The Bullheads: Yellow, Brown, Black. Baby cousins of the catfish. Known for their sharp spines on their dorsal and pectoral fins. Notorious bait stealers, they’ll eat anything edible. Sophisticated table fare for the Iowegian; many prefer this fatty fish fried or smoked.
Whitefish and Cisco: Salmonids. These coldwater fish are favorite prey items for many gamefish species like walleye, northern pike, and lake trout. They are not a typical fly angler target since they are pelagic, though some populations can exhibit potamodromous behavior. Delicious smoked.
Mooneye, Goldeye: Shad/herring like. They are aggressive fighters, but very fragile and sensitive when removed from the water. They have a high tendency to bleed. Often used for cut bait. One of the few roughfish species regularly and consistently taken on dry flies.
Burbot: Freshwater relative of ling cod. Many an ice fisherman has mistaken the fight of a burbot as a trophy walleye. Combined with their propensity to wrap themselves around your arm and leg, a slimy coat and eel like appearance, many are left on the ice to rot. Don’t let their appearance fool you; burbot are one of the best tasting freshwater fish. There is an annual Eelpout festival held every winter in Walker, MN celebrating this fish species. Typically not the target of fly anglers due to their feeding habits and preference for deep cold lakes, though potamodromous fish can be targeted in early winter. Freshwater
Drum: The only freshwater relative of redfish, black drum, and the other saltwater drum species. Also known as croakers, gaspergou, and sheepshead, freshwater drum possess an adapted swim bladder which is able to produce sound, used primarily for mating. Their large otoliths were used by Native Americans for currency, jewelry, and good luck charms, and are useful in determining the ages of fish. One specimen from Red Lake, Minnesota was aged at 72 years old. Their flesh is delicious and succulent, quite similar to redfish, though many anglers throw the fish back due to their slime coat and often musty odor.