Finally!

[Brian Jones]

That is the third largemouth over 6 pounds in the past five or six years caught from that stretch and that's just the ones that I've heard or know of.  To quote Joe D. "The Big River.  Those who know..................."

[Al Agnew]

On 6/9/2017 at 8:59 AM, MOsmallies said:

Awesome Largemouth Al

I've always wondered about these really big largemouth (5 lb+ fish) in our streams and wanted to get your take. Do you think that fish was spawned and grew to that size in the river or do you think it's more likely that big largemouth like this one are farm pond fish that have ended up in the rivers after large floods like we've had the last 2 years?

It's possible, I guess, but I think they are river grown.  Most of the big ones I've caught on Big River were in spots similar to what I described...a good, deep pool with a quiet backwater nearby.  I think those big ones gravitate to spots like that, where they have everything they need.  I suspect they spawn in the backwaters.  I do know fish get washed out of small lakes at times, and I've found short stretches below the outlets of lakes and ponds that hold a bunch of small largemouth after big floods, but I don't think it's very likely that the big fish get washed out of the ponds like the small ones do.