These are both outstanding fish! Fishman, I have fished Crooked Lake in the BWCA in my 20s on 10 day canoe trips. By best fish was 21" spawned out female, estimated around 5#. That's an amazing fish so far North, but your brother's is something special. Not taking anything away from SMB in Southern waters - while their growing seasons are longer and forage probably more varied and abundant, their lifespans are likely much shorter than Northern fish. I'm a sucker for a huge SMB, no matter where it was grown! Thanks for sharing, guys.

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

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