# Anyone for creek fishing black suckers ?



## Sr.Jigger (Feb 17, 2005)

No joke intended. Fishing creeks in early spring for Bull + Black suckers was always the first big super of fresh fish we would enjoy. Just a bober and 1/2 a crawler around the log jams or creek obstruction in 4' - 6' of water. I believe there's also Golden/Yellow Sucker/White sucker. They are so easy to clean, white flaky flesh and so mild tasting. They are a forgotten eating fish and one of the best tasting out there. A big one would be around 15" . In a couple weeks the time will be right if you have never tired fore them. The creek can be small enough to jump over but they can be piled up in any slack water spot.
Try it !!


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

A friend and I were raising a hog for 4H and we would go to the creek holes in the spring and toss in a M80 in the small holes and something bigger in the large deep holes to bring the Spring Run suckers to the surface. That hog loved those suckers and he really packed on the pounds. 
Dad and i would always go to Rocky River to catch the suckers. We would fillet them and then grind the fillets for fish patty's. Spring Run suckers out of Lake Erie made fantastic fried fish patty's. All it took was a small size 8 or 10 hook with a piece of crawler and a couple split shot .
I was quite surprised when I started catching suckers on nymphs when steelhead fishing.


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## StarkFisherman (May 17, 2008)

I never really targeted those... I may try some of the creeks here in Canton or close by. I honestly have never caught a black or white sucker. Just brownish ones that were small with horns and look like demon fish. Lol


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## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

I used to randomly catch one here and there when I was little and my dad took me creek fishing. This year I've been wanting to try a few for catfish bait but now that I actually want to catch them, I'll probably never see one. I mostly use bluegills or big (5-7 inch) shiners which I can catch a bunch of in no time. I'll be following this thread to see if I can learn a thing or two about catching them. Sorry to stray off topic a bit.


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## Alex_Combs (Mar 20, 2013)

I love catching suckers. So much so that I specifically target them. Haven't tried their table fair qualities yet but the larger ones can be challenging to catch. 








This is a 4 1/2lb golden redhorse sucker I caught out of Clear Creek last year on a small size 10 hook with a crawler segment with a few split shots. Find a creek with a deep hole and toss your rig at the bottom. You might get lucky!


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## percidaeben (Jan 15, 2010)

That is a great fish. They are actually pretty good fighters and the 12-14 inch ones are actually quite good eating,especially during the spring. They have many fine bones so we just fillet on down spine not worrying about rib bones. Then through a grinder or processor and then to patties like canned salmon and they are damn good.


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## StarkFisherman (May 17, 2008)

So are all suckers edible or just the black ones?


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## nethersdoug (Feb 16, 2010)

We used to snare, gig and or snag them on the tribs for the Licking river but with the installation of Dillon Dam the spring run disappeared. Grind, make patties and eat away. GOOD STUFF


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## JayBird77 (May 14, 2012)

My Dad and I caught 11 white and 3 black suckers out of a creek that runs into Burr Oak. Had an absolute ball. Ended up with seven species total including what i think was a spotted bass, chubs, shiners, carp and crappies. Used a no. 10 hook with a split shot and worms we dug out of the garden. Ran half of the whites through the meat grinder after filleting for fish cakes and deep fried the rest to try and cook down the bones. It worked good on the blacks, but even with scoring the sides before cooking and frying extra crisp, the whites still had a lot of bones. They tasted good though, and everyone loved the sucker patties. My Dad has been going there every spring for 60 years and me for about 30. It is a family tradition that I hope my kids will keep up down the road.


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## ducky152000 (Jul 20, 2005)

i use to catch a lot of redhorse and white suckers out of the cricks that dumped into the tuscarawas river. never did catch many blacks. i never ate them. i always just used em for cut bait for channel cats and trapping.


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## canoe carp killer (Apr 2, 2014)

Good thread. I've been setting my minnow trap on little walnut creek and not having a lot of luck. Tried setting it in a different section last summer and didn't do any good there either. At my old house in southern Ohio I would throw it out Ina creek in the back yard that I'm pretty sure was nothing but run off and would fill up on little chubs and suckers and my son and I could even catch them on a pole.


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## Noah F. Doak (Jun 8, 2015)

I love sucker. My best has been a 18" white sucker out of Crooked Creek near New Concord. Hoping to catch alot more.


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