Smallmouth Bass
The smallmouth bass is one of the most exciting game fish.Some anglers argue that they are the strongest fish , pound for pound. They are slightly smaller than the largemouth but make uop for it in other ways. They are known for their excellent leaping ability and the aggressivness they show when they strike a lure. A member of the sunfish family , they average in size of 10-20 inches long and can reach up to 6 pounds.
Smallmouths are found in cool clear Ozark streams and large reservoirs in the Ozarks.Some are found in the upper Mississippi and it's clear running tributaries.They prefer clear streams with silt-free rock or gravel bottoms and feed on fish , crayfish and aquatic insects.
Smallmouth Bass Special Management
The Missouri Conservation Department has a long history in black bass management.The focus is primarily on small mouth bass. Biologists mange stream populations to provide a variety of fishing opportunities and a bright future.
Experimental habitat improvement projects began in the 1980's and in 1991 the first Stream Black Bass Special Management Areas were established , using special regulations to improve the numbers and sizes of smallmouth bass.
The success of the management areas led to a statewide effort to study and improve Missouri's black bass streams.Currently, Missouri has almost 300 miles of streams with special management regulations and many more miles of permanently flowing black bass streams with statewide regulations (12-inch minimum length limit and daily limit of six).
Maps of Special Management Areas: