Suckers
White Sucker: Catostomus commersonii – scientific name
Northern Hog Sucker
Spotted Sucker
Longnose Sucker: Catostomus catostomus – scientific name
Quillback Carpsucker
Redhorse Sucker (Golden, Greater, Shorthead, and Silver)
The white sucker is one of the more common members of the sucker family found in the U.P. The species is found throughout much of North America, usually in rocky stream pools, rivers, or cool lakes.
Adult white suckers typically range from 12-20 inches. The world record white sucker weighed 7 lbs. 4 oz and was caught from a lake in Wisconsin in 1978.
Small to medium-sized white suckers are classified as a rough fish are often caught and used as a natural bait for MUSKELLUNGE or NORTHERNS.
You can catch bait size sucker fish in local rivers and creeks with an ice jig and small bit if worm. Then use the natural bait superior performance than bait-shop suckers.
The sucker family is very deep, although most of the sucker species do not live in cooler northern waters or the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Both common carp and suckers can be taken by spear or bow and arrow from the Great Lakes and non-trout inland waters.
Health : Local waters have PCBs, dioxin, mercury, PFOS, and other chemicals that can be found in fish and stay in our environment for a very long time.
Be aware of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services – The Eat Safe Fish Guide (ESF Guide)
Wisconsin has the a health guide for eating fish in Wisconsin – Choose Wisely Contaminate Advisories for Wisconsin
