Susan and I went fishing in the Maumee today.  It was a tad windy, and several times our seine full of shiners and assorted other little fishes got blown into the air, seniding fish flying everywhere.

We are getting so much better at figuring out where we'll find fish!  We caught three HUGE(well, to us anyhow) log perch, a couple TEENY little spotted sunfish(I think that's what they are) some mad toms and about 9 million shiners. 

One of the sunfish doesn't seem to be doing so well, so not sure he's gonna make it, but the rest of the fish I brought home are zipping around.  I've got 'em drip-acclimating and wil get them in the tank tonight.

YAY for diversity in the tank!  So far, the darters are still by far my favorites, but I am pleased to be adding different types.

Yay!  We had a great time!  We went back to the Maumee river, and we found a place with a little more water than there was at Side Cut Park. 

We did find three of the biggest logperch I've ever seen.  They are huge!  I just looked in my ID book, and it says they get up to 7".  Mine are less than that, more like 5".

We caught three baby channel catfish (put those back) and a madtom.  The madtom is a brindled, I think.  I know that none of the Maumee's madtoms are endangered, so I kept it.  The two sunfish were orangespots I think.  They were tiny.  And Mary's not tellin' you a fish tale, there were at least 9 million shiners! 

I would love to start a native tank but  I dont think I have a tank big enough, I only have a 20 gal to spare at the moment .  Would that be big enough for darters (I love fishing but not sure what a darter looks like).

Jimbo said :

I would love to start a native tank but  I dont think I have a tank big enough, I only have a 20 gal to spare at the moment .  Would that be big enough for darters (I love fishing but not sure what a darter looks like).

I get all jazzed promoting native species, because I can't help but think if we SHOW people what all cool stuff  they can find right in their backyards, they will be more likely to be interested in helping clean up/preserve what is out there. 

I live close to you guys(jackman/Tremainsville/Sylvania, if you want to come see mine you are welcome.  Just got to warn you I have 6-7 dogs in the house most days, so if that will wig you out you ought to go see someone else's instead, lol.

Jimbo said :

I would love to start a native tank but  I dont think I have a tank big enough, I only have a 20 gal to spare at the moment .  Would that be big enough for darters (I love fishing but not sure what a darter looks like).

You could also have some mudminnows and a brindled or tadpole madtom or two.  Those all max out at 5".

Check out the NANFA website for more info: 

NANFA Forum

Here's some pictures from today:

Some mussel pics for farmertodd.  The first one was alive, the others were empty shells.  We put them all back, as is the law.

 Why is this one green?  We saw some green snails, too.

Here are the huge logperch:

And the madtom.  Never hold them like this, they have venomous spines.  I didn't get stung, but I'm an idiot and will someday.

Wow-some of the fish on the NANFA forum are really pretty.  I Have some fish in my 20 gal rt now and am trying to set up another 50 gal tank because the fish in the 20 need a larger home.  When time and money let me I am gonna start a native tank.

P.S. Love the pics!

when i left the picinic thing we stped by the river i and went down to the water and there waas TONS of those little fishes (i call them minnows but i think there shiners) and i really want to get a 10 gallon tank set up and with soil and the grassy looking plants and put a group of those by them selves. i saw a LOT of crawfish too and found a like foot long fish dieing in the shallows (i think it got attacked by something like a bird because it had a gash on one side) but i love the little fish there so cool to watch swim around in groups like crazy XD

We brought some shiners home.  I wanted some to practice my ID skills on.  Some of them get huge though, so you want to know which ones you have before you get them.  Unlike us.  Doh!  I just read something on NANFA about creek chubs getting huge and eating tankmates.   (I was like, "Darn it!  I wanted some of those!") Todd can ID them, I'm trying to learn.  It takes a lot of practice to learn the difference between them.  They could be minnows, shiners, or chubs.  You're not wrong to call them minnows.