Snail Darter?

[oneshot 1]

We was fishing yesterday and there was a school of Snail Darter.

Do fish feed on them? I know Minnows make good bait.

oneshot 

[tjm]

You may have misidentified those fish, according to the USGS Snail Darters don't live in Mo.; only in eastern Tennessee, northern Georgia, and northern Alabama.

But, my guess is big fish often eat small fish, that fact explains why fish hide  and why small fish make good bait.

[oneshot 1]

Nope Niangua Snail Darter only in Niangua River which has changed the way things are done far as getting gravel and such. 

oneshot 

[MOPanfisher]

No such thing as a Niangua snail darkter.  The Snail Darter is a specific darter but doesn't live in MO.  The Niangua Darter does live in the Niangua drainage and is an endangered species.  The. Hange that you saw and actual Nangua Darter is small, but possible.  There are a lot of other darters that are common, greenside and orange throat would be the most common.  But there are a lot of different "minnows" in the creeks and rivers.  

[oneshot 1]

3 hours ago, MOPanfisher said:

No such thing as a Niangua snail darkter.  The Snail Darter is a specific darter but doesn't live in MO.  The Niangua Darter does live in the Niangua drainage and is an endangered species.  The. Hange that you saw and actual Nangua Darter is small, but possible.  There are a lot of other darters that are common, greenside and orange throat would be the most common.  But there are a lot of different "minnows" in the creeks and rivers.  

Oh well so be it! What I seen wasn't what I call Minnows.  Trout do hit Minnows pretty good. 

Don't really matter I know the Government made us quit getting Gravel where we was over them.

oneshot 

[Al Agnew]

The snail darter became famous for almost but not quite stopping one of the last, and most useless, dams in the Tennessee Valley Authority, back in the 1970s-1980s.  The Niangua darter is found only in the Niangua and tributaries and is indeed an endangered species.  There are a LOT of species of darters, including probably a half dozen very common species found in the Niangua, so it was probably one of those species you were seeing.  Darters are not minnows...they are actually in the same fish family as walleye, sauger, and yellow perch.  They are all small--the biggest species is the logperch, and it only reaches about 6 inches in length.  And sure, fish feed on them...fish feed on any kind of fish they can swallow.  But it's tough to find darters big enough to furnish a mouthful for a good sized bass, not to mention that it isn't easy to catch many of them, as they don't usually go into minnow traps because they eat live food, small aquatic insects and such.

And don't get me started on the gravel thing...there are a LOT of very good reasons to not dig gravel out of river beds, and I'm glad that dredging within the river channel is no longer allowed.

[oneshot 1]

We can still get gravel in some areas around here.

When I was younger it was good to fish deep holes. Just like some refuse burning off their Timber.

I was talking with a Manager over a Conservation Area.  We was talking about MDC sending a guy to look over my farm but had me quit burning. 

What the Manager told me I had a Forester look at my place he was more interested in Trees than Wildlife. 

Does MDC make mistakes? HMM  I help release Otters and asked how long before they could be Trapped? I was told probably never because they was just a novelty. 

I was fishing the river and doing well.  Then all the fish got Lock Jaw ??? Then I seen 4 Otters killing fish just to be. 

oneshot 

[bfishn]

On 6/16/2023 at 7:13 PM, oneshot 1 said:

We was fishing yesterday and there was a school of Snail Darter.

Do fish feed on them? I know Minnows make good bait.

oneshot 

I think Oneshot has just proven he can successfully troll from the bank. Well played! Caught some bigguns too! 🤭

[oneshot 1]

I wasn't wanting to start anything all I know is seen many Minnows and many Darters.

Most fish I catch have been feeding on moss and Snails.

I use mostly Worms on #6 Baitholder Hook on 6 pound test Line and still catch a Trout every so often. 

 

oneshot 

 

 

[fishinwrench]

I don't mind freely admitting..... that I wouldn't know a Snail Darter if one swam up into my penis while I was taking a leak.  

 

Sounds like something that A-hole Ham, or ol'whatshisface from Columbia, would pursue.    🤣