Ozark Suckers

[Alfred]

It seems like sucker fishing is more popular in the Ozarks than most other parts of the country. For instance, we have spawning runs here in Northern California, but no one fishes for them and no one knows about them. Why is that? I asked a guide from Warsaw, MO, and he said it was because the streams are clearer in the Ozarks, so fish could be spotted to be grabbed or gigged. Does the cleaner water make them tastier? Any insight would be appreciated. I may be in the area (Springfield/Nixa) in mid-April, so if anyone would like to talk about sucker fishing/cooking traditions, I am very interested (preferably over a plate of fried sucker fillets).

[Terry Beeson]

Put your trip off for a month... Come in the middle of May and you can attend the Nixa Sucker Days and get all the info and sucker you can digest... literally... Sucker Days is a town even with a big Sucker Fish Fry.

If you come in April, there will be plenty of guys around who can show you the gigging ropes. Just look for the boats with the rails welded to the bow...

Anyone know the exact dates this year for Sucker Days? I'm guessing May 15-16, but don't know for sure...

Yep... just verified it at

http://nixachamber.chambermaster.com/direc...9|context=month

It will be 15th and 16th...

[oneshot]

Just had a mess of Suckers I caught on worms down on the river.

I would say most don't know how to Fillet and Score them.I know people around here that don't.But hey I've ate Carp all my life too.Buffalo are much better.

oneshot

[Kayser]

Buffalo over carp, redhorse over buffalo. Need to find my fillet knife in case I get any in the next few weeks. Can't really do it with a pocket knife...

Rob

[Ham]

Yep, Suckers CAN be caught with a hook and line. They pull fairly well too.

[Seth]

The trick to cleaning suckers is how well you score them up. Usually we fry them in Andy's, but my girlfriends dad likes to use flour, salt, pepper, and garlic salt mixed together and it's out of this world. The flour messes the grease up a lot faster, but I think it's worth it. Add a cold beer and you are in heaven.

I fried a bunch of suckers for some catfisherman a few months back and they loved them. Another guy had walleye and it was a pretty even tie between what they ate the most of so that tells ya how good they are.

[DaddyO]

The trick to cleaning suckers is how well you score them up.

When you say "score them up", what does that mean?

I think one of you guys should do a youtube vidoe on how to clean suckers.

[Kayser]

"Scoring" is a method of cutting the fillet in order to expose the small y-bones that are present in most rough fish to hot grease when deep-fried. The bones then just fry up into nothing, for all intensive purposes. The first thing to do is cut the scales from the skin of the fillet, called "fleecing", and fillet the fish, leaving the skin on. Then, lay the fillet skin side down. Starting at one end of the fillet (head or tail), cut the fillet from top to bottom all the way down to the skin. Very important to not cut the skin. Make similar cuts every 1/8-1/4" or so, until the entire fillet is "scored." That's pretty much it. Shake in breading and deep fry.

Rob

[Alfred]

I had a chance to speak with Glenn Scott, president of the Nixa Sucker Days committee. He said that sucker grabbing is fading out since the older generation is passing away and the younger generation has little interest. He referred me to Arvil Harp, whose family has supplied Sucker Days with more fish than anyone else over the years. Arvil said that it's been too cold this spring, and that the spawning runs haven't occurred yet.

I have a chance to drive down to Nixa (or anywhere else in the area) on Tuesday, April 14 in the late afternoon or evening. I am interested in talking with any local experts on suckers and grabbing and would like to photograph (and maybe record) sucker cleaning, scoring, and cooking, before heading back to Kansas City for a flight the next day.

Any referrals would be appreciated. I'd be happy to pay for any expenses (ie I'll pay for your fishing trip!).