In flowing water, summertime smallmouths pull out all the stops. A 2-pound, current-pumped smallie makes you think you’ve tagged a 4-pounder. And their aerial acrobatics leave me shaking my head, even after catching them for 30-some years. The focus here is on small to midsized rivers and free-flowing portions of larger rivers that feature hard bottom, good gradient, and lots of skinny water that can only be fished by wading, paddling, or jet-boating. During a typical summer, flow is moderately…

I’m writing this from my phone, just curious to see how it turns out with a pic of my boy Tracy at the cove with this nice fish.