Has Anyone Ever Caught A Rockbass Or Goggle Eye Out Of The Little Niangua?

[Chief Grey Bear]

As far as identification of the three goes, the only addition/change to Al's description is the Shadow will have blotching in vertical rows. The horizontal specks can be unbroken as in the northern also. The key is the blotching. The Ozark bass will have neither the blotching or the horizontal lines of specks. It will be as stated, freckled.

Another key as mentioned, is knowing your watersheds. The west flowing waterways of SWMO will have both the Northern and Shadow. In addtion, these are also the only waterways in the state that also contain the Nesosho strain of smallmouth bass. The Ozark bass is found in the White River drainages of SWMO and some drainages that flow north into the Osage river. The Shadow also can be found in certain waterways of SEMO. The Northern can also be found is most north flowing streams the terminate in the Missouri River.

I have to say, I live in the best area of the state for the varitety of fish that I can target.

Shadow bass...check. Ozark bass...check. Northern Rock bass...check, Northern strain smallmouth...check. Nesosho strain smallmouth...check. Kentucky bass...check. Tame trout...check. Wild trout...check. And the list goes on...

My favorite???...that would be two of them. I don't think you can catch a more beautiful fish than a Shadow bass. When you catch one that is displaying that awesome camo pattern, it is just really something to view. And I really enjoy spending the day chasing one of the rarest speices of bass in North America, the Neosho smallmouth.

[drew03cmc]

I love shadow bass, one of my favorite fish. I have only caught one, but I want to go wade for more, with these being my target species.

They are absolutely gorgeous.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Who are you hiding from Andy? :lol:

[STL Matt]

I've caught some really "splotchy" rock bass in the upper Meramec, is it possible there are shadow bass there? I'd just like to know because it sounds way cooler to me to tell someone "I caught the elusive Shadow Bass" than it does to tell them "I caught the weird-looking Goggle-eye."

[fishinSWMO]

Good eating fish.

[Al Agnew]

I've caught some really "splotchy" rock bass in the upper Meramec, is it possible there are shadow bass there? I'd just like to know because it sounds way cooler to me to tell someone "I caught the elusive Shadow Bass" than it does to tell them "I caught the weird-looking Goggle-eye."

Nope, the northern rock bass will turn splotchy at times, too. It's not always easy to tell them from shadow bass by appearance.

[drew03cmc]

Wayne, since you asked...Chief was the one manning the camera that day.

[Smalliebigs]

Al, what about creeks that run into the Mississippi??? are they Shadow Bass or N. Rock Bass??? I ran into a mess of them yesterday, I don't particularly care for how they fight but they are beautiful and IMO the most agressive fish in the river. It's hard to keep them off your line sometimes and it always seems like I'll see a monster smallie and go to cast to it and a Goggle Eye ....sorry Shadow Bass hits it before the smallie even knows the lure is in the water......oh well, they are beautiful.

[fishinSWMO]

Here is one I caught yesterday in sw corner.

[Al Agnew]

I'm not sure about the Mississippi tribs, but I believe those are northern rock bass and not shadow bass. The one in your photo looks pretty much like a northern rock bass to me, as have the ones I've caught in those creeks. I think the shadow bass were limited to the streams that ran down into the flatlands of Swampeast MO and eastern Arkansas. But I'm not real sure about that.