Sucker's

[coearle]

I was down at the South Saskatchewan River yesterday and I must say I'm shocked at how some people treat these fish. Every time I am down there I see people kicking them back into the water and then watch them float away. I understand that some people don't like them because they are notorious bait stealers, but they are part of the river and a fact of life if you choose to fish these places. Ultimately I don't understand why anyone would kill them by kicking them into the water. If all I catch when I'm fishing these areas are sucker's - I'm a happy man, better than being skunked and better than working!

Just my 2 cent's.

[Jasonp]

We caught one with an elastic band over its gills.

[Jimboy]

I was down at the South Saskatchewan River yesterday and I must say I'm shocked at how some people treat these fish. Every time I am down there I see people kicking them back into the water and then watch them float away. I understand that some people don't like them because they are notorious bait stealers, but they are part of the river and a fact of life if you choose to fish these places. Ultimately I don't understand why anyone would kill them by kicking them into the water. If all I catch when I'm fishing these areas are sucker's - I'm a happy man, better than being skunked and better than working!

Just my 2 cent's.

They are equivalent to a mudhen in the middle of a bunch of mallards in the duck population , eatum if you like , but with a mouth like a condom , l dont touch them .
l guess what turned me off suckers was back when the dr Ballard dog food plant was at the end of nose creek as it entered the bow in Calgary , there was a cestpool there where all the blood from the slaughter house was drained into along with feces and guts , was also drained into the river , well the stench was so bad you couldnt get within 100 ft of it , walked past it once with hankie over my face , the place was loaded with suckers having a field day in there , hope l didnt ruin your supper of suckers , lf l catch one ,l,ll give it the boot as well , ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.:sick:

[FishingFrenzy]

They are equivalent to a mudhen in the middle of a bunch of mallards in the duck population , eatum if you like , but with a mouth like a condom , l dont touch them .
l guess what turned me off suckers was back when the dr Ballard dog food plant was at the end of nose creek as it entered the bow in Calgary , there was a cestpool there where all the blood from the slaughter house was drained into along with feces and guts , was also drained into the river , well the stench was so bad you couldnt get within 100 ft of it , walked past it once with hankie over my face , the place was loaded with suckers having a field day in there , hope l didnt ruin your supper of suckers , lf l catch one ,l,ll give it the boot as well , ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.:sick:

Wow. People like you...:budo:
Just because you dont want to eat them there's no reason to kill them pointlessly. Just pull out the hook and release them like any other fish.. You cant eat walleye out of the NSR but do you kill them and then throw them back? I doubt it...
So basically you kill suckers because you don't like what they eat? Its a fact that suckers are bottom feeders.. along with sturgeon. Yes that means they eat waste matter.. but who gives? They recycle matter and are an important part of the aquatic ecosystem..

And if were considering this merely from a sportfishing perspective without considering enviromental impact.. suckers put up as good a fight as most other fish in Alberta.. yes, there not much for eating but there are plenty of waterbodies where you cant keep fish anyway...

[Albertafisher]

Wow. People like you...:budo:
Just because you dont want to eat them there's no reason to kill them pointlessly. Just pull out the hook and release them like any other fish.. You cant eat walleye out of the NSR but do you kill them and then throw them back? I doubt it...
So basically you kill suckers because you don't like what they eat? Its a fact that suckers are bottom feeders.. along with sturgeon. Yes that means they eat waste matter.. but who gives? They recycle matter and are an important part of the aquatic ecosystem..

And if were considering this merely from a sportfishing perspective without considering enviromental impact.. suckers put up as good a fight as most other fish in Alberta.. yes, there not much for eating but there are plenty of waterbodies where you cant keep fish anyway...

2X,
We don't need to harm fish regardless of species, size slot, or whatever. Just treat the fish with respect, and good fishing karma will follow you.

[trigger7mm]

X3!!

[zabbo]

Valuable part of the river system. The one that cleans up all the crap.
Not pretty to look at, but the river may not be so pretty to look at without them. :thinking-006:

[drifter]

We caught one with an elastic band over its gills.

I can't believe that some one would actually do this. :sign0176:

[Alberta Bigbore]

if there was no suckers... Buckmaster would have nothing to catch !!!!

[TyreeUM]

They are equivalent to a mudhen in the middle of a bunch of mallards in the duck population , eatum if you like , but with a mouth like a condom , l dont touch them .
l guess what turned me off suckers was back when the dr Ballard dog food plant was at the end of nose creek as it entered the bow in Calgary , there was a cestpool there where all the blood from the slaughter house was drained into along with feces and guts , was also drained into the river , well the stench was so bad you couldnt get within 100 ft of it , walked past it once with hankie over my face , the place was loaded with suckers having a field day in there , hope l didnt ruin your supper of suckers , lf l catch one ,l,ll give it the boot as well , ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.:sick:

I take them suckers and boot em right back into the crick them things came outa, I ain't gots no purpose for them and I reckon they aint gots no real good purpose for bein theres either. Dad always learned me to kill any fish that aint no pickerel or jackfish cus there just aint enough room for all em. You don't need no book learnin to know them things aint no good...

[Albertafisher]

I take them suckers and boot em right back into the crick them things came outa, I ain't gots no purpose for them and I reckon they aint gots no real good purpose for bein theres either. Dad always learned me to kill any fish that aint no pickerel or jackfish cus there just aint enough room for all em. You don't need no book learnin to know them things aint no good...
:sHa_sarcasticlol:

[vcmm]

valuable part of the river system. The one that cleans up all the crap.
Not pretty to look at, but the river may not be so pretty to look at without them. :thinking-006:

well said

[Teamprotz]

I take them suckers and boot em right back into the crick them things came outa, I ain't gots no purpose for them and I reckon they aint gots no real good purpose for bein theres either. Dad always learned me to kill any fish that aint no pickerel or jackfish cus there just aint enough room for all em. You don't need no book learnin to know them things aint no good...

That musta took some thinkin puttin those thoughts inta words !

[justinO]

Hahah x10 TyreeUM, There's a thread about rating Alberta's management system. Although I don't think our management is good at all. I believe pure ignorance and disregard for our wildlife by some people is worse. I wish I would see someone kicking a fish back:argue2: The first thing I teach someone new I take out is respect for the fish or animal we pursue, that is the most important part of what we do.
And too the people who think you should mistreat a fish because how or what they eat I think you need to give your head a shake.
Look into what crustaceans and molluscs eat, and the most popular eating fish in the south the catfish what do they eat?? Hope I didn't ruin red lobsters popularity....

[TyreeUM]

not to mention they don't eat garbage, in fact they eat a lot of the same food trout do. They are also an incredibly important food source for pike and walleye and pound for pound are some of the best fighting fish in western canada. From a pure sporting prospective, I don't eat walleye out of the river and would much rather hook a 6 pound sucker than a walleye any day...

[TyreeUM]

That musta took some thinkin puttin those thoughts inta words !

I had to really dig deep into my southern roots to pull that one out...

[Redfrog]

They are equivalent to a mudhen in the middle of a bunch of mallards in the duck population , eatum if you like , but with a mouth like a condom , l dont touch them .
l guess what turned me off suckers was back when the dr Ballard dog food plant was at the end of nose creek as it entered the bow in Calgary , there was a cestpool there where all the blood from the slaughter house was drained into along with feces and guts , was also drained into the river , well the stench was so bad you couldnt get within 100 ft of it , walked past it once with hankie over my face , the place was loaded with suckers having a field day in there , hope l didnt ruin your supper of suckers , lf l catch one ,l,ll give it the boot as well , ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.:sick:



Just when I thought I'd heard it all, along comes Jimboy.:snapoutofit:

[drhu22]

re: You don't need no book learnin to know them things aint no good...

Book lernin aint al its craked up to be

redfrog that is one cool avatar!

[Pike'n'walleye]

I totally agree with the fact that Suckers clean up the rivers from all the junk! And regarding catching them...i dont know what people dont like about catching Suckers...Many species like suckers, Whitefish or goldeye are often overlooked however they give an awesome fight! have you every caught a 6 pound sucker on a 4 weight flyrod? Its fun...just toss them back in the water...they are not haming anyone in any way. Infact only keeping our water clean. They are not an invasive specie!

[BeeGuy]

I agree. A 2lb sucker is what makes a 25lb pike.

On another note: I've heard that in some water bodies there is one born every minute...

[TreeGuy]

Killing suckers is old school thinking that many of us were taught from childhood.

I grew up 500 yards away from a fine Atlantic salmon stream. Basically the school of thought was that they would eat all of the eggs of the salmon and trout. Thus by killing them you were protecting those more desirable species. And kill them we did.

Times have changed and most folks know better now.

[pattycr125]

i like catching fish, it's all good you never know what you got till its five feet away anyways

[Dust1n]

This is the same background the bull trout came from...Junkfish...a sucker has alot of roles in a eco system they eacts insects,provide food for larger game and eat other crap too. with out them say goodbye to 20lb pike/musky.
if we kill all of them off our moquito population would go up,less big pike,ect
we cant infer with it...

[Rascal4now]

Well said!

[chubbdarter]

a big sucker population isnt all good either

[TyreeUM]

a big sucker population isnt all good either

tell that to family radio...

[BGSH]

Have not caught a red tail sucker or a qualeback sucker yet this year in the n.s.r, all white suckers and longnose suckers, i always release them and if nothing elese is biting you know suckers all ways will. What a blast

[chubbdarter]

many a mountain stream has been destroyed by suckers after a dam has been built on the main trib

[scudman]

many a mountain stream has been destroyed by suckers after a dam has been built on the main trib

A few lakes I know of back in B.C have been overrun by suckers. Some were poisoned off to kill all the suckers and squawfish.

[carterM]

many a mountain stream has been destroyed by suckers after a dam has been built on the main trib

Well, I'd argue that it's not the suckers that destroyed that mountain stream but whoever decided to build a dam without knowing (caring??) what was going to happen afterwards. It's like people blaming wolves for declining caribou populations when the only reason the wolves can catch a caribou is because we've knocked down so much forest the wolves can run them donw.

[FISHnRIG]

better than catching a boot or getting skunked!!!
if your that grossed out, buy some gloves

[Jimboy]

Wow. People like you...:budo:
Just because you dont want to eat them there's no reason to kill them pointlessly. Just pull out the hook and release them like any other fish.. You cant eat walleye out of the NSR but do you kill them and then throw them back? I doubt it...
So basically you kill suckers because you don't like what they eat? Its a fact that suckers are bottom feeders.. along with sturgeon. Yes that means they eat waste matter.. but who gives? They recycle matter and are an important part of the aquatic ecosystem..

And if were considering this merely from a sportfishing perspective without considering enviromental impact.. suckers put up as good a fight as most other fish in Alberta.. yes, there not much for eating but there are plenty of waterbodies where you cant keep fish anyway...

They also make good fertilizer when their dead , good for the enviroment, and the hawks and seagulls like them to , fill their bellies , and then recycle them outta their azz.

[Jimboy]

Chain lakes south of longview is invaded by suckers now , likly from someone useing live sucker minnows for bait , it started years ago , last time l trolled down there for every trout we caught we caught 3 suckers.

[FishingFrenzy]

I dont think anyones saying suckers belong in EVERY lake, but in lakes where they naturally occur... they are there for a reason.

[Jimboy]

I dont think anyones saying suckers belong in EVERY lake, but in lakes where they naturally occur... they are there for a reason.

So are gophers here for a reason , but lots of members here go out and slaughter them and leave them lay .

[ogre]

When I moved to Calgary in '83, almost nobody would touch chicken wings. Meat plants were throwing out dumpsters full of wings and tips each night. A friend of my parents would bag a couple kilos every week or so for us.
...and now, having wings with a cold one on a lazy night is a real treat, AND people pay to eat wings.
The moral of the above story is that even suckers could be prized by someone who really like the taste/texture of them. I just hope to catch a few before they become a choice fish for people. As a few other AO members have already pointed out, fishing is better than getting skunked.
Now if someone could kindly point me in the direction of the nearest mess of suckers, I'd be very thankful.
:sHa_shakeshout:

[chubbdarter]

we all have different opinions but catching a sucker and saying its better than getting skunked is like....taking your sister to the prom, at least you didnt go alone.
Suckers play a valuble role in some fisheries but also create havoc in others

[0liver]

Now if someone could kindly point me in the direction of the nearest mess of suckers, I'd be very thankful.
:sHa_shakeshout:

Pickerel rig the NSR or any muddy river with a big, FAT dew worm, using the biggest sinker you got. If you know how, tie your own rig and keep the hooks close to bottom, and use longer shanked hooks. the next part is considered a "secret" for catching suckers, when baiting a hook to catch suckers..[or any soft mouthed bottom feeder] squeegee on the worm as if it was a mr. twister jig keeping 2-3cm wiggling in the current... this is why it must be dew worms because earth worms will fall apart baiting this way. The way it works is that when you bait a hook this way, the sucker can come and inhale the whole worm in one go, instead of just nibbling at this big knot of worms [which is how most people bait the hooks] the longer shank will be able to slip into there soft little whistler and guarentee a hook set everytime, most often the fish will hook themselves ^_^

crack a cold one, put a bell on the tip of your rod, and pass the f out...

[FishingFrenzy]

So are gophers here for a reason , but lots of members here go out and slaughter them and leave them lay .

Gophers make dig holes which pose a danger to livestock and humans. Plenty of cattle have been crippled after stepping in a gopher hole.

Suckers however don't pose any risk to humans affairs. They provide a valuable role in fisheries where they are MEANT to be.


This thread is going nowhere fast..

Hey Bigbore, im using your line, IBTL

[ogre]

Thanks Oliver :sHa_shakeshout:
@ Chub: It's who you leave the prom with at the end of the night which really matter, isn't it?

[KegRiver]

I think it's a good thing that so many people look down their noses at Suckers.
Because of that, they are the only good sized fish that still has no limits on size or number taken. That suits me just fine.
I only wish we had places around here where we could catch them the way I used to down south of Edmonton. But our rivers are too deep and muddy for that sort of fishing.

[TyreeUM]

Suckers play a valuble role in some fisheries but also create havoc in others

This is absolutely accurate. But, a day of fishing on the river does not give you the insite on sucker populations and each one should be released unless you have a justifiable reason for removing them, and because they are "gross" is far from a good enough reason in my books (which are leather-bound I might add, stored in a library that smells of rich mohagonay...)

[chubbdarter]

This is absolutely accurate. But, a day of fishing on the river does not give you the insite on sucker populations and each one should be released unless you have a justifiable reason for removing them, and because they are "gross" is far from a good enough reason in my books (which are leather-bound I might add, stored in a library that smells of rich mohagonay...)

i never said i kill them....i just stop fishing those waters

[TyreeUM]

i never said i kill them....i just stop fishing those waters

I ment "you" as in anyone reading the post...haha not you as in - You, chub, are a sucker murderer!

[chubbdarter]

I ment "you" as in anyone reading the post...haha not you as in - You, chub, are a sucker murderer!


lol....like ling they kinda creep me out

[Gust]

This is absolutely accurate. But, a day of fishing on the river does not give you the insite on sucker populations and each one should be released unless you have a justifiable reason for removing them, and because they are "gross" is far from a good enough reason in my books (which are leather-bound I might add, stored in a library that smells of rich mohagonay...)

aesthetics (<sp?) is a funny one in the fish world,, Dace Jr., caught a very lean, stout sucker on a rattlin rap and for a quick moment it just looked like a large Lake Whitefish,, it was a truly stunning fish of it's sort. Halibut aren't the most gorgeous laying alongside a a german engineered chinook and carp or catfish don't make very nice looking fish kin to the mighty rainbow,, for it's species, they're beautiful fish. Last year there was thread on burbot,, and the usual "they're slimy" "they're gross" "they're whatever" and a fellow posted that "No, they're a nice looking fish!",, I love burb's, their colour and markings and such.

If sucker had lips that looked less like sturgeon lips, would we detest them less?

Hey Ty, what is the suckers true name? Millet or mullet or something? Can you light a pipe of cherry amphora, swirl a VSOP in a shnifter, put on a silk smoking jacket and venture to your leather bounds in the room of crackled varnish mahogany and find their true name. I've been given a recipe for winter sucker and they apparently make better picklin fish than herring.

[buckmasterjr]

if there was no suckers... Buckmaster would have nothing to catch !!!!

:sHa_sarcasticlol::sHa_sarcasticlol:

[TyreeUM]

Hey Ty, what is the suckers true name? Millet or mullet or something? Can you light a pipe of cherry amphora, swirl a VSOP in a shnifter, put on a silk smoking jacket and venture to your leather bounds in the room of crackled varnish mahogany and find their true name. I've been given a recipe for winter sucker and they apparently make better picklin fish than herring.

Haha mullet, I havn't heard that since I was living in Michigan. Thats what they used to call it after it was smoked or cooked so that people would eat it without knowing it was actually sucker haha! To be honest, they are actually a really good eating fish, just incredibly boney, which is why it is most often smoked or pickled. White sucker is what they used to smoke and pickle back in michigan, I can't comment on any of the other species and how they would taste - but longnose would be my last choice - they ARE actually gross haha...

[chubbdarter]

Haha mullet, I havn't heard that since I was living in Michigan. Thats what they used to call it after it was smoked or cooked so that people would eat it without knowing it was actually sucker haha! To be honest, they are actually a really good eating fish, just incredibly boney, which is why it is most often smoked or pickled. White sucker is what they used to smoke and pickle back in michigan, I can't comment on any of the other species and how they would taste - but longnose would be my last choice - they ARE actually gross haha...

buddy if you show up this year with a cane pole , red and white bobber and a coffee can of worms.....im taking you to Beauvais for a boney brown fish fest...lol

[Gust]

buddy if you show up this year with a cane pole , red and white bobber and a coffee can of worms.....im taking you to Beauvais for a boney brown fish fest...lol

Maybe suckers need to be the go-to fish for poachers,, all that's needed is a good marketing campaign to prove that they're better tasting than walleye or pike? Yes pike,,, if done right from certain lakes, I could make you think your eating a good pan fry trout,, until a Y bone impales your tonsil.

[TyreeUM]

buddy if you show up this year with a cane pole , red and white bobber and a coffee can of worms.....im taking you to Beauvais for a boney brown fish fest...lol

You owe the SSRWS a new laptop...I just sprayed a mouthful of coffee all over my keyboard and screen...

what is even more hilarious about that comment is last fall when i was down in south carolina, I went to wal-mart to get a fishing license and the lady behind to counter told me "You know sugah, you aint need one of these spensive pieces of paper to catch fish out here. Head yourself right over to isle 16 and grab yourself a cane and you can throw a poll for cats without givin yer ernings to those double talking snakes at the capital"
I considered it but wasn't sure the drag system was up to handling a 350 pound shark...

[chubbdarter]

Maybe suckers need to be the go-to fish for poachers,, all that's needed is a good marketing campaign to prove that they're better tasting than walleye or pike? Yes pike,,, if done right from certain lakes, I could make you think your eating a good pan fry trout,, until a Y bone impales your tonsil.

keep us posted on how that turns out for you

[Gust]

keep us posted on how that turns out for you

the word's sucker and marketing are synonymous so it should be a no-brainer, a win-win situation.

Artists paint the truth while Marketers paint a lie,, so in this case it's really just masking a fish to the point that they will one day be held a'high like a Black Marlin caught by Hemingway.

Just need a good cathphrase, hmmm,
"Go Sucker Go!"

this may take awhile...

[TyreeUM]

the word's sucker and marketing are synonymous so it should be a no-brainer, a win-win situation.

Artists paint the truth while Marketers paint a lie,, so in this case it's really just masking a fish to the point that they will one day be held a'high like a Black Marlin caught by Hemingway.

Just need a good cathphrase, hmmm,
"Go Sucker Go!"

this may take awhile...

you stick to the business plan, maybe someone else should do the marketing haha...chub has lot's of free time and a clear love for suckers - maybe he is just the person your looking for...

[huntsfurfish]

Gophers make dig holes which pose a danger to livestock and humans. Plenty of cattle have been crippled after stepping in a gopher hole.

Suckers however don't pose any risk to humans affairs. They provide a valuable role in fisheries where they are MEANT to be.


This thread is going nowhere fast..

Hey Bigbore, im using your line, IBTL



Grew up on a ranch.

never seen or had a cow crippled from a gopher hole.

A bit of a weak argument for shooting gophers, but thats an issue for another thread.

Yes i have shot them too.

[TyreeUM]

gophers are a terrestrial nusiance, if we lived underwater I am sure we would pick off the suckers and chubs, and hunt the walleye/pike/trouts...

[huntsfurfish]

:)

yup

[Gust]

gophers are a terrestrial nusiance, if we lived underwater I am sure we would pick off the suckers and chubs, and hunt the walleye/pike/trouts...

so would we then fish for Moose and Whitetail? Casting big clumps of grass onto shore? Fascinating

[Gust]

and kick the coyotes back to the land

[TyreeUM]

so would we then fish for Moose and Whitetail? Casting big clumps of grass onto shore? Fascinating

no there is a bait ban, sorry. You will only be permitted to use astroturf

[chubbdarter]

you stick to the business plan, maybe someone else should do the marketing haha...chub has lot's of free time and a clear love for suckers - maybe he is just the person your looking for...


hahahaha...your going to Beauvais for sure now and no southern belle will say" hey Sugr"
We'll shoot a promo of you catching them toothless wonders and then do a shore lunch how to cook them up......

[TyreeUM]

hahahaha...your going to Beauvais for sure now and no southern belle will say" hey Sugr"
We'll shoot a promo of you catching them toothless wonders and then do a shore lunch how to cook them up......

I have only seen them cooked on shore once, and the individuals were roasting them on sticks over an open fire...one guy had a goldeye that was starting an alarming grease fire.

[Gust]

no there is a bait ban, sorry. You will only be permitted to use astroturf

damn, that means my catching will go down, can i use a well worn shag rug? Well, time to bucket in some goats, they'll eat a popcan on a hook,, don't tell sundance.

[TyreeUM]

this thread has 10 page potential....where is horsetrader...

[chubbdarter]

this thread has 10 page potential....where is horsetrader...

he's out chasing gophers...my guess he is gonna try their giblets

[TyreeUM]

he's out chasing gophers...my guess he is gonna try their giblets

Aren't those called prairie peas after they are cooked?

[BobLoblaw]

damn, that means my catching will go down, can i use a well worn shag rug? Well, time to bucket in some goats, they'll eat a popcan on a hook,, don't tell sundance.

Hmmm, iffen y'all been shaggin' on the rug, it's prolly scented & illegal to use 'cuz of the bait ban... just sayin'....:)

[Gust]

Hmmm, iffen y'all been shaggin' on the rug, it's prolly scented & illegal to use 'cuz of the bait ban... just sayin'....:)

hey bloblaw, have you been out'a fishin? not seen you online in awhile. but in keeping with the thread,, have you had a great fight with a sucker/mullet and do you have any pics?

[chubbdarter]

talk about sucky face......horse is puckered up

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=96032

[TyreeUM]

talk about sucky face......horse is puckered up

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=96032

excellent thought, thanks for posting!

[Gust]

see, we've just named them wrong;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG0WzyAKGSw&feature=related

[BGSH]

you can catch about 20 suckers an hour in the n.s.r