# Fun on the sucker hole



## Geezer (Mar 30, 2014)

My wife & I caught these Red Horse suckers today on Yellow River. We lost more than we caught due to not having strong enough hooks, but will have plenty of them next time.


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## KingCrab (Apr 29, 2012)

Do u eat them or can u? Caught on what, Worms?


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## jaster (Oct 7, 2007)

Skin filet, slice x's across the filet to chop the bones and fry. Dern tasty!!!!


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## Geezer (Mar 30, 2014)

KingCrab said:


> Do u eat them or can u? Caught on what, Worms?


Yes, they are very good. However, they have a lot of tiny bones in the filets. You have to gash them about every 1/4 inch, down to the skin. Then make sure to have your seasoning between the gashes & deep fry them. The very fine, small bones dissolve & are not a problem. They can be frozen over a year, with no noticeable effect & have a very mild taste. We catch them on the larger type redworms, but earthworms or other worms can be used.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Mind telling us what you baited that hole with?

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner


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## jaster (Oct 7, 2007)

Yellow river is full of em. We use to find em in sloughs off the river all the time. I like giggin em!


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Fine mess of suckers !


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

When I was a little boy, my grandfather used to bait holes for suckers in the Conecuh River. He would take me down there and hook one and hand the pole to me. I was probably 4 years old. Man, those things are strong. Great memory.

Those things are actually carp, right? It's like they have the muscles of a mullet.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Geezer you keep on posting those sucker photos and I may have to take up another avocation......sucker fishing. I remember my granddad catching those things. They would break his bamboo poles now and then. I don't know anyone around DeFuniak that fishes suckers except gigging, but I guess people do fish for them over here.


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## Five Prongs Of Fury (Apr 15, 2008)

Theyre good canned also. I canned them, which also dissolves the bones, then took them back out and made Sucker patties with them just like you wod do Salmon. Except they're 10 times better.


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## Geezer (Mar 30, 2014)

Try'n Hard said:


> Mind telling us what you baited that hole with?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner


To start with, I used a mixture of about 1/3 soured wheat to 2/3 sinking dog food. (Probably about 5 gallons of it in a burlap bag.) I soaked the dog food to the point of being a thick mudlike texture before mixing. I use a similar mixture when replenishing. It seems that the more it stinks, the better the suckers like it.


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## Geezer (Mar 30, 2014)

panhandleslim said:


> Those things are actually carp, right? It's like they have the muscles of a mullet.


*From an article on the internet:
*
"Although carp and suckers are freshwater fish species that have some similarities, they belong to separate families of fishes. The common carp, a fish not native to North America but found across the continent after its introduction from overseas, is from the Cypranidae family. Suckers are part of the Catostomidae family. Telling these types of fish apart requires knowing their main differences. Observe the mouths of the carp and the sucker. The carp has a forward-facing mouth, whereas suckers have a ventral mouth possessing thick lips, designed to vacuum food from the bottom of its aquatic habitat. Neither type of fish has teeth in its mouth. Their teeth are in their throat..."


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## jaster (Oct 7, 2007)

....


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## jaster (Oct 7, 2007)

mygpspin said:


> Share the spot location to other fisher at http://mygpspin.com


Spam Admin please delete this user!!!


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## Slqfisher (Nov 8, 2007)

By the title i thought you were talking about sumthin else :whistling: Nice mess of fish sounds tasty..


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## spinfactor (Sep 22, 2013)

Never tried them. Putting them on my bucket list


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## Richard J. (Jun 7, 2010)

We always fillet them then run thru a meet grinder. Make fish pattys and freeze on cookie sheet. Next day remove them and vac seal or put in a freezer bag. I also season them before freezing.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

*Jack*



Geezer said:


> My wife & I caught these Red Horse suckers today on Yellow River. We lost more than we caught due to not having strong enough hooks, but will have plenty of them next time.



Hey Geezer..........this might look like one of your suckers cross hatched and fried, but it's a Jackfsih. Absolutely delicious.


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## flounder1156 (Jul 9, 2009)

fishwalton said:


> Hey Geezer..........this might look like one of your suckers cross hatched and fried, but it's a Jackfsih. Absolutely delicious.


You sir ,Know how to make someone hungry..... nice looking fish dinner.....:notworthy:


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Man o man I love fried jack fish. Looks mighty fine !


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## Geezer (Mar 30, 2014)

fishwalton said:


> Hey Geezer..........this might look like one of your suckers cross hatched and fried, but it's a Jackfsih. Absolutely delicious.


Yep, that looks mighty good & very similar to the Suckers we had tonight, followed by some of the Christmas goodies my wife has been cooking up. I wonder why I have been gaining weight. It has been quite a while since I've had Jackfish, but if I recall correctly, the taste is very similar.


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

Jacks are one of the finest fish in the river...those look great.


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## Mark Collins (Dec 27, 2012)

Five Prongs Of Fury said:


> Theyre good canned also. I canned them, which also dissolves the bones, then took them back out and made Sucker patties with them just like you wod do Salmon. Except they're 10 times better.


Thats the way my Grandma would fix them, best ever !:thumbup:
Wish we still had them up here, I see very few here anymore


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## Richard J. (Jun 7, 2010)

What do you call a jack fish down here.


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## simpleman (Oct 20, 2007)

ok yall got me thinking about shooting some, every time I come in from a hunting trip I pass a sand bar that always as sucker on it,how do thay taste compare to flathead,or river mullet are thay worth the effort.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

*swee meat*



simpleman said:


> ok yall got me thinking about shooting some, every time I come in from a hunting trip I pass a sand bar that always as sucker on it,how do thay taste compare to flathead,or river mullet are thay worth the effort.


I have eaten only a few, but only because I have caught only a few. I like cat and mullet, but in my opinion a Jack is sweeter and more tasty. Completely different than mullet. 
You have to clean them right or the bones will get you. 
Saw a box bull recently where a guy had targeted them with a broke back Rapala. He filled his cooler.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Richard J. said:


> What do you call a jack fish down here.


The real name is Chain Pickerel. Jack is the local name.


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## deeptracks (Oct 2, 2007)

My dad used to bait them up with a croker sack full of cotton seed meal and we would wear them out on the Choctahachee....dang good eating if you know how to prepare and gash.


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## -WiRtH- (Feb 24, 2009)

Suckers are without a doubt one of the best tasting fish out there! I couldn't tell you how many I've gigged on Yellow River and the creeks all around the area. I've got tons from Guest Lake alone.


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