# spikes on a fish



## HappyYooper (Jan 26, 2005)

Last Sunday dh & I went and did a little fishing in a new spot. I caught the first fish :sing: We thought it was a Brookie...after I got it up on shore hubby told me it was a Chub. The strange thing about it was it had these boney, sharp looking horns growing from it's head :yuck:. Hubby caught a few more but they didn't have these growths. I wish I had my camera so I could have taken a picture of it....I google searched this but didn't find any info so I emailed the DNR. Anyone see anything like that?


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

You can expect all sorts of weird mutations when you fish in the discharge water from the nuclear power plant. Just be glad the fish didn't eat you.


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## copperkid3 (Mar 18, 2005)

midwest lakes, streams and ponds. During the breeding season,
the males will grow small, keratin-based bumps, which are called-
tubercles on their head, which are then used in ritualized combat.
Mainly used to ward off intruding males on communal nesting sites.

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/species_a_to_z/SpeciesGuideIndex/creekchub/tabid/6599/Default.aspx 

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2264937/Any_help_ID_ing_a_fish

E.T.A. And btw nimrod, there are no nuclear power plants in the U.P.!


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## Ed Mashburn (Jun 24, 2013)

Yooper- We used to call them horny-heads in the Ozarks. We'd catch several in the course of a smallmouth bass fishing trip down the creeks in the hills.
The really big ones- say 6-8 inches are not that bad to eat, fried up crispy and nice.
Been a while since I've seen a horny-head, come to think about it- thanks for reminding me about them- Ed Mashburn


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

We always called them horned dace which is another official name for them. Ate a lot of them when I was young. They were the best fish in the creek which ran through the farm. Fried crisp, they were eaten with the bones and skin much like a smelt.

Martin


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

They also make pretty good bait.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I wonder if they aren't hornyhead chubs (Nocomis biguttatus). We call them redtails even though the tails are more orangish. The males have a bright red circle on the temple. They make excellent bait because they fight the hook hard and draw attention.


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## HappyYooper (Jan 26, 2005)

That's what it was! I found a picture on google that looked just like it! Thanks!!
Guess next time we catch 'em I'll have to fry 'em up in the pan & try them out!


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

Creek chubs ares very good to eat!


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## HappyYooper (Jan 26, 2005)

I also got a reply back from the Michigan DNR. This is the info she sent:
It was a pretty cool looking fish and decided to go back to "try" and catch another one to have mounted...no such luck...yet! I do plan to try them when I catch some!
During breeding season, large chubs display bumps on their heads; thatâs why their nickname is âhorny heads.â And the nickname isnât the only unusual thing about these fish.


During April and May, male bluehead or bull chubs build fish nurseries underwater. The male picks up rocks in its mouth and drops them to create a mound. Some ânestsâ are as big as 3Â½ feet across. After spawning, eggs drop into gaps between stones, safe until hatching. The male chub defends against larger fishes, but lets smaller minnows populate the nursery. Most species in the nest sport brilliant red breeding colors. Anyone lucky enough to spot one of these would have a hard time believing it this side of a coral reef.
Below is a link with some photos: 







http://sites.naturalsciences.org/notebook/fishes/hornyheads.html


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## HappyYooper (Jan 26, 2005)

Anyone care to pass along a recipe or two?


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

A few dace retain their colors throughout the year. Locally, red belly dace were a favorite aquarium fish at one time. In fact, the zoo aquarium had them on display at one time. The zoo could control the water temperature but the dace were able to live quite well in home aquariums with extra aeration.

For eating chubs, we just rolled them in flour and fried them in oil or grease just like smelt. Done either in a pan or deep fry.

Martin


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

This should take you to a redtail chub spawning video. It took a while to start on my computer. It has sound.

http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/aquaculture/redtail

You will have to click on the Redtail Chub Video link to play the video.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

we were taught that any of the "chubs" had to be kept alive until cleaned or they wouldn't taste good. I've caught and eaten horned chubs in the 14-15 inch range and they are great.


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