Page 11 - Mid America Boating - March 2023 issue

catches for me. On one trip I found a loose I solved this problem with advice from a
school in a long pool below a riffle, sat down couple of old timers, and it’s worth passing
and baited up, and in less than five minute on. The easy way to handle suckers is to push
had the first nibble that turned into a fat two fillets through a meat grinder, and convert the
pounder. Others came apace, and in less result into “salmon patties”. They’re mighty
than two hours I’d filled a stringer with eight tasty that way. Or you can score the fillets
nice keepers deeply with a sharp knife, cutting lengthwise
The first time I caught a mess of suckers, through those lines of small bones, then fry
and this was many years ago, I could hardly very crisp. The bone fragments should cook
wait to get home and try them for lunch. The up nicely and cease to be a problem. A few
fillets came crisp and brown from the skillet, cube the fillets into inch square pieces and fry
and I hungrily bit into the first one. Then them with potatoes and other goodies. And
spent the next several minutes pulling small one old timer loves to can suckers and hot 11 [ MID-AMERICA BOATING ] MARCH 2023
sharp bones from the roof of my mouth. pack them with a little onion and hot pepper.
They’ve got to be the worlds boniest fish “I eat them right out of the jar sometimes.” he
and at the same time, one of the most sweet said. “They’re REALLY good that way.” MAB
meated and delectable.

remember that their mouths are soft and quick battle as a pound or more white sucker
tender, so no hard strike that will pull the comes splashing ashore.
hook right on through. Just a gentle lift of If there are any special techniques in this
the rod tip is enough. brand of lazy fishing, it’s to move occasion-
Since suckers tend to move mostly at night ally. Cast a line here, wait 10 minutes or so,
and lay up in pools during the day, pools are then cast there, and over that way. If nothing
a prime place to seek them. So, you find a develops in 45 minutes tops, there are prob-
likely pool, maybe on a river curve, toss out ably no suckers in that pool, and you should
your worm baited rigs, place them in forked move elsewhere. Otherwise, and in a good
willow sticks, then sit back and relax. That’s spot, bites will come frequently, and you’ll
what I like best about sucker fishing. You sit eventually head home with up to a dozen or
there, maybe on a grassy bank, watch black- so on the stringer.
birds fight for territory, a muskrat swim by, Any tributary along the Big Lake should
and listen to the water chuckle while watch- produce wherever you want to fish it, but
ing the two rod tips. Sooner or later, one of my favorite early spring hunting ground
those tips should start to twitch a little or is the Huron River, particularly territory
bend gently as something out there sucks in above Milan. It can be a little tough to gain
the worm and moves leisurely off. Then you access to the water, and might require some
set the hook firmly in that tender, underslung door knocking or trying territory closer to
mouth, and enjoy a brisk, though usually the lake, but it’s produced some excellent

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