Other Ozark Stream Or Should I Say Smallie/spot Debate

[drew03cmc]

From Wikipedia: During the mid- to late 1800s, smallmouth were transplanted via the nation's rail system to lakes and rivers throughout the northern and western United States, as far as California. Shippers found that smallmouth bass were a hardy species that could be transported in buckets or barrels via the railroad, sometimes using the spigot from the railroad water tank to aerate the fingerlings.

The Spotted Bass (Micropterus punctulatus) is a species of freshwater fish sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. One of the black basses, it is native to the Mississippi River basin and across the Gulf States, from central Texas through the Florida panhandle. Its native range extends into the western Mid-Atlantic States and it has been introduced into eastern North Carolina and Virginia. It has also been introduced to southern Africa, where it has become established in some isolated waters.

I would venture to say that smallies, for the most part, have been in the Ozarks for about 150 years...Anywho, does anyone know where, nearest to Lawrence, KS one can go to tangle with stream spots and smallies?

[eric1978]

From Wikipedia: During the mid- to late 1800s, smallmouth were transplanted via the nation's rail system to lakes and rivers throughout the northern and western United States, as far as California. Shippers found that smallmouth bass were a hardy species that could be transported in buckets or barrels via the railroad, sometimes using the spigot from the railroad water tank to aerate the fingerlings.

The Spotted Bass (Micropterus punctulatus) is a species of freshwater fish sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. One of the black basses, it is native to the Mississippi River basin and across the Gulf States, from central Texas through the Florida panhandle. Its native range extends into the western Mid-Atlantic States and it has been introduced into eastern North Carolina and Virginia. It has also been introduced to southern Africa, where it has become established in some isolated waters.

I would venture to say that smallies, for the most part, have been in the Ozarks for about 150 years...Anywho, does anyone know where, nearest to Lawrence, KS one can go to tangle with stream spots and smallies?

Ya had to go and drag this one out of the cellar didn't ya?

Smallmouths have been in Ozark streams for thousands of years. Spots have, too, just not in all the streams they're in now.

If you wanna catch 'em, just start driving southeast and you'll find them eventually.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Anywho, does anyone know where, nearest to Lawrence, KS one can go to tangle with stream spots and smallies?

Sure do. We'll discuss it when you are down in a couple of weeks.

[drew03cmc]

Sure do. We'll discuss it when you are down in a couple of weeks.

Works for me Chief! I am psyched about it.

[Al Agnew]

Yeah, just because they were stocked in lots of places doesn't mean that they were not living in the Ozarks prior to when widespread stocking started. They were. Every authority agrees that smallmouth are native to the Ozarks, at least as far as we can know "native", meaning that they were there at the time of European settlement. Like I said before, the fact that the southern Ozarks has its own subspecies of smallie most certainly means they were native to the Ozarks. That subspecies didn't come from somewhere else.

The Lamine River may be the closest stream to KC that has both spots and smallies.

[drew03cmc]

Yeah, just because they were stocked in lots of places doesn't mean that they were not living in the Ozarks prior to when widespread stocking started. They were. Every authority agrees that smallmouth are native to the Ozarks, at least as far as we can know "native", meaning that they were there at the time of European settlement. Like I said before, the fact that the southern Ozarks has its own subspecies of smallie most certainly means they were native to the Ozarks. That subspecies didn't come from somewhere else.

The Lamine River may be the closest stream to KC that has both spots and smallies.

Thanks Al! I am looking to spend some time this coming spring/summer/fall in the Ozarks chasing river bass...

In Kansas, all native spotted bass waters (Flint Hills) are privately owned for the most part and I miss the Conservation Areas that Missouri has.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Why would you want to target stream spots? They tend to run on the small side in my experience.

[ozark trout fisher]

Why would you want to target stream spots? They tend to run on the small side in my experience.

They can be fun to catch... Sometimes, especially if there a native species. I've always heard they tend to grow larger in their native range so these probably aren't the same stunted little critters we see in the Meramec or the Gasconade.

[eric1978]

They can be fun to catch... Sometimes, especially if there a native species. I've always heard they tend to grow larger in their native range so these probably aren't the same stunted little critters we see in the Meramec or the Gasconade.

They do get nice and fat and pretty big in the southern reservoirs. Bill Babler has posted pictures of some fatties he catches out of TR. I could go after them all day. Haven't seen many big ones in the streams (southeast MO anyway), though they are occassionally caught bigger than 15".

[Flysmallie]

Why would you want to target stream spots? They tend to run on the small side in my experience.

The James river has some nice spots in it. Especially after all of the high water we have had the past couple of years.