Some kind of "minners"

While sampling today some guy asked me "Whatcha lookin fer?" I said "Native Fish" then he proceeded to tell me I never heard of native fish, have fun catchin' minners." after I was done he asked me if he could see what I caught, he said "those are sure some nice fishin minners, too small to eat, nice fer catching big mouths" SO, my question is, What kinda minners are these?

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I think this is a horney head chub.

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Any ideas? Caught in NE Ohio.

Creek chub and blacknose dace.

Hornyhead would have more uniformly sized scales, a spot at the head and tail (bi-guttat-us, or two spots), and coloration in the finnage. They also lack the black spot in the dorsal base.

Todd

Creek chub and blacknose dace.

Hornyhead would have more uniformly sized scales, a spot at the head and tail (bi-guttat-us, or two spots), and coloration in the finnage. They also lack the black spot in the dorsal base.

Todd

Hey, I'm new, at least I got it narrowed down to a chub.

I never heard of native fish, have fun catchin' minners."

I've learned to just tell them that right off the bat. We have to work up to terms like "native fishes".

Living in a particularly rural part of NY and having lots of rural type "folks" around here I get stuff like that often when collecting in high traffic areas. I typically tell them I'm just looking for bait just to shut them up and allow them to move on, I probably should try to educate them a bit but IME trying to educate the locals dosen't typically work well. I had a couple guys come up to me last year at a place called Sheldrake point on Cayuga lake (it's a place I go often, see my recent trip report) and they asked me what I had been catching. I told them sculpins and showed them the couple that were in my bucket. They then proceded to educate me, telling me that they were stonecats and made good trout bait. Now of course I was right and they were in no way, shape or form a stonecat (though I would love to find one around here) but I just smiled and nodded. They even asked me if I would sell them some of them but I declined, if they don't even know what it is I don't want them sticking hooks in it, though even if they did know I still would not have sold them.

I forgot to mention that I also caught the largest most colorful rainbow darter I have seen. He said not to fish with "the purty colored minner" seeing as it is his property and I have permission to sample there any time, i promised him i wont use it as bait. this thing is over 3"

Well god forbid you kill a pretty fish. Did you get a picture of it?

I kept it. Here's a photo.
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Nice looking specimen!

I now have representing Rainbows from 3 collection sites, this being the largest most colorful male.

wow, that sounds like a burgeoning sense of appreciation for what's in his creek, beyond its utility as bass bait.
he's got potential. invite him to come see pics of his fish and creek next time you do a native fish talk for your local fish club, library or wherever.

I forgot to mention that I also caught the largest most colorful rainbow darter I have seen. He said not to fish with "the purty colored minner" seeing as it is his property and I have permission to sample there any time, i promised him i wont use it as bait. this thing is over 3"