Sucker

[gonefishin]

I have heard it mentioned that Taney has 3 different types of sucker. White, Yellow and Black. I am curious what the difference is in these. Also doesnt Taney have Red Horse in it? Where do they fit in?

[Tightline]

GF,the white and yellow suckers are the best eating,they look just like what they are called.The yellows have a distinct yellow cast to their scales,especially on the stomach,the white sucker is more of a cream colored,or pale version of the yellow,white ones won't get as big as yellows.

Blues and or black suckers are really a dark greyish blue,and are not to bad to eat,just not as good as the white and yellows,the blues tend to get bigger than the other 2.I see blue suckers alot while fishing up at the dam,and some are huge.I think the blues are the kind the MDC said eat alot of the fresh water shrimp thats in Taney.So catch em and eat em their not bad.

Red horse remind me of a slim version of a carp,and they have a red cast to their tail.I have never ate Red Horse,but they say they aren't to bad and they get ALOT bigger than their cousins.

If you ever catch more than what you want GF let me know and I'll take them off your hands.............GOOD EATING!

[Terry Beeson]

Click here and see if this helps...

The White Sucker (Catostomus commersoni) is the one that goes by the name "Sucker"...

The others are from the genus "Moxostoma" and are commonly called "Redhorses."

[Kayser]

Redhorse are among my favorites to eat, right up there with goggle-eye. I've caught them on worms below riffles in late April to early May (think turkey season) when they congregate to spawn. Try worms on a rocky/gravel bottom to get them out of deeper holes this time of year.

Rob

[gonefishin]

I have caught a few Redhorse but not many. I am not even sure where to go looking for them. Wouldn't mind learning tho. I have never ate any of them.

I have ate sucker from Taney and they are good. Never had a problem getting to many of them. Usually only catch one or two of them.

I have heard they are really think up around the dam but a person would have to catch them on flies or hard plastic lures. I don't think that would be very productive.

Click here and see if this helps...

The White Sucker (Catostomus commersoni) is the one that goes by the name "Sucker"...

The others are from the genus "Moxostoma" and are commonly called "Redhorses."

Useful site Terry. Still, they mention blue sucker but do not show a pic or tell anything about them.

[slider]

GF

I DONT KNOW IF THIS WILL HELP BUT THE BLACK OR BLUE SUCKER WHICHEVER ARE THE COLER THAT TL SAID ONE WAY YOU MIGHT TELL ARE THEY HAVE SMALLER SCALES. AND THEY ARE HARDER TO SCRAP THAN A WHITE OR YELLOW. I DONT TRY TO SCALE THEM ANYMORE I JUST FILLET THEM LIKE I WOULD A WHITEBASS OR CRAPPIE. THEY DO FALL APART WHEN YOU SCORE THEM IF YOU DONT HANDLE THEM EASY.THEY SEM TO TASTE BETTER WITHOUT THE HIDE TO ME BUT THAT IS TO EACH HIS OWN. MY DAD USE TO FISH FORE THEM DOWN AT ROCKAWAY. HE WOULD BAITE ONE POLE WITH WORMS FORE SUCKERS ONE FORE TROUT WITH POWERBAIT. HE USUALLY HAD SOME BLUES SOME YELLOWS AND TROUT. IF YOU EVER CATCH BLUES AND YELLOWS YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERANCE IM SURE. I DO PREFURE THE YELLOWS BUT THE BLUES EAT TO. JUST TO THROW ANOTHER MONKEY IN THE WRENCH THERE IA AHOG SUCKER TO IT IS TAN WITH DARK BANDS AROUND IT. I DONT KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY IN TANEY BUT I WOULD BET THERE ARE.

SLIDER

[Seth]

I'm not sure what yellow suckers and black/blue suckers are in Taneycomo, but I know that we have caught a number of white suckers over the years in Taneycomo. We love eating them.

I haven't caught any, but usually where there are white suckers, there are Northern Hog Suckers or "hog mollies" as a lot of people around here call them.

I've never caught a redhorse on rod and reel, but have gigged a few of them. They are a blast to gig and they will lay on the bottom and then blast off like a rocket swimming through the water. You gotta be really good or just get lucky to hit them when they are moving that fast.

[Al Agnew]

Hmm...

I'm not sure which species we're talking about here. According to "The Fishes of Missouri", blue suckers (Cycleptus elongatus) are found only in the Missouri and Mississippi, and the lower ends of their largest tribs in MO. However, the black redhorse (Moxostoma duquesnei) is found in Taney, and is sometimes called black sucker or blue sucker (it's also called white sucker, for that matter). The golden redhorse (M. erythrurum) is the one that's commonly called yellow sucker. The white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) is found in the area, but is usually found mostly in small creeks. However, it is common in spring branches, so the cold water of Taney is probably good habitat for it.

Just for your info, you can find blue suckers, three species of buffalo (which are in the sucker family), three species of carpsuckers (not carp, but look kinda like a cross between a carp and a redhorse), white suckers, northern hog suckers, five species of redhorse, spotted suckers, and two species of chubsuckers, in Missouri.

[gonefishin]

Great posts guys. Thanks for the info. I dont know a lot about the different kind of sucker but I have been having fun catching them in Taney. They put up a good fight on 2 lb line. I just want to know more about them so I know what I am catching.

[Wayne SW/MO]

The camouflaged suckers that are small but plentiful in most southern streams are Northern Hog Suckers, but the common name is Hog Molly in many areas.