Quillback Carpsuckers on the fly

[dixieangler]

Alright, folks, got any good on-line articles or flies for taking these rascals? These fish are like baby carp and a lot of fun. But you can't eat them unless you like bones . They fight, feel, and can get up close to the same size as common redfish, only in freshwater. I have caught them on spinning gear, splitshots, and doughballs many moons ago on a small pond or lake in the Charlotte County area and would really like to tangle with some on the fly. Nymph and doughball flies seem to be the ticket.

Should be the first fish pictured. I wouldn't call the listed range for this fish as being completely accurate since the ones I caught were in Southwest Florida:
[url=http://myfwc.com/fishing/Fishes/suckers.html:a2dd1]http://myfwc.com/fishing/Fishes/suckers.html[/url:a2dd1]

This is the only article I have seen on suckers but its for white suckers, not quillbacks:
[url=http://www.buckeyeflyfishers.com/Articles/white%20suckers/white_sucker.htm:a2dd1]http://www.buckeyeflyfishers.com/Articles/white%20suckers/white_sucker.htm[/url:a2dd1]

Any one have experience catching these rascals or any info to add? Thanks.


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Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL

"Flip a fly"

[This message has been edited by dixieangler (edited 10 May 2005).]

[poke flyfisher]

Dixie,

We have a fish here in our Oklahoma rivers called a River Carpsucker that looks very similar. I caught one several years ago while fishing for trout in the Illinois River using a #18 WD-40 nymph. He went about 5 1/2 pounds. Put up quite a fight, very similar to common carp. They really don't have any more bones than most other fish, but unless you like the taste of fried algae, I don't know why anyone would ever want to eat one!

[drolfson]

There are many types of sucker and chub that will readily take a nymph. You gotta get it down and right in front of them too. Not nearly as easy to do as the 2/0 weighted treble hook at the end of 50 lb line and a stiff spin rod.

My uncle used to smoke them and claimed they were wonderful. Me, I could never keep them lit.

Don

[Robert McMahan]

Ditto what Poke and drolfson said. I fished for the Oklahoma river version of those fish, the same ones Poke mentioned, a number of times last year in July and August. A small dark nymph is what I used. A size 12 or 14 bead head Prince is what I used if my memory is correct. I used a bead head to get the fly down quicker in the current. As previously stated, you've got to get the fly right in front of them. River fishing for these guys is even more challenging than lake fishing for carp because they are just as finnicky and in the River, you're dealing with the current and the drift whereas in a lake you can put the fly in front of the carp and twitch and entice him to come take a look. Pay attention to little oxbows in the river where the water is still. They're easier to catch there because the water is still and you're not dealing with the current. One caveat to fishing the oxbows is if they're there just loafing rather than feeding then they can be harder to catch. When fishing the river, you'll use your mending techniques just like when you're trout fishing. I haven't used a strike indicator yet but I think it would work. If anyone is using a strike indicator in the river, let me know. Sound like fun and challenging? Well, it is!

You want suckers try the Great Lakes Tribs at the tail end of the steelhead run.
Tens of thousands of them and more than one species too. They take nymphs drifted along the bottom readily. And while they aren't steelhead they do put up a pretty good show for themselves. The white suckers can go over 4 lbs quite often and quite a few people eat them smoked.

Spin