Was the taillight shiner from the canal around Lake Waccamaw? That's the only spot in NC I've ever seen them (about 10+ yrs ago). The other spot was in Bennettsville SC, more like 20 yrs ago. They seem to be quite delicate and get stressed easily.
It was in the lake actually, around the shoreline in brush. It was closer to the end where the state park is in a friend's backyard.