Large Mouth not that large on River!!!

[Lilmoosecountry]

Many lakes large mouth are the dominant species. But on the Missouri River my biggest is 3lbs. Maybe there are some horses out there in the Channels & steams. But there not that big on the main river. Why are'nt large mouth more dominant in size. I catch Shad all over that river. That's why my # 1 bait is the Sassy Shad. How come the big BASS aren't getting big & fat. In my area there only a dozen people. So i know it's not fishing Pressure. They're is no pollution issues. We have some very big wing dams that are almost as big as a large ponds. In these area's there's not alot of current. This is where i catch most of them. There is a Wing Dam every couple of 100 ft. Some Wing dams are Rocky some have alot of dead tree's.

[Bob Smith]

Well, that's a fact for the most part. And there isn't a real good answer for it. I know that lakes that are pretty much "river type" lakes in the south are the exception, probably because there are a greater number of slack water areas, grass (submergent and emergent), as well as backwaters that don't get as cold as those on the Upper Mississippi. So my "guess" would be more current, colder temps and less vegetation.

[Lilmoosecountry]

Thanx Bob!!! Any body else. Whatz your opinion Zooker!!!

[Lilmoosecountry]

Bob i do agree. Say at the mouth of fishing river i can go in i usually catch bigger bass there. My personal best there is 4 1/4. I caught him pitching a 10inch Black worm off of Dead Timbor. There is alot of structure allot of fallen Timbor.

[lizardsrule]

The fish fight harder most of the time, meaning they are in better shape. So the fat and lazy basses stay fat and lazy in the lakes, the strong and nimble bass are in the rivers fighting the current constantly.

Lizards

[3dkicker]

The Potomac river never was known for big bass or a big tournament site until the hydrilla and milfoil took over. Once it did the 3-5lb fish exploded. You can still catch 6-8lb fish on occasion but they are rare. Biggest river bass I believe is 11lbs. Capt. Mike probably knows the record since I think it is also the MD record too.
My guess is that you don't have the grass to support the smaller bass and the food needed to support these fish. Also the bass still have to exert a lot of energy to feed due to the current so they don't grow as big as lake bass can. If the lakes around the state had the grass and food that the river has we'd be catching 5-7lb fish like we do 1.5-2.5lb fish on the river.
The river has numbers of small bass. For example two boats (I was in one) sat at the mouth of a feeder creek and caught 50+ bass in about two hours two years ago. All were in the 13.5 to 14.75" range. I don't think we caught them all so there were probably a lot more.

[Lilmoosecountry]

We have the vegetation in the creaks, Channels, Small river inlets dumping into the river. The main body of water has none. But the river does have large coves & large wing dams. Shad can be easly caught in these areas. I do sometimes bobber fish with fresh caught shad. So there is plenty of shad. I've also seen a small black snake swallowed whole by a bass. There has to be a pattern. There have to be bigger fish. My 4 & 1/4 was tooken on small river not more than 50 feet from the opening of the Missouri. My guess is the bigger fish are up these canals,Creaks.

[JB]

Here on the ohio river I've seen a handful of 4-5 lb'ers weighed in , but its usually a 1-2 lb range. Fighting all the current makes those 1 pounders feel like big fish thats for sure. I think the bigger ones stay well hiddin in timbers in the creeks, or the mouths of big creeks that feed the river.
Try to key in on any stump field near the mouth of a creek.

[Lilmoosecountry]

Thanks Guy's

[zooker]

Originally Posted by Lilmoosecountry

Thanx Bob!!! Any body else. Whatz your opinion Zooker!!!

Originally Posted by lizardsrule

The fish fight harder most of the time, meaning they are in better shape. So the fat and lazy basses stay fat and lazy in the lakes, the strong and nimble bass are in the rivers fighting the current constantly.

Lizards

lizzy is right on it moose. even in a big river like the mo' and the dc sewer. the fish fight currant not present in the lakes. now even smaller rivers like the yadkin river. they seem slow moving on top but have a wicked under tow-sub surface currant-

this is the yadkin river btw..



as you said heavy weighted large baits seem to work best in flood trash/laydowns.


i personally had never caught a river bass over 4 pounds. but even lil ones pull like a truck when caught in the river..

zooker

[3dkicker]

Lilmeece's - my guess is that there are plenty of quality bass if it has all the cover you are talking about and bait. It just may be how you are fishing it. How much experience do you have fishing for bass on rivers? With current are you able to detect strikes as a bait is being washed towards you? Do you allow for the current when you present a bait? Not knowing how you fish it and with what baits and presentations I can only start with these basic questions.

Also give me a town or something I can find on Google Earth so I can take a look at the section of the river you are talking about.

[Lilmoosecountry]

Sugar Creak Missouri. Follow the the Missouri River bridge down stream. Past shoal creak on your left. The little blue will be down alittle further in Sibley missouri on you right. Followed by last but not least the Fish'n River on your left in missouri city. Right now the river is low. You will see many wing dams & Coves in between these ares's. I do catch alot of fish in these ares as well. Sassy Shad on a 1/2 to a 1oz jig. I flip a 10 inch worms in that heavy stuff zooker showed yeah. I catch fish i just want key on more quality fish. I believe these area's have alot more to produce than they are. I do also crank crankbaits/spinner baits behind these wing dams where there is little or no current. What i want is a better formula for catching these quality fish. I realize this is haven for catfishermen. But the missouri river has every single fish the is recognized in it. I have caught walleye, white bass, crappie & ugly ol catfish. Thatz why i love this ugly ol river so much. By the way i'm 36 yrs old & have been fishing this area for the last 20 yrs. I feel strikes & i let the current work for me. That's not an issue. I love that mack truck feeling when i get that bass in the heavy current.

[Lilmoosecountry]

Missouri river bridge is on Hwy 291 just a 1/2 mile from where 291 & 210 insect. This is on the extreme north side of the city.

[3dkicker]

Mooses - Got the area between Sibley and Napoleon up right now. Nice looking stuff between those two towns. Looks a lot like the James river with the wingdams but it doesn't have the tidal movement or the oxbows but still good looking water.
Don't know if you've seen Woo's video on river fishing but it might help you out. He gives you plenty of tips on what areas to target and why when you are fishing rivers.
You may be passing on some areas that may be holding the fish that you are looking for. For example are you fishing both upstream and downstream of the wingdams? At the mouth of the creek are you targeting the wood structure you see or the drop offs? Once again I don't know how you fish these types of areas but you do have experience on this body of water. Or the last thing is that you may need to refine what you are doing since you are catching bass but can't find the better fish. I think we would all like to catch bigger fish when we go out. And if I could I'd be on the tour making some $$$$.
How much water is in the creek at Wellington? Can't tell depths on G. Earth but I think I'd spend some time in there in the spring.

[Lilmoosecountry]

Yeah it's about 6 to 12 feet depending on if the water on the river is up or not. Yeah your right about james there are some hogs up that way. I always intend to start my run up that way. But nevor get that far, Mostly because i'll see somthing on the way that just looks to good to pass up in between. Current can be pretty fast somtimes. It somtimes is hard to work the sides of the wing dams that have current slamming into them. I get maybe on or 2 cast before i circle around for another cast. But behind the wing dams the current almost dies.

[Lilmoosecountry]

I agree. Noing that if i want the hogs that i just need to go where they are. Instead of hoping. It's just somtimes you pass a spot. It just looks like they have to be in there.

[3dkicker]

Those bodies of water are really difficult to fish. I'll use my outing with Capt. Mike on the "Pinkystank" this past fall. Everything looked good. Laydowns, cypress trees and knees, grass, feeder creeks, pads, etc. It had everything. First day I caught nothing, zip, except a little perch. Second day I made an adjustment and found a spot that combined a couple things, a channel bend, grass bed edge and wood. Bingo, hit 7 or 8 keepers in sparse grass. Big fish spot??? Not at that time and Capt was surprised at the numbers I caught there. He had fished the area before but hadn't done real well. Turns out that it did hold big fish because he returned later and picked up a toad, 7+. Will he pick up fish that size every time??? No but it was a very good area that I felt should have held quality fish. Keep at it and pay attention to the details. You'll figure them out.