How to target buffalo?

Is there any specific way to target buffalo over carp? I've heard of anglers that catch nothing but carp or nothing but buffalo. Never caught a buff myself, so I'd appreciate any help in this area. Moreover, are there specific methods to target black, smallmouth, or bigmouth buffalo? Thanks in advance!

my opinion only ...i have heard they like sweeter baits , they like smaller baits , they like a certain size leader/hook but i do not see that . ....what i do see ...they are some lakes that the buff bite is more prevelant than others .try lake worth or grapevine if you can ,seems like the buff bite more often there ,at least for me .but i have caught them on the same baits as i use for carp . all depends whats in the area to as to whats gonna bite i have never caught any black or big mouth buffalo (that i know of ) ,just smallmouths

I have seen lots of people catching smallmouths, very similarly if not the same way they catch carp. Not too many catching the other species, at least on purpose anyway. Smallmouths are one of the species I need though, so thanks!

Running water like rivers or large creeks is usually easier imo if there is a spot you can walk to if you are banking it. Usually you can bait a river spot and have fish on it pretty quick if they want to eat because the current carries the smell and also because fish relate to current breaks so you can see where they are likely to be holding just by watching the flow. Slow spots in relative to the area is what you want, depth is less important than slack water in the river or large creek setting.

Jesse have you ever heard of a bait called "Cheese Dough"dough bait? Back in the mid to late 80`s there was a small bait store on W Jefferson just before you`d get to LOOP 12 that sold this product. It was the color of lite brown sugar.There was also another one that was the color of BIG RED soda.These two product came in a resealable bag that could fit in your hand.The RED, which was said to be very sweet,was for Carp & the BROWN type was for Buffalo.I would take some of that lite brown stuff , go to the California crossing spillway,place a wad of it on a small treble hook(no weight), and catch Buffalo all day long.

Thanks for the tips! I've never had too much luck in the rivers, hopefully this'll give me the boost I need.

Where are you?)

DFW metroplex. I try the Trinity when I can.

It's loaded with them, there are some older posts on here about it if you want to dig. Not my stomping grounds, but it's slap full of them. Spillways and low head dams good, current breaks anywhere you can get to them too, I just don't know where they are for you in the field. Bait with range cubes, fish with sweet corn or boiled deer corn.

Will try, thanks! See those baits suggested quite often.

... i was into crappie fishing, and catfishing in those days .. i did used to fish Mountain Creek when i was in high school , grew up off Clarendon .i do remember the bait store tho . kinda remember that bait being sold at fisherman supply too .

I've only caught buffalo on crawfish dough bait when catfishing, acually never caught a carp. I snag buffalo all the time though in my Irving stomping grounds. They feed on the canal wall at night and stick their head out of the water to suck on the bricks. If I feel like it I can sight them and snag a crappie jig into them. Biggest has been 17.6 so far lol

Eric

Took the kids out 2 weekends ago for a little night fishing. Caught our biggest buff at 17 lbs, next one was 15 lbs and about 8 carp averaging 3-5 lbs. It was a great night for kids. All caught on sweet corn soaked in vanilla in the greenbelt corridor between Lewisville and Ray Roberts.

If I remember correctly, you're not supposed to fish in those canals.
Thanks though. I definitely "won't" be trying it sometime.

I'll have to head up there sometime, thanks.

Wow! What a small world! I used to fish mountain Creek a lot at the discharge canal off Mountain Creek Pkwy for Buffalo & for Crappie,under the little bridge on SE 14th street in GP was hard to beat!!

If you use smaller hooks and baits and short hook links you should be able to get into a buff no problem as long as you are in a place that you know they are prevalent. Don't worry about bait flavor it's not nearly as important as the other things I told you

Thanks, I use Gamakatsu G-Carp Specialist R hooks sizes 4 and 6 on a Carolina rig with a hair. I've caught a few (carp, that is), but definitely haven't mastered the techniques yet.

One more thing: You need to watch your line when you buffalo fish. Many times they will inhale a bait over and over and blow it out, somehow avoiding the hook. You will see your line lift and drop, looks similar to wind or current pull but it's not. Set hook on the lift.

It's all about the weather. Buffalo like colder water temps than carp do. When the temperature drops carp go into a semi dormant state. Buffalo can survive because they are native and are used to the weather patterns. Carp on the other hand are invasive, not native,and suited for warmer environments.

Use the same tactics you would use for carp, just go during a colder time of year.

Carp are neither native nor invasive. In the 1880s they were planted all over the US by the Federal Gubmint and State Fish & Game Departments. http://www.americancarpsociety.com/us-carp-history/

Thank you for the link! Great site!

Yep. They are invited, legal immigrants.

They are invasive,because they were supposed to be stocked in private ponds,not public lakes. At some point carp escaped the areas they were intended to be,and now are found just about everywhere in the United States.

Similar to the pond weed hydrilla. Aquarium enthusiast used hydrilla because it looked nice in a fish tank,but when the pet fish ultimately died, they dumped the aquariums into drainage canals in Florida. The Hydrilla took hold and is now spreading to different lakes around the country.

Carp are also not native, because they were originally native to Asia. They then spread into Europe, where we ultimately brought them over here.

So they are both non native and invasive.

Either way, they are "here", and that's all that matters.