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| Got a lake that I fish that is full of them. I am not sure just how big they get but I am wondering if Muskies will use them as a primary forage source.
Do shiners suspend most of the time?
Anybody key on schools of shiners?
Any info appreciated,
Jono
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| Nobody has any thoughts on this?
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| They reach a size comparable to a shad and go down easy, why not? Tye Senette, I believe, put forth the proposition that they were utilized in the Chippewa Flowage ecosystem.
Not having the article quoting him, nor ever hearing him speak about this(or anything else for that matter) I am not sure what his chain of logic was on this, did remember not being in agreement with what I read at the time.
I have fished for them(golden shiners) in the past and note that they grow to 9-11 inches, school up quite heavily at times, they suspend, they will feed right on the surface and they can be chummed. They can also be gotten with a cast net. They like warm water and on a summers evening that's still, if the population is heavy, you should be able to pick them out in schools on the surface, they will look like a slight riffle but as you observe you will note they are irregular in their motion.
Wind will locate the shiners due to their feeding habits and they will hold and feed into the current. If you get good at this you will be able to pick them out even in a chop. When you can do that you will earn your golden shiner merit badge. [:bigsmile:]
An excellent match profile wise and color wise to me would be the Rapala super shad in their gold shiner color. You should be able to tell whether or not the game fish are utilizing the shiners by observing the water for flushing, ie when the school breaks water due to disturbance caused by predator activity. This should be noted if the population is heavy since largemouth from about 13 inches up, and anything else, is willing to eat them. Er, what lake was that?
[:)] |
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| Jono,in one of the systems I fish with goldens the bite that is key for the muskies is to early(before season)as they spawn in early spring!Its a huge draw for walleyes/pike/catfish/ski`s which we catch all on cranks,but by the time season opens this bite is gone and seems to not be a prime food source for us to target later in the season.We do get some HUGE wallies though!(release to the grease type)The best minnow type bite we found is the fall emerald shiner bite and that`s a whole different animal!It`s not much,but how I see it! Jeff |
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| Juno- I would bet the Ski's are feasting on them. Trout love golden shiners also. Here's some info links. Probably more than you need but what the heck.
http://www.dnr.cornell.edu/Sarep/fish/Cyprinidae/goldenshiner.html
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/fishing/aquanotes/gshiner.html
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_FA038
http://globalflyfisher.com/streamers/fish/goldenshiner/
http://www.insidesportfishing.com/Encyclopedia/Articles/2202.asp
http://www.nativefish.org/Articles/Bof_gos.htm
http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/nature/fish/notemigonus.html
Al[:bigsmile:]
www.icantplayfindmyfoot.com |
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| I have seen them key in on Golden Shinner Slammers many many times....[:bigsmile:] |
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| Thanks for the info guys. I appreciate it.
Jono
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| I have read that golden shiners are the key forage in many lakes where they inhabit and yes they do suspend over deep water. |
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| My lake is stocked with Tiger Muskies (No naturals). Golden Shiners ARE the primary forage base (along with bream and Bass) in my lake. There are no shad present. Small, 5-7" silver-colored minnow type lures work very well in the lake. I have also used large (8-10") perch-colored lures in the lake (there are no perch either) and have found that the larger lures work well during the summer and fall. Sometimes I wonder if the Tigers (imported from Pa. hatcheries originally) have a built-in "memory" to eat perch. Anyway, this brings up the question, what will the Tigers eat? Since they are at the top of the food chain, the answer is: Anything they want!!!!!
I do target them based on the golden shiner movement and look for "dimples" on top of the water (sometimes over water as deep as 60'). Casting or trolling under the schools can result in a nice fish. Occasionally, we will see Tigers just sitting in the top of the water, apparently waiting for the forage. I have (on occasion) been successful catching them casting or trolling for them in this situation. Interesting, I've found that that the Silver Super Shad Rap (as I mentioned earlier, there are no Shad in the lake) to be very good in this situation.
I have not been fishing for Tigers very long (this is my 7th year after fishing for Bass since the late 60s) and I'm starting to realize that smaller, minnow baits in flashy colors are the lures to use for them especially in the spring, but that the typical large Musky lures will also work at times.
Note: Golden Shiners typically are not gold-colored at all, but rather silver while they are smaller. As they grow, they then pick up the golden tint they are known for. [:praise:] |
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