NATURALIST NOTES: What good are suckers?

     Many fishermen ask: “What good are suckers?”

     When fishing Iowa rivers and streams, these diverse fish are often accidently hooked and landed. Many people wrongly consider them garbage fish, bait stealers or nuisance fish. In fact, quite the opposite is true – these spectacular and varied fish are native to our rivers and streams and are important forage fish for our larger predatory fish, help keep our rivers healthy and clean, are hosts for native mussel reproduction, and prey upon invasive zebra mussels.

     Although suckers may slightly resemble minnows, they have some notable differences that help identify them. As their name implies, their soft fleshy downturned toothless mouth lends to the appearance of a suction vacuum, aiding in their bottom feeding as they forage for aquatic invertebrates, insects, mollusks, and aquatic plant material. A single row of pharyngeal teeth are located in their throat. Another identifying feature of suckers is the presence of smooth edged scales over their body but absent from their head. In addition, they lack sharp spines on their fins.

     Suckers like to travel in schools and are often observed in riffles and pools of Iowa streams as they hug the bottom. They can be found from Iowa’s largest rivers like the Mississippi and Missouri to cold water trout streams, and the smallest rural and urban tributary streams. In Iowa, suckers spawn from early spring through early summer depending on the water temperature. Some species gather in large schools as they “run” up small streams to return to ancestral spawning locations. These runs can be quite impressive if you happen upon one at the right time. These “runs” are most noticeable in locations where their free river movement is impeded or constricted by obstacles such as dams, control structures, or narrow areas in the waterway.

     A few suckers found on area rivers include the quillback, identified by their super long first dorsal rays that arch up over their back, sometimes breaking the water’s surface as they swim in schools upstream. Their overall wide body shape is sometimes confused with a carp. White suckers are widely distributed throughout Iowa and are sometimes sought after during their spawning runs due to their size – reaching up to 24 inches and weighing as much as five pounds. Young white suckers are commonly sold as baitfish. Northern hogsuckers are a mottled bronze color with more camouflage than most other suckers. In addition, they have a longer snout and their fleshy lips protrude out farther than most other sucker species. Redhorse suckers get their name from their orange to reddish colored fins. There are six different redhorse sucker species in Iowa.

     Often overlooked, there are 14 native species of fish in the sucker family found in Iowa streams and rivers and 68 species north of Mexico in North America. The black redhorse is listed as threatened in Iowa and is a protected species. Visit the Iowa DNR website to learn detailed information on all of Iowa’s sucker species at https://www.iowadnr.gov/idnr/Fishing/Iowa-Fish-Species.

     Suckers can be a fun fishing opportunity! For many kids it provides hours of hot action even when other more sought-after fish might not be biting. Many species of suckers can grow quite large and put up quite a fight as you reel them in. Finding a good fishing hole is pretty simple. Look for locations where streams enter rivers or where riffles and pools exist in close proximity. Use a hook and sinker with a worm, minnow, or cricket and fish on the bottom. Then get ready for fun!

     For those willing to put in the extra effort of preparing the bony fillets properly, the meat of many suckers is considered quite good. Recipes for smoked, battered and fried, and baked suckers can be found online.

     Head outside this spring and share the joy of fishing with someone you know. If you have a natural resource related question, email naturalist@co.jones.ia.us or mail questions to Jones County Conservation, Attn: Naturalist, 12515 Central Park Rd, Center Junction, IA 52212.