Range: Throughout Lakes and Rivers in Nova Scotias
Common caught Size: 1-2 lbs
Eating Size: N/A
Record: 8lb +
Bag Limit: 25 Posession
Season: Open season corresponds to other inland open seasons.

Appearance: Ranging from a Dark brown to a light redish hue, the White sucker gains its "white" name from its sides and under body which is generally white/creamy.

Its most recognizable physical train is its protruding lips that "vacuum" the bottom of the lake/river for food.

Primarily a bottom feeder, with aquatic insect larvae, small mollusks, crustaceans, and various terrestrial worms preferred. Will, however, take almost any food that is available.
With fleshy mouth aimed downward, they vacuum up worms, bugs and the eggs of other fish.

Suckers are important in that the young are available food for more desirable game fishes. Suckers can compete for food with game fish if large numbers of adults are harvested inadequately.

Spawning occurs in the spring, usually migrating from lakes into gravelly streams when stream temperatures reach 50 degrees F, but also spawn along lake margins. Spawning sites are usually in shallow water with a gravel bottom but they may even spawn in rapids. Two to four males often crowd one female. No nest is built, eggs are scattered, they adhere to the gravel or drift downstream and adhere to the substrate in quieter areas. Adults move off the spawning grounds to the lake within 10-14 days after spawning begins

This sucker prefers warmer shallow lakes or warm, shallow bays and tributaries of large lakes. Tremendous numbers are found in Northern Lake Michigan.

The fry (young) feed near the surface on plankton and other small invertebrates. Then the mouth moves from the terminal position to the ventral, there is a shift to bottom feeding. They predominately then feed on bethos (bottom dwelling invertebrates.

Fishing:

White suckers have a vast host of predators, largely because they are often one of the most abundant fish species in lakes and rivers. As such they are often a major step on the way up the aquatic food chain. Suckers are preyed upon by many predatory fishes: pike, bass, walleye and others. Young suckers are eaten by birds such as cormorants, loons, kingfishers and herons. Ospreys and bald eagles take their share of suckers, too. Adult suckers exposed during their spawning runs in small streams can be eaten by raccoons, bears, wolves or other large predators.

And finally, at the top of the food chain (as usual) are people. Dip netting for suckers during their spawning runs is a common practice in some areas. The flesh of suckers is said to be white, sweet and flaky (few have actually tryed it). Lots of small bones are a drawback, though. They're supposed to be really good canned or smoked. There isn't much of a commercial market for suckers, though they can be found in stores as "mullet" occasionally. A lot of the commercial catch likely goes to processing for animal feed.

You can catch suckers by still-fishing with worms, minnows, salmon eggs or even a dough ball for bait. They're reported to be good fighters. Most fishermen are more familiar with suckers as bait rather than as the quarry. Young suckers are commonly sold as "bait minnows".

The White Sucker

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