Well I have never been to the Mukwanago river even though its only 30 minutes away. I was hoping to see some "threatened" northern longears. It is supposed ot be a great spot for them, and they are protected in Wisconsin, so I would really like to net some to see them. It is a nice relief to see signs posted everywhere of what the fish looks like and letting people know they are threatened. I also wanted to find some orangespotted sunfish, and banded darters. Well, I didn't see/catch ANYTHING i really wanted, but I did get some nice darter collecting in... catching only fantails. My wife was my photographer, and she loves amphibians, which we caught some bullfrogs, and an unknown mudpuppy/sieren? Well here are the pictures:
Sunfish (no clue on ID)
[attachment=10542:RSCN4640.JPG]
bullfrog
[attachment=10543:RSCN4639.JPG]
rockbass
[attachment=10544:RSCN4633.JPG
Seiren/Mudpuppy?
[attachment=10545:RSCN4634.JPG]
[attachment=10546:RSCN4635.JPG]
Then the darters
[attachment=10547:RSCN4636.JPG]
[attachment=10548:RSCN4637.JPG]

I did want to mention I saw an extremely dark darter with 85% of his body being blue in some larger rocks by shore, and I couldn't then find him again after he darted into hiding

man that fantail looks completely different than the one i catch in NY. i cant see the mouth good. that looks like a striped darter...although you dont have those in WI.

Edited by bumpylemon, 22 May 2010 - 04:38 PM.

your 1st fish is a bluegill by the looks of it (unless its a hybrid , although i dont see anything that hints at it )

man that fantail looks completely different than the one i catch in NY. i cant see the mouth good. that looks like a striped darter...although you dont have those in WI.

The mouth is upturned, similar to bass and green sunfish and is quite a bit bigger (the mouth that is) than my johnny darters. I am 99% sure on the ID based on Brian T's pictures of his Fantails.

I am definately going back there tomorrow afternoon, as there are banded, rainbow, along with several other species of darters just 50 yards down stream from where I was (I was above a little dam and as we were leaving i noticed the stream got really shallow with some nice rocks for flipping.)

Does anyone have any tips on how to get your net deepenough into the rocks so the darts don't just swim under it?

Both darters are fantails.

Both darters are fantails.

is the bottom one a female?

You be right, the fish is a female.

where on the river were you, if you don't mind me asking.