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Edited by shastacola, 06 April 2009 - 10:49 AM.
Darter, Redfin I think?
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Guest_shastacola_*
, Apr 06 2009 10:49 AM
3 replies to this topic
#1
Guest_shastacola_*
Guest_shastacola_*
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Posted 06 April 2009 - 10:49 AM
My husband and I caught this lil guy in the Lil Missouri River over the weekend. Never seen a darter before. We think they are wonderful! I googled and was overwhelmed by how many different kinds there are. We really want to collect more, but we are not real sure about the rules on collecting fish. Do we need a fishing license to catch them? Can I get arrested for taking them home?? I promise we'll take good care of them.
#2
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 06 April 2009 - 11:37 AM
My husband and I caught this lil guy in the Lil Missouri River over the weekend. Never seen a darter before. We think they are wonderful! I googled and was overwhelmed by how many different kinds there are. We really want to collect more, but we are not real sure about the rules on collecting fish. Do we need a fishing license to catch them? Can I get arrested for taking them home?? I promise we'll take good care of them.
Rules vary from state to state, but to start with, you should look at your fishing regulations. Many times darters are simply lumped in with "all other fish" or "bait" (as compared to the "sport" fish that most people are interested in)... if this case, then you may be allowed to collect them with a fishing license (this is the case here on Georgia for example).
The next thing to do is learn to identify your fish in the field. Becasue the other issue that you can run into is protected ro endagered species. Once you can identify what you have and know that it is not endagered, then you can fall back to the paragraph above.
It may seem like a lot to ask at first, but it is not that bad (and actually very interesting once you get started), and well worth the experience of being able to get out in nature, observe a few fish (that most people overlook), and even take a few home for captive care.
Welcome to native fish!
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#3
Guest_CATfishTONY_*
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#4
Guest_JohnO_*
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Posted 17 April 2009 - 09:45 AM
Darters are neat. They don't tend to get very large, are reasonably well behaved for the most part, and have delightfully curious personalities. That's a pretty one you found, and this is the time of year when they develop breeding colors.
It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with what is in your area if you want to find more, so you don't get anything that's endangered. Study all the darters that are listed in your area, they can be a bit difficult to ID. A lot of subtle variation, and a lot of species look similar to other species.
For the most part, you find them in shallow water in smaller streams. Look for rocky bottoms, they like to hide under rocks.
And watch out, darter finding gets a bit addictive. I can't pass a small stream here in KY without wanting to run over with the dip net and see what I can find.
It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with what is in your area if you want to find more, so you don't get anything that's endangered. Study all the darters that are listed in your area, they can be a bit difficult to ID. A lot of subtle variation, and a lot of species look similar to other species.
For the most part, you find them in shallow water in smaller streams. Look for rocky bottoms, they like to hide under rocks.
And watch out, darter finding gets a bit addictive. I can't pass a small stream here in KY without wanting to run over with the dip net and see what I can find.
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