21 replies to this topic

[taldridge0321]

I'm interested in catching Madtoms around my area, Waxhaw/Charlotte, NC area. I think we have about four species of Madtoms in this area and am curious about techniques used to catch them.

 

I would appreciate any info you fellas have.

 

Thanks,

 

 

Tim Aldridge

Semper fi

[damias]

I'm no expert on catching them, but I believe the way most do it is with a dipnet and flipping rocks to scare them out.

 

I'm also in the Charlotte area and I plan to do a few 'trips' soon looking for topminnows.

[Casper]

Pop Bottles, Beer Cans.

[fundulus]

Casper's right, using bottles and cans left overnight along the bank will often trap them, they love hidey holes.

[Dustin]

The most common madtom up your way is the margined madtom and they prefer to be in small to medium sized stream under rocks in the current.  The best way to catch them is to kick seine.  Given the fact that you may be doing this alone, putting your dipnet flush with the bottom on the downstream side of a nice rock and then kicking and turning the rock towards the dipnet also works.  

 

Not sure which madtoms comprise your four species.  You have tadpoles as well though they will typically be in vegetation near the bank and not see typically in the piedmont streams around Charlotte.  I don't know what other madtom you have.  Stonecat is to the west, orangefin is to the east and speckled is to the south.

[rc6750]

I will take the other approach and assume you want to try and catch them hook and line?

 

I have only ever caught two and they are very frustrating and time consuming to catch. You basically have to wade through their habitat and slowly flip over rocks, branches, old tires, etc until you see one. Nine times out of ten, they will take off and you will lose track of them. If you can follow one or if one doesn't move, then you have to lower the bait right in front of its face. If you are lucky it will bite the bait. If you are unlucky you will hit it in the face and scare it off. 

 

I am not sure if this applies to all madtoms, but the ones I have caught have been in very fast flowing water. You will need split shots to be able to control where you place the bait. It is still going to be very frustrating and not very much fun. However, they are very awesome fish.

 

Disclaimer: All my madtom fishing skills I learned from Ben Cantrell.

 

[gerald]

Far as I know Margined madtom is the only madtom in the Catawba and Broad River basins in NC, and in most of the Yadkin-PeeDee River basin except the lowermost section in Anson and Richmond counties where Tadpole madtom also occurs.

[Dustin]

Far as I know Margined madtom is the only madtom in the Catawba and Broad River basins in NC, and in most of the Yadkin-PeeDee River basin except the lowermost section in Anson and Richmond counties where Tadpole madtom also occurs.

 

I stand corrected regarding tadpoles.  I just assumed they were everywhere...

[taldridge0321]

Thanks for the replies fellas. We just have the Margined Madtom here but a little further to the east or west and there are Tadpoles, Stonecats, etc.

 

Should be fun trying to track one down.

[Dustin]

You'd have to go a lot further west for stonecats.  Fritz and I took a couple from the Little T several years ago but that collecting was not for the weak of heart and required electricity.  Otherwise, you would need to head out of state.

[taldridge0321]

You'd have to go a lot further west for stonecats.  Fritz and I took a couple from the Little T several years ago but that collecting was not for the weak of heart and required electricity.  Otherwise, you would need to head out of state.

Sounds good. Dustin did you check out the Dusky or Highfin Shiner I got yesterday? It's up, also caught another two Carolina Darters in that same spot.

[Doug_Dame]

I haven't tried minnow traps or the like, but I've had reasonable luck in some places catching madtoms with a dipnet.

 

* work the banks of small creeks, especially vegetation, root balls and underhangs

* in slow areas, sometimes they're down in the leaf litter in slack backwaters

* if there's sunken logs or branches, work those with your feet while holding your net down in the likely direction of escape

* some species are out under the rocks in reasonably fast-moving water ... do a darter shuffle for those and kick the bigger rocks

 

* my most productive and consistent spot for tadpole madtoms is in a 70 yd wide but shallow spring run here in Florida, out in the middle where the water is 3-4 ft deep, down at the bottom in deep & thick valisneria (eelgrass) beds. (edit: working that stuff is probably part of the reason why I have a collection of 7 broken dipnets in my garage.) 

[taldridge0321]

I haven't tried minnow traps or the like, but I've had reasonable luck in some places catching madtoms with a dipnet.

 

* work the banks of small creeks, especially vegetation, root balls and underhangs

* in slow areas, sometimes they're down in the leaf litter in slack backwaters

* if there's sunken logs or branches, work those with your feet while holding your net down in the likely direction of escape

* some species are out under the rocks in reasonably fast-moving water ... do a darter shuffle for those and kick the bigger rocks

 

* my most productive and consistent spot for tadpole madtoms is in a 70 yd wide but shallow spring run here in Florida, out in the middle where the water is 3-4 ft deep, down at the bottom in deep & thick valisneria (eelgrass) beds. (edit: working that stuff is probably part of the reason why I have a collection of 7 broken dipnets in my garage.) 

Haha, thanks for the info, sounds good.

[taldridge0321]

Haha, thanks for the info, sounds good.

 

I don't own a dipnet, can you recommend one for me? Size, brand etc.

[MtFallsTodd]

Look up The Perfect Dipnet. Can't go wrong getting one, best net I have ever owned.

[Dustin]

Look up The Perfect Dipnet. Can't go wrong getting one, best net I have ever owned.

What he said.  jonahsaquarium.com

[Matt DeLaVega]

I have one as well. Been alive since 2006.

[gzeiger]

Another vote for Jonah's. I use my nets roughly, scooping sticks and rocks and weeds and broken bottles and whatever, and used to buy a $25 net about every 3 months. I bought a Perfect Dipnet in 2008 and it is still in perfect condition, and it has been the only net I use for that entire period. The external monorail is a fantastic innovation that really does protect the net from harsh use. If you're really hard-core it's even customizable with different colors and bag depths, and a modular handle that can be made longer or shorter on the spot by adding telescoping segments. They seem a little pricey compared to other nets on the market, but mine paid for itself 8 years ago and I figure I'm now up at least $800 on the deal compared to buying cheapo nets and breaking them all the time.

[Moontanman]

I will take the other approach and assume you want to try and catch them hook and line?

 

I have only ever caught two and they are very frustrating and time consuming to catch. You basically have to wade through their habitat and slowly flip over rocks, branches, old tires, etc until you see one. Nine times out of ten, they will take off and you will lose track of them. If you can follow one or if one doesn't move, then you have to lower the bait right in front of its face. If you are lucky it will bite the bait. If you are unlucky you will hit it in the face and scare it off. 

 

I am not sure if this applies to all madtoms, but the ones I have caught have been in very fast flowing water. You will need split shots to be able to control where you place the bait. It is still going to be very frustrating and not very much fun. However, they are very awesome fish.

 

Disclaimer: All my madtom fishing skills I learned from Ben Cantrell.

 

 

 

What madtom is this? 

[Matt DeLaVega]

Do you have brindleds there? Did you catch it in riffles or slow water in debris or cover? I don't have an answer, just trying to prospect.