# Yellow river sucker gigging...



## jcoss15

Had a good run tonight on the river sucker gigging. Nothing real big but fun anyways. Could have killed a boat load but saved some for next time...


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## Realtor

wadda ya eat thos suckers?


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## jcoss15

oh yeah, got to clean them right though.


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## Realtor

full of bones?


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## jcoss15

yea, you have to gash the meat and fry them hot...


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## captken

*Can them*

Gut, head and skin them then pressure can them. Eat bones and all.
They make really good fish cakes. Make cakes pretty much like you'd make crab cakes.


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## FishWalton

That is one fine mess of suckers. Excellent eating if you know how to prepare them.


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## tips n tails

suckers? damn those two top ones almost look like mullet. Didnt know YR had so many suckers. Was that on little YR Jcoss? Do you chum them?


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## CatHunter

Dude, are you finding them on the sand bars? Them are some of the best Flathead bait you can come across.

Turn this video to 6:30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbTfq-VSLsc


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## CatCrusher

We used to bait them on the Patsilaga and Conecuh when I was a kid. Used river mussels for bait and I mean them jokers pull. Like was said, hack'em down the sides and fry real good and some of the best tasting fish there is. Use to put corn, cottonseed meal cake and onions in a sack and let it sit for a few days.


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## jcoss15

tips n tails said:


> suckers? damn those two top ones almost look like mullet. Didnt know YR had so many suckers. Was that on little YR Jcoss? Do you chum them?


Yea little yellow in milligan, top three are mullet. No you don't have to chum them just spot them with a light and stick them, pretty easy. I like it because its kind like hunting and fishing combined.


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## jcoss15

CatHunter said:


> Dude, are you finding them on the sand bars? Them are some of the best Flathead bait you can come across.
> 
> Turn this video to 6:30
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbTfq-VSLsc


Not really, found them more around the shallow cover in the 2-5ft. range. I have heard flatheds like them, we seen a ton in the 8-10in. range, perfect bait size.


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer

Ok this may be a stupid question, what is the difference between suckers and mullet? Because those look a heck of a lot like mullet.


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## FishWalton

*similar*

There is a considerable difference between mullet and suckers although they look similar. Both are excellent eating but I think suckers are sweeter and not as strong tasting as mullet. Also, suckers have a zillion bones and you need to know how to prepare them for cooking. Mullet bone structure is more traditional like most other fish. You will find mullet in both salt and freshwater. The only suckers I have ever seen have been in freshwater creeks and streams.

In the old days people used gill nets in small streams this time of year to catch suckers. (I bet some still do in the outback areas). :whistling: Brave soles also waded shallow sand bottom creeks with gas laterns or 6 volt head band lights and hand gigs. Snakes were common when the weather was warm. 

When I was a kid I would go with my granddad "red horse sucker' fishing. In those days there were only store bought calcutta poles and hand cut bamboo poles. We had hand cut poles which were not as strong or limber as the calcuttas. I saw big red horse suckers break several of my granddads poles when we fished Holmes Creek in Washington County.

Please excuse my reminiscing!


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## CatHunter

I used to snatch them with treble hooks in small creeks. Damn they pull hard


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## jcoss15

You can bait a hole with cottonseed mill in a croker sack, sink it in the river and bottom fish over it with red worms and a good stout pole. Hold on because a 12in. sucker fights like a 3lb bass.


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## skiff89_jr

CatHunter said:


> I used to snatch them with treble hooks in small creeks. Damn they pull hard


We snatched a few at black creek saturday. One about pulled pop's pole out of the boat lol


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## CatHunter

They look like alot of fun


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## FishWalton

*shad*

Skiff89.....Glad you got a few Saturday. Have never snatched a sucker down there but have snagged a few big shad. Don't know what a big shad could be used for except cut bait I guess. Have snagged mullet, shad, croaker, pin fish, and beer cans in the same hole.


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## PorknBeans

freshwater bonefish lol


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## Five Prongs Of Fury

captken said:


> Gut, head and skin them then pressure can them. Eat bones and all.
> They make really good fish cakes. Make cakes pretty much like you'd make crab cakes.


This is exactly what I do and they are fine!!! Way better than a nasty Salmon patty.


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