Spring Sucker run?

Anyone been getting into any suckers yet? Are they even running with this cool weather. Used to love to go hit up some small creeks this time of year for the fast sucker action.

What is the attraction to fishing for suckers?

Great fighting fish and great to eat!

Caught a few yesterday on the red cedar river near colfax

I have been out twice in the last week and haven’t ran across any yet. I’m guessing they haven’t started moving yet. I had 34° water temps last weekend on the rum camping and 37° below the cr dam yesterday.

What are some of the ways you guys prepare suckers. Do you think it would work to pickle them.

We just pan fry them. We used to catch them by hand in shallow creeks by Big green Wis. Great time!

Quote:

---

What are some of the ways you guys prepare suckers. Do you think it would work to pickle them.

---

Grind them up and add a little cellery, a little egg and your favorite seasoning. Form into patties and fry in corn meal. Makes great fish burgers.

Quote:

---

What are some of the ways you guys prepare suckers. Do you think it would work to pickle them.

---

Pickling works well, but we have done two other frying methods. One, is to grind up the fillets, mix with eggs & crackers, form into patties………Look out McDonald’s!! These patties surpass anything you get on a sesame seed bun! The other way is to grind the fillets, mix with mashed potatoes, eggs, & crackers, and form into balls. Drop the balls into a fryer, when they turn golden, drain them and look out! These, too, are great! This method also allows you to make hush puppies to complement the balls of sucker meat.

Fresh suckers out of a nice cold clear spring creek. Never tried cooking them other than slapping one on the grill after it was split open and covered with BBQ sauce. We at most of ours smoked.

The appeal of catching them I think is they are willing biters this time of year. It gets you out of the home. Sitting on some nice little scenic stream soaking a like bite of crawlers, rod in a “Y” stick watching for that tip to bounce just a little. Good times. Sure beats sitting at home watching old fishing shows and waiting until opener to arrive.

Quote:

---

Fresh suckers out of a nice cold clear spring creek. Never tried cooking them other than slapping one on the grill after it was split open and covered with BBQ sauce. We at most of ours smoked.

The appeal of catching them I think is they are willing biters this time of year. It gets you out of the home. Sitting on some nice little scenic stream soaking a like bite of crawlers, rod in a “Y” stick watching for that tip to bounce just a little. Good times. Sure beats sitting at home watching old fishing shows and waiting until opener to arrive.

---

You hit it on the head there Mike. Not to mention, you throw in redhorse which are a pretty fish and hognose witch is not as common and cool looking.

I find suckers a blast this time of year, well if it were a normal year, when you find them staging at some creek mouths. Especially on ultralight gear. Plus, you never know what is on the end of your line. Could be a sucker, a cat or a smallmouth. Or you could tie into a big carp that will really test your skill on light gear.

Thanks Mike for the info, I will keep the suckers from here on. SUCKER PATTIES..

MN Bound Redhorse Fishing

The appeal is different for everyone.

For me it is about being out and enjoying nature and catching beautiful fish. Suckers is a very broad term.

There are so many species and some of them get very large. The Hogsucker as Pug mentioned is not as common for most to catch and is one of the smaller species topping out at about 2 pounds. The River Redhorse can reach over 10 pounds and has lots of power.

Yep. Lots of different types of sucker to catch. The bright red fins of those red horse make them a favorite of mine to catch. Used to catch a good number of hog nose suckers north of Aitkin on the mn.

Usually happens in the first two weeks of May by my cabin. I only catch them for fun. After about the 6th one I am usually done. 13 seconds of nice fight. Then reel them in.
Except those big bad river red horse. Those tanks take a long time to land on light gear.

Quote:

---

What is the attraction to fishing for suckers?

---

The attraction to me is that it is simply fishing. The feeling of something, ANYTHING, tugging on the end of a line after winter is relaxing…..at least to me.

T

Its a good way to sit back and soak in some sun. Relaxing fishing for something just to do. I’ve had some awsome pickled white sucker, you wouldn’t believe it until you tried it on crackers, really really good for pickled fish.

Sure could handle sitting on a nice warm sunny bank right about now watching the river flow by.

Crawlers where always our go to bait but over the years also tried corn and even left over wax worms. Had some trips where the wax worms where fantastic for catching fish. Once in a while a nice fresh hunk of cut suckers was tossed on a heavy rod for channels towards evening to. About the time the bank fire got going.

I hear you Mike. One of my favorite spots when I lived in the north metro was the mouth of a creek. I figured out a technique with an ultra light and circle hooks. You get a lot of nibblers in the spring fishing a crawler. So I ended up just letting them peck away until I got a good bend and you could tell the fish finally was caught on the circle hook. It is one of my favorite ways to fish now.

Sure wish I could find an easily accessible creek mouth close to home in the south metro.

The mouth of Rice Creek was a favorite of mine. Sun would beat down on the west side of the river there in the evening. Nice and warm. Ducks flying everywhere. Good variety of fish to catch. Some hard hitting cats. Even picked up a musky there that hit a wax worm.

Other spots where on the sunrise river, Rice river near aitkin. Snake and Ann rivers around Mora. St Croix near Osceola. St Louis river near Floodwood. Lots of great banks fishing spots. Then I got a boat.

I grew up fishing Rice Creek in the spring. I’d say the other spot, but I’d prefer the lurkers to stay away in case I ever head back to it.

There might be a few biting on the croix today. 2 dozen crawlers down

Sucker run is on pool1. Find a feeder creek that is 1-2 degrees warmer and they are stacked. Very fun day today pulling all kinds of crap in. Little tiny circle with a weight worked the best. Even got a few smallies mixed in. River temp was 46

The root has been fantastic, but may have some runoff issues this week with saturated ground and snow cover..