Spring Thaw - Sucker Fish

You know it won't be to long and we will be getting a spring thaw. As a kid, when spring thaw came, I just couldn't keep my mind on my schoolwork and chores that my teacher, mom and dad had lined up for me.

When the creek started to thaw and open up to the big lake, it was time for sucker fishing. Suckers would be one of the first fish in the creek along with some northern pike, which were not in season, and some nice silver steelhead or lake run rainbows.

But sucker fishing was just a lot of fun and some times dad would come along and try his luck too. We would dig a can of worms or after a warm rain we would be out with our flashlights, pick'n night crawlers for the next day of fishing.

It didn't take long to fill a five-gallon pale or maybe two or three pails with suckers. When we had that many dad would come to the creek and give us a hand getting them home. The big job was scaling and gutting then getting them ready for the smoke house and mom so she could can some up for fish parties. We made sure all the neighbors that like fish got enough to fill their needs.

I can still hear my dad say the last thing that God created was the sucker fish because there is so many of them. It sure was a great time of the year for all us kids who like to sucker fish.

Dig some worms and make sometime this spring to take a kid sucker fishing. You'll love it. I guarantee.

Good luck!

Jon Book