The Greater Redhorse is the largest redhorse in the midwest, and the largest redhorse species that isn't critically imperiled and thus unfishable. Greaters can reach weights approaching 17 pounds. They have become somewhat rare in recent years, mostly due to habitat degradation, the building of migration-blocking dams, and the decline in clam populations in our rivers. These fish often dine on snails and clams, crushing them with the molarlike teeth at the back of their throat, although insect larvae, aquatic worms, and crustaceans make up the bulk of their diet. The Greater has a fan-shaped, bright red dorsal fin, 8 scales across the base of the tail, and a rounded top lobe of the tail fin. Good baits for greaters are nightcrawlers, crawfish, and shrimp. Flies for greaters include most crawfish and stonefly imitations, such as brown woolly buggers, as well as clam flies. The fight of a greater redhorse is incredible - always a memorable battle. For many anglers, this is truly the fish of a lifetime.