Big Golden Roach

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Comment by John Sheehan on January 4, 2011 at 7:37am

Fascinating info Johnny .Thanks!

Comment by Johnny wilkins on January 3, 2011 at 9:53pm

#14 dry fly - size 16 hook yes- jigs (no). These fish prefer a single fish egg, a single bloodworm and even water daphnia - which is 1/8th - 1/40th the size of a single spike. Think micro.

Comment by Johnny wilkins on January 3, 2011 at 9:44pm

Roach is the Euro-name for these yes- but has made its way here with the competitions we fish arm-to-arm with very skilled competitors from around the globe. Shiners, Roach, Golden & Silver Shiner are the same fish.

Shiners [roach] are amazing fish and if you are catching them on hook & line, you are fishing true ultralight - lighter than most care to venture. Doing a little roach-research, and from my own experience, these fish eat eggs and newly hatched fry. I experienced this in person when my tank shiners were dive-bombing a spawning nest of my African Cichlids - much to my horror. The reason they hang with the crappies- spawning -good food- they love eggs and new fry.

I have even stated in urban ponds, one reason the few bass setting up to spawn don't stand a chance is that people dump their uneaten bucket of shiners in the pond. Outnumbered and surrounded, a bass defending a nest can get picked clean by these. This fish is lightning quick and is much faster than an angler when trying to set the hook on them. This is the quick-draw fish of all freshwater fishes. To catch them, one weapon is super light line kept taught. The smallest of floats is also essential in the .20 gram range.

 

Anyone interested in fishing for these? I will have tackle this Spring.  I have a great walleye shiner story too. Emerald shiners on hook & line....  Jim is spot on- if you can catch the local shiner- it is the BEST BAIT you can use there. Because a healthy shiner is too fast for most predator fish - one dangled on hook and line, in distress is near impossible to resist for the local predators!

Comment by Jim Gronaw on December 31, 2010 at 4:00pm

The golden shiners are spring spawners, doing it about the same time that the crappie are, and they sometimes 'overlap' in habitat, depending on the environment.

On the Delmarva and Eastern Shore of Maryland, they are known as 'mill roach'. and are a top, natural bait for big bass and chain pickerel. In those shallow, dark and tannin-stained waters, these soft-rayed baitfish are plankton feeders and sometimes roam in open water areas and you might catch a few larger specimens, up to 12 inches, while getting schooling crappie.

Comment by John Sheehan on December 31, 2010 at 3:07pm

sorry 'bout that grammer !

Comment by John Sheehan on December 31, 2010 at 3:07pm

Jim, Thanks for that great observation. The small pond I catch them the few I caught  are big! They are mixed with Bluegills and Bass  ,but never caught a Crappie there.In the same pond I never caught a big Bass though . The Pickerel tend to be bigger there.That's just one pond though .I'll have to remember your tip on other occasions.

Comment by Zach Pierce on December 31, 2010 at 2:55pm

Jim,

 

Did you say these big goldens hang out with the crappie?  Why is that?  I have used them to catch crappie but never caught one while fishing for crappie.

Comment by Jim Gronaw on December 31, 2010 at 10:51am

At Piney Run, we would use # 14 dry fly hooks and bait with a single maggot and fish in and around wood cover, during the crappie spawn, as they would mix in with the slabs. After we got some, we'd put em below a bobber or troll them...got stripers, bass and channel cats on them. Great bait!

Comment by trent houtz on December 31, 2010 at 10:16am

that would be pike bait

Comment by John Sheehan on December 31, 2010 at 8:46am

Golden Shiner is what we call them in New Jersey Johnny.Is Roach the European name?

I love catching these but have no idea how to target them . They just show up on the end of my line every once in a while.