Suckers and pikeminnows

[StacyR]

I know not many people fish for them, but I need to stock up on cut bait for catfish and crawdads, and they make the best. Super oily so they let off a lot of scent in the water, and the tough skin keeps it on the hook a long time.

Any good techniques? Where can I get a lot around Boise?

Thanks.
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[idahoron]

Come to hagerman we have tons. Ron
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[mudsucker]

In the river or one of the ponds? I'm needing a nice Valentine gift for the wife.
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[STEELHEADKID]

Go down to the red bridge below americana on the boise river! If you go down there on a sunny day you can go down there and snag a bunch "which is legal because its a non game fish." Thats what I do when I need them because its my favorite bait for sturgeon.
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[rangermark12]

About two years ago I caught some pretty good sized ones at Cascade. I was using worms, fishing from the bank near Sugar Loaf. Is there any in the Snake River around Celebration Park? Just guessing.
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[StacyR]

Never tried snagging fish before. Anything to it besides tying on a big treble hook and some weight, chuck it out, and haul it back in?
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[STEELHEADKID]

I prefer to go on a sunny day and take your polarized glasses so you can see all of the suckers off of the bridge in the hole down below. I take a stout salmon rod and my reel thats loaded with 60lb braided line, next i attach a big like 4/0 treble hook to the braid, you can buy some with the lead attached to the base for this purpose. Pick out a sucker and cast so your hook lands right next to it then just rip it right into its side. Not exactly sporting but a perfectly legal way to quickly get some bait.
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[StacyR]

Thanks, I'll give it a try next time the sun is out. I've got some gear that should work fine.

Can't wait for the weather to warm up enough so the cats start biting.
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[drowning_flys]

You could always take up bow fishing also much funner than snagging []
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[StacyR]

Bumping this thread because I finally got a chance to go look for suckers when the sun was out for a little while this afternoon. I went to the footbridge at Ann Morrison Park, but I didn't see any suckers? Even with my polarized glasses. Is there a different bridge, or am I missing something?
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[AverysAdventure]

I think they were talking about the old red train bridge just up from Fairview for suckers.
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[STEELHEADKID]

Yeah keep heading down river from americana bridge and take a peek off of the old red train trestle. You should see hundreds in there.
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[Jetcrafter]

Go to the Robie Creek bridge and throw a worm on a weighted hook, or a heavy jig and wait.... you'll get one. I caught two trophy suckers last week.... (that's right, trophy sucker!) man they're ugly. BUT the fight was fun on my ultra light.

Also check out the weather channel fishing report, enter Lucky Peak for body of water, I swear it's accurate at predicting the best time to fish...
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[AverysAdventure]

Thats funny - I thought I was the only one that used the weather channel fishing report.
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[StacyR]

Thanks. Do you just walk along the riverbank from the park, or is there a place that's closer to park your car?
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[kansasrockchalk]

Above Arrowrock is a great place for suckers. Not sure what the ice situation is like up there but with LP thawed I can't imagine Arrowrock would be frozen. Worm on the surface there always slayed pike minnows for my kids.
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[Jetcrafter]

It depends... if you want to walk down the steep embankment off Hwy 21. I would rather drive to the boat ramp and walk the bank.
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[PERRY04]

I am also trying to stock up on suckwads and squaw fish but for a different reason. . . bear season starts in 7 days and 8 hours from now. Went up to Robie Creek and only caught one squaw and a really nice rainbow which was a fun surprise [fishin]. Also went to the red bridge by Americana on the boise river and couldnt see any suckwads but fished the hole anyway and came up empty handed (looked like a good hole though). And the weather isnt so great for the bowfishing yet. Any other suggestions close to boise?
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[AverysAdventure]

Arrowrock seems to have plenty of squaws but you may need a boat to get a large number. Suckers should be heading into the creeks to spawn. The first big swimming hole on Mores Creek (just past Robbie Crk) should be filling up with them. Also the swimming hole just down from Grimes Crk.
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[StacyR]

Went down to the old trestle today, and the water was so freaking green due to floating algae you couldn't see anything in the hole. This is the third time I've been there, and I've yet to see a sucker because the water is so murky you couldn't see the bottom. Is it always like that, or does it clear up later in the year?

I'll try the other places mentioned to get some bait.
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