Any help ID'ing a fish?

[nsnutter]

Hey all, caught this little guy while baitfishing the other day. Wasn't sure what it was, so I threw it back, not wanting to use unidentified bait. Had a mouth kind of like a sucker or carp ... and ideas?

Thanks,

Nick

[flyfisher03]

looks like a small creek chub.

[DTro]

Sure looks like a creek chub to me. Especially the "spawning horns" on its head.

[ec30_06]

Some kind of sucker. I have been getting them in my traps lately. They work good for cut bait

[DTro]

Throughout most of the year creek chubs appear black or bluish above and silvery below, though during the spring spawning season male creek chubs take on a bright, rosy color and develop at least four large tubercles on each side of their heads. These breeding tubercles are the basis for one of the common names for the creek chub, "horned dace." Creek chubs also have a single, small barbel in the corner of each jaw that is sometimes hidden between the maxillary and premaxillary bones. Adult fish are most easily identified by a prominent dark spot at the base of the dorsal fin. The male creek chub builds and carefully guards a mound of small stones in which the eggs are deposited.

[nsnutter]

Thanks guys, at first that's what I thought I had, but I had never seen one in that color phase before. And I agree, they make excellent cutbait. The weird thing about this guy is that his spawning 'horns' appeared to go all the way down his body, he had an incredibly rough texture about his whole body. Very strange. Thanks again!

[Mudcatman]

I would say this fish is a Central Stoneroller.

Check this comparison pic out...

[NoWiser]

I don't think that is a creek chub. Eyes look like a different color and mouth doesn't look right. Just doesn't look like one to me, but I could be wrong....

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

Seeing it in person its a def creek chub

[nsnutter]

Kevin I didn't take that one out fishing, threw it back because I didn't want to use unidentified bait ... I think that stoneroller looks pretty similar. It did have red eyes, and the mouth shape was a little different than most of the chub I have been catching... idk though lol I don't claim to be an expert on minnow identification

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

Ahh I that that was the one you were showing me. I know the one I was looking at was a chub and had te horns.

[nsnutter]

No sir lol I think I just pulled a male chub out to show you the spawning horns. The fish I'm questioning was probably 3-4" and most of the chub I was bringing out were in the neighborhood of 7 inches or so

[troutned]

With the subterminal mouth and dark banding on the dorsal fin, I have to agree with Mudcatman. The stoneroller also has the "horns".

[fiddleFish]

This is definitely a stoneroller. They feed on aufwuchs (the "scum" that grows on rocks) and have a specially adapted chisel-like scraper on their lower jaw that serves them well. Because they are so specialized in their feeding, they are rarely caught by hook and line. I've been trying unsuccessfully to add one to my lifelist for a long time.

There are two species of stonerollers in MN, the central and the largescale. This one is the more common central species.

Mudcatman knows his fish. Good call. Congrats on the unusual catch, nsutter.

[StillwaterAaron]

Fiddlefish and Mudcrapman both know their stuff when it comes to ID.

Fiddle thanks for explaining their feeding habits too! Makes sense why it was a snagged fish and not fair caught. AH the microfishing is so cool.

[DTro]

I'll be darned, I think I've caught a stoneroller down there too. I always though they were off color chubs.

Hey Nick, there are logperch at that spot too. I caught a bunch last year.

It's cool having such knowledgeable folks here!

[nsnutter]

I couldn't agree more Darren ... where else could one go with a few cell phone pictures of an unknown minnow (?) and get several knowledgeable responses! Thanks for all your help guys, cool to know that I hooked into a somewhat rare fish! Darren, quite honestly the diversity of species down there baffles me ... and the size of some of those fish too! What a great place to take a youngster or someone inexperienced with fishing and have them hook into the fish of their lifetime!

[StillwaterAaron]

I couldn't agree more Darren ... where else could one go with a few cell phone pictures of an unknown minnow (?) and get several knowledgeable responses!

Would you like me to list them