Smallmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus)

The Smallmouth Buffalo or Ictiobus bubalus is one of the largest sucker fish in the entire world growing to about 36" in length maximum and weighing in at an impressive 82lbs!  The only sucker fish that can grow bigger is its close relative the Bigmouth Buffalo.  These freshwater fish look similar, but you can always tell them apart by their mouths.  The mouth of the Smallmouth Buffalo is facing downward, typical of a sucker, while the mouth of the Bigmouth Buffalo faces forward.  The Smallmouth also has a much more slanted back than the Bigmouth.   

Another fish that is often confused with the Smallmouth Buffalo is various species of Carp.  The easy way to tell these fish apart is the lack of barbels on the Smallmouth.  The coloration of the Smallmouth Buffalo is often gray or olive with its underbelly being yellow or white.   

Smallmouth Buffalo fish are found exclusively in North America in places like Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Tennessee, Alabama, Michigan and Pennsylvania.  They go by a few different names depending on where you are including the Razorback Buffalo, Hump-Back Buffalo, River Buffalo, High-Back Buffalo, Roachback, Thick-Lipped Buffalo and the Channel Buffalo.  While they are considered edible, they are often used as fish food.

If you have any additional information of fishing tips for the Smallmouth Buffalo please share...

Bigmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus)

The Bigmouth Buffalo or Ictiobus cyprinellus have many different names including Gourdhead, Redmouth Buffalo, Buffalo Fish Roundhead, Common Buffalo and Brown Buffalo. These fish are commonly found in many places in North America including place like Iowa, Texas, and Alabama.

This freshwater fish varies in color from bluish green to a bluish grey. It has a large head with thin lips. The Bigmouth Buffalo looks very similar to the Smallmouth Buffalo. You can tell the difference between the two though by their mouths. The Bigmouth Buffalo's mouth face straight out, while the Smallmouth Buffalo is always facing downwards, like most other suckers.
The Bigmouth Buffalo is the largest of all the different Buffalo Fish and can reach lengths of over 4', weighing in at almost 75lbs! Their large size make them a fun fish to catch, but a lot of anglers consider the meat of a Bigmouth Buffalo a bit bony, much like the Northern Pike. If you can get past the bones though the meat of this fish is quite tasty.

They are often caught in shallow standing water such as lakes, marshes and even the backwaters of rivers. These fish normally start spawning after the water temperatures reach 60 degrees F. They are group spawners that form large schools over grasses in shallow water only 2-3' deep. During this time these monsters are very vulnerable to spearing.

If you have any recipes or angling techniques that you would like to share about the Bigmouth Buffalo please do so in the comments below...