Smallmouth Tips

[mulelipper]

watcher, the current river has several tournaments a year for smallies, i suggest you enter...current river smallmouth association, call henderson auto sales in poplar bluff for info.. you have got to be greatest. i am founding member of this outfit and been to dozens of weigh-ins and you have got to be the best...

[drew03cmc]

Ok, when it comes to Ozark smallies, I would go with Al's word about them. He has been fishing them A LOT longer than most people on this board have been alive.

In that time, like he said, the Ozark streams capability for growing a huge amount of 5# smallmouth is unrealistic. So therefore, if you wish to make these claims on size, please show me where, so I can call ESPN to film a video and tell everyone where it is at. I think everyone in America would like to know a place to catch lots of 5#ers in a day on one river that is heavily travelled both by canoe, as well as on foot.

[steve l]

After floating the Jacks Fork a few years ago and catching smallies that MDOC had tagged for a study I had written & asked if they had any results they could share.

I received a pdf that outlines a study conducted on the smallie mgt areas on the JF and the Gasconade. Bottom line - that while they exist there just are not that many really big smallies out there.

I have floated the rivers for 40 years, and have canoed with some pretty good fisherman, & there is only 1 certified (almost) 4lber caught in all that time.

Luckily I have a picture, so here is what a 3.9lb smallie looks like as a point of reference to the 5lbers. Just so happens I caught it, so this is also not a chance to brag. Note that it was weighed on a good electronic scale.

I am more than happy to share the pdf. Just send me a pm, and I will forward on. Note it is about 4Mb, so if any of you are still on dial-up...

[Al Agnew]

It's not that there AREN'T big smallmouths in the Current and other Ozark streams, it's just as Steve said, there aren't all that many of them. I do know of at least one that was caught on Current River last winter that was over 5 pounds...guy caught it on a big live minnow while walleye fishing. I've also talked to guys who fish river tournaments on the Current, Meramec, and Gasconade, and none of them have ever seen a 5 pounder weighed in during a tournament. Very few over 4 pounds are ever weighed in. Also, except for some instances in late winter/early spring, river smallies are never as heavy as reservoir smallies. The average 20 incher won't weigh more than 4 pounds, and usually a bit less if it's caught in midsummer. It takes at least an 18 incher to make three pounds. The two 5 pounders I caught (many years ago), one on the Meramec and one on Big River, were 21.5 and just under 22 inches. I've never caught a fish longer than that on an Ozark stream, and have actually only SEEN one that I was sure was significantly larger, a monster that followed a hooked largemouth and struck but missed my spinnerbait, which I got a good look at compared to the largemouth (which was 18 inches). It was a good 6 inches longer. THAT fish would have been a 6 pounder, probably. I heard of a 6 pounder being caught on the Big Piney a couple years ago. Heard exactly where it was caught. Funny thing, I was on a float on that stretch just a few weeks before this fish was allegedly caught, and my fishing buddy caught a big one at that exact spot (and released it). It was about 21 inches long, and probably weighed 4.5 or so. I wonder...same fish? Guesstimated weight?

I love talking about big Ozark smallies. Think I'll start a new thread on the subject in the general bass fishing section...

[shawncat]

Wow!!! Nice mounts Watcher.I'm impressed even if you don't want me to be. Post the stories on them.I'd like to hear[read] about them.

[creek wader]

I'm not sure if I want to get in this one, or not. I've had some great days on a certain river, which I won't mention the name. Between two of us, we caught over 60 smallies, not to mention about double that number of sunfish and largemouth mixed. But, It was a one time deal and the biggest was just a 15 incher, with most between 10" and 12". It was a wonderful day. As far as large fish goes, on that particular river, the biggest that I ever caught was an 18 incher. But, I'm far from a "big" smallie fisherman. I usually use smaller jigs and catch more numbers than size. By the way, every smallie that I've caught, is still swimming. That is unless someone else, caught it. ... Good fishing to all ....Please practice catch and release....

[Watcher]

OK! OK! did anyone read the original post past the 5# section. Has anyone ever fished the Strawberry River at Ash Flat Ar, or The very upper Maramac,or the sections of streams that don't have but less than 25 to 50 anglers a year fish them? I know the Current River is less than a trophy stream, along with the Gasconade,Eleven Point,Osage Fork.

These rivers have fallen to the weekend canoe anglers that keep almost every fish they catch. They have tried to turn the river beds into aluminium with their trash. I have have fished these streams for 57 years and hate to have seen what has happened to them because of the fact they are Loved to Death I fish the streams where they have no tournaments with weekend Bass Pros, or a line of canoes stretch for miles. In fact you have to work at walking and wadding them. If you take a canoe on them you carry it more than you sit in it. wadding calls for walking through briers head tall from one hole to another. I spend an half a day fishing one or two holes and don't see another angler all day.

I don't fish to impress the guys at the weigh-in or to win a gift at War- Mart. I know a guy who has a spring at his farm and keeps Goggleye in it, when there is a local tournament he takes his bucket down to the spring and dips out his pets and takes them to the weigh-in. Then after he gathers up the prizes he takes them home and rewards them with a bucket full of minnows.

Al talked about a 6 lb small mouth that he heard about being caught. I'm posting a photo of my trophy wall, not to impress anyone but all of the fish has been caught in the Ozarks Streams and Lakes. There is a 6# Smallmouth on it. The only reason it's there and not still swimming with the other big fish in the stream is because it swallowed the jig and got gill hooked. The 12# walleye came from the upper South Fork below Salem AR in 2001, I also had a 14# from the Lower Eleven Point in 2002. The 11# and the 11#+ Largemouth Came from Bull Shoals 1998 2001. The 12# Rainbow Came from The Current River. The 1# goggleye from the Piney. The 28# pike came from Kenora Canada.

I wrote the post to let people know that the Ozarks has top quality fishing and if your willing to get up early and work hard at fishing, the Trophy fish are there. And they Are. In fact I'm glad to see that most of the posters here are not privy to the areas the fish are in.

OH! about forgot to mention the State record Smallmouth Retired Conservation Agent D.N from Salem and I saw while fishing the Very upper Maramec near Salem Mo in 2003. he estimated the weight at 8+#. It swam by us three times, but would not strike.

The potential for trophy Smallmouth is there but we as anglers have to work with MDC to develop it. If Genetics is what it takes we could take a load of Otters to TN for Smallmouth.

We lost a angler last month here at the age of 71 who in 1998, I saw with a stringer of 4 Smallmouth all were over 4#, and all were released in the same water they were caught in. That is what it will take to get it back to the way it's supposed to be. I'm sure this will sturup some coneservice but that's my story and I'm Sticking with it.

[Gavin]

Yuck! Wouldnt those look better in the garage? Ya can still see them when there hanging under the stairs!

[mulelipper]

those mounts dont look right....

[steve l]

I agree. Don't they look a bit light?