On my lunch hour today I ran down to the Jordan to catch me some catfish bait. I ended up bringing home 8 suckers ranging from 12"-16". I've never used sucker as bait before, so my question to everyone is....how should I butcher them? Should I take the scales off, but leave the skin on? Do you usually cut it into strips before you freeze it? I'm thinking1.5" by 3" strips...maybe a bit bigger for the bigger kitties. Any suggestions? I've got them on ice until I decide how I'm going to go about this.
Also....while I was there I caught one sucker that weighed 5.3 pounds on my digital scale! I didn't have tape, but I'm guessing that she was anywhere from 22"-24". I have a hard time keeping fish when they're that big, so I threw her back, but man was it fun to catch. I was using an ultra-light with 6# test.
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Sounds like a good lunch break to me!!! I know I'd rather skip lunch, starve and go out fishing instead of eating!
I think 1 x 3 inch would be just right. Keep the skin on for sure -- it helps hold the bait on the hook better, but remove the scales.
I've never even seen a sucker except for one June Sucker cruising around with the white bass in the first week of June one year during the white bass spawn on Utah Lake.
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I caught one at utah lake on a worm fishing for cats at the provo river inlet. but it was like 16inches... still cool to see.
JOe
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I think I'd be afraid to kill a sucker from that area in Utah Lake cause I don't know how to distinguish a utah sucker (prolific) from a June Sucker (endangered). The one I saw was HUGE like the size of those big carp.
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[cool][blue][size 1]Good move on releasing the spawner with big genes. The smaller ones are better size for cut bait anyway.[/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]I have used a lot of sucker meat over the years. If I catch one and immediately put it into use, I first scale it and then fillet it. With the flesh down, I cut chunks about 1 inch wide across the fillet. Then, it is your call what "sweetener" you apply, if any.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]If you harvest a few for future trips, begin the same way...scale and fillet. Now, you decide how much you want for a good trip and separate the fillets into trip sized packages. If the fillets have some length to them, roll them up and stack two or three per package...in a tough plastic bag. Add just a tiny bit of water (don't rinse off the blood and flavor) and then squeeze out all the air bubbles...to prevent freezer burn. Twist the plastic to seal out all the air and then rubber band the package and put it in the freezer where mama ain't gonna freak when she finds it.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]The day before a trip, let the bait thaw at room temp. Don't microwave it, unless you forget the bait until just before your fishing buddy gets there in the morning. If you do have to have some nuclear help, use short bursts (15 seconds), rotate it and let it sit a few seconds between bursts.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Once thawed, place the fillets flesh side down and use a SHARP knife to cut your strips or chunks. I use chunks for average size kitties, and long strips for bigger stuff. Make up some of both if you have a good supply of bait. [/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]If you are doing it right, you will be cutting this up the night before. Once it is cut, sprinkle a bit of table salt on the fillets and mix up some shad oil, crawdad oil or anchovy oil in with the bait. {ut it back in the plastic bag and let it percolate in the refrigerator over night.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]When using a large chunk of meat, throw away your little trout hooks and bring out the meat hooks. Think 1/0 or bigger. And make sure the hooks are sharp. Big kitties have tough mouths.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]It is recommended that if you haven't tried them, that you pick up some big circle hooks. Let the fish take the bait and turn away from you, and then let them pull the line tight. This lodges the circle hook in the corner of the cat's mouth. That is both softer and provides a better hookset...and helps to release them unharmed if you want to do so. You don't have to try to break the rod when you use circle hooks.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]go get em sucker.[/size][/#0000ff]
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why scale them ? i just caught a bunch yesterday granted they were small ones 3 1/2" to 6" but they seem to have no scales to speak of do the bigger one have thick scales or something ?
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Yes, the bigger ones I've seen have big scales like a Carp.
FM
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[cool][blue][size 1]Scaling them is a personal preference thing. The cats will eat them scales and all, but it is easier to push the hook point through if you don't have to fight scales.[/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]You are right about the smaller suckers not needing that extra touch. In fact, whenever I got suckers under about 10 inches, i rigged them whole, with a big trap hook in the tail, and chunked them out on a big rod for a heavyweight. I might not get a bite all night, but when I did, I could be pretty sure it was not a mud cat.[/size][/#0000ff]
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thanx for the reply pat plan on using a couple of the little ones whole for catfish
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