I am compiling fish I want to catch in the next 2 months. I found a place according to our DNR's map where these are pretty abundant, but I will more than likely only be dipnetting (unless my seine is in my mailbox when I get home later this month). So what is the best way to get these into the net? Where should I be looking in this river/stream and what else should I expect to find with them?

Thanks guys,
Nate

Stonerollers are generally pretty athletic fish and catching them is no picnic with a dipnet. I have occasionally caught small ones in shallow pools, mixed in schools of other minnows, and I have also kicknetted larger ones that were hiding under rocks in riffles. Don't expect to have much luck with a dipnet unless you get lucky though.

Stonerollers are pretty crafty, but they have a couple of weaknesses that you can exploit to your advantage.

They primarily eat periphyton, which they scrape from rocks with their sharp-edged lower lip. Even though they have a long gut that aids partial digestion of diatoms and algae, they produce a large quantity of greenish poop that breaks into short cylindrical chunks, ~2-3 mm wide and a couple cm long. Look for the poop and you'll likely find stonerollers in the area or just upstream. Algal growth tends to be highest in shallow, open stream reaches with abundant light. Again, look for these types of habitats.

Male stonerollers develop elaborate ornamentation on their head and body to attract females (but unfortunately alse attracting attention from rival males, with which they spar). Try wearing hats with large, raised white cones glued to them, a copper-collored shirt, and mark orange and black bands on your arms and legs with a Sharpie. Feel free to use photos from the NANFA Photo Gallery as a model. Both male and female stonerollers will flock to you in droves. After all, the brain of a stoneroller is pretty small, and they are easily duped in this manner.

Best of luck!

Dave, you're a bad man.

And the worst part is... I was thinking of getting the stuff together and attempting it... LMAO!

I have arm sweat bands from highschool football (i think 6 black ones) and I have a hat I could easily put some white spines on and MIGHT have a copper shirt... this might be a good picture for the forum.. LMAO


now I know I am gulible, so does that really work? LOL

wouldn't you just laugh if I make the costume, dress up and actaully catch a bunch! *is taking this as a challenge*

Edited by NVCichlids, 01 July 2010 - 02:33 PM.

This technique works. I invented it. Thanks, Dave, for giving out my secret info

Ok so today I saw some monsters and wasn't able to catch them (the water was 4' deep and boy were they fast!!) But I know it was them as they were CLEARLY them.

Is there any bait to catch them with a rod and reel?

Nature is so diverse, you never know what is true.

"Tinbergen observed, jealous stickleback males actually would try to attack red British mail trucks when they could see them through the glass of their tanks."

Instinct and Learning - How it works

I catch them kick netting riffles i also got srbd,blacknosed dace ,hornyhead chubs,and darters. high water here so the fish are right by shore in the grass just put your net down and kick the grass the fish flee and some end up in your net.