Suckers - Kill or Throw Back

[mbowman]

That's pretty much my thought. If they're eating the same things, how are they not competitive with the trout?

I've seen suckers hitting the surface for bugs, caught them on worms and salmon eggs, had friends catch them on Rapalas even. Supposedly they're primarily herbivores, but if they're hitting baits, all of which target meat eaters, how can that be the case? I've also been reading some things about them not targeting redds, fry or smolt at all, and others that say they've seen them do it. I'd think if they're eating the same things trout are eating, and also eating eggs / fry, that would put them in competition with trout.

Now there are other accounts that say they're not bad in areas where there is a lot of water flow. Rivers, streams and such, and I could agree with that. But right now eddies and other slow moving sucker-infested water is where most fish (anecdotal) are holding right now until flows chill out a bit. I don't know, but I think I'm going to start cutting them and throwing them back or using them as cut bait and seeing how that goes. Maybe feed them to my kitty.
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