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Spotted Sucker

Spotted Sucker

Spotted Sucker (Minytrema melanops) in Mississippi waters are distinguished by their characteristic brown-black spots at the base of each scale, creating several longitudinal rows of dark spots along their sides.

In Mississippi, they're classified as non-game gross fish and are found throughout the state's river systems.

Scientific Name: Minytrema melanops

Physical Characteristics:
  • These medium-sized catostomid fish typically reach 12-19 inches and weigh 1-2.6 pounds, with a slightly concave dorsal fin containing 11-12 soft rays.
  • Distinguished by their characteristic brown-black spots at the base of each scale, creating several longitudinal rows of dark spots along their sides.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • They inhabit diverse environments including the Mississippi River backwaters, Pearl River system, and various tributaries, preferring deep pools of small to medium rivers over clay, sand, or gravel substrates.

Key Locations

  • Mississippi River backwaters, Pearl River system, and various tributaries.
  • Upper Mississippi River backwaters above Highway 43.
  • Barnett Reservoir backwater sloughs and tributary mouths.

Specific Spots

  • Target areas with little to no current over sand and mud substrates.
  • Look for spots near deep structure, old creek channels, and areas with organic debris where they forage for invertebrates.
  • Focus on backwater areas, oxbow lakes, and the quieter sections of rivers.
  • In larger water bodies, focus on backwater sloughs and tributary mouths where they concentrate.

Spotted Sucker FAQ

Answers from onWater's species guide.

What are the best lures and bait for Spotted Sucker in Mississippi?

Nightcrawlers are highly effective and can be broken into halves or thirds for longer use. Other productive baits include red worms, leeches, small crayfish, and minnows.

What flies work for Spotted Sucker in Mississippi?

Fly fishing can be successful using wet fly patterns such as nymphs and scuds, along with flies that imitate worms and fish e.g.gs - natural chartreuse patterns have proven particularly effective.

When is the best time to fish for Spotted Sucker in Mississippi?

Spring (March-May) when they're most active and feeding heavily during their upstream spawning migrations. They spawn from late February through early May when water temperatures reach 54-66°F.

How do you catch Spotted Sucker in Mississippi?

Keep rigs near the bottom where they feed. Use slip float or bobber a few feet above to keep bait moving naturally in shallow waters.

What do Spotted Sucker eat?

Their diet consists primarily of organic fragments, small crustaceans like copepods and cladocerans, chironomids, diatoms, and benthic invertebrates. As bottom feeders, they use their protractible sucker mouths and pharyngeal teeth to consume prey.

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