Catching Sculpin

Sculpin are very hearty fish. I work at a water treatment plant and they can be found, alive, in the ozone contacter basins. I don't need to tell anyone how powerful ozone is.

Fish come into the inlet screens alive sometimes. I have seen Sculpin that were as healthy as can be sitting on a pile of moss. I grab them and put them into a bucket of aqueduct water. They look good. Then ten seconds later they die. Sometimes I'll have 4-5 of them. Three will die and two are completely healthy and strong.

Sometimes when I get home half will have died, the other half are completely healthy. I don't think it is thermal shock as the aueduct water in my bucket is nearly the same temperature as the wash water they are coming out of. I don't think it is dissolved oxygen because some are fine (including an occasional Bluegill) and some are deader than a doornail.

Any idea why some drop dead so quickly after I catch them?

Just a thought... is the water in the bucket the same water as where you found them, or is the bucket water drawn from somewhere else? Could be some form of chemical shock, not temp shock. I've found sculpins to be fairly tough, though not particularly desirable tank fish. Rather dour personality, picky eaters, and they'll eat anything that will fit into their rather large mouth.

What surprises me about sculpins is their migratory habits. Those rascals can get into just about any sort of stream. I have a fairly decent size spring on my farm (5-10k gal/hr, depending on time of year), that feeds a small stream for about 50 yards, then a 2 foot tall waterfall, and into the main creek. While the main creek has a healthy darter population, only sculpins can be found in the spring stream. Big, fat ones, too, feeding on the little shrimplike critters in the stream. How the devil did they get up that waterfall? Also, while down in Red River Gorge last weekend, I sampled a tiny little stream that trickled down a ditch by a road. Just for the heck of it, let's see what's in here. Found... banded sculpins.

Just a thought... is the water in the bucket the same water as where you found them, or is the bucket water drawn from somewhere else? Could be some form of chemical shock, not temp shock. I've found sculpins to be fairly tough, though not particularly desirable tank fish. Rather dour personality, picky eaters, and they'll eat anything that will fit into their rather large mouth.

What surprises me about sculpins is their migratory habits. Those rascals can get into just about any sort of stream. I have a fairly decent size spring on my farm (5-10k gal/hr, depending on time of year), that feeds a small stream for about 50 yards, then a 2 foot tall waterfall, and into the main creek. While the main creek has a healthy darter population, only sculpins can be found in the spring stream. Big, fat ones, too, feeding on the little shrimplike critters in the stream. How the devil did they get up that waterfall? Also, while down in Red River Gorge last weekend, I sampled a tiny little stream that trickled down a ditch by a road. Just for the heck of it, let's see what's in here. Found... banded sculpins.

I LOVE The Gorge! I go there frequently (mostly to hike and explore). Where have you had luck in sampling there? I usually sample at John Swift's. I've caught Frecklebelly Darters, Mottled Sculpins, Variegate Darters, and Brindled Madtoms, and I believe a couple of Silversides. Do the ranges of Mottled and Banded Sculpins intermingle there?
-Thom

P.S. We'll have to share some "secret" trail info....

Just a thought... is the water in the bucket the same water as where you found them, or is the bucket water drawn from somewhere else? Could be some form of chemical shock, not temp shock. I've found sculpins to be fairly tough, though not particularly desirable tank fish. Rather dour personality, picky eaters, and they'll eat anything that will fit into their rather large mouth.

The water I'm putting them in is untreated aqueduct water, the same water they rode in with. Absolutely no Chlorine and I try to keep the temperature close to what the wash water is they are found in.

Puzzling thing is, some die rather quickly, others live for hours in the same bucket and are quick as lightning when I get them home and try to catch them.

Yes, they may not be the most exciting fish in the tank but they have some interesting habits and are a bit on the unusual side I think. I kind of like them.

I LOVE The Gorge! I go there frequently (mostly to hike and explore). Where have you had luck in sampling there? I usually sample at John Swift's. I've caught Frecklebelly Darters, Mottled Sculpins, Variegate Darters, and Brindled Madtoms, and I believe a couple of Silversides. Do the ranges of Mottled and Banded Sculpins intermingle there?
-Thom

P.S. We'll have to share some "secret" trail info....

Hm - where did you find the frecklebellies? I've only sampled the N and S forks of the Red River so far. Got a huge (4") variegate in full colors, plus three smaller ones, out of the S fork, and last weekend got three banded darters in the N fork. One of them was gorgeous, the stripes were emerald and bright. Looks like I'm headed back there this weekend with my girls, they want to try their hand. Figured that I'd push further east and south this time, might also check out the streams in natural bridge park. Saw some juvenile suckers in the N fork too, but couldn't catch them - darn things are quick. They weren't northern hogsuckers, markings on the back were different. Caught some form of shiner, all silver, not particularly colorful, so I didn't keep it.

I only found banded sculpin in the gorge in that one little stream, wasn't really looking for them, got bags of them in my own creek.

Used to rock climb down there a few years ago. Motherlode, Military Wall, Fortress Wall, Pebble Beach, Sky Bridge, and others. Sort of lost interest, but I can probably still pull a 5.8 without too much trouble.

Guys, please keep this on topic, and please discuss your frecklebelly sites via PM.

Thanks Skipjack.

Like I said, I'm just trying to figure out why and otherwise healthy fish dies after a few seconds while others easily survive.

No temperature shock issues I think, raw, river water.

Good to see you joined up here...you wont be disappointed.

Sculpin are very hearty fish. I work at a water treatment plant and they can be found, alive, in the ozone contacter basins. I don't need to tell anyone how powerful ozone is.

Fish come into the inlet screens alive sometimes. I have seen Sculpin that were as healthy as can be sitting on a pile of moss. I grab them and put them into a bucket of aqueduct water. They look good. Then ten seconds later they die. Sometimes I'll have 4-5 of them. Three will die and two are completely healthy and strong.

Sometimes when I get home half will have died, the other half are completely healthy. I don't think it is thermal shock as the aueduct water in my bucket is nearly the same temperature as the wash water they are coming out of. I don't think it is dissolved oxygen because some are fine (including an occasional Bluegill) and some are deader than a doornail.

Any idea why some drop dead so quickly after I catch them?

Could be stress. Try adding a little aquarium salt to the water in the bucket.
-Thom
P.S. I'm sorry about the thread derailment.

Edited by truf, 22 August 2008 - 01:07 AM.

Strangest thing, it happened again today.

I walk up to the inlet and see a pile of green moss/algae and a good sized Sculpin wiggling around on top of it all.
I grab some aqueduct water and toss him in. It swims around briskly and parks on the bottom. I continue looking for fish and when I look in a minute later, he's floating upside down on the bottom.

You'd think they were frail as anything, but I have 7 in my tanks right now, and my Bluegill don't mess with them.

I'll ask a few more questions of the biologist at my work.

That's a real puzzle, I've found sculpins nigh on impossible to kill. Very tough.

If they die shortly after you put them in a bucket, that sounds a lot like shock from a change in water conditions. Is the water you put them in from exactly where you got them, or from a slightly different location? Perhaps they've become accustomed to the high ozone content, and can't take the change. I was thinking that if you're getting them from a water treatment plant, you probably have some drastic changes in water condition as the water moves through the plant.

When I'm out collecting, I bring several buckets, and always put the fish into water from the same pool or riffle that I find them, just to be on the safe side. Transferring to the main tank, I slowly introduce water from the tank into the plastic bag that the fish are in. Come time to finally release them, I pick the fish out of the bag, not transferring any of the water from the collection site into the tank. All of the water in my main 75 gal came out of the spring fed creek on my farm, crystal clear.

OK, this may be a stupid question, and don't be offended, but...
What kind of bucket are you using? Any chance a chemical residue from the bucket's original contents is having the effect?
I work in water treatment myself and know there's always buckets from caustic, cleaners, polymer etc laying around.

Try transporting them in large fish bags in about 1/2" of water. I used to have a hard time transporting fish that requiring flowing water or lots of oxygen until an acquaintance recommended I try using fish bags and less water. I'm not sure but I think it has something to do with surface area versus the volume of water in the container.

For the record, the sculpin I collected when I used to collect in upstate New York survived just fine using the method of transport I suggested above.

I have caught plenty of sculpin's here in Ooltewah/Collegedale Tennessee ( near Chattanooga ) and surounding areas. And like somone else said on this topic I have found them nearly impossible to kill. Not that I am trying to kill them but I think you know what I mean. I can't even begin to know what the problem is with the ones you are catching. And like I said I have never ever had one die on me in transport. And when I go out sometimes it is hours before I actually get home with them and remove them from my collection containers which are just plain old white buckets.

Sorry I could not help but just thought I would share my experience with catching sculpins here in Tennessee. The only thing I can think of is residual something in your buckets like someone else said here. Try using a bucket from Lowes. I think they sell them for like five bucks. You can find some from grocery stores that make cakes. The iceing comes in the ones I have attained and all you have to do is wash them out a little.

Daniel

In reasonably well aerated water how warm/cold does the water have to be to support sculpins?

Strangest thing, it happened again today.

I walk up to the inlet and see a pile of green moss/algae and a good sized Sculpin wiggling around on top of it all.
I grab some aqueduct water and toss him in. It swims around briskly and parks on the bottom. I continue looking for fish and when I look in a minute later, he's floating upside down on the bottom.

You'd think they were frail as anything, but I have 7 in my tanks right now, and my Bluegill don't mess with them.

I'll ask a few more questions of the biologist at my work.

Do you also find dead ones on the screen? I'm wondering if they could be suffering internal injuries from being knocked about on their trip through the aqueduct. You might be picking up fish that outwardly appear healthy but are about to die of unseen injury. The ones that survive may have just been lucky and made it through relatively unscathed.
Is it just the sculpin that die right away after being put in the bucket? Sculpin would be bounced around on the bottom of the aqueduct once they tire of swimming, bluegill which I think you also mentioned catching there, could possibly use their swimbladders to stay off the bottom, and avoid being knocked around as much.
I don't know what the aqueduct is like so maybe this wouldn't be the reason. I'm picturing long stretches of pipes with fast flow.

Smilingfrog's explanation makes a lot of sense, especially when you take into consideration the fact that fish don't act sick or hurt if they can help it. Looking weak leads to being targeted by predators.