Suckers as bait

[LukeMelchior]

Does anyone know the best way to use suckers as bait and for what types of fish

[bbkyle35]

Bigger suckers (3-7in.) are my favorite for walleye. We thread our minnows, and at the end of the day you can take them off throw them in the bucket and use them again the next weekend. I've caught walleye, perch, trout, catfish, ling, pretty much everything on them. Granted small minnows like fatheads would work better for perch. I've even caught crappie on smaller suckers I seined out of the local river.

[fishwhisperer307]

if you catch any good 10"+  size suckers you can use them as cut bait and just cut a small section off and thread a circle hook through the skin for almost any kind of trout and surprisingly works great for grayling as well.

[LukeMelchior]

I was more intristed in the cut bait seeing as i only have access to bigger ones. 12" +. Will walleye hit cut bait as well?

[fishwhisperer307]

I dont see why not but you would have better luck with something that has movement to it for walleye.

[LukeMelchior]

I dont see why not but you would have better luck with something that has movement to it for walleye.

I was thinking about tipping a rapalla wilth a little sucker

[bbkyle35]

If you put a strip on a jig, it would probably work just as good as a jig and minnow.

[jasonfishn]

Lakers like the sucker meat on jigs cut it like steaks and leave the belly meat loose like a skirt I think the action draws them in. and big live ones work very well on northern pike rigged up on a yipup and quick strike rig

[LukeMelchior]

how big of a live one will they hit?

[OUTHNTN]

If you don't mind a MT boy chiming in....  We regularly fish live 6-16" suckers on tipups, thread 'em and get walleye, pike and lakers on Ft Peck.  Usually the pike hit the 12-16"ers, and we regularly get 24" and bigger walleye on the 6-12" suckers.  The lakers have been caught on the 12-16" suckers but they seem to prefer the 6-10" baits.  Craziest thing I ever saw using a 12" sucker was a 12" perch mouth hooked on the treble threaded in behind the suckers head!  Either one hungry perch or its eyes were bigger than its stomach   Can't imagine what it was thinking?!  Good fishin'-OH

[eyesntightlines]

Happy New Year!

[jasonfishn]

I can tell you OH is not storyn when he says them fish in peck like to eat lol I been fishn there for quite a few years now and the bigger the minnow the more fish you get we use 2 big shinners at a time them big walley really like that but them northerns like one big sucker or shiner lakers like em 4-6 inch the best seems like 

[jpearce1fly]

The best method we have found over years and years of using suckers is to cut small triangular pieces that are anywhere from an inch to two inches long.  Then when baiting a hook bait the long side of the triangle which makes the action great and works extremely well with catching fish.

[wyotester]

find a lake with big macks that lets you use live bait and us the big suckers live

[foulhooker]

I love the 6 to 10 inch ones as deadbait for macks. The 3 or 4 inchers we trap also work well used whole on jigs. Way more durable than shiners.