14 replies to this topic

[Mysteryman]

Today I went on a quest for Rainbow Shiners.

I didn't see any.

All of the recent rain we've had has all the creeks up and roaring. I hit a few of the best spots I know, but they were not in their usual condition today.

 

I only saw three adult species all day. These were Bluehead Chub,  ( a good sign when hunting Rainbows ) Spotted Bass, ( really spotty! ) and some sort of Darter with only tan and black bars.

 

I did find some cool plants, so I got a few of those.

 

I walked along one creek in the hope of finding some fish hanging out in an alcove away from the current, but didn't see a thing. I dipped my bucket in one such spot to wash the mud off of the plants, and headed home.

 

When I got home, I found that I had unwittingly caught about 30 fish fry, and of 3 different species!

 

The biggest ones are, I think, going to turn out to be Coosa Shiners. They have a dark lateral stripe already, and an ocellus just starting to form on their peduncles, black with bright gold circles.

 

The next ones are much smaller, maybe 1/4 inch long. They have clear bodies and very round, black, heads. I have no idea what they might be. It would be funny if they were Rainbows.

 

Finally, I got a couple of darter fry. Even at such a tiny size and young age, they'e unmistakably darters, hugging the bottom, darting about, and turning their tiny little heads.

 

Not a bad haul for one single scoop of a bucket. Still, I've got to try that spot again when the water recedes.

Edited by Mysteryman, 15 April 2015 - 10:24 PM.

[mattknepley]

High water can be frustrating, can't it? Every once in a while you get lucky. I never got as sweet a haul as you just did, but I did fill a 5 gallon bucket at the lake once and had it come up with a previously unnoticed, very small, longnose gar.

[littlen]

Based off your description, I am doubtful that you have rainbows.  Even at a very small size, they start developing orange stripes, and do not have black heads.  The picture isn't the best [at showing the orange] but in real life, it is unmistakable.  The fry in the picture are about 1/2".

 

 

[Mysteryman]

Oh, I don't think they're Rainbows. I just think it would be funny if they are, since I spent all day trying to find some and failed.

 

The larger fry I have look very, very much like those in your picture, but without the colors. Their heads are a little orangey and gold colored, and they have a dark stripe identical to the ones on your fish. They're nibbling on the "first bites" food I'm giving them, and I'll go scrape some plants today to make some greenwater, so I suspect they'll live long enough to solve the mystery. Again, I'm guessing Coosa Shiner, but Rainbows would be fantastic.

 

The black headed fry don't look anything at all like those in your picture. I can barely even tell that they're fish. I hope they make it.

[littlen]

Raising them up will certainly be the easiest way to tell what they are!  As you know, most shiners look pretty much the same when they are small.  So I probably wouldn't place any bets at this point.  For your efforts, it would be nice if they did turn out to be Rainbows.  Where are you located?

[Mysteryman]

Huntsville, Alabama. The spots I sampled were about 80 miles southeast-ish.

I kind of enjoy not being able to easily identify the local fish anymore since I moved; it makes everything fresh & new.

[Mysteryman]

UPDATE:

 

SUCCESS!  The fry have gotten their colors, and those colors are pink, orange & electric blue. It turns out that they're Rainbows after all! WhooHOO!

[Dustin]

That's awesome Trey. Can you post some pics of the fry? I'm not sure I would be able to ID a fry rainbow even with colors.

[Cu455]

Sounds like a great trip. Get some pictures up?

[Irate Mormon]

Did you go to the C---V---- spot?

[Mysteryman]

No. I went to the C------V---- spot, southeast of here, not southwest.

 

Now, that said.... RATS!

I just came home after 8 days on the road, and the fish have doubled in size, but lost their color. The orange & pink is now replaced with tan & grey, and the only specks of bright blue left are on the opercula. The dark lateral stripe has gotten darker, and runs up through the snout. They'e also getting kind of chubby.

I guess they aren't Rainbows after all.

 

At least they're growing very quickly, so soon I should be able to ID them.

[Mysteryman]

In other news, I went back to my favorite old Flagfin Shiner hole, the one which you may recall had been overrun with Little Green Sunfish which wiped out the Flagfins, and to my suprise and delight found not one single Green Sunnie among dozens of Flagfins. I don't know how to explain it, but I'm one happy camper. I bagged a few for broodstock, and my new mission is to always keep a colony of them going, just in case.

[Mysteryman]

UPDATE:

 

Well, it took awhile, but these mystery fry have finally grown enough to identify. They are Bluehead Chubs. Nocomis leptocephalus.

[Michael Wolfe]

I'll probably be the only on on here that will congratate you, but congratulations on your own school of the coolest fish in the stream! River Architechs, mound builders, facilitators of liquid sunshine.. I could go on and on with the glory that is leptocephalus!

[Mysteryman]

LOL.. Thanks!

 

In other news, my Flagfin Shiners are now grown and producing fry.