What to Use when Fishing for Suckers

Sucker fishing is a very special activity that doesn't all too often get the attention it deserves. I began sucker fishing a couple of years ago, and fell in love with it. This is the rig i personally use, and swear by!

[@Nintendomasterw]

Awesome vid and the auto focus (/the focus you set) was great

[@DUIMAZE]

That was awesome. I like the 3 way swivel idea.

[@BlackKnight-ll8qh]

I recently snorkeled the Umpqua river and found many many MAAAAAANYYYYY suckers but haven’t known how to actually fish for them. Lost a wet fly to one many years ago on accident but I’m going to try this. I like your three way set up too! I’ll try and get some GoPro footage of it.

[@Tgilbert03]

Interesting. I always use worms for sucker fishing. I'll have to try the sponge

[@fishingwithdom1657]

Thank you! Check out this video where we caught a bunch on yarn, sponge, and other egg imitation baits. I think you’ll like it 😎 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXeZk2BuiNmlaJI

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

That is a fascinating bait. We have suckers here in Alaska in abundance. These are known as the "Longnose Sucker". No idea if they are any good to eat but now that i have watched your video here as well as others, I think I will give it a try and see what they taste like. Thanks for sharing your experience. Thumbs up.

[@fishingwithdom1657]

Far North Bushcraft And Survival thank you very much for your kind words, good sir! Hope all is well with you and your people.

[@jerryhenning110]

How did it work for you?

[@Francois_Dupont]

you can grind them and make gefelte fish like balls with them, or smoke them. they have many many bones (even worst then pike).

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

@@jerryhenning110 I'm sorry I missed your comment/question until now. I have not had a chance to try the suckers as of yet but I am still anxious to try them when i do get a chance. The places where I have seen them are remote locations that I have been to and am likely to return to but just not very often.

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

@@Francois_Dupont Excellent idea. I was not familiar with Gefelte fish recipe until i looked it up just now but that recipe or something similar should be a great way of utilizing less than favorite fish.

[@bobtomlinson8247]

Does adding scent to the sponge increase the number caught?

[@jasonking5560]

Will they bite the sponge if you just cast out and let it sit?

[@fishingwithdom1657]

Jason King I don't see why not! Perhaps a nightcrawler, too!

[@draconusspiritus1037]

Put one of those clips on the loop for your leader. Then just put a loop on the end of your leader and you can carry a number of ready made leaders for quick replacement if or when you snag and lose a hook

[@3279642]

Will they eat the sponge with no scent or anything on it? and why?

[@fyregus]

Interesting. I just moved to pennsylvania from georgia so im more accustomed to lake fishing. Theres almost nothing but creeks for me to fish out of up here and ive noticed what looks like steelhead, trout and what i can only assume are northern hog suckers. They almost look like some sort of catfish/shark hybrid and are brown with stripes and seem to love the bottom of the creek. Will definitely give this a try and see if they go for it.

[@BillyTheBassAssassin]

Thats so weird, Ive seen that for steelhead. Do you ever scent it?

[@stephenalyabyev8559]

Billy yes sometimes with garlic or shrimp

[@fishnmetal4383]

I'd like to see a video of you doing this. In rivers only?? do you scent ?? I usually find where they are use a similar presentation but with a night crawler. cool video

[@fishingwithdom1657]

No scent, just drift it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGGse36redGNoZo

[@strahinjacelarevic3432]

How effective is drifting with a weight? Just figured it would be ‘rolling’ on the bottom?? Let me know!!

[@thomasbush787]

Yeah, don’t use sponges. Probably illegal everywhere considering it’s littering. Littering fine is a lot more expensive than worms, can always just harvest them as well then they’re free

[@thomasbush787]

Also fish won’t be able to digest it, or if they come off a bird or anything else that might eat it. Probably out there killing a bunch of stuff on accident

[@markbrajkovich311]

Who would of thought. Sponges

[@cindysquirrelloffgrid9514]

thanks for the info. taking the granddaughter sucker fishing today, will have to try this

[@lindanwfirefighter4973]

Here we use our hands to catch suckers. They are so thick you could almost walk across the rivers on them! 🤗

[@paulfranciosi8155]

They look like our barbel in the uk which are freshwater fish.Hair rigged luncheon meat or corn would be good .

[@christopherblackmer7476]

Baller

[@streetcat1510]

Here’s a tip, after you’ve cooked your steak, sausages, liver in the pan let the pan cool down n drop in the chunks of sponge let them soak up all that fatty juice, you can add some flavouring like Soy or Oyster sauce , Yeast extract , or anything savoury .

[@cagleoutdoors6384]

Thanks for the tips good stuff!!!

[@cliffbellomyjr2643]

I live in southern Missouri. Would that setup work for suckers here? I enjoy the videos thanks for all the info you share

[@gabewilliams658]

I caught one in my creek but it was by the gill

[@cosmiconni6321]

Sucker fishing is definitely the underdog. I like change

[@fishingwithdom1657]

It’s pretty great! Check out this video I did last year 😎 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXeZk2BuiNmlaJI

[@fishinwiththegriffins7304]

Thanks Dom good video 👍🏻

[@hookinwithheine]

I thought I heard you wrong for a second on the sponges that’s awesome! Going to try this today

[@garrett2181]

Appreciate the video, just made some 👍

[@dablaugntximntxub2318]

i never tried fishing for suckers with sponge but i won't say if it works or not until i tried it or see your video proves it does work.. i was fishing for steelheads and my brother in law told me to use my menthol cigarette bud as bait... he said rip of the cover and fluff the cigarette bud a little bit and hook it on to my hook, i didn't believe it, but i caught steelhead with it.

[@fishingwithdom1657]

That’s awesome! I have a few sucker videos you can check out if you’d like. Here’s the one from this recent spring. I use a variety of baits but I have some where we hammered them with the sponge. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXeZk2BuiNmlaJI 2019: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pp24g5qre7iCa9U

[@HometownAngler]

This was super good man nice job.

[@fishingwithdom1657]

Thank you! This was one of my first videos I made on my iPad several years ago. I’m happy you appreciate it. Be sure to check out my other videos about drifting for suckers in the spring!

[@HometownAngler]

Is fall pretty good for suckers too? I think you're down south and we have a different climate but I've been catching a few in the morning when it's about 35-40 degrees then they quit biting about noon.

[@fishingwithdom1657]

Hometown Angler oh, I’m from Michigan! They can be caught until it starts getting cold but you’re right about that temperature range, they like the upper 30s a lot for feeding! Worms on perch rigs work well in slack water.

[@fengliu975]

Why does sucker eat sponge?

[@akaak7637]

Just use a slip weight, put weight,bread,barrel swivel then to bait/fly. Never anchor your weight, they have to pull that weight before you can feel the bite rather then a slip weight as soon as they bite they dont pull no weight and showing you the bite ASAP

[@googtube8938]

Ak: what you are describing is a Carolina rig...use it all the time effectively for river suckers in the spring with an egg sinker and #8 or #10 size treble hook.

[@Smiddyoutdoors]

They spend a lot of time in the summer time

[@fishinfinaddictyttv3122]

What in the world! Haha I've spent too much time this summer trying to catch them on worms. I'm gonna try this

[@fishingwithdom1657]

Worms work well in the summer time when I’m fishing slack water. Fishing with the sponge bait or yarn is deadly when drift fishing. Check out this video from the spring! kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXeZk2BuiNmlaJI

[@severinmjoen4409]

Do you keep them?

[@videoaccount4999]

Why not just use a splitshot?

[@wyattyoung9700]

There way to light

[@Francois_Dupont]

@@wyattyoung9700 you a joke, i have 1/2oz split shot in my set.

[@ruffrize]

Sponge don’t work

[@ruffrize]

Dylan Biehn Sir it does not work. I’ve tried that before and comparison to a worm.. worms are far more effective. Sponge is a waste of time waiting for a fish

[@jaredkaiser3097]

In WI there's a rule where no live bait can be used in a stream before the trout opener or first Saturday in may. Sponge does work and is sometimes a far more legal method.

[@DUIMAZE]

Red and green, buddy. Red and green.