Suckers on Spring Creek

[Chaz]

Char_Master wrote:
Glad to know at least one other person feels the same way. I can't tell if half the comments on this thread or sarcastic or serious, but if so then a lot of guys are just stuck in the past. The future of angling is species equality people, hell, if there's this many white suckers in spring creek then I might make the three hour trip specifically to target them! I've been figuratively pacing for weeks now waiting for the spring Redhorse runs in SWPA out of the three rivers, not for someone to throw minner' sized pelletheads in my local creek that fight like sockfish (aka Walleye) for the first two weeks after they're stocked. When the northern hogs are on a good feed I get myself down to the stream ASAP and start throwing nymphs in their faces, when I'm cruising the flats of Lake Erie with my boat in the summer and spot a nice Drum, you'd better believe that's what I'm casting a streamer at, and if I'm on the Niagara River in the middle of winter, I'm always hoping for a big Laker more than any other species.

Maybe I'm just crazy, but all-species angling is gaining a big following, and the term "gamefish" is going to be obsolete in 50 years from now.

Make it 3. If Spring Creek had a brookie population, I guarantee there would be fewer suckers.

 

[ryansheehan]

I think a few streams with sucker special regs might be in order, it is America's premier gamefish.

 

[Char_Master]

The really are. There's 60 some Catostomids ("Suckers") in the world and all but two are native exclusively to North America. They're a unique fish that fights just as well as and inhabits similar environments as Trout.

To my knowledge, DHALO sections count for all species, and I thoroughly enjoy going to my local section and tight line nymphing White and Northern Hog Suckers!

 

[Char_Master]

Here's a nice Northern Hogsucker I tight lined in late November along with a few others. They certainly love nymphs with a lot of movement worked along the bottom.

 

[NewSal]

Char_Master : the sucker champ, you should start a "suckers on the fly" Blog

 

[NewSal]

ryansheehan wrote:
I think a few streams with sucker special regs might be in order, it is America's premier gamefish.

I'm kind of pissed off about all those wild brown trout ruining the little j, we need to start removing all the invasive brown trouts out of our rivers so the suckers can have more room to grow. And plus, those ignorant brown trouts always eating sucker eggs, we cant be having that anymore.

 

[foxtrapper1972]

Love the sucker pics. I've often wondered about having one mounted for the wall. Anyone have a carp or sucker above the mantle?

My best fly for suckers is a san juan worm in a natural brown tan with a bead. Most suckers i catch are nice and clean and healthy and have a lovely golden color.

Speaking of eating sucker eggs. how is the sucker roe for eating?

 

[1fish]

ryansheehan wrote:
I think a few streams with sucker special regs might be in order, it is America's premier gamefish.

How about issuing a sucker stamp?

 

[Char_Master]

NewSal wrote:

ryansheehan wrote:
I think a few streams with sucker special regs might be in order, it is America's premier gamefish.

I'm kind of pissed off about all those wild brown trout ruining the little j, we need to start removing all the invasive brown trouts out of our rivers so the suckers can have more room to grow. And plus, those ignorant brown trouts always eating sucker eggs, we cant be having that anymore.

If it was possible, I wouldn't be opposed to it, same goes for any invasive species. But it's not really possible, and wild Browns roughly fit the niche of extirpated native Brooks, plus they fight well, so I'm not going to complain about their presence. As far as egg consumption, it probably balances out, but I'd have to say Trout probably eat more Sucker eggs than the other way around.

 

[Char_Master]

Beautiful NHS on opening day of Trout and Sucker

Beastly 21-22" White on their annual spawning run in SWPA, 2014

 

[NewSal]

1fish wrote:

ryansheehan wrote:
I think a few streams with sucker special regs might be in order, it is America's premier gamefish.

How about issuing a sucker stamp?

Id really be all aboard for changing the license button to a sucker pattern instead of that ugly brown trout pattern as well

 

[NewSal]

Sucker Unlimited anyone?

 

[JeffK]

Pretty some we may even talk about stalking bowfin in the Great lakes shallows.

I haven't caught many freshwater drum, but the few I did fought like tanks.

Oddly enough, when I went to Montana this spring I added a bull trout to my list, but after that spent a little while stalking squawfish to also add a new species. Had fun with some outsized whitefish as well.

 

[Char_Master]

JeffK wrote:
Pretty some we may even talk about stalking bowfin in the Great lakes shallows.

I haven't caught many freshwater drum, but the few I did fought like tanks.

Oddly enough, when I went to Montana this spring I added a bull trout to my list, but after that spent a little while stalking squawfish to also add a new species. Had fun with some outsized whitefish as well.

Bowfin on the fly is intense, I've only caught one streamer fishing but it hammered the fly like a Pike and went running like Carp. They're great sport on lures, too! Good to hear you diversified your fishing out west! When someone tells me they went to Montana or Idaho just to catch Rainbows and Browns I get a bit sad, those species are great, but why limit yourself when there's also Cutthroats, Bull Char, Pikeminnows, Whitefish, and more to be caught! Perhaps I just don't understand that mind set, of restricting oneself to a small handful of species or methods.

 

[NewSal]

 

[Char_Master]

Hey, if you want to go fish for solely non native "gamefish", I won't stop you, just more Suckers and space on the creeks for me and my friends!

As for those of you willing to try angling for new species, give suckers a try this Spring, if you go in to it with no prejudice and enjoy catching hard-fighting species, I guarantee you won't be disappointed!!

 

[steveo27]

LOL

 

[Chaz]

How about a sucker stamp?

 

[NewSal]

I think we should start stocking suckers over native brookie streams as well, why should you have to go to a special sucker stream when you could just stock suckers everywhere, maybe Trump will fly here to pa just for our famed sucker fly fishing, who knows, anything can happen

 

[ryansheehan]

Habitat not hatcheries! I only fish for wild suckers, hate those stockers. Please look for my next post coming, its titled 21 ways to tell if your sucker is stocked or wild.