Need to Catch Bigmouth Buffalo

I have had my best luck with wispy, neutrally-bouyant fine-wire flies. Fly presentations seem to spook them less than a float rig, which is helpful. I like to be able to see the fly, so it'll be white or even fluorescent. Bigmouths feed by creating an inward current flow of water into their mouth and it helps if the bait is able to be sucked in easily on this current. They can suck a fly into their mouth from a couple of inches away, and they generally won't move much to do so. The less it weighs, the better.  A little piece of white marabou or hen hackle on a #10 fine scud hook should do the trick. Light line and precision casting for sure - it's a difficult game. I'd use light tackle for best results getting hookups, and just worry about fighting and wearing them down once you've managed to hook one.

I'll be trying out my 14-foot centrepin at a secret bigmouth spot next week, with a marabou fly. I think a rod that long will be helpful in making a spot-on delicate presentation to fish close in below a steep bank, where I can't cast a flyrod except for an awkward steeple-cast. Unfortunately I also have to keep the fish out of a big brushpile as well. Will report back on what happens, and hope you will, too. Good luck!

FP caught his using a tiny jig that looked like a micro size crayfish set on a lindy rig by itself, slowly working it along the bottom (very slowly) like what a tiny crayfish would do.  We both had several hits, and a few that got off, but he hooked up with the only one we caught, this was in the heat of the summer in probably  1-2 feet of water in a river.  They were holding right on the edge of a heavy current break over a gravel/rocky bottom.  I think they were past spawning and just living and feeding there.  Good luck man, not one of the easier fish we've went after, I hope to try and catch one myself this summer.

I just placed these tips on FishnDave's Website or Blog. I believe it's just a matter of time before anglers have more effective tools and techniques to catch these fish more consistently with rod & reel, hook & line. I have been trying to figure these fish out for a long time, and here are a few things I've learned. Bigmouth can be caught on artificial baits. When fishing artificals they really seem to prefer Twistertail Jigs, Inline Spinner Baits(Roostertails, Mepps, Bluefox....), small flashy spoons. Alabama Rigs & Sabiki or flasher rigs are good too! They add an abundance of flash and the illusion of a ball of baitfish. This can often motivate a quick and immediate prey response from Buffalo. In case your not familiar with Sabiki Rigs. Sabiki's consist of any number(usually between 6 and 10) of small hooks, each one on individual dropper lines which are a few inches long. The individual dropper lines are then tied to a longer leader in series, about 3-6 inches apart; a very small weight is tied to the end of the leader. The individual hooks are decorated as lures or tied like flies and nymphs similar to those used in fly fishing. Often they have a simple piece of luminescent infused material or iridescent film attached to them. Most of the time on any individual rig all of the lures will be either identical or in an alternating sequence of colors. At times Sabiki's can be lethal on Bigmouth "GourdHeads",Smallmouth "Razorbacks",and Black Buffalo "Blue Rooters". A lot of people believe it's impossible to catch Bigmouth's because they're primary plankton feeders. That's mostly true for the younger fish under 3-4Lbs, but as they mature they begin feeding on small shad, minnows, insects, insect larvae, as well as plankton. IMHO they are easier to catch from moving water. In still water you really need them to be in an active feeding mode otherwise they'll just ignore your bait. Usually Bigmouth's won't travel very far to take a bait, notably so if they're not actively feeding and moving. Buffalo, and especially Bigmouth Buffalo have herd mentality. Meaning when a few of them begin to actively feed, it stimulates other buffalo in the area to begin feeding. An important key to tripping their trigger and catching Bigmouths consistently on rod & reel is finding fish that are actively feeding, or by getting them to actively feed, and compete with one another for food with chummed baits. One more thing most people don't know about Bigmouth and Smallmouth Buff's is they were raised extensively as a food fish on large scale Fish Farms in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana back in the 1950's, 60's and 70's. What's really interesting about that, is they were conditioned or feed trained to eat commercial Catfish pellets.

There's an interesting article on the web by Keith Sutton called "The Beef On Buffalo". Here is a highlight from his article:

"Because buffalos feed primarily on tiny water animals, they’re seldom tempted by anglers’ bait. They’re occasionally caught by accident on worms, crickets or jigs, but for more consistent success, those who actually fish for buffalos using rod and reel have a trick that helps them tempt these big bruisers. They bait a hole with livestock range cubes—hard, high-protein cubes used to supplement cattle feed that dissolve quickly in water. Buffalos are attracted to the odor of the dissolving cubes.

If you want to try this method, go to your local farmer’s supply store and buy a sack of range cubes. They’re relatively inexpensive. When you reach your fishing area, broadcast several handfuls around the spot where you’ll fish. Good locales include the shallows of river backwaters and flats near tributary mouths. While the cubes dissolve, prepare an egg-sinker rig using a 1-ounce sinker, one size-7 barrel swivel and one No. 2 baitholder hook. Run your main line through the sinker, and tie it to the swivel. Make a hook leader by tying the hook to a 24-inch piece of monofilament. Tie the hook leader to the swivel’s free eye.

Bait the hook with several small worms or pieces of whole-kernel corn. Cast the rig into the chummed area, let it sink to the bottom and then tighten the line to remove all slack. The rod is held in hand or braced against a forked stick stuck in the ground. The reel is free-spooled so biting fish feel no resistance, and so the angler doesn’t lose a rod to the quick run of a large fish."

-See more at: http://www.outdoorchannel.com/article.aspx?id=31514&key=the-beef-on-buff...

Tight Lines and Bending Rods!

...but chumming is illegal in Minnesota.

That said, is defiitey news to a lot of us that bigger BM Buffs feed on minnows and shad regularly. Thank you for your insightful post- I will have more to think about next time I see them!

I used to live in Cottage Grove Minnesota. The state of Minnesota has lots of Carp and Buffalo they claim they would like to get rid of, in order to make the water more hospitable for much more prized game species like Walleye, Bass, Crappie, Yellow Perch, Northern Pike and Muskie..... Some of the Carp Angler Clubs should get together and petition for changes in the laws. Chumming for Buffalo is about the only way I've found to get them to bite consistently. In other words pre-baiting "flips the switch" or puts them "in the zone" so to speak, moving them to actively feed and keep feeding. Chumming or Prebaiting for Carp is how you call in the monsters. IMO Minnesota is behind the eightball when it comes to a few of their fishing laws. I'm thinking it's because other anglers haven't challenged the status-quo and their way of thinking. I've read several articles about how roughfish have turned many of Minnesota's lakes into murky muddy messes. Here is what the Minnesota DNR's own website proclaims about the Common Carp:

"Common carp are one of the most damaging aquatic invasive species due to its wide distribution and severe impacts in shallow lakes and wetlands
Their feeding disrupts shallowly rooted plants muddying the water
They release phosphorus that increases algae abundance
Carp induced declines in water quality causes declines of aquatic plants needed by waterfowl and fish
Status: They are established in 48 states. They are distributed in hundreds of waters in the southern two-thirds, and a few waters in the northern third of Minnesota. See US map This link leads to an external site..

Means of spread: The incidental inclusion and later release of live bait spreads common carp.

Where to look: They live in lakes, rivers, and wetlands and are often seen in spring when they spawn in shallow waters.

Regulatory Classification: It is a regulated invasive species (DNR), which means introduction into the wild is prohibited. Fish caught while angling may be returned to the same water body."

Hmmm? BUT NO CHUMMING PERIOD FOR CARP, OR OTHERWISE! Do you see the irony?

Unregulated chumming is a problem because it allows people to catch roughfish, chop them up, and throw all the meat in the river to attract catfish. It also allows bowfishers and people that want to kill and dispose of roughfish at their fishing spot the legal ability to do so, by claiming the dead fish are chum. Nobody wants that. But chumming with vegetable matter should be legal. However, it's important to frame it as "Groundbaiting" in my opinion, because people generally think of "chumming" as throwing out blood and meat. It would not take much to make groundbaiting legal. A few hundred signatures on a petition and a sponsor at the citizen's roundtable (like me) would probably be enough to at least have a chance to change the law.

The Range Cube trick was originally published in the book "Fishing for Buffalo" by Tom Dickson and Rob Buffler back in the 80's.

Corey, that's a really good point! Yea, chumming is nothing new for sure. I've tried to fish them other ways with little consistent success. Buffalo are kind of weird ducks. They can be totally uninterested in just about any bait until a few fish in a shoal begin feeding. Chumming "Groundbaiting" with grains is the way to go. In particular cottonseed cake or meal really works well for me. There is a Crappie/White Bass Guide named Steve Welch on Lake Shelbyville south of Decatur Illinois who catches them consistently with a spoon and a dressed white bucktail treble hook tied about a foot above the spoon. He claims that Big buffalo love this tiny little dressed treble. He has become so successful at catching Bigmouth Buffalo many of his Clients actually have him switch from the usual Crappie or White Bass fishing over to vertical jigging for Buffalo. He says a two-minute course on how to jig the spoon and you are ready. He says they have twenty-five fish days with the smallest Bigmouth Buff running a mere fifteen pounds. They normally never even spend more than a couple of hours doing this as it is just a back up on a slow day. Once they get into the hot weather pattern it works every day. He brags they have become so predictable, he can get his clients a fish over fifteen pounds in less than ten minutes.
www.lakeshelbyvilleguide.com

But it's not illegal to feed the ducks.  

Divemaster- I'm from South Columbus & target Buffalo nearly all year if you'd like to get together..we are catching all 3 Buffalo species right now!

I'm not sure on the legality of method fishing style (In MN.)  but think this would be highly effective for the recreational angler - I no longer prebait with much volume untill Fish are activly feeding & I'm catching. I have 100% belief that my mix will get them feeding and when Buffs are chowing down (tail up) they will push the Carp right out of the area.

Here in Central Ohio we catch Bigmouth Buffalo less often than Small mouth or Blacks but 100% of ours are caught with either sweet corn or fake plastic bead & method mix. I'll be honest I can't remember the last time I have used a worm for Buffalos

If you decide to try and do a petition for allowing chumming (baiting) for carp and such, let me know.  Our bar is right in the heart of the lakes area of Otter Tail county, and full of fisherman.  Lots of roughfishers who would sign it, and all the walleye guys would, cuz they hate carp, could probably get a bunch of the lake association members on board for the same reason.  They think it would get rid of the carp, when actually it would just make it easier for us to catch (and release lmao) them.