9 replies to this topic

[Michael Wolfe]

OK, so the weather scared us out of going fishing today (thunderstorms and such in the forecast), but a few people got back to me an indicated that they would be available next weekend... so here is the plan... and of you that are available and want to come along are welcome... looks like we decided to explore a little bit in West Georgia!

Keith and I will meet somewhere around my house or his and then head towards Atlanta to pick up Alejandro (and we can meet up with or pick up others as well) and then we will head to the Carrollton, GA area. There are some paces over there where we can get into the Tallapoosa drainage and still be in Georgia... might even see the Georgia Rare Muscadine Darter.

Then there is another site that I would like to check out about 1.5 hours south towards Columbus that gets us in to the lower part of the Chattahoochee drainage. We should see something different there... maybe even the Chattahoochee scuplin.

We should be able to make a nice day of it. Let me know if you want to come along and we will arrange the meeting / pickup spots.

[Michael Wolfe]

Georgia Muscadines and the Hoochee Coochee Sculpin

Saturday, Alejandro and I did in fact head out for West Georgia to track down the above referenced fish.

Although we had no problems finding our intended destination, the water seemed high (out of its normal banks) and the access was poor, steep, weedy or fenced. I was pretty disappointed... but Alejandro consulted the trusty Georgia Gazetteer and found a spot just a half a mile or so upstream. The access here was not ideal, but other than the blackberry thorns, not too bad... and didn't involve any barb wire.

As you can see it was a little muddy and silty, but we immediately saw fish, so we were encouraged enough to start dragging the seine. There was not a lot of habitat in the middle, but plenty along the edges. Soon we were scooping up a variety of fishes:
Bluehead Chub - mostly juveniles, but one big enough to really be sure
Alabama Hogsucker - lots of juveniles, but one big enough to kiss
Bluegill Sunfish
Redbreast Sunfish
Bass
Gambusia
Tallapoosa Shiners - more of this Cyprinella than anything else in the stream. I thought they were tricolors and was surprised at first, as I associate these with North Georgia. but we were after all in the Tallapoosa River drainage. Took no pictures.

Weed Shiner

Bullhead Minnow

...and last but not least, the fish that we came to see... the Georgia Muscadine

Percina smithvanizi the Muscadine Darter - we saw several individuals, but this was the largest.

Feeling like we had accomplished something on the day, we nevertheless decided to press our luck and headed south to another location. Out of the Tallapoosa and Mobile drainage in general, we headed into the Chattahoochee drainage, and a whole different kettle of fish. Our directions were good and we easily found the site and were greeted with a clear, cool, bubbling stream with lots of riparian cover.
http://gallery.nanfa...oking South.JPG
And there was no suspense at this location. On about the third riffle shuffle, Alejandro woke up this monster. Hey Dave, look who we saw!

The Hoochee Coochee Sculpin aka Cottus chattahoochee the Chattahoochee Sculpin

I loved this big guy in the phototank, just sittin' in the bottom daring us to mess with him... but I know that some of you do not like my naturally un-posed pictures, so I include here the traditional, formal protrait as well... of the big head with a little fish attached.


So we were already very happy but decided to continue to seine the stream and ran into a few more fish:
Redbreast sunfish
Redhorse sp - I'm terrible with these, but even more so when they are only 4 inches long and I didn't take a picture
Blackbanded Darters

Dixie Chub - lots of small to mid-sized individuals like this one

Bandfin Shiners - tons of these from tiny to three inches or so. I have literally spent days looking for these guys, but at this site, there were so many we just got tired of tossing them out of the seine. They seemed to be the dominant minnow in the stream.

Longjaw minnow - this was a first for me to see live, and a very interesting fish... I will be studying more on this one.

I tried to photograph that face. But the pearl organs just don't really show up like they do in person.

All in all, a very successful day in West Georgia.

[Michael Wolfe]

Sounds like a really fun time, and that's a fine looking sculpin! That "weed shiner" photo looks like a Luxilus though.

Some of those tribs over that way are really crazy, with steep waterfalls and odd patches of upland habitat... it's a very neat area.

Help me out... you got one in mind from the Tallapossa drainage? I thought the large eye and the black edged scales below the lateral line were right from the weed shiner description.

OK, well I guess there is only striped shiners in the drainage... since it certainly isn't warpaint or bandfin (saw enough of those later in the day). So I didn't need to ask that question. But I guess I still do not see it. What is tipping you off that it might be Luxilus?

[Michael Wolfe]

Body shape (weed shiner would be more slender, particularly right behind the head) and the shape of the scales along the side -- even though you can't see the scales in the photo, the dark scale pockets give an idea of what the scales look like. When you pin them in the tank, it should also be easier to get an anal fin ray count, which would be a good double-check for Luxilus.

I have the raw photos on my computer... full size... scales are pretty visible before the photos got shrunken by the forum... actually full size of this one is on the gallery as well... but I should do the work... and I can zoom in and trick out the contrast and see if I can get an anal fin count... clear fins on white background is my fault...