Suckers, in their many varieties, are everything an "alternative" fish should be. A bullet-shaped and muscular feisty redhorse, pushing three pounds, will quickly peel off 15 feet of drag if you're running 6-pound line--enough to make you wonder if your rig will hold. Then it burrows and shakes, runs another time or two, and perhaps jumps. Redhorses are beauties to behold, too--perfectly scaled packages of sunset gold and vibrant red, with dark, deep eyes. Fish from clean, cold, clear water are wonderful table fare. They're often smoked and pickled, but they also make the finest fish patties you'll ever taste.

Tackle

Rod: 6- to 7-foot light-power spinning rod.

Reel: small spinning reel.

Line: 6-pound-test mono.

 

Rigging

Rigs for not-so-savvy suckers can be as simple as a #6 or #8 hook to hold a portion of nightcrawler, and a lead shot pinched eight inches up the line to keep the bait near the bottom. A dropper rig constructed with a surgeon's knot works best for finicky fish. Using a 2-foot section of line, tie a triple surgeon's knot so the short tag ends are about 6 inches long. Trim off one of the short tags and pinch a lead shot on the end of the other, which now serves as a dropper. Add a hook to the long tag end and bait with the tail section of a crawler.

Location

Most rivers and streams progress in a continuous series of riffle-hole-run structure, the riffle being a shallow area where the water runs quickly over rock rubble, then slides into a deeper hole, usually with a sand bottom. At the tailout of the hole, sand settles and the hole becomes a river flat that runs until it hits hard bottom and forms another riffle. Suckers usually hold along the edge of holes and in eddies, which are areas where an obstruction causes current to reverse itself. If the water is running slowly through the core of the hole, suckers will be there.

Lucia's Favorite Fish Cakes

Recipe

Mix one part mashed russet potatoes with three parts ground sucker. For a hungry group of four, use about three pounds of sucker and a pound of spuds. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice, a pinch of salt and pepper, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, and 3 tablespoons of minced scallion.

If the mixture seems too thick, add a little milk. Shape mixture into round cakes about 1/2 inch thick. Lightly dust with flour and sauté in butter over medium heat approximately 3 minutes per side.