I Talked To A Native Of Yellville Today

[Al Agnew]

I've heard of a few Ozark river smallies of 24 inches or better. I think somebody that frequents this board caught one on the Gasconade a few years ago. And a 24 inch river smallie could weigh as little as 4.5 pounds or as much as 7 pounds, but it won't weigh as much as the average largemouth of that size. I've seen two in the water that I'm sure would have gone 24 inches or better.

But people do tend to stretch smallmouth!

[flytyer57]

Let me pose this question: If you caught a state record smallie weighed on your own digital scales, but you were canoeing down the wilderness section of the buffalo or some other isolated stream, and you were still far from the closest dock/access point, what would you do? Put her in the cooler or stringer? Take lots of photos and let her go? Would the time of year make a difference?

Get the best length and girth measurements I can and get as many photo's as possible and let it go so it can grow bigger. Time of year makes no dif.

[gotmuddy]

Let me pose this question: If you caught a state record smallie weighed on your own digital scales, but you were canoeing down the wilderness section of the buffalo or some other isolated stream, and you were still far from the closest dock/access point, what would you do? Put her in the cooler or stringer? Take lots of photos and let her go? Would the time of year make a difference?

You can have digital scales certified. Get some certified then take pics of both sides and measure the length and girth then return it to the water.

I dont want to kill a fish for other people to know I have caught it. As a teenager I caught a 8lb largemouth on lake conroe(certified scales) and a 10lb largemouth on Gibbons creek(cert. scales) and I returned both of the fish.

[flytyer57]

I dont want to kill a fish for other people to know I have caught it.

A picture is all it takes to show someone you caught a fish.

I have several fish that I had mounted. All of them have special meaning to me. Some I wish I would have just released, some could not be revived after release.

If I were to catch a big smallmouth, I would hope it would survive after releasing it, but if not, I would have it mounted and hung on the wall.

[aftersh0ck]

22 inch largemouth in streams are really 6-7lbs? i thought they were more lean and narrow looking,

from living in streams. i say this because around 1990 i was 16 and was fishing this creek that connected to the current river that had warm tea colored water in it that turned gin clear as it got closer to the river. i notice these huge largemouths cruising up and down while i was fishing for bluegills with poppers.

getting to the point, one of the bass grabbed one of the smaller bluegills. about 6"

relize im fishing with 2lb on a ultra lite.

i got him up after 20 mins of hoping i dont break off. but with no hook to go into the bass the bluegill came out of his stomach and mouth.

i came back the next morning with one of my bass rods and caught 2 right away.

the first one broke off 8lb as i got him on the sand.walked upstream a little after my heart relaxed and casted at a different one. took less then 10 secs.the second one i did everything right.

he was a hair short of 24" and i he was 5lb. the sad thing is the ones i saw the day and hooked before were way bigger. this creek was 4ft in the deepest spot and they were right in front of me, i could swear 2 of them were close to 28" and alot thicker. ended up leaving that first day 30 huge bluegill and a redear 12.5" on 2lb and a popper. went back the next spring and the floods changed it.

tried everything the same and only caught a few small bass under 12" on a torpedo and alot of green sunfish =(

[chub minnow]

Here's a 21" creek smallie that came in around 3#, so I'd say a 5-6# 24 incher is a definite possibility. This guy just about broke me off on 6# test, but wasn't the trophy I though I had at first. They can just be really lean and mean so I doubt a state record will ever come from a creek or river (unless connected to a reservoir). The creek he came from was surprisingly small and low at the time, so he was thin and I'm guessing, pretty darn old. With any luck he still swims.... maybe he's 24" now.

[gotmuddy]

CC fish are very healthy. I haven't caught a skinny fish

[Al Agnew]

It all depends on a lot of things. Big Meramec River smallies have gotten chunkier throughout all the years I've fished the river, and I think it's because the total numbers of bass in the Meramec have gone down, so there's more food to go around. On upper Big River, protected both by a 1 fish limit on smallies and by all the warnings not to eat the fish because of lead contamination...and because the lead mine tailings smother the bottom and reduce the biomass of bottom organisms that form the base of the food chain...there seem to be too many fish for the food base, and big smallies tend to be big-headed and skinny compared to Meramec fish.

Most big ones from smaller streams tend to be long and lean, but big ones from the bigger rivers are often thicker.

Most of the big largemouth I catch on Ozark streams are "broad shouldered", thick across the back. They are never as pot-bellied as some of the reservoir largemouth, but are usually pretty healthy looking, heavy fish.

[gotmuddy]

There is no doubt that river bass just don't get as heavy as lake bass. A longer skinner body is going to make it easier on a fish in a river. But the Buffalo provides the opportunity to catch a truly memorable fish, because there is plenty of water and deep holes, even in dry spells, that fish can still grow and thrive. And also it is difficult to access, so there is just less pressure which also helps the fish thrive. I agree that a 24" smallie caught in a stream may not weight over 5 lbs in many cases. But it being caught in the lower Buffalo, increases the chances that it does weigh close to 7. The same can be said for Crooked Creek.

with 26 miles between launches it makes LOTS of wilderness. When we floated the lower buffalo we saw many holes that were over 10ft deep even with the water as low as it was(gauge was at 2.6)

The other factor is there is always food for big smallmouth in the white river in the summertime.

[chub minnow]

Sure I can see it as being possible, but I'd say if Vegas was setting odds it would be 10 to 1 in favor a record coming out of a reservoir where they can feed on balls of shad AND crayfish etc. I guess my point is that I probably would have released a 24" CC or Buffalo smallmouth (after pictures and measuring)knowing that it's not a state record. Now if I thought it was way over 7#, then things might be different.