spawning redhorse

While not my normal target species, some of the info I have come across online about this fish they call the redhorse has been almost too much to resist. The sucker runs of the spring can be pretty prolific as I have experienced while fishing the Lake Michigan tributaries in the early spring. Here I have caught more of these white suckers, while fishing steelhead, than I’d care to admit. With that being said, I still have never caught (or targeted) a redhorse.

wisconsin river redhorse

The redhorse makes their spawning runs up the rivers also in the spring. The magic water temperature seems to be in the mid forties and this could take place usually between the months of March and May depending on your region. While their primary purpose in the river is to spawn, often these fish can be coaxed to feed.

Real Life Applications-

It wasn’t until fishing the upper Wisconsin River that I actually came across the redhorse. Here pods of fish had almost taken over some of the more choice pools. To me, it was almost like watching the salmon runs of the fall. I watched the spawning pair of redhorse cutting a redd at the front of the pool while the rest of the group hung at the back. With a baitfish imitation already tied on I began to work the pod of fish. Slow and methodical wasn’t producing and it wasn’t until I burned my bait through the school at lightning speed that I got a strike. This wasn’t one of those I’m hungry and going to eat you strikes, this was a get the hell off my nest I’m going to kill you strikes. Either way, it produced in a big way.

on his way back to the orgy

Never underestimate the territorial instincts of fish on the spawn. Stay tuned for more of my adventures from the Northwoods.