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River: Colorado River Glenwood Spgs to Rifle
Fish: Colorado Pikeminnow

Sqauw Fish?

Post By: TrophySeeker      Posted: 10/1/2015 10:12:41 AM     Points: 107    
I recently was fishing the Colorado by the Bridge outside of downtown Rifle. I caught this fish and one of the employees in the local sporting goods store told me it was a squaw fish. I can't find any info on this species and was wondering if you guys could give me some more information.
 Reply by: Chrisopher      Posted: 10/1/2015 10:28:01 AM     Points: 80    
It's also known as a Colorado Pikeminnow. Something that's on my bucket list to catch! Sweet fish! Congrats!
 Reply by: TrophySeeker      Posted: 10/1/2015 10:43:39 AM     Points: 107    
Thanks Christopher,

I caught him right at sunrise and thought I was snagged on a rock! He sat still for a few seconds then took off! I was looking for catfish so it was a nice surprise. A few weeks earlier I pulled a 20 inch sucker out of the same spot.
 Reply by: FishSeal      Posted: 10/1/2015 10:49:36 AM     Points: 2957    
Awesome catch.
What do you think about the fight for catching a minnow? :)

Thanks for sharing!!

FS
 Reply by: cncathca      Posted: 10/1/2015 1:10:07 PM     Points: 5    
Awesome catch! I actually think it could be a giant roundtail chub (another mega minnow, just not as big as a Pikeminnow)....FishSeal do you see the smaller mouth and shorter head I see?? It appears that the mouth ends before the eye, the head is shorter, and the maxillary is relatively small compared to a Pikeminnow.

No matter what it is a nice big native minnow but I think it may be a big ol' roundtail...

Did you by chance get any other pictures?

Thanks for posting.
 Reply by: Pathway      Posted: 10/1/2015 1:43:06 PM     Points: 534    
Roundtail Chubs can reach about 4 pounds in the upper reaches of there range, which would be at Rifle. They love to hit tube jigs.
 Reply by: TrophySeeker      Posted: 10/1/2015 2:32:08 PM     Points: 107    
This is the only other picture I have. I wanted to get him back in the water as quickly as possible.
 Reply by: Kev-o      Posted: 10/1/2015 5:58:49 PM     Points: 66029    
You're a lucky guy congrats! They are on my list but I couldn't chase them this year. Rare and cool fish!
 Reply by: Pathway      Posted: 10/1/2015 6:44:12 PM     Points: 534    
[log in for link]
Looks like a roundtail chub to me.
 Reply by: Wmdunker      Posted: 10/2/2015 6:35:52 AM     Points: 387    
Agreed on the roundtail ID. been catching them since I was a spud. Fun to catch, not bad eating, but bony as heck.
 Reply by: Pathway      Posted: 10/2/2015 8:44:24 AM     Points: 534    
I learned my first lesson in sharing when my friend and I went down on the Gunnison and caught a bunch of chubs in a backwater. We took them to my buddies house to split them up when my father showed up and insisted that I give my fish to my friend. He wasn't about to deal with a bunch of old stinky chubs.
 Reply by: Kolorado KingFisher      Posted: 10/2/2015 10:19:48 AM     Points: 82    
Yes I would also agree that that is a chub species rather than a pikeminnow/squawfish. The mouth is the tell tale sign in this case, the pikeminnow has a very large gapping maw, whereas this fish has a much smaller mouth. Cool catch just the same.
 Reply by: FishSeal      Posted: 10/2/2015 3:16:31 PM     Points: 2957    
I couldn't be certain at first and I didn't take time to look at it in detail, but I agree that it is a roundtail chub. The second picture definitely puts the fish into better proportion.
They are still a blast to catch.

FS
 Reply by: pikeNcolorado      Posted: 10/4/2015 11:14:18 AM     Points: 17676    
Roundtail for sure. But I will say their bodies are very similar. Well done on the catch.

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