Thanks. Since you are peeling the skin after smoking, do you still scale the suckers?

I stoped skinning catfish, when I grill them. Leaving the skin on catfish during grilling works well. I do score the thicker parts with a knife.

Keith

Scored and deep fried.
Fresh never frozen is best.

This is my favorite.

I also pickle them.

smoked and can, just like 160,

They taste OK smoked, but I don't like them because of the fine bones.

This is why I canned them after! Seems to intensify the smoke too

Any of you southern guys got a pic of this?

Chunks or whole fish or what? Scaled, score and fry? Then just pick it apart and eat?

As far as suckers, used to hit em hard as a kid. We'd smoke them, grind them and do sucker patties or pickle them like lake trout or pike.

I haven't purposely fished for suckers in a long time.

Tried it one time as a kid.Tasted like mud to me.

canned

I am from north MO, so more of a fried carp / buffalo guy. Gigging suckers is a MO Ozarks thing, as they have shallow, clear running water. Gigging done at night, using tricked out boats under lights.

This video pretty much sums it all up, including a fish fry on a gravel bar towards the end. Same guy has other videos that covers each part, including how to clean and score them.

Pickled suckers are great! Pickled with onions in brine, they are close to herring. Eat them on crackers is some good stuff. Used to make them by the gallon, take em into work and the old timers would have them gone in an hour! Lol! No need to de bone as bones turn soft after a couple weeks in brine.

As I was pulling beaver traps on one of our local rivers this morning, I saw a property owner with a nice dip net setup(fire ring with plenty of wood, chairs, party lights, etc) at the bottom of the high bank below his house. First one I’ve heard of on a local river.

Agreed. I've never seen one locally.

River or creek? I've seen a few spots on the Salt and up some of the bigger creeks/ditches up near Mills and off Wixom that a dip net would be advantageous. Saw quite a few fish traps made out out pig fence and chicken wire on those ditches.

same here

On a river. Ya, fish trap making was a thing when I was a kid but old Carl Herman the CO would check the traps looking for pike. Never a good thing!
Say “Hi” to your dad for me if you would!

Will do!

When fishing for Trout this time of year in the Lake Michigan Tributaries you can't but catch tons of suckers. They run about 12-16", some larger.
I have quit fishing to the abundance of these things makes catching trout almost impossible.

Quite a few dip nets on the Rifle River downstream from Omer bridge.

Ya, dip nets up at Omer is a historic thing but it certainly isn’t something often seen on Midland Co rivers. I’ve lived here for 78 years and have never seen a dip net on the County’s rivers until this year, especially a Super Fund river!!!