Thread: Suckers

is a sucker gig different from a frog gig

What am i missing sucker gig"en?

When I was a kid we used to go gigging on the Duck for Red Horse. Used a gig that was about twice as big as a frog gig. I don't know if that is what you are talking about.

ive never been sucker gigging but ive been sucker snatching a few times.use a large treble with a piece of white cloth so u can see your treble good and when the fish swim over it jerk really hard.some of them get really big and fight hard too

You got it Lag!

In high school and after, around April 10th when the suckers would come up the creeks to spawn, we'd get some fish spears (frog gigs are too lite) and we'd grab a couple 40's or cans of beer and stow em somehow (school backpack worked good,lol) get our coon huntin lights out and crawl off into the creeks (mainly Suggs creek that feeds into Percy Priest and Cedar Creek that runs into Old Hickory) and spread across the creek and wade along gigging random sucker fish as we went, till we'd hem em up on some shoals then we'd stick 'em fast and furious. We'd haul them out in old tote sacks and give them to an old man down the road and we'd clean a few for ourselves. Buddy of mine who introduced me to the sports family has been doing it forever. It was wicked fun. Last time I went was probably 99 or 2000.

I knew people snagged them but we never did that. Sounds like a lot less action.

I guess we got a little older, and busier, and maybe a little lazy and we don't really go anymore. Plus the ol man died that we'd give them to. He loved them. We'd bang on his door at 2 in the morning and he's come out in his pjs to get 'em and he was over 90. Usually only get about 2 weeks to go, then it'll rain and the creeks will get up and ruin it.

When the red buds are in full bloom is the best time to gig suckers here in east Tn. We have had some good times at night doing this.

We used to gig and snag when we were kids. We would go after the big white suckers when they came up out of the creeks and into the branches. Ive had some old timers tell me that they used to take piano wire and make a noose. They would then find a log over the creek or branch and drop the loop down in the water. As the sucker came through the would jerk the wire and close the loop just behind the gills. im not sure if they were pulling my leg or not. Sucker gigging, snagging and looping must be a TN thing!!!