Went to a stream ive been to many times before while herping in the past. Didnt really have high hopes for a variety of fish due to the fact I thought it might be an intermittent stream. Last summer 08' I visited and it was virtually dried up (tho it was the only time ive seen it not flowing). Down stream from a small beaver damn I walked a quarter to a half mile or so and only came across two (I think) small pools. Up stream from the beaver damn I couldn't travel due to terrain, property rights, and poison ivy but it looked like there was some water but not flowing and stagnant (Due to this I figured madtoms and darters wouldn't inhabit this creek). I threw a couple lines in the pool behind the damn out of curiosity and went exploring down stream and was surprised as heck when i returned to find a bass on the line. I ended up pulling out another bass, a bluegill (I think), a channel cat, and a couple bullheads all out of this small stagnant pool in a half hour or so. Anyway fast forward to today this creek does have some nice riffles so I figured I would give it a try to see what I might turn up hoping darters or at least madtoms might survive here. As I was leaving the house I brought 4 minnow traps to set up down stream of the riffles I was flipping rocks in to see if that might catch some creatures I may miss. When I got there I saw the heavy rains for a couple days ago were still here. The creek was high and cloudy but figured I might still have some luck with the minnow traps. Anyway I set them up and started kicking down stream and checked the traps...nothing. O well I leave them there and look around some more up stream. Well I figured I would come back later when the water level falls but figured I would leave the traps at the site baited with milk bones . So I start pulling the traps out the current and the third on has a small fish in it, prolly a minnow or something I thought but still exciting. I opened it up to see a male orange throat darter It made my day. I am hooked

Here is a pic of the traps I left. After I left I realized when I return the traps will be clogged up. o well


Pool behind the beaver damn up stream

Down stream

My catch

The bait I left

His new home


Thanks for lookin, hopefully I will have a good post tomorrow.

Makes my want to go collecting. I think i will tommorow i know a spot with dozens of rainbow darters and fathead minnows by me

nice orange throat thats great that you were able to find what you were looking for, hopefully the traps will yield a greater catch tomorrow

Nice looking creek and fish. Congrats on the catch and now it's no longer the fish that are hooked.....but you.

Minnow trap got you a darter?

Yeah, that's pretty amazing! Nice job, jamez!

Brian

Yeah, that's pretty amazing! Nice job, jamez!
Brian

Thanks Brian, I was stoaked

Minnow trap got you a darter?

Yes it did

Nice looking creek and fish. Congrats on the catch and now it's no longer the fish that are hooked.....but you.

Thanks, and yes I am hooked, there goes my social life till winter lol.

nice orange throat thats great that you were able to find what you were looking for, hopefully the traps will yield a greater catch tomorrow

Thanks, I pulled the traps out yesterday, the catch wasnt quite what I was hopping for but was still interesting none the less. About 20 crawdads and 1 stonecat.

Makes my want to go collecting. I think i will tommorow i know a spot with dozens of rainbow darters and fathead minnows by me

Hope you have better luck than I did yesterday, ill be looking out for your post of the trip. Later

Edited by jamez, 05 September 2009 - 07:58 AM.

The creek yesterday (already high)

When I returned the next morning(Pic with the traps out)

I guessed it rained, so I had to take my boots off and get my feet wet to save the traps. I could only see three of them but ended up finding the fourth underwater. Anyway first trap yielded this....

Nothing o well second trap....


Either a stonecat or slender, I was thinking stonecat cause its size but am not sure. Anyway trap three....

Kind of neat but I was really hopping for fish...so on to last but not least four....

Gotta say it creeped me out a bit standing barefoot in the water when I pulled that out lol. I think I counted 16 in that one trap. So now I know where not to put the traps lol. Thanks for looking.

Nice!

Nice location and catch! Did you keep the stone cat? What's in your tank with the OT?
BTW - Unless you don't like beavers much, it's spelled dam...

Nice location and catch! Did you keep the stone cat? What's in your tank with the OT?
BTW - Unless you don't like beavers much, it's spelled dam...

Thanks, no I let the stonecat go, it was too big to be housed with the darter. I already had 3 stonecats from 1.5cm to 5cm, I now also have 3 more OT darters, 3 red shiners, and 3 bluntnose minnows all pulled for one different location.

PS thanks for the damn correction lol I seriously was thinking that was how it was spelled