Golden Shiner

Golden shiners are widely sold as baitfish, but they are also used as forage fish. They have shiny silver sides with dark olive backs. Breeding fish may develop gold-colored fins and young fish may have a dark lateral stripe. Their heads are triangular with an upturned mouth, and their tail is deeply forked. Golden shiners usually remain less than 6 inches long and reproduce multiple times throughout the spring. Their adhesive eggs are scattered onto vegetation, with no parental care. In general, golden shiners are an excellent forage fish. However, they will eat fish eggs and compete for the same foods that young largemouth bass and bluegill eat, primarily zooplankton. Golden shiners usually do not last long in ponds that already contain largemouth bass.