Arizona

[ColdWaterFshr]

Interesting - can't wait to see those pictures of the redeyes.

Oh, and I love the Wet Beaver! Maybe even the creek, too.

[Mitch f]

Micropterus coosae

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redeye_bass

I have always wanted to fish the Flint River in Georgia for Shoal Bass, A side trip to the Coosa River for Redeye would be cool.

Looks like a smallmouth goggle eye cross

[Al Agnew]

This afternoon, I was able to fish the lower portion of Oak Creek, the creek that runs through Sedona. Nice looking wadeable water, flowing about 70 cfs, visibility 2.5 feet. It's another tributary of the Verde. I almost immediately hooked what looked like a nice smallmouth, maybe 15 inches, and lost it before I got a good look at it. Had a strike from a little one, lost it too. Then started catching largemouth, and one of them was about 17 inches, nice fish. Finally got a couple of little bronze fish in...and yep, they were redeyes as well. So I've now caught redeyes, and no real smallmouth, in Oak Creek, Wet Beaver Creek, and the Verde. Heading home tomorrow, so my search for true smallmouth in Arizona is over. I'm going to write the fish and game people and see what they say when I ask them why the "smallmouth" in the Verde river system are redeyes.

[Guest P. owensby]

I'm sure these links to the Black River in Arizona are no secret to many on here, but Smallies seem to do well in this watershed that meanders on the border between AZ & New Mexico! I believe some of these areas however got negatively affected by a recent forest fire, but that is life in the west... It does look like a trip though would be an adventure on a first class order & the area/stream actually has some Ozark characteristics. Without a doubt, it's on the list...

[Wayne SW/MO]

I know the Colorado river system has true smallies, but I don't know the origin. It's hard to say who first imported them because the system touches more than one state.

[Guest P. owensby]

I've heard that... I also know that the Arkansas river where it starts in the SE mountains of Colorado, have smallies! Which poses a couple question.., 1, are those smallies native? 2, (Chiefs antenna is going to raise) if the Neosho river basin is part of the Arkansas river system, are those smallies in Colorado actually Neosho's if they are native? Topics like this always fascinate me...

[dtrs5kprs]

Al...

Sounds like you encountered "tules" on your first trip.

Have a good friend in Pheonix, will see if he has any insight on the redeye question, or suggestions on rivers.

[Al Agnew]

I'm sure these links to the Black River in Arizona are no secret to many on here, but Smallies seem to do well in this watershed that meanders on the border between AZ & New Mexico! I believe some of these areas however got negatively affected by a recent forest fire, but that is life in the west... It does look like a trip though would be an adventure on a first class order & the area/stream actually has some Ozark characteristics. Without a doubt, it's on the list...

http://youtu.be/dnDWsSxff-0

http://youtu.be/hkI_Pyq7tQA

http://youtu.be/tNykmALj-uc

Now those Black River fish are real smallmouth. Really sucky way of treating fish you're going to release, though...dragging them up onto dry, hot dirt.

[drew03cmc]

Owensby, no, they aren't native. No, the smallmouth in the Arkansas wouldn't be Neosho Smallmouth.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Owensby, no, they aren't native. No, the smallmouth in the Arkansas wouldn't be Neosho Smallmouth.

How can you be sure? The Neosho as a sub species is in question. OSU was the authority that said they were, but they are also the ones who say further DNA analysis says they may not be.