first decent 2022 smallie on a buzzbait. Maybe 12 or 13 inches? Caught at the end of a rocky shoreline near a bridge piling. Much larger than the dinks I caught before and after.
![Water Vertebrate Tree Sky Fisherman]()
This evening, I caught a much larger smallie (maybe 14 or 15 inches?) on the same buzzbait. At a different bridge piling in Aurora. Fished several spots for 2.5 hours, got only 1 hit, but I landed it!
![Fish Plant Fisherman Water Ray-finned fish]()
Bonus 1
I've also caught several dink smallmouth on a squarebill crankbait plus a dink on the buzzbait. That's why I say the first fish above was decent. It was much larger than the 7-inchers I had been catching.
Bonus 2
I also got the fish below on a squarebill crankbait. As I was fumbling with it trying to unhook it, it flopped off and landed on the muddy bank unfortunately. I snapped a quick photo and gently eased it back in the water. Not exactly sure…a silver carp? Whatever it is, it's much prettier than a normal carp.
![Plant Botany Salmon-like fish Fish Vegetation]()
Bonus 3
I also saw a couple deer in a field near a river spot I was walking to. Fun times at the river and I hope topwater only gets better from here!
![Plant Tree Natural environment Sky Natural landscape]()
This evening, I caught a much larger smallie (maybe 14 or 15 inches?) on the same buzzbait. At a different bridge piling in Aurora. Fished several spots for 2.5 hours, got only 1 hit, but I landed it!
Bonus 1
I've also caught several dink smallmouth on a squarebill crankbait plus a dink on the buzzbait. That's why I say the first fish above was decent. It was much larger than the 7-inchers I had been catching.
Bonus 2
I also got the fish below on a squarebill crankbait. As I was fumbling with it trying to unhook it, it flopped off and landed on the muddy bank unfortunately. I snapped a quick photo and gently eased it back in the water. Not exactly sure…a silver carp? Whatever it is, it's much prettier than a normal carp.
Bonus 3
I also saw a couple deer in a field near a river spot I was walking to. Fun times at the river and I hope topwater only gets better from here!
