So, What Qualifies as a Mo?

[Tony Buzolich]

The last couple of weeks have been fantastic with lots of fish in the 3lb.-8lb. range but I haven't been able to garb anything BIG. And I know they are there.

This morning I was on the water at 6:00am and thought it was going to be a great day. One hour goes by, nothing. Two hours go by, still nothing. A couple of little taps and that's about it. Moved down to the mouth of the Yuba and backcast into the Feather at the color seem. Wham! Finally a grab. And a good one too. Taking line and geez, do I pull anchor? Finally turns and heading my way. Up to the boat at last. Yahoo! Get the Boga.
13+lbs. Almost 14lb. but not quite.

I know in the delta "30lb." is the holy grale number for MO, and this is a long way from 30lbs., but it sure felt good.

Did manage another nice smallmouth as well,
TONY

[Darian]

Hey Tony,.... When you're catching a bunch of small ones,.....yours sounds like a "moe" to me :!: :!: .....

[Jim D]

Tony,

I haven't fished the feather for stripers, (I assume you are talking about the Feather), and wouldn't mind trying. Would you mind giving me a few general pointers on where to try? I have a driftboat, but don't know if I would need to bring it, nor where to launch and take out.

Thanks,

Jim Davenport

[Tony Buzolich]

Hi Jim,

Right now the river is loaded with small guys 12"-18" all the way from Yuba Cuty to Live Oak and perhaps farther. Yes, there are lots of bigger fish mixed in but most have moved WAY up.
Almost every morning I put in at the public ramp at Riverside Park In Marysville. I usually motor up and fish under the bridges just upstream or I'll drop down to the mouth of the Yuba and fish the color seam where the two river come together.

Yesterday I planned to fish stripers early in the AM and then switch to shad as the sun came up but the stripers were non-stop. It was like some of the old glory days of shad fishing only these were stripers. Any yes, you fish them with a 6"fly and either an #8w.or#9w. rod because you never know when that MO is going to come up and eat one of your 12"-14" dinks that you've been having fun with. Believe me there are lots of giant stripers in the Feather just like there are in the American.

As to putting in for stripers with a drift boat? Most of the lower Feather around town can be rowed upstream fairly easy so no need for a shuttle. Farther upstream or downstream the current picks up and you'll need to plan a drift.

If you need more help write me off line. Hope this helps, TONY

[Jim D]

Tony.

Have a few more questions. Would like to speak to you "off line" but can't link to your email here (perhaps I am missing somethin). Mine is jim.davenport@comcast.net

Drop me a line

Jim

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I guess that is relative?

For many of us any striper over 10 pounds is a nice fish.

I guess a fish over 20 pounds could be considered a 'Mo".

Floating the Lower American River people see fish over 20 pounds daily but they don't catch them often.

Every year we see some fly caught fish over 40 pounds. I guess I could fish for the rest of my life and not catch one that big.

I guess those are called "Big Mos"?