Originally Posted By: sprkplug
Wow, that last one is unusual to me. I do see what I take to be Warmouth in some of those pics, although It seems that there could be a veritable smorgasbord of Lepomis species at work here.

I also noticed the eyes. Hungry fish.


I did some quick research on it and it is an interesting little fish.

FROM: http://www.rodnreel.com/articles/articles.asp?cmd=view&StoryID=309

Quote:


Horst said not much is known about the "secret" lives of the storm minnow. But their arrival seems to coincide with the passage of a significant weather front and storm tide. Many others believe the storm minnows spend most of their lives isolated within holes in the marsh. When weather, water, temperature and tides are conducive for spawning, they leave the holes and join others in tightly-packed schools.

As a member of the Gobiidae family, the Dormitator macaluatus, which literally translates to "fat sleeper," is a species that is generally found from the Bahamas and North Carolina to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico. There are 22 species of storm minnow in the Gulf of Mexico alone. The male storm minnows can be strikingly beautiful, with dark-blue edges with black on the fins, and some dark green, pale blue and red colors.

During the period that they remain underground, the species remains dormant. Little is known about this mysterious fish and many biologists are reluctant to comment on them at all.

However, Knapik, who has observed the "migration" of storm minnows for many years, said they do not seem to travel that far.

"They don't come and go per se," he said. "They're out there in the mud right now, and they're not going to come out until everything is right."

Some anglers believe that a reason storm minnows are so attractive to trout and redfish is because of their colors. Storm minnows are also abundant, durable and resilient. They can breathe in water, or out of water, and need only to be kept moist to stay alive.

"As long as your pocket is wet, you can keep one alive in there all day," Kodrin said.

"The only way you can kill one is to leave it on the dock and let it dry out," Knapik said. "I know - I've tried. When they ship them they'll pack them in crab crates with wet grass or wet burlap bags on top of them."

Once, Knapik said he put 100 storm minnows in a wet oyster sack. Once or twice a day he would dump water on the sack of minnows. After three days, he said he only lost six minnows.

"And unlike a cocahoe, a storm minnow will stay on the top of the water when you're fishing with it," Knapik said. "And jump. If you think a mullet can jump, you should see a storm minnow. I never put more than two inches of water on top of them in a five-gallon bucket. If you do, you're going to have 50 minnows jumping on the deck of your boat."

Knapik said he has seen storm minnows actually climb out from underneath a net put over to cover them. And biologists explain.

"Some members of the Gobi family in other countries have developed amphibian-like characteristics and lifestyles," Horst said. "If you look at the ventral and pectoral fins, they're placed in such a manner to assist in locomoting."

"That's true," Kodrin said. "I saw it the other day. It's like they were trying to walk."

"They're amazing creatures," Knapik said. "They are the best baitfishes I've ever seen."

Last edited by drumz2129; 10/01/12 11:18 AM.