Darters Will Catch Catfish

[Festus_Haggen]

Has anyone tried them? Darters usually run from about 3" to 5". If it's a big one, you can cut them in half and get two baits. They resemble a small walleye, and are in the same perch family, along with sauger, walleye, and yellow perch.

I was just curious, has anyone tried them fishing for any other species of fish? Have heard they will catch trout.

[bc1448]

I have never heard of one... I'm not sure that they are in VA waters.
Blake

[Festus_Haggen]

Yes, Virginia has darters, but probably not in reservoirs. They just about exclusively live in rivers and creeks that are unpolluted. New River is one body of water I can think of. Below is a photo of a Longhead Darter, they are an endangered species in VA. Don't they resemble miniature walleyes?

About 30 years ago, environmentalists fought the building of Tellico Dam/Tellico Lake in East TN. They claimed the snail darter was almost extinct, and couldn't find any except in the Little Tennessee River. Later, they found them in other streams, and the lake was built, but it sure messed up a good trout stream.

[bc1448]

That might be why I have never seen one... I mostly fish resevoirs! They do look like a small walleye.
Blake

[Huck Finn]

Has anyone tried them? Darters usually run from about 3" to 5". If it's a big one, you can cut them in half and get two baits. They resemble a small walleye, and are in the same perch family, along with sauger, walleye, and yellow perch.

I was just curious, has anyone tried them fishing for any other species of fish? Have heard they will catch trout.

Never tried a darter before. I usually fish with skipjack, threadfin or gizzard shad. If the darters are indigenous to the water you fish, they will probably work just fine.

[Festus_Haggen]

They're too pretty to use for bait, but I've seen them catch catfish. Some darters are scarce and endangered, but some, such as the logperch darter, are plentiful. They're pesky if you're fishing for other species, they have small mouths, but they'll rob a hook of a cricket, minnow, or worm. An old logperch will get 6" or 7" long and they're nicknamed "Jackminnows" by our locals. They resemble baby jacks (muskies) slightly, with some wicked fins.

[PBUG2009]

catfish are like mikey, they eat anything lol