Seeing redtails

Duluth, Minn. — A favorite walleye bait, hornyhead chubs – a.k.a. redtails — may be a hot aquaculture prospect. Natural Resources Research Institute, Minnesota Sea Grant and AURI researchers are looking at the technical and economic feasibility of spawning and raising redtails in both indoor and outdoor facilities.

NRRI/Sea Grant aquatic biologist Paul Tucker raised wild-caught redtails from fingerlings to marketable size in one year compared to nature’s three-year minimum. Using pelleted feed in an indoor aquaculture system, Tucker was able to grow 95 percent of the fish to a marketable size by the 1999 Minnesota walleye opener.

“In addition, the redtails raised at NRRI appeared heavier per length than those harvested from natural streams,” Tucker says. Baitfish retailers confirmed his observation. "They were very impressed with the fish's uniform size plus its robust and healthy appearance."

During the project’s second stage this summer, Tucker’s baitfish biology combined with the hands-on experience of AURI's aquatic biologist Todd Sisson. They secured AURI funding for system components to help Barry Thoele of Lincoln Bait in Staples, John Reynolds of Midwest Fish and Crayfish in Merrifield and a third Minnesota baitfish dealer to set up artificial stream systems. The three cooperators and Tucker simulated natural streams in their systems to encourage redtails to spawn and hatch. Eggs were successfully hatched and fry are now growing at all four facilities.