What did i catch?

[AtticaFish]

Gray and rainy day, but i got out in the river anyway. hooked into this thing...

Thought at first sight it was a sheephead (aka. freshwater drum) until i pulled it out of the water and saw his dorsal fin and nose. obviously some kind of sucker/bottom feeding fish by the mouth, but have never caught one before. anyone know the name of it??? BTW - did not hook it in the mouth, was hooked into its nose, but was an excellent fighting fish for his size!

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

I believe you caught a quillback sucker. I've never caught one either.It's definitely different.

 

[toadfrog]

Looks a lot like what us okies call a drum. If you try to eat one you'll be sorry. YUCK

 

[crappiecripplerjigs]

WHAT???? I thought that was a crappie.... I knew I was doing something wrong! That is a strange looking critter. Looks like a cross between a koi and a drum.

 

[AtticaFish]

JJ1 - That is the fish, a quillback carpsucker! Thank you. Did some reading about them on the Ohio DNR website now that i know what it is. Says these fish can grow to 10lbs. Man i wanna catch one that big! The way this 1lb. fish pulled, i think a 10lb'er could make me ski down the river!

Toadfrog - I do agree about avoiding eating a drum, but there are several places up near Lake Erie that sell it smoked! I have tried smoked carp... once before..... never again! I'll pass on the sheephead as well.

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

I caught several 3-5 lb drum many years ago and brought them home to fillet and try. By the time I cut out the bones and red meat I had a fillet a little bigger than a potato chip. They all got tossed in the trash. I'll never try carp either. I think the Quillback are here in Missouri but that is one species I havn't caught. Probably eat worms fished on the bottom,maybe crawfish as well.