Why Doesn't The Ozark Have Smallies As Big As Elsewhere?

[Sam]

I think it could also have something to do with CA stocking those reservoirs with trout. That's what those 20+ pound largemouth we keep hearing about out there are feeding on.

I know that's right for the big bass, but I was never much of a bass fisherman. No, there are lakes in SoCal just 4 or 5 miles long that have hundreds of fishing boats on them every day. With all that pressure, we'd still often get limits of nice crappie, pound-plus bluegills, and good-size channel catfish. The lakes there are more productive per acre of water, for whatever reason.

I wouldn't trade, though. On our big lakes here you can often get off by yourself to fish instead of having 40 other boats in sight, half of them with radios blaring.

[flytyer57]

I know that's right for the big bass, but I was never much of a bass fisherman. No, there are lakes in SoCal just 4 or 5 miles long that have hundreds of fishing boats on them every day. With all that pressure, we'd still often get limits of nice crappie, pound-plus bluegills, and good-size channel catfish. The lakes there are more productive per acre of water, for whatever reason.

I wouldn't trade, though. On our big lakes here you can often get off by yourself to fish instead of having 40 other boats in sight, half of them with radios blaring.

A vast majority of the lakes back in WI are weedy lakes. They have plenty of cover for the forage fish which allows for them to grow and reproduce. This in turn provides good eats for the fish.

What kind of cover is offered to the forage in CA?

From what I've seen so far of Ozark lakes, (mostly Bull Shoals, Norfork and Beaver) there are few if any weedbeds. It almost seems like typical cover down here would include various rocks, stumps and other timber.

As for trading, I'm quite happy down here in the Ozarks. There are over 10,000 lakes in WI, and on any given weekend that has nice weather, you are definately fighting the crowds. On a typical lake of about 1,000 acres, there's not too many places a fisherman can go to get away from the jet skis and party animals wasting gas with their Seayrays equipped with 200hp motors just going in circles. Plus there aren't too many toothy critters stealing all my good baits and flies.

[Al Agnew]

The world record smallmouth was caught in Dale Hollow Reservoir, Kentucky just a hop, skip and a jump from the Ozarks. They are consistantly catching huge smallies over there.

What makes that lake any different from lakes like Bull Shoals, Norfork, Table Rock or any other Ozark reservoir?

Are there humungous sized smallies swimming in Ozark lakes as they are in Dale Hollow? I think they are and nobody has figured them out like they have over on Dale Hollow. There very well could be a 10 pound smallie swimming in any one of the Ozark lakes that just hasn't been caught yet.

Maybe Ozark bass are just smarter than Bluegrass bass.

Nope, I think that's just wishful thinking. With the number of expert reservoir bass anglers and tournament fishermen that pound Table Rock and Bull Shoals constantly, if really big smallmouth in any numbers were there to be caught they'd be caught. Lots of guys fish both areas. I still think the answer has to be genetics.

As far as fat vs. skinny river smallies, I've caught some skinny ones in the upper Mississippi that looked a lot like skinny Ozark smallmouth. But on the whole, the more northern fish tend to be thicker from back to belly, even if their bellies are not bulging, than Ozark smallies. I think this is another manifestation of the different genetics in Ozark fish.

[Coldspring]

Well, what about land animals being bigger in northern latitudes?

[jdmidwest]

I have never really noticed alot of "skinny" smallies around here, just evenly proportioned. Lazy Lake Smallies have a pot belly, they don't have to stay streamlined to fight the current. Same goes for stream Largemouths and Kentucky Bass unless they are full of eggs. If you are catching alot of pot bellied smallies, you must be fishing them off beds.

[Gavin]

Genetics play a big factor....Our fish just dont chunk up like the Northern Smallies....but management plays a big factor too..You might think that you have some secret spots...but everything seems to get fished pretty hard in the Ozarks, IMO. Its pretty hard not to see evidence of fishing pressure wherever you go. Cheers.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Those of us in the Smallmouth Alliance wrestled with this question extensively when we were trying to come up with a strategy for increasing the number of bigger smallmouth in the streams. But here are my thoughts on it...

I myself have wrestled with this and can only come to basically the same conclusion you and others have made. Genetics. I say that with the Ozarks as a whole not just the SW corner. I have read many fishing reports from the early to mid 1900's and a 6 pounder was very, very rare. If you caught one, they would erect a statue of you on the town square. There were also very few 5 pounders. It wasn't until you got down to 2 and 3 pounders that they became some what more common. And at that, even in the latter years due to all the guided trips, those numbers became less. That of course was on the larger river systems that had the best potential to grow fish that large. And of course those were also the most popular water ways for guiding. I think with all the C&R that is practiced by the majority now, we are somewhere near where we were at the beginning of the last century.

If the Ozarks could produce bigger smallmouth, I believe someone would have caught one by now. Our current record from 1994 is still just barely over 7 lbs. And that is from a lake environment. Where it goes without saying that living is much easier when talking about calories used. I just don't think that we are going to be able to produce the large smallmouth in the rivers that other states can. Not on a consistant basis.

I really can't pinpoint one thing other than genetics that really explains the reason to any amount of satisfaction. I guess just fish your heart out for them and just love and respect each and everyone you catch.

[taxidermist]

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/smallmouth_record.html

http://www.fishin.com/articles/reedwint.htm

Shallower lakes, better food source and longer growing season.

Food, food, food, our lakes and rivers are clear well not like they use to be, but relatively. There is not a lot of cover in our lakes or creeks, not a lot of food either. Food sources need cover to repopulate.

[Smalliebigs]

Al, I hate to burst your bubble but my brother is MDC employee who was on a boat that was shocking water at the confluence of the Meramec and another unamed river.They shocked up a Smallmouth Bass that is close enough to the state record that I have been fishing there consistantly ever since my brother informed me of this fish.It was shocked up in water quality that you would not expect a fish of that size to come out of and it was shocked in the late summer of 2008.I would expect if the fish has not died it has grown and it will be very very close to the state record.I also have a friend who owns a boat dealer that I will leave unknown who showed me pictures of a Smallie that weighed in the high 6 pound range and it was caught out of the Gasconade in the fall of 2007.So there are huge smallies out there in the Ozarks, I don't think there is a world record in the Ozarks but there are some 6 and 7's, I have seen the pics.Personally I have only caught one Smallies bigger than 5 but I know they are out there so don't give up and release them all and use barbless hooks....also quit taking them off the beds!!!...sorry to start that up again.

[Mitch f]

Biggie, I know the spot you are referring to. That spot is known for big smallies and I too have fished the hell out of it. As far as huge smallies are concerned, I agree with Al. Table Rock has so many great tournament anglers pounding it that a big fish would have been caught by now. Pickwick and the other lakes in the Tennesse river system produce several 8 pound fish per year. As far as rivers in the Ozarks go, I can see a 6 pounder or maybe a 7, but highly doubtful an 8. It's possible but doubtful. I've never heard of anyone in Missouri stream catch one bigger than 24". I lot of stories, no actual documentation.