ID this Fish out of the Sunrise River

[Carp-fisher]

Dude ya gotta draw a sketch of your fish and post it up here...

[fishhawk1750]

Are you kidding me? 3385 people have viewed this link!! Post a pic, drawn a pic or download an image of an alien from outer space but let's get some closer here people.

[john.wells]

You can pretty much rule out American Eel, as they bear their young in the Atlantic Ocean. Only adults make it this far north. This is truly a mystery, I might have to go down there and see if they are still around! Wish I read this post earlier....

[john.wells]

Found this image on a search for MN minnows, and it came right from this own site! It appears to be a sturgeon fry, and it certainly fits the description and would be logical to be found below the Kost Dam. Hope the link pops through...

[polarsusd81]

I think we have a winner here. That certainly fits the description. As they get a bit bigger, they would square off like FF said. Shall we call you Detective Wells?

[john.wells]

I like the sound of Detective Wells! After a little more research and by going on the hunches of others on the thread (carp and other game fish I think it is called) I can tell you all it is most likely Shortnosed Gar.

[DREZLER]

Man, I hate all these rough fish and so forth that are being spoken of but I gotta say, this is exciting. I just read 5 pages! Let's get this figured out!!!!

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

Guys,

That is absolutely, positively not it!!! Read the original description and that may help.

Oh man, I wish I had a camera there............

I cannot believe it isn't ID'd!

[john.wells]

How close does the picture come? It has the silver bottom, dark side band, and lack of dorsal fin. The eye looks kind of beady, but I agree that the mouth description seems to be off. What do you mean by a "straight mouth"? Do any of the characteristics in the picture match, even slightly? I thought I knew my species pretty well, but this is a neat little mystery.

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

Not close whatsoever, that would have been an immediate ID out of the water.

The mouth was straight across, not turned under or up.

There was a small nub on each side of the mouth.

The eyes looked like a Catfish, they were not Catfish though.

Very dark top in the shape of a Northern with the long sleek top without the center dorsal fin just like a northern. NO spots, just a dark top, a "graduated" darker stripe on each side, then the sliver lower sides and underneath.

That's it - super easy description - it's just that nothing describes them and they were SO DARN EASY to catch, LOL!

[BlueLundFishrman]

This would be a more timely thread on April 1st. Pull my finger!

[john.wells]

I sure wish I had read the post earlier when you were getting them, as Kost Dam is minutes away from me and I sure would have liked to have seen one up close and personal! I go there quite a bit in the spring, but then move elsewhere once the bullheads start to dominate. I know it is a very cyclical spot with various species coming through at certain times, so I will have to put it on the to-do list next fall to go and see if they are schooled in there again. Until then, I will continue the quest to ID them! The fresh descriptions will sure help

[The Grebe]

How about drawing a picture of it and posting that?

[Dusty]

Maybe a small paddlefish? Sorry no picture.

[Lip'em]

Eyes are way smaller, has a dark streak on the sides. I don't think it had a dorsal fin. It was also "snakey".

Anyone?

Do you know for sure it didn't have a dorsal fin, or just don't recall it having one?

You can't always trust a picture of a fish when identifying one in hand. Sometimes different areas will have different variations in markings do to specific genetic traits of that specific population of fish, especially among juveniles of a species. Just because it doesn't look like one picture doesn't mean that that's not what it is.

Anyhoo, we still have a mystery fish to determine here people! Lets put our heads together on this one!

Of the above guesses, which would you say it most closely resembles? American eel, eelpout, or something else that hasn't been mentioned?

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

No center dorsal fin. There was a fin on top, but it was way back and was not extended.

The width was just a normal slight taper and was no where near what an eelpout is. Absolutely no spots or colors.

[deadeye]

Baby muskies?

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

Nope.

[so haaad]

[tunrevir]

Sohaaad, another of those St. Croix hybryd walleyes huh?

Tunrevir~

[so haaad]

I'm an expert when it comes to catching "hybrids"!!!

[Tony V]

Nope, not a Creek Chub.

Eyes are way smaller, has a dark streak on the sides. I don't think it had a dorsal fin. It was also "snakey".

Anyone?

"I don't think it had a dorsal fin." Is a maybe. The picture of the previous creek chub pic that was posted does not have a pronounced stripe.

When a creek chub gets bigger its eyes dont get much bigger, a 10 in creek chub has eyes that look very small. I found one pick that shows the stripe and large size and small eyes. The dorsal dose not stand up when you catch them.

Recalling a image memory 100% correctly can be difficult. This post you said I dont think it had a dorsal, then a few posts later you said it did not. Your testimony will not stand up in this court Lol.

There are many color patterns and species of small fish and so many look very different. One picture of some species is not a fair representation of all individuals of that species.

This post has much interest for me, a child I fished a creek in the Burbs of Chicago and some old folks that lived on the creek said that there were trout in the creek. I believed them and kept fishing for them and never caught a trout, so I brought a creek chub to them and said "hey is this a trout?" and "yes" was the reply. That was when I learned not all adults were smarter than me. I was 8 or 9 Y/O.

[cichlid_baby]

CAN'T believe this thread at all !!!!!

NUTZZZZZ !!!!!!

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

Originally Posted By: Fisherman For a Lifetime

Nope, not a Creek Chub.

Eyes are way smaller, has a dark streak on the sides. I don't think it had a dorsal fin. It was also "snakey".

Anyone?

" The picture of the previous creek chub pic that was posted does not have a pronounced stripe.

When a creek chub gets bigger its eyes dont get much bigger, a 10 in creek chub has eyes that look very small. I found one pick that shows the stripe and large size and small eyes. The dorsal dose not stand up when you catch them.

HEY - WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

Mystery solved, that does not match a previously seen picture of a creek chub on the internet, but that is it!

Finally!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Creek Chub?... Well, at least the mystery is solved..

[T&KK]

creek chub I have to admit, I used to put on the smallest little fly on an ultra lite rod and have a blast catching them! They are agressive little buggers!

Fisherman for a lifetime... you must have been losing a lot of sleep over this topic since you solved it at 3 am! Get some sleep buddy and enjoy the upcoming hard water season! Good work detectives!

[Blainebob]

What a wild goose chase!

[deadeye]

Thats what it sounded like to me at first. As long as the mystery is solved thats good. Should have kept a bunch for cutbait for cats.

[Tony V]

Creek chubs are amazing bait!

used alive i would catch big bass, and crappie (very big crappie).

And a pike can not resist one.

Used as (cut bait) they are the best catfish bait I have ever used.

[john.wells]

Ironic. DTRO had it nailed right from the get-go on page one, 4th post to this thread. Wheels spun.