Winter sucker thoughts and observations

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the bearded angler
the bearded angler's picture
Winter sucker thoughts and observations
<p class="separator" data-blogger-escaped-style="clear: both; text-align: center;" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a data-blogger-escaped-style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pzVVIOx9Vhs/Vscp8fc-W9I/AAAAAAAAA_U/Z_r-SeItku0/s1600/quillback1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pzVVIOx9Vhs/Vscp8fc-W9I/AAAAAAAAA_U/Z_r-SeItku0/s320/quillback1.jpg" width="320" /></a></p> <p>Suckers are one of the last species of fish on my mind during the winter season. There are tons of other fish that I would rather try to pattern during our long winter. But after a handful of incidental catches on a few different bodies of water I have begun to slowly put together some pieces and I am now seriously considering attempting a day targeting them through the ice. They fight hard on light gear and each time I have fought one I was positive it was a trophy of whatever I was targeting that day. Don&#39;t get me wrong there are tons of more practical species and patterns to target in winter, but there are a few good reasons to try for suckers.</p> <p class="separator" data-blogger-escaped-style="clear: both; text-align: center;" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a data-blogger-escaped-style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DhuC25KW7vg/VscpxuU2bDI/AAAAAAAAA_M/5pXEVvn4Sus/s1600/white1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DhuC25KW7vg/VscpxuU2bDI/AAAAAAAAA_M/5pXEVvn4Sus/s320/white1.jpg" width="255" /></a></p> <p>Most catches have happened when targeting perch, crappie or trout on mud flats during cloudy days. All but three have come on one form or another of an insect imitation, from small plastics to hair jigs and flies. The other three were on minnow halves. Winter is not prime time for suckers but all fish have to eat at some point right? Up until the other day the only species of sucker I have caught through the ice were White Suckers and all out of lakes. That all changed on the Red River recently while targeting walleye when a Quillback Sucker inhaled my minnow off the bottom.</p> <p class="separator" data-blogger-escaped-style="clear: both; text-align: center;" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a data-blogger-escaped-style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0KgGtQnbZYo/VscqHfWMXbI/AAAAAAAAA_c/p2u1-HGF6z4/s1600/whitesuckerlure.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0KgGtQnbZYo/VscqHfWMXbI/AAAAAAAAA_c/p2u1-HGF6z4/s320/whitesuckerlure.jpg" width="320" /></a></p> <p>So why target suckers when there are so many better winter angling opportunities? Firstly, some of these white suckers have been a good size for pike bait on tip ups and for that matter I have considered hooking one on alive after I&#39;ve caught it when the lake I am fishing permits it. You couldn&#39;t buy a live sucker within 100 kilometers of where I live. Secondly, knowledge is power and the more one can learn about the winter habits of fish the better, as they usually all tie together in one way or another. Thirdly I&#39;m not prejudice and honestly appreciate all species of fish bodies of water have to offer.</p> <p class="separator" data-blogger-escaped-style="clear: both; text-align: center;" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a data-blogger-escaped-style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6mpA1GQGokQ/VscqD1oNDkI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/FIhEDyIVdok/s1600/white2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6mpA1GQGokQ/VscqD1oNDkI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/FIhEDyIVdok/s320/white2.jpg" width="224" /></a></p> <p class="separator" data-blogger-escaped-style="clear: both; text-align: center;" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a data-blogger-escaped-style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_1mQn_Ru8C4/Vscp4iRDgHI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/8RFuhDDaCUc/s1600/quillback2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_1mQn_Ru8C4/Vscp4iRDgHI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/8RFuhDDaCUc/s320/quillback2.jpg" style="" width="320" /></a></p> <p>Thoughts and experiences anyone is willing to share ? I know Eli has caught a few on minnow immitiations I believe.</p> <p class="separator" data-blogger-escaped-style="clear: both; text-align: center;" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>
Leloinjunior
Rough Fish in SK, AB, & Manitoba

Grew up in SK - would love to fish Manitoba. Central/Northern SK is awesome, but in Manitoba you guys have lots of species we dont have. For my Manitoba wishlist, I'd: 1) Catfish/Bullheads, 2) Rock/Smallmouth/Largemouth/White Bass, 3) Crappie/Sunfish, 4) Drum ..... I've slowed down quite a bit, but have fished the NSR quite a bit growing up. For NSR fish I'd still like to hook a Rocky Mountain Whitefish, Silver Redhorse, Quillback, & Sturgeon. That was a pretty good sized Quillback in your one picture - did you weigh or tape that guy? Also how did you catch him? Also enjoyed your article on targeting Suckers through the ice. Nice to see some Canucks on this Site. Take Care.

andy
andy's picture
Cool stuff.

Beautiful quillback, the bearded angler!  Such a unique catch through the ice. I really look forward to hearing about your trip devoted specifically to figuring out different sucker species through the ice.

Eli
Eli's picture
The redhorse I've caught thro

The redhorse I've caught through the ice were drawn in using a lipless crankbait and then caught on a plain jighead with a piece of crawler. I also caught a nice silver on a jiggin' rap earler this winter.

Very cool that you're icing quillback. Never seen that done before.

Eli

 

 

Corey
Corey's picture
Quality Post

This kind of thing is why we made this website in the first place. Great work, fantastic fishes!

SK Justin
SK Justin's picture
Ice Suckers

A quillback through the ice is so cool!

About 11 years ago I discovered a pattern for catching white suckers and shorthead redhorse on a local lake at late ice. I was able to repeat it consistently every year during the same time period. I've wrote about it a handful of times on this forum, and revised and updated the information as I have learned more. I'm sure we'll have the chance to talk about it on the bank sometime this year.

I think it's very cool that you have been catching them on artificials as well as minnows, as this is something that has been productive for myself (along with crawlers and mealworms).

nodaker
nodaker's picture
Red River Tribulations

Awesome.  I'm a newbie here, but it's great to see that there are actually fish to be caught through the ice on the Red.  I've been trying ice fishing on the river for the first time this year, with zero luck thus far.  Trying to figure out how to relate to current on hard water is confusing as heck for a guy who grew up fishing Devils Lake.  

In any case, I'll just have to keep trying!

fiddleFish
fiddleFish's picture
A trophy catch

in my book.  Outstanding!  I've tried for years to get a quillie through the ice.  I've watched scores of them swim by under the ice with nary the slightes hint of interest in whatever it was I was selling that day.   Here in these parts, goldens, silvers, shorties, and Jakes are always willing to engage, with greaters and blacks much warier and less inclined to bite, but not impossible.  But cracking the quillies remains a mystery for another day.

fiddleFish
fiddleFish's picture
Roughfishing

is about the only kind of ice fishing I do any more.  Looking forward to hearing about your roughfish ice outing. 

I target them in small to medium clearwater rivers, and cut spearing-sized holes and use a dark house.  It's all sight fishing, and "fish TV" keeps me infinitely more entertained than staring at flashers and spring bobbers.  Sight fishing like this has dispelled for me the myth of all the fish going dormant and wintering it out on the bottom of the deepest holes in the river.  Just not what I see at all.

Sometimes I find that making noise attracts them, other times it puts them off.  Like all fishing, you crack the pattern of the day.  Good luck and have fun chasing them ice roughies!

Eli
Eli's picture
Hey fiddle, you have recordin

Hey fiddle, you have recording capability on your underwater camera?

Would love to see some under ice sucker footage....

Eli

 

 

andy
andy's picture
Icing suckers

Despite trying multiple times for redhorse, I have only caught one white sucker through the ice. Only sucker species I've gotten.   I love that the four most knowledgeable sucker ice fishermen I've ever heard of are contributing here!  Any of you guys have any more observations to share?  What kind of conditions have you found to be the best?  I'd like to try for redhorse again while we stiill have ice here in MN.

Jason E.
Jason E.'s picture
I've caught two small (maybe

I've caught two small (maybe 10 inches?) white suckers through the ice.  The conditions mirrored ones described by other folks here.  A flowage/lake connected to a river system.  About 10-15 feet of water.  Early spring.  I was using waxworms, targeting perch and sunnies, when I caught them.  I've tried again at the same spot at a similar time of year but have not repeated my success. 

fiddleFish
fiddleFish's picture
No Video - yet!

Up to now I've only shot stills like this one, with a handheld 4/3 looking down into the hole.  I get a lot of glare and refraction artifacts from the air/water interface.  I'd like to up the quality a great deal, then I'd try shooting video.  A polarizing filter could help, maybe add a better lens, and probably a new shack that keeps out light better.  Once I get it dialed in a bit, I'll set up with a tripod and a remote and try my hand at video.  If I ever get an underwater cam, it would be cool to get some nice on-the-bottom swim-by shots by mounting the cam on a pole.

 

Dr Flathead
Dr Flathead's picture
Never seen a quilly caught du

Never seen a quilly caught during winter like that.  Thats pretty neat man.  But I have heard of quite a few of them being picked up in the very early spring and late fall on minnows and jigs.  And I know for a fact that most of them aren't snagged either.  Probably because their normal food source is scarce, one would bet.  Just goes to show you that most if not all fish still feed from time to time during the winter ice season.  You could probably target just about anything thru the ice if you tried hard enough.  I've ice fished a few clear streams before.  Got a bunch of Jakes (white suckers) one time.  Been slow for me mostly.  But I've seen some nice ones down there.  Big goldens and greaters mostly.  Just takes patience and staying really still, which I'm terrible at...

the bearded angler
the bearded angler's picture
Update

Well as far as river suckers go, we tried the same area we had success on our previous trip for greenbacks recently and my fishing partner lost a quillback coming up the eight inch ice hole.  

Most of our rivers are way to murky for sight fishing so it is either with electronics or blind. We always try to cover ground and different depths and we have found that the "roughies" tend to hang outside of the current or in lesser current areas. Mud bottoms and upper edges of deeper pockets near bends. ( I am far from an expert and just relaying observations).

A recent trip to a new lake we had never fished before brought a lot of success for multi species i will try to post about it when time permits. 6 white suckers were landed and all but one on a very tiny northland spoon tipped with a minnow piece. They came in for the flash of the spoon and a pause and subtle lift would seal the deal.

With all kinds of insect activity through the winter in a lot of water bodies I am starting to think these "smaller" bigger meals are an easy appealing snack for passing fish. Thin vertical spoons with small trebles have been working the best for me.

Thanks to all that have chimed in, hope others might mention incidental or otherwise icefishing sucker experiences. 

Hengelaar
Hengelaar's picture
This is rad stuff, man! Shit,

This is rad stuff, man!

Shit, you have the sweetest looking Quillbacks over there....

Fishn sure is neat

SK Justin
SK Justin's picture
Ice Suckers
"Thin vertical spoons with small trebles have been working the best for me"
 
Initially this is how I caught my first white suckers through the ice. From there I had to refine my tactics for better results, but they certainly had no qualms about hitting small spoons in my lake as well.
 
I really wish that I could sight fish for them more. One of my coolest and most vivid ice fishing memories is laying on the ice and peering down the hole in 3 feet of water. I was jigging a small white tube jig and watched a 24" white sucker just coast in and slurp it back with no hesitation. 
 
In my main late ice sucker spot there is usually too much current and the water is murked up. On one occasion though, I was fishing there with my uncle who was using an underwater camera away from the current, and he was able to view a white sucker rise up and inhale his 1/16 oz. jig & minnow. 
 
I'd love to get some underwater video of them hitting artificials and/or minnows.
fiddleFish
fiddleFish's picture
Flasher rig inspiration

Taking a queue from flasher/dodger rigs, I experimented with a small stinger hook tied to a single-hook buckshot rattler and baited up with worm, and made noise and flash until something happened.  Some days this would bring them in, and often they'd bump the spoon a couple of times until I would lift and shift their attention to the worm.  Usually triggers a take.  Never had them inhale the spoon, though.  Going up on the noise scale, I've used rattle bobbers, a container of gravel, and various other items, all with mixed results.  Have yet to find that one sound that always works.

 

Other days it seems the commotion puts them off and they either ignore it or go negative on it.  Those days I'll sometimes go visual try a flourescent jig head of the smallest size I can control on the bottom and when fish are nearby, the most subtle bit of movement can grab their attention and pull them in.  I have had success with micro plastics this way, but many times I've had them anchor half an inch downstream of the lure, and suck in gulps of water trying to "taste" the lure.  Those are the days when bait seems necessary.

 

Then there was the day I got checked by the warden.  He wasn't thrilled by my flasher rig, and took my rod and trudged back to his truck to take some photos of it, I was guessing to get a legal opinion.  Luckily no citation came in the mail, but since then I remove the main hook from the spoon and just tie the stinger 2 -3 inches out.

 

This is cool stuff.  It's neat how we've all sort of independently arrived at the same conclusion.  Winter suckers are plenty active, and attracted to noise and movement, and can be fairly aggressive feeders. 

 

 

SK Justin
SK Justin's picture
Flasher / Dropper Rigs

I usually just use a simple panfish jig tipped with a piece of worm, however on days when they're on the finicky side, I'll also run a dropper off of the panfish jig to a single hook with another piece of worm. This lets me lay the single hook bait on the bottom with the jig running a few inches above. I tend to notice that having this single hook dropper seems to get the majority of the shortheads that I catch. I've been meaning to try a spoon with a dropper, or some type of rattle chamber for attraction. Good to hear you've seen success. I imagine it would work really well on my waters.