Mooneye

We catch plenty of mooneye on the croix fishing bottom rigs. While set up yesterday we noticed them surface feeding. Think they where targeting tiny bugs on the surface. Tried throwing some small twister tails for them. They would hit them but not hook up. Finely got a couple hook ups with a small flu flu jig.

Anyone else target surface feeding mooneye? What lures seem to work well for this?

Thanks.

I fly fish for mooneye and goldeye in the Red River when they’re eating on the surface. I usually just drift big caddis or mayfly dry flies, or I fish hopper flies. Hopper flies will score them even when there are none rising.

Are you just fishing them for fun? I was always told they were only good for bait or fertilizing the garden.

Fishing them just because they are another fish to catch. Where we sat last night on the croix hundreds of them where surface feeding around us. A few will be used for bait.

Thanks for the tips Ahren. I dont fly fish. Might have to try a fly with a casting bobber or maybe even bust out the cane pole and a fly.

Thanks for the reply Mike. People always said bad things about eel pout and now they’re considered a delicacy so thought maybe I was missing something!

Might try casting a fly with a small bobber ahead of it for weight on a spinning rod. Could be a blast with that many of them schooling!

I’ve had great luck catching them on small inline spinners. It’s almost like trout fishing.

I also agree that they can be a blast on a fly rod.

Every mooneye I’ve ever caught bled like it belonged in a horror movie regardless of a simple mouth hookup. I’m talking running everywhere. Maybe it’s just been a coincidence, but for that reason alone I consider them a nuisance fish. They do have spunk for their size though.

You got that correct. They will turn the boat into a crime scene in a hurry. But its a fish and for some strange reason I need to get better at catching them. Hopefully once I get better at catching them Ill move onto something else. Im sure a few will get used for sturgeon and catfish bait along the way.

Mike W wrote:

Im sure a few will get used for sturgeon and catfish bait along the way

They make great bait. My 2nd favorite next to shad.
You cannot bring home and freeze, then bring back to river FYI.

With as many as we see on the croix it shouldn’t be to hard to get fresh ones when ever we want.

Mike W wrote:

With as many as we see on the croix it shouldn’t be to hard to get fresh ones when ever we want.

Ha, it always seems like that until you think you’re going to go out and catch them for bait that day!

I wish I ran into pods of them on P2 more than a few times a summer. They will take tiny bits of crawler under a bobber as well. I actually like them better than shad for cats.