One evening when I was about 10 years old, my dad and I were in a rented rowboat on Lake Elmo. I was using my steel telescoping rod with bait casting reel, bobber, and worm. The 'gillies were really busy. Then I hooked something that just went nuts - back and forth, under the boat, out of the water. It took me a long time to bring it to where my dad could grab it. I asked him, "what IS that?" He told me it was a smallmouth. I still love fishing for those guys, but I don't use the bait casting outfit anymore. Thinking about all the fish I caught last season, my favorite was an 18 inch smallie. He did NOT want to be brought in. Those guys really have an "attitude".