Large hyper fish in the Missouri River?

[Seeknelk]

I know there's a bunch of crazy fisherman around here, maybe y'all can help us out.
So my dad and uncle we're just floating a section of the Missouri River , upstream from the PN bridge.
My dad hooked a fish the SLAMMED a gulp smelt on a jig on the fall, before he started retrieve.
This fish went BALLISTIC! Screaming drag and launching out of the water multiple times before breaking off in just 10-15 seconds maybe.
I wasn't there. But this was just this week. He said it was roughly 8-10 pounds with big shoulders and a greenish gold back. He saw several others like it launching out of the water on their own a few times.
My dad's a very experienced fisherman. We fished for steelhead , salmon and everything else in the U.P. of Michigan. He said it reminded him of the time he landed a pair of 6-7 pound Alantic salmon years ago, bit even more violent.
This is wayyyyyy upstream from fort peck and the water was very muddy. 4-6" of visibility.
What the heck were they? Any ideas? Big rainbows or salmon that far up in murk water? Are the sturgeon in there anything like that?

 

[2rsquared]

Asian “flying” carp maybe???


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[doc holiday13]

My thought would be a carp. The ones here on the upper Potomac jump frequently. I've never hooked one up though, but they certainly would have the potential to be a big fighter. The colors you mentioned fit the bill for the coloration of a carp

 

[Zeke6951]

I live near KY Lake. The Asian Carp have replace a lot of the bass and crappie here. The biologist say they are only plankton feeders. Maybe so but I caught one about 8 or 10 lbs this spring. It had my crappie jig way down in his mouth. I have caught quite a few over the years but all others were hooked outside the mouth. The darned things get huge, some have been caught over 50 lbs.

 

[Fatcamp]

Asian carp are below Yankton.

 

[Seeknelk]

Yeah, so we thought about Asian carp. But are they know to be up above fort peck ? And would they slam a jig like that? Aren't they just filter feeders? He also thinks he snagged a couple common carp or similar that pulled hard but totally like a carp does. Strong fight but not insane. He landed a decent catfish and some goldeyes.
Even on the free fall , anything can happen and he could have snagged an Asian carp if they are there. He said it slammed it but anything can happen for sure .

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

If he saw several of them breaching in the same area, I'm guessing common carp. They're spawning around here and do the same thing in lakes and rivers.

 

[Fordguy]

I haven't fished that area, but I've caught common carp and buffalo on jigs plenty of times. They were hooked in the mouth, and on more than one occasion I've watched them inhale/gulp the lure. They can make some screaming runs, and they do jump sometimes.

 

[Seeknelk]

Yeah he landed a common carp that bit and fought some others. He said these were totally different. But who knows.

 

[cgasner1]

Green color maybe a pike?


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[Forestryguy]

Asian carp are white/silver color. I would think a Garr or Pike.

 

[mossyoak52]

Green color maybe a pike?


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i was thinking the same thing

 

[Z Barebow]

I don't know much about lake trout, but do lakers spawn in rivers? Ft Peck has lakers.

 

[rsiros]

Drum/Sheepshead?

 

[mtluckydan]

Between catching and guiding....seen thousands of lake trout caught....never seen one jump. Rainbows & salmon yes. Have caught some carp and never had one of them jump but not a big sample. Definitely seen carp jump out of the water on their own...they are powerful and make strong runs.

 

[Fatcamp]

Common carp can jump spectacularly on hook and line.

 

[JustSomeGuy35]

Like some of the others said, I'm thinking pike or gar. I fish the Mississippi every couple days and the gar have been very active lately. When they group up and sun is hot, they'll start jumping around. It's pretty cool to see.

 

[260madman]

Aren't they just filter feeders?

Sure. Same way that wolves only kill the weak and old.

 

[Seeknelk]

I don't know much about lake trout, but do lakers spawn in rivers? Ft Peck has lakers.

It has lakers, but they are fall spawners. And he grew up catching them in lake superior so probably not. They aren't jumpers. Possibly just another common carp or maybe gar.
There's something like 57 species of fish in fort peck stretches of river. The Chinook salmon probably wouldn't be running that far upriver either, they don't spawn up river and they are fall spawners anyway. Chinook are stocked in various places on the lake itself and they return to the bay they were dumped in. In theory anyway.
Pike possibly also, they usually don't launch and go tailwalking and are a longer narrow type build. These were a bit shorter and thick shoulders. Anyway, it's just a fun puzzle thinking about and researching. Guess I may have to go hunt for "river monsters"!