Shiners- A Dominate River Forage for Smallmouth
Forage Specie Series
What do you know about Shiners? How do Smallmouth Bass relate to Shiners in many regional river systems? How does the life cycle of the Shiner family correlate to the behaviors of Smallmouth Bass throughout different times of the year?
Let’s first talk about the Shiners themselves. The Shiner’s in your river system may be any number of different shiners depending upon your river. While many of the Shiner family are present in most regional river systems there always tend to be a dominate Shiner present. For example, in the Susquehanna River watershed the Golden Shiner is probably the most well known to anglers due to its seemingly dominance in the watershed over other species or even fellow shiner.
When we examine forage its important to take away the valuable things that you can apply to your fishing in terms of understanding not only the behavior of different forage species but also their coloration and size.
To be honest it has been my experience that the go to folks outside of biologists for forage info as it pertains to baits are our custom bait makers and not most anglers. Bait makers, especially custom crankbait painters dial in the color patterns of forage species so they may offer baits that mirror the very forage specie we find in our rivers. This often differs from the “big box” retail approach from major brands who generate basic patterns like shad, perch, blue gill and of course craw that liter the aisle of most retailers and the truth is some of their bait patterns are sold throughout the entire country even when the actual forage many be completely different.
The Shiner family (Cyprinidae) comprises numerous species of small, freshwater fish found in river systems throughout the country. While it would be challenging to cover every species individually that make up the family, I'll highlight some common shiner species found in most river systems, along with their general seasonal behavior, life cycle, and preferred habitat:
Common Shiner (Luxilus cornutus):
Found in various river systems across North America.
Seasonal Behavior: Common shiners typically spawn in the spring when water temperatures rise. During the summer months, they may inhabit deeper pools or seek refuge in vegetation to avoid predation. In the fall, they may move into shallower water to feed and prepare for winter.
Life Cycle: Common shiners are egg-layers, with spawning usually occurring over gravel or rocky substrates. After spawning, adults may return to deeper water, while juveniles remain in shallow areas with ample cover.
Preferred Habitat: Common shiners inhabit a variety of habitats, including streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds. They prefer clear, cool water with moderate flow and substrate consisting of gravel, sand, or rocky debris.
Rosyface Shiner (Notropis rubellus):
Found in eastern North America, primarily in river systems and small streams.
Seasonal Behavior: Rosyface shiners typically spawn in the spring or early summer. During the breeding season, males develop vibrant colors to attract females. Outside of the breeding season, they may form shoals and feed in shallow areas.
Life Cycle: Rosyface shiners are egg-layers, with spawning occurring over gravel or sandy substrates in shallow water. After spawning, adults may disperse into deeper pools or remain in riffles and runs.
Preferred Habitat: Rosyface shiners prefer clear, flowing water with substrates consisting of sand, gravel, or rocky debris. They are often found in riffles, runs, and shallow pools with abundant aquatic vegetation.
Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas):
Found throughout North America, including river systems, lakes, and ponds.
Seasonal Behavior: Golden shiners are active year-round but may become more migratory during the spawning season, which typically occurs in the spring or early summer. Outside of the breeding season, they may form large schools and feed in shallow areas.
Life Cycle: Golden shiners are prolific egg-layers, with spawning occurring over submerged vegetation or other structure. They may exhibit multiple spawning events throughout the breeding season.
Preferred Habitat: Golden shiners inhabit a variety of aquatic habitats, including slow-moving rivers, lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. They prefer areas with abundant submerged vegetation and may congregate near shorelines or in shallow bays.
These are just a few examples of more prevalent shiner species found in ou river systems, each with its own unique seasonal behavior, life cycle, and preferred habitat. Understanding the behavior and habitat preferences of shiners can be valuable for anglers and conservation efforts aimed at preserving freshwater ecosystems. The fact of the matter is these specie play a major food resource role in the population quality or density of Smallmouth in any river system.
Let’s breakdown the Golden And Emerald Shiner as these two are two of the most popular specie that the fishing industry attempts to mirror when creating artifical baits for the market.
The Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) probably the most popular of the Shiner family especially in the eastern United States. Here's a simple overview of its life cycle, behavioral characteristics, and habitat preferences:
Life Cycle:
Reproduction: Golden shiners typically spawn during the spring and early summer months when water temperatures rise. Spawning occurs in shallow, vegetated areas, where females release adhesive eggs that adhere to submerged vegetation or other structures.
Eggs and Larvae: After spawning, the eggs hatch within a few days, and the larvae remain attached to the substrate until they become free-swimming. Golden shiner larvae feed on plankton and other microscopic organisms.
Growth and Development: Juvenile golden shiners grow rapidly, feeding on zooplankton, algae, and small invertebrates. They reach sexual maturity within their first year, at which point they may begin spawning. Golden shiners have a relatively short lifespan, typically living for two to three years.
Behavioral Characteristics:
Schooling Behavior: Golden shiners are highly social fish and often form large schools, particularly during the spawning season. Schooling provides protection from predators and enhances foraging efficiency. These schools can contain thousands of individuals.
Feeding Habits: Golden shiners are omnivorous, feeding primarily on zooplankton, algae, insects, and detritus. They have specialized gill rakers that allow them to filter small organisms from the water column. Golden shiners are also known to engage in surface feeding, where they consume insects and other floating organisms.
Movement Patterns: Golden shiners are diurnal and primarily active during daylight hours. They may move between shallow and deeper areas of river systems in response to changes in water temperature, flow, and food availability. During the spawning season, they may migrate to shallow, vegetated areas for reproduction.
Habitat Preferences:
Lentic and Lotic Habitats: Golden shiners are adaptable and can inhabit a wide range of freshwater habitats, including streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. They may also occur in brackish estuarine environments.
Vegetation: Golden shiners prefer habitats with abundant submerged vegetation, which provides cover from predators and spawning substrate. They may also utilize submerged logs, root masses, and other structure for shelter.
Water Quality: Golden shiners are relatively tolerant of a wide range of water quality conditions but prefer clean, well-oxygenated water. They may avoid areas with high sedimentation, pollution, or low dissolved oxygen levels.
Temperature: Golden shiners thrive in moderate water temperatures ranging from 15-25°C (59-77°F). They may seek refuge in deeper, cooler pools during periods of hot weather or high water temperatures.
And now the second most popular is probably the Emerald Shiner. This one is usually easily recognizable at times throughout the spring and summer because of the flash of greenish hue the specie gives off in clear water.
The Emerald Shiner (Notropis atherinoides) tends to be smaller, silvery green shiner species found in many of our river systems like the Golden. Here's the Emerald Shiner’s overview of its life cycle, behavioral characteristics, and habitat preferences:
Life Cycle:
Reproduction: Emerald shiners typically spawn during the spring and early summer months when water temperatures rise. Spawning occurs in shallow, vegetated areas or over submerged substrate.
Eggs and Larvae: After spawning, female emerald shiners release adhesive eggs that adhere to vegetation or substrate. Eggs hatch within a few days, and the larvae remain attached to the substrate until they become free-swimming.
Growth and Development: Juvenile emerald shiners grow rapidly, feeding on plankton and small invertebrates. They reach maturity within their first year, at which point they may begin spawning.
Longevity: Emerald shiners typically live for one to two years, although lifespan may vary depending on environmental conditions and predation pressure.
Behavioral Characteristics:
Schooling Behavior: Emerald shiners are highly social fish and often form large schools, particularly during the spawning season. Schooling provides protection from predators and enhances foraging efficiency.
Feeding Habits: Emerald shiners are omnivorous, feeding primarily on zooplankton, algae, and small invertebrates. They use specialized gill rakers to filter small organisms from the water column.
Movement Patterns: Emerald shiners exhibit diurnal activity patterns, with increased feeding activity during daylight hours. They may move between shallow and deeper areas of river systems in response to changes in water temperature, flow, and food availability.
Habitat Preferences:
Flowing Water: Emerald shiners are commonly found in river systems, particularly in areas with moderate to swift currents. They inhabit riffles, runs, and shallow pools with gravel or rocky substrates.
Vegetation: Emerald shiners prefer habitats with abundant aquatic vegetation, which provides cover from predators and spawning substrate. They may also utilize submerged logs, root masses, and other structure for shelter.
Water Quality: Emerald shiners are sensitive to changes in water quality and prefer clean, well-oxygenated water. They may avoid areas with high sedimentation, pollution, or low dissolved oxygen levels.
Temperature: Emerald shiners thrive in moderate water temperatures ranging from 15-25°C (59-77°F). They may seek refuge in deeper, cooler pools during periods of hot weather or high water temperatures.
Overall, both the Golden and Emerald Shiner are an important component of our freshwater ecosystems, serving as forage resource for Smallmouth and as an indicator of water quality. The Goldens tend to be more prolific spawners than the Emerald Shiners at least in our region and do not seem to be as impacted by swings of water temperature as much as the Emeralds. While the temperature ranges are in line with one another it is not uncommon to find them out in late winter earlier than many other forage species in your river systems.
River Bait Fish - You Tube Short
Just this week I came across a densely populated area with the water temperature hovering right at 50 degrees in the Monocacy River located in western Maryland.
Swallowtail Shiners—- where as the Emerald have that greenish hue the Swallowtail has a yellowy silver tone.
Understanding Shiner and minnow forage life cycle, behavioral characteristics, and habitat preferences is essential for not only effective fisheries management and conservation efforts in river systems but for those of us that chase Smallies in our rivers throughout the region.
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