I have been fishing central iowa for several years now and have yet to catch any really big cats. I was wondering if there was anyone who fished the Missouri or the Mississippi that was catching any big blues. If so would you be willing to give up your locations, because I would be like to make a road trip for some big fish.
Brad, take a look at NE. state record blue on Mo. river for example for where/when it was caught tells how far north blues will go (some years).
Consider that each year some portion of the blues will go upriver (instinct by nature) in spring to spawn, they will stay in an area if conditions are favorable and they will move on when conditions become unfavorable.
Blues will go as far upriver as they need to get the job done. We have to remember that nothing is "static". Their world is dictated by an ever changing environment of water conditions and bait species behavior that constantly evolves and each are constantly adapting to.
Where to fish is easy, in any stretch of a river there will be preferred habitat that blues favor, the better we are at identifying that habitat the bigger the fish.....more important for us northern fishermen may be when to fish as they have to be there to catch them. Your question may be more one of proper timing than anything:wink:.