Red Horse

[JohnF]

So we went carping in St.Marys on the Thames today, actually south of St.Marys a bit. I wanted to prove my home made hair rigs would work. As for bait I just thawed some corn and soaked it in mint extract and almond extract. The kitchen smelled yummy.

 

Waded out, needled the corn onto the rig, added a split shot up above the swivel to get the thing to cast and tossed it out there. Waited a few minutes, noticed some odd motion on the rod tip and gave a gentle tug - nothing - so I waited. Another little quaver of the rod tip so I started winding in easily. Nothing but current resistance - except that the line is now passing me going gently up stream.

 

Hmmmmm.

 

So I start reeling although it really didn't feel like a fish so much as salad. Then it rolled about 20' from me and I thought it was a skinny bass. Got it closer and realized it was in fact a small Red Horse.

 

This guy was only about 14" but had lots of spirit once I got him up to me. He'd really inhaled the hook but I was able to get the pliers on it and remove it easily, mainly because the barb was crushed down.

 

They don't give much fight, at least not compared to a smallmouth. No pic. The camera was in the car and I had my hands full standing in the middle of the river, loading corn etc.

 

But it is my PB (and only) Red Horse, and my hair rigs worked.

 

JF

[Joey]

That's pretty cool John. Too bad you didn't get a picture. I don't think I've ever seen a Red Horse.

 

Way to go.

 

Joey

[Greencoachdog]

Oh no!... you're going to be the "Whistiling Trout" catcher from hell now!!!

[mistyriver1]

The boys and I caught a bunch of redhorses last weekend some good sized ones too. Our first experience with them. They give a good fight.

 

Here's a few pics of them Joey...

 

 

 

[JohnF]

This was just a baby and gave me no fight at all. I expect the mommas and papas would give better.

 

JF

[JohnF]

Oh no!... you're going to be the "Whistiling Trout" catcher from hell now!!!

 

Hey. Sometimes ya get gas. Oh, you really mean the fish.......

 

JF

[Sandbag]

Nice job John

 

Great when something you make yourself works out.

 

Cheers

 

Craig

[Greencoachdog]

Hey. Sometimes ya get gas. Oh, you really mean the fish.......

 

JF

 

 

Well judging from your avatar pic, I'd say you're a real old Fart... somewhere around 70?

 

... and I've heard thru the grape vine that when you get that age... sometimes you don't have gas...

 

.. any truth to that rumor John?

[JohnF]

Well judging from your avatar pic, I'd say you're a real old Fart... somewhere around 70?

 

... and I've heard thru the grape vine that when you get that age... sometimes you don't have gas...

 

.. any truth to that rumor John?

 

Well, not quite 70, but sneaking up on it.

 

And speaking of gas - have you tried Leinenkugel yet? It's lethal.

 

JF

[Greencoachdog]

And speaking of gas - have you tried Leinenkugel yet? It's lethal.

 

JF

 

 

Tried it???... my retnek lips can' even pronounce it!!!... I'll be damned if I'm going to order something I can't even saqy!!!

 

... you gotta phonetic spelling for that there word Leinenkugel???

 

Ya gotta remember that I speak fluent retnek and broken english!!!

Edited May 24, 2009 by GCD

[JohnF]

Tried it???... my retnek lips can' even pronounce it!!!... I'll be damned if I'm going to order something I can't even saqy!!!

 

... you gotta phonetic spelling for that there word Leinenkugel???

 

Ya gotta remember that I speak fluent retnek and broken english!!!

 

I forgot - you don't do beverages that come in brown bottles with a cap, only mason jars.

 

JF

[Greencoachdog]

I forgot - you don't do beverages that come in brown bottles with a cap, only mason jars.

 

JF

 

 

You gotta problem wit dat???

[JohnF]

You gotta problem wit dat???

 

Only the morning after, plus listening to my other redneck buddies argue about whether Tennessee or Kaintuck produces the most drinkable product, and whether strawberries should be used to flavour it. Evidently it matters whether ya get the retired County Sheriff`s product or under the counter at the gas station stuff.

 

I in fact have a half jar of Tennessee White Lightnin`with strawberries in my cupboard as we speak. When fresh the strawberry beverage is nice. Once the berries turn a yukky brown it gets pretty untasty. Perhaps the Kaintuck variety ages better than this varietal though. Dunno about the Bama Brand. Never tried any of it.

 

JF

[Marko]

Hej John if you want to catch some carp let me know, i could show you a thing or two so you can become one of us carpers.

Free of charge of course . Plus we`d probably catch some fish

[JohnF]

Hej John if you want to catch some carp let me know, i could show you a thing or two so you can become one of us carpers.

Free of charge of course . Plus we`d probably catch some fish

 

You mean as opposed to me showing you where we could catch some pike?

 

I'd like that - where & when? I'd like to bring my buddy Rob (the artist) so he can see there's more in fishing than a $29.95 rod/reel from Kmart with 4# mono and a grey 2.5" Rapala minnow - not that he doesn't catch bass with it but after more than 50 years of fishing that way he really should broaden his horizons. He was knocked out that my itty bitty hair rigs with sweet smelling corn caught a fish, let alone a Red Horse that he's been hoping to hook into for years. There are actually a lot of them around here but they're all so busy snuffling up the bottom that we never hook 'em.

 

I can get away almost any evening, Saturday or Sunday now. Once in a while I might work for a few hours on a Saturday but generally I'm looking for an excuse to escape from my gardening chores.

 

JF

[Daplumma]

Only the morning after, plus listening to my other redneck buddies argue about whether Tennessee or Kaintuck produces the most drinkable product, and whether strawberries should be used to flavour it. Evidently it matters whether ya get the retired County Sheriff`s product or under the counter at the gas station stuff.

 

I in fact have a half jar of Tennessee White Lightnin`with strawberries in my cupboard as we speak. When fresh the strawberry beverage is nice. Once the berries turn a yukky brown it gets pretty untasty. Perhaps the Kaintuck variety ages better than this varietal though. Dunno about the Bama Brand. Never tried any of it.

 

JF

Heres a tip for proper storage of squeezins,put the jar in the freezer bud.Make it taste better on them hot days in the summer.

Joe

[Radnine]

What's a red horse?

Jim

[JohnF]

What's a red horse?

Jim

 

A sucker we have here in southern Ontario. Got reddish fins. I believe the ones we have in this part of the Thames are River Redhorse but I could very easily be wrong. Mine was a small one, only slightly more than a pound, 12/14 inches long. No fight till I tried to get him out of the water, then he went postal on me. He inhaled some sweetened corn on a hair rig that I let cruise along the bottom in a foot or two of fairly fast water. I put a couple of splitshot on above the swivel to slow the bait down in the current.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_redhorse

 

Here's a bit more info. I guess those two little dots in SWO are supposed to represent the one I caught.

 

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/s...riviere-eng.htm

 

JF

Edited May 24, 2009 by JohnF

[JohnF]

Heres a tip for proper storage of squeezins,put the jar in the freezer bud.Make it taste better on them hot days in the summer.

Joe

 

Just like vodka.

 

JF

[tributaryhunter]

the grand is full of red horse suckers my biggest was 8 1/2 lbs and seen bigger ones then that in the grand as well

[Beans]

The boys and I caught a bunch of redhorses last weekend some good sized ones too. Our first experience with them. They give a good fight.

 

Here's a few pics of them Joey...

 

 

 

 

 

Jim...Unless I'm mistaken those are just plain old common carp...

[limeyangler]

Nice work John....great when a new rig works out. Thse redhorse look like a type of sucker fish...or are they carp related...or both...or none....lol.

[JohnF]

Nice work John....great when a new rig works out. Thse redhorse look like a type of sucker fish...or are they carp related...or both...or none....lol.

 

Suckers. Evidently not all that common in Ontario, but present in my part of the province (southwestern Ontario) in the Thames. We see them all the time but they ignore our smallmouth lures. I was actually hunting big ole carp when I caught that little guy. Frankly he wasn't much fun. He didn't raise any fuss until I tried to grip him. Perhaps the grownups are more exciting to catch.

 

JF

[Greencoachdog]

Suckers. Evidently not all that common in Ontario, but present in my part of the province (southwestern Ontario) in the Thames. We see them all the time but they ignore our smallmouth lures. I was actually hunting big ole carp when I caught that little guy. Frankly he wasn't much fun. He didn't raise any fuss until I tried to grip him. Perhaps the grownups are more exciting to catch.

 

JF

 

If you want a good fight out a small fish like that, use light tackle and take a bottle of Tobasco sauce with you in your pocket. if the fish doesn't give you a good fight don't take the hook out of his mouth, instead, roll it over on it's back and put 2 drops of Tabasco sauce on his butthole and put it back in the water a give him some line... then start reeling him back in... I guarantee you he'll fight like a 20 lber then!!!

[JohnF]

If you want a good fight out a small fish like that, use light tackle and take a bottle of Tobasco sauce with you in your pocket. if the fish doesn't give you a good fight don't take the hook out of his mouth, instead, roll it over on it's back and put 2 drops of Tabasco sauce on his butthole and put it back in the water a give him some line... then start reeling him back in... I guarantee you he'll fight like a 20 lber then!!!

 

I've heard of that but never wanted to try it. The way I wuz told a real southern gentleman licks the area clean first so the tabasco really sticks, then releases the fish. Something about the saliva cutting through the slime etc. I guess I'm just not man enuf to try it.

 

JF