White Perch

[mt.redneck]

I thought I would chime in because the description is very similar to the utah chub that have been showing up lately. Some of my spots at Ennis lake are inundated with them now. Supposedly they aren't supposed to be anywhere near Fort Peck yet but only a matter of time. I didn't know what to think when I started catching these but the description is quite similar.

Utah chubs don't have heavily spined dorsal fins though, I have caught a lot of them in Hebgan when I was little.

[pike_fisherman]

Still going with white bass especially seeing how he said the spins were "heavy."

[NateZ]

I think you guys are probably right on the white bass as the Utah chub fit the description other than the heavily spines dorsal. I am curios though how far they have made it going down the Missouri. I'm certain they are a competitor for food with trout as I can hardly keep them off my line while trout fishing in certain places. I've been looking through FWP fish surveys and it is alarming how many chub are picked up compared to any other species.

[mt.redneck]

it's weird though as I haven't caught a Utah chub in quite some time at hebgan lol

[bndhunter]

Jay, the one I caught didn't have any dark lines either horizontal lie the white bass or vertical like the perch in your pic. Like most of the responses on here I am leaning towards it being a white bass but I would have thought that the darker horizontal lines should have been present. It definitely was not a drum the mouth was totally different than what a drum has. When I first caught it the FWP pamphlet was the first place I looked but nothing there matched what I caught. As I said earlier, unfortunately without a pic I will more than likely never really be able to find out what it was. Maybe on my next trip I will be able to catch another one and get a few good pics. Thanks for all the responses.

[ciscokid]

Have you considered calling FWP in Glasgow and describing the fish to one of the fisheries biologists? I'm sure they would be interested and may even have some info for you. There number is 228-3700.

[Baconator]

Ciscokid gave me an idea, was it a Cisco? There's plenty in there, we found a few 12"+ inside northerns we filleted there last winter.

[mt.redneck]

Ciscokid gave me an idea, was it a Cisco? There's plenty in there, we found a few 12"+ inside northerns we filleted there last winter.

cisco's don't have heavy spines on the dorsal fin like this guy said it had.

[ClearCreek]

Cisco also have an adipose fin.  Did the fish have an adipose fin?

ClearCreek

[Baconator]

True enough.

[bndhunter]

Cisco is a salmanoid if I remember right and it definitely was not of that family.