Were there/ are there small mouth in the berry?

[TubeDude]

Settle a dispute for me.. I have heard from more than one person small mouth exist at strawberry / SC.

Some have even told me "I know so because I've caught them!"

DWR does not list them.

Fish tales or facts?

Smallmouth do not "officially" exist in Strawberry.  But that does not mean that there have not been a few "introduced" by bucket bozos.  Over the years there have been isolated catches of smallies...reported and photos provided by reputable anglers.  But they are extremely rare and it is not worthwhile targeting them

Some anglers would like to see smallmouth as another species available from Strawberry.  But the biology is that there could be no naturally reproducing population.  Something about the young of the year starving out in late fall or early winter when their seasonal invertebrate food sources disappear for the winter.  There is plenty of food (chubs and redside shiners...and crawdads) for adult smallies.  But if they can never survive beyond a few short inches they never get large enough to eat regular smallie chow.

As it has been proven, smallies dumped in after they are beyond the smallfry stage can survive and prosper.  But it is highly unlikely that DWR would ever consider (or allow) a smallmouth stocking program for Da Berry.



PS.  There have also been quite a few tiger trout caught out of Strawberry...even though none have ever been officially planted.