The bigmouth buffalo is a large-bodied native fish. Their large scales and broad body shape make them look a bit like carp, but carp have barbels (whiskers) near their mouth; bigmouth buffalo don't. Their eyes look very different from carp eyes as well - they look like black marbles. Many bigmouths have a distinct bluish tint to them, but this is not a reliable identifying characteristic. In some waters, they might appear silvery, brownish, or grayish. These large, powerful native fish that have earned a reputation for being both tough to catch and very tough to land.

Bigmouth buffalo grow to over 50 pounds in weight. They eat plankton, insect larvae, and - at certain times - small minnows. The body of a bigmouth buffalo is almost round in cross-section. Bigmouth buffalo tolerate oxygen-depleted water even better than carp do - look for them in swamps and sloughs, as well as large rivers and the backwaters attached to them.

Since they grow so large, tackle for bigmouth buffalo should be designed with an emphasis on strength. Long rods help tire the fish quickly, and give you additional leverage to stop their bullish runs. Line should be strong, but avoid anything too obvious whenever fishing for buffalo in clear water. Spinning reels should have a good, smooth drag and an ample line supply. Although they are very large fish, they prey on very small food items - so if you want to flyfish for them, the delicate presentation of a 5-7 weight is probably best.  Bigmouths can be sight-fished just below the surface.  The bigmouth buffalo is not a bottom feeder like the rest of the suckers. It's mouth is at the front of its head, rather than on the bottom. Because of this, standard sucker tactics that place the bait directly on the bottom may not be effective for bigmouths. Midwater presentations, utilizing floating jigheads, floats, or neutrally bouyant lures will work better. Try injecting air into a nightcrawler or worm, or fishing with a small float and a live nymph or scud. I have a theory about using those shrimp-flavored marshmallows that are intended for trout fishing, but so far I haven't gotten a chance to try it out.

Geographic Range Map of the Bigmouth Buffalo in North America