So you caught a sucker/fallfish what do you do?

[nah85]

I release them back into the water,

then a friend of mine said that some people (even him) typically throw them onto the ground to minimize the population because no one wants to catch them.

Being a new fly fisher, I'm happy to catch anything!

 

[axle27]

I've never caught a sucker on a fly, but I've caught a few fallfish. I usually put them back. A decent size one will fight pretty well.

 

[Vulpes]

I'd do a dance. They are actually beneficial to an ecosystem. Very much so. I'd either throw it back in or keep it and eat it. Have you ever had canned sucker? Holy cow man.....good viddles for sure. You need those suckers in a river. They do so much good.

 

[Rip Tide]

I used to toss the fallfish into the woods for raccoon food, but I've soften since then.
Plus all that squeaking is annoying

There's a few rivers that I fish where you're encouraged to do that to smallmouth as they're just invasive trash fish that feed on trout fry

 

[bigjim5589]

They serve their purpose, so I release them most of the time. I too have kept them to eat. They're a bit boney, but quite tasty.

Back when I did a lot of trapping I would go & intentionally catch them. They made very good baits for raccoons.

I would imagine they would work well for catfish if a person was so inclined.

I hate wasting anything, so tossing them on the bank is not something I would do.

 

[dwizum]

I catch small fallfish all the time on my home creek. More than trout. They're smaller than the trout I usually catch but otherwise I don't really see a difference, or why one would be preferable over another.

On my recent steelhead trip to WNY, I managed to catch two giant suckers. Man, that was fun. I dare say, they were more fun (and just as hard to catch, in terms of being able to get one to take a fly once it was spotted) than the steelhead.

 

[plecain]

Throw 'em back.

 

[Unknownflyman]

I caught a big one on my favorite trout river this spring. Caught it swinging streamers as most of them I catch on the swing for some reason.


Hooked it with my 3weight in current, what a battle! Thought I had a giant brown on.


I let them go they are good for the river and a native fish, they are supposed to be there, they are not carp.

Here is a photo of that evening.

 

[Flyfisher for men]

Throw 'em back. They belong there and are part of the food chain.

I dare say, they were more fun (and just as hard to catch, in terms of being able to get one to take a fly once it was spotted) than the steelhead.

This right here. Rough fish are inevitably powerful. More so than a gamefish of the same size in my experience, and that means lots of fun.

 

[Unknownflyman]

And out of the same run 10 minutes later....

The landowner put some concrete by the river to hold the bank together not scenic I know but it's a nice run to fish through.

Minnesota did this whole kill the rough fish campaign years ago but it never worked to get rid of them, just piles of dead fish everywhere. And people were killing native fish they thought were rough fish. The carp are not going away.

 

[ezduzit]

And out of the same run 10 minutes later....

...

No wonder he fell for that fly, look--that fish is blind!

 

[wademaster]

I welcome anything that'll offer a decent fight....I want to catch a big ass hogsucker.

 

[ia_trouter]

No wonder he fell for that fly, look--that fish is blind!

He's been posting awesome fish pics here and making me jealous for a week or two now. Appears he is finally out of new material and resorting to the poor blind ones he snagged. :biggrin:

Back on topic, I rarely kill unwanted fish unless they are very clearly out of control and screwing things up. Sheephead in the 'sippi get a headache on the side of my boat before release.

 

[ejsell]

I caught my first sucker this spring while steelhead fishing. Nice size to her but didn't fight much. I threw her back, the steelhead were lining up behind her eating her spawn and my spawn fly.

 

[ts47]

He's been posting awesome fish pics here and making me jealous for a week or two now. Appears he is finally out of new material and resorting to the poor blind ones he snagged. :biggrin:

Back on topic, I rarely kill unwanted fish unless they are very clearly out of control and screwing things up. Sheephead in the 'sippi get a headache on the side of my boat before release.

Like snakehead here in Maryland... :icon_evil Definitely an invasive fish! The local DNR wants us to eat or simply kill any we catch.

Northern Snakehead

Back to the OPs question, I would put it back.

 

[Unknownflyman]

Ok bad cell phone pics I know. No one liked my Spey rod walleye anyway release those suckers.

 

[Poke 'Em]

I release them back into the water,

then a friend of mine said that some people (even him) typically throw them onto the ground to minimize the population because no one wants to catch them.

Being a new fly fisher, I'm happy to catch anything!

Why does one fish hold less worth than another? That's a fairly hedonist approach if a fish's value is determined by the pleasure it provides us.

 

[itchmesir]

If it's got fins I enjoy catching it... Even those invasive fish such as the brown trout.

---------- Post added at 10:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:11 PM ----------

Btw Dwayne, Sheephead are a blast on a fly rod... Especially the bigger ones! Drag a black bugger and you'll hook up. Caught a 24" one a couple years ago that I had to put on my reel. Was a nice fight.

 

[ia_trouter]

If it's got fins I enjoy catching it... Even those invasive fish such as the brown trout.

---------- Post added at 10:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:11 PM ----------

Btw Dwayne, Sheephead are a blast on a fly rod... Especially the bigger ones! Drag a black bugger and you'll hook up. Caught a 24" one a couple years ago that I had to put on my reel. Was a nice fight.

I'll have to try that. I have a spot on a slough where I take new fisherman for spring channel cat and pannies. Lately I have to buy an extra dozen minnows for the Sheephead. There are getting annoyingly prevalent here.

 

[GrtLksMarlin]

I caught my first sucker this spring while steelhead fishing. Nice size to her but didn't fight much. I threw her back, the steelhead were lining up behind her eating her spawn and my spawn fly.

Smart and wise! :thumbsup:

B.E.F.