Red tails

I threw a trap in a crick today while mushroom hunting. Two and a half hours later I had more red tails than I know what to do with. How do you fish walleye with these? I mostly just use rainbows or fat heads.

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Oof sorry to hear that man. As good as garbage to walleye. Fortunately I have a reasonable way to dispose of them. I can come pick up tomorrow?

My redtail/creek chub bite really picks up once summer temps have stabilized and weedlines are apparent. Hard to beat a slow troll with a lindy/live bait set up. 6’ish leader and river gap hook. You’ll be able to “feel” the red tail get nervous and Swim more erratic as it’s getting eyed up. So a more sensitive rod is nice to have, with a longer action.

These usually out fish any other set up in the boat 3 to 1 once early July rolls around.

If I’m fishing slow, live bait rig with the chub hooked near the tail. If I’m fishing faster, hooked in the nose.

Thanks, I’ll give them a shot. Probably be trying out before July, I’m thinking this weekend. Maybe I’ll sort out some smaller ones and treat them like a shiner.

Gino wrote:

Thanks, I’ll give them a shot. Probably be trying out before July, I’m thinking this weekend. Maybe I’ll sort out some smaller ones and treat them like a shiner.

That is exactly what I would do

You sure these are red tails? I dont think the one circled is a red tail. Looks like what we call a big lake shinner.

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Time to consult “The Great Minnesota Fish Book.” Cant tell a lot by the pic and you may indeed have a bunch of redtails, but the one that’s showing his side looks more shiner-esqe – ie a flatter, shad-like body. Retails are officially known Horneyhead clubs and in the spring the males will have “horns” which are hard, boney bumps on their head. Horneyheads also have a slightly more cylindrical body, like a sucker when compared to a shiner. There’s a similar minnow called a Stoneroller which also has pronounced horns, but it has more of a sucker mouth. This is a great and fascinating book, recommend it to all MN fisherman!

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Here’s a couple of dead ones

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Definitely not red tails. We call em lake shinners, what the real name is I have no idea. They still will catch a walleye but their no red tail.

We call those river shiners, definitely not a red tail. They can be good bait, pike love them. As for walleye bait, I’m sure they will work but they’re definitely not gonna work like red tails do.

Gino wrote:

Here’s a couple of dead ones

Those are not red tails. They will catch you fish, however.

Looks like what you got there are creek chubs! The broad, bigger head compared to its body sets it apart from Shiners. But they’re very similar to retails. One key distinction would be a small black spot at the base of the dorsal fin.

Disclaimer- I’m just a geek about these things, all of this is coming from this book and I love nerding out on thus stuff. Not trying to be a know-it-all. Hope it helps inform a positive ID! Here’s the Creek Chub page!

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ThunderLund78 wrote:

Looks like what you got there are creek chubs! The broad, bigger head compared to its body sets it apart from Shiners. But they’re very similar to retails. One key distinction would be a small black spot at the base of the dorsal fin.

Disclaimer- I’m just a geek about these things, all of this is coming from this book and I love nerding out on thus stuff. Not trying to be a know-it-all. Hope it helps inform a positive ID! Here’s the Creek Chub page!

Nope sorry, they’re not chubs, creek or red tail those are a species of shiner. We call them river shiners, 65 bait calls then river shiners.

Common shiner. Luxilus cornutus

Perhaps
Not here to argue, just adding info. Common Shiner seems a bit slender and has very big eyes in comparison to its head.

Nothing in the book labeled as River Shiners. The “Red Shiner” would be as close of match to the pics, but are only found in the far Southwestern corner of the state

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Slabtown wrote:

Common shiner. Luxilus cornutus

Yup. fish will eat them but they die super easy.

We used to catch them while we were getting creek chubs for catfish bait. They get pretty big. Look like some off breed shiner.

That illustration is poor, scrawny representation of a common shiner.

They look more chub-like than shiner-like to me. I feel like you may be right with your initial ID.

Looks like a common shiner to me. Example below.

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Red tail chub.

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This is about to turn into a green sunfish thread, and it’s fun. But I’ve collected hundreds of these while being paid for it, and they are common shiners.

Well I was was told they were red tails but whatever they are they are going to catch fish or die trying! Thanks for the replies.

Gino wrote:

Here’s a couple of dead ones

In this picture one can see what looks like a rash on the nose of a couple of the fish. I’d say they were horned chubs.

In this scoop was one of the mystery minnows in the middle with what I would call creek chubs around it. They are much larger and have been biting the heads of of the smaller other species. I have some that are around seven inches or so and very strong.

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It’s a minnow.
Looks like a good river mix.

Given the reddish fins, I’m thinking you definitely got some redtail (hornyhead) chubs in that mix, the distinct black lateral line in the other one makes me think creek chub for that guy. We definitely got some passionate bait guys here!

Like Ripjiggin said – good river mix, probably got chubs and shiners!

I’m no expert, but what is circled in that latest picture is what I’ve always called a “chub”.

The earlier picture posted has some of what I have always called “shiners”

The easiest way to tell if you have a shiner is to handle it, hook it, even change its water temp 5 degrees, or even look at it wrong and watch it immediately die…

There about as challenging to tell apart as an Alligator and a Crocodile. But after years of study, I’ve found that a sure fire way to tell which is which is that for Alligators you’ll see them later– and for Crocodiles, after a while. (Thank you very much!)

ThunderLund78 wrote:

There about as challenging to tell apart as an Alligator and a Crocodile. But after years of study, I’ve found that a sure fire way to tell which is which is that for Alligators you’ll see them later– and for Crocodiles, after a while. (Thank you very much!)

And how many kids do you have again? #Dadjokes