Finding Male Rainbows?

Through about mid June, I was able to find about a 50/50 mix of male to female rainbow darters. Due to the spawn color, they were of course pretty obvious. Now(that I have a darter tank ready to go!), I can only seem to find females. I suppose it's possible that the males around here just go so drab as to be indistinguishable..but should they not still have at least some red or blue? About the only thing I can see that "may" indicate I have some males, is that a few of the ones I catch still have the orange (ish..pretty dull), throat. Others have a white or grey throat.
Anyway, I guess I'm asking if Males in fall prefer a different water type/area then females...or are they just really hard to tell apart?

Anyway, I guess I'm asking if Males in fall prefer a different water type/area then females...or are they just really hard to tell apart?

It's real simple. Breeding season is over. Why then would they want to hang around with the bitches?

Within the next three to four weeks (at this latitude) the water should cool down and most darters colors will brighten up again, allowing you to more easily distinguish males from females.

Good point Irate...
Along that vein...do they actually move to or prefer different areas? Right now, I am catching them both in riffle areas, and slower, slightly deeper(2 feet or so) boulder fields.
Teleost...in the meantime, IS there a reliable way to sex them prior to them coloring up again? Being as I am one of those rare and vanishing hunters..I'll be pretty busy by the time the water cools down!

The best advice I can give is to regularly sample an area or areas that have them shortly after spawn. You will see their colors fade and be able to see the subtleties of the sexes. Until then....I would advise erecting the dorsal and anal fins and really looking closely for color differences. Sorry I can't help further, perhaps someone else can share some thoughts on this.

The best advice I can give is to regularly sample an area or areas that have them shortly after spawn. You will see their colors fade and be able to see the subtleties of the sexes. Until then....I would advise erecting the dorsal and anal fins and really looking closely for color differences. Sorry I can't help further, perhaps someone else can share some thoughts on this.

Thanks!
Right now, I have 6 rainbows...a couple are obviously female, as they are very bland..but the rest could be either. I suppose I can just hope that the percentages panned out. I do know a different stream that had VERY vivid fish this spring..so I may try there and see if there is anything obvious. I guess I just thought that even in summer, the males would maintain some brighter color then the females. If not, then the chances are I have some anyway I guess. OR I could just break down and purchase some..but that would take the fun out of it!

The best advice I can give is to regularly sample an area or areas that have them shortly after spawn. You will see their colors fade and be able to see the subtleties of the sexes. Until then....I would advise erecting the dorsal and anal fins and really looking closely for color differences. Sorry I can't help further, perhaps someone else can share some thoughts on this.

I live in Chicago and would really love to get some darters for my tank. Via trade, purchase or helping to collect, I noticed that Teleost is in North Eastern Illinois. Would you be willing to help?

I live in Chicago and would really love to get some darters for my tank. Via trade, purchase or helping to collect, I noticed that Teleost is in North Eastern Illinois. Would you be willing to help?

I really need to get my butt in gear and organize a regional trip to Indiana so the Illinois guys can get some darters. I think I'll contact some of the Indiana membership and get something together for early November.

In the mean time, keep your eyes on the Midwest section for trips. http://forum.nanfa.o...p?showforum=136

If you're willing to purchase I might also look for a good deal on Aquabid http://www.aquabid.com/. The fall darter season is just getting started.

The fall darter season is just getting started.

Teleost, I apologize if this is a stupid question..but is there a season for collecting them, or is it more of a weather/coloration thing? I really do think now that I have a couple of males...some of them have dull(but visible) blue bars, and bright orange throats, whereas the others a a uniform tan/brown/greay with white or grey throats.
I also now realize I have a second species entirely but cannot ID it yet! I think it's a very large jonny..it's nearly 4" long, but is not colored like a log perch(nor is the head the right shape, at least quite). I'll try to get some pics of all of them and get some opinions as to sex/species in the next day or so.

As far as "season" it's a bit complicated..... For one, darters color up again in the fall allowing you to sex more easily. This might be a Yankee thing so take this info from a Yankee perspective. The other side of the coin is temperature and shipping. Cool temps allow for reliable deliveries. If you'll notice, Aquabid has 5 times the amount of fish for sale in the native section as it did two months ago. Many who collect in mid summer know it can be hard to keep fish healthy even if you're able to transport them home safely. I can't quite explain it, but many seem to suffer a wide range of issues if collected in the summer and avoid doing so.

Sounds like you do have both sexes of rainbows. Every now and then you'll come across large fish. So large, you almost can't believe they're the species they are. Just last week while sampling with David, we saw a P. nigrofacialata that we could have filleted and just yesterday I found a P. sciera the same. You might have a large nigrum.

It's real simple. Breeding season is over. Why then would they want to hang around with the bitches?

God, they're almost human!!!

Ok..gave up trying to figure out which were which in the stream I sampled for the first post. Went back tonight, and they still all look very similar. It may be due to this stream being a lake outlet, with a current water temp of 74 degrees.
So....
I then tried the small, nameless stream that I sampled this spring( http://forum.nanfa.o...?showtopic=1856 )..and wow, what a difference! No pics(it was nearly 7 pm by the time I got there, so only had a half hour or so of light at best to use), but I got 5 just brilliantly colored males and one female that was a really nice nearly pumpkin color overall.
The fish looked JUST like spring spawning color, although they are definitely darker in overall shading. The water temp by the was was 56 degrees. I have the fish in a bucket with aeration, and am allowing a slow acclimation to room temp. Right now, the temp is up to 65, and the fish are doing fine..even ate a couple of black worms I tossed in a few minutes ago just to see what the reaction would be. Hopefully by tomorrow evening, they will be ready to transfer to the main tank(with a brief visit to a salt bath along the way). I hope to have "about" an even mix of sexes now.
(edited to fix speeeeling errors, and to note that the water temp is 65, not 68..not that it's I suppose a big deal).