Sucker Gigging

[Phil Lilley]

Each fall, Bill from Springfield rents a stall from us. He and his friends go sucker gigging 1-3 nights per week, heading out about dark up to Fall Creek. Can't go above Fall Creek to gig but they find plenty of suckers downstream. This year has started out huge for them, taking several limits last weekend.

[gonefishin]

What is a limit of suckers? Anybody catching sucker on rod and reel?

[Phil Lilley]

I think it's 25. They've been catching suckers off our dock using night crawlers for weeks.

[gonefishin]

I am going to have to get down there and try to catch some.

[MoCarp]

Ditto!

[Arkie Farmer]

Is it legal to shoot 'em with bows? I think I've asked you this a few years ago, but can't remember.

Jamie

[Phil Lilley]

Yes- it's legal... below Fall Creek.

[Thom]

Just brainstorming, but I wonder what the huge sucker population in the trophy area does to the stream habitat. Wow! there are there a lot of them just below the Island just above lookout. I don't think they have any preditors in that area.

I usually fish the shallows there during heavy flows just at the seam of the current and almost every trip hook into a large sucker.

Would it be feasable to allow a bow or gigging weekend for suckers only in a specified area that would be supervised to cut down on the population of suckers. I wonder how much of the natural food that large of a population consumes. Would it help the trout fishery to eliminate the competition. Probally a dumb idea but just wondering.

[gonefishin]

I would think allowing some removal of suckers would be a good thing. Although I am not sure what the best method would be.

[RiverRunner]

Are they fit to eat?