A random find...

[thmyorke1]

Originally Posted by Billfish715

Way, way back in the day when parents worked all day and there was no parental transportation because there was only one family car; as kids, we had to find our own way to a fishing hole. Creek chubs were often the only gamefish in town in most of the small brooks where we fished. Small pieces of worm or homemade dough balls on size 14 Aberdeen hooks, with a tiny sliver of tree stem for a bobber kept us focused for hours while trying to catch chubs that were often no bigger than 4-5 inches. It taught us patience and touch and persistence which prepped us for when we could actually fish for trout and bass.

We never turned our noses up at anything with fins. If it was a fish, no matter what size, it was fair game. For us kids, catching a sucker was a trophy. Whether it was catching shiners in Echo Lake (Union County) or chubs behind the old trap range in Kenilworth, or red/orange comet goldfish/carp in Nomahegan Pond or sunnies along the banks of the Rahway River, it was all good. Wherever our one-speed, balloon-tired bikes would take us, we fished.

Catching chubs in an uncharted body of water on ultralight gear brings out the kid in all of us. Thanks for stirring up some great memories of a time when life was a lot less complicated.

I found that immensely heartwarming. Somehow nostalgic to me despite just starting my fishing experiences a year ago.

Tight lines, friend.

[bulletbob]

Creek chubs.. ok, I can relate to that..
Up here in some of the creeks we get Fallfish.. I don't know if its a totally different species or not but damn, they sure look exactly like a creek chub, and are in the same places caught on the same bait/lures..
They are huge, some around 20 inches, lots over 12, and are really good game fish.
Active fighters, strong hitters..Only time I ever catch or see them is late fall /early winter..
Not sure you guys in NJ have them, but if you like fooling around with creek chubs, fish later in the season, and try and catch those big Fallfish along with the small chubs... bob

[thmyorke1]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

Creek chubs.. ok, I can relate to that..
Up here in some of the creeks we get Fallfish.. I don't know if its a totally different species or not but damn, they sure look exactly like a creek chub, and are in the same places caught on the same bait/lures..
They are huge, some around 20 inches, lots over 12, and are really good game fish.
Active fighters, strong hitters..Only time I ever catch or see them is late fall /early winter..
Not sure you guys in NJ have them, but if you like fooling around with creek chubs, fish later in the season, and try and catch those big Fallfish along with the small chubs... bob

Creek chubs have that bass-like line while fallfish are shiny like a shad, also yes fallfish do get bigger. Both are actually related in the same scientific family.

I've had a fallfish hit a rapals once. Pic related.



Here's a creek chub to compare.

[ScowardNJ]

Always lookin around for a good chub hole...
Sounds like a good spot to make bait quick to further a days fishing for bigger predators.

[Chrisper4694]

now if you mention that spot to anyone, you'll never catch another chub there because it'll get cleaned out for muskie and pike bait haha

[Eskimo]

.


Thanks for that information Thymorke1. Prior to reading that, I always used the names Creek Chub and Fallfish interchangeably.


.

[Mark B.]

Fallfish inhabit the same waters as Smallmouth Bass & are caught on same lures. The big difference is when hooked,........Fallfish = no fight.

As kids in Three Bridges, we would catch Creek Chubs in “The Brook”, an unnamed trib. to the South Branch Raritan. Cool looking in the spring with their fighting horns (breeding tubercles).

Another spring activity in The Brook: Sucker Clubbing.
Kids armed with baseball bats,……the suckers had no chance in shallow water on their spawning run. Not sure why we did it. Just that these big fish were there & vulnerable. We’d stack them up on the shoreline & maybe bring a few back to feed the neighborhood cats.