Fooled You, Sucker!

                       As its name suggests, the white Sucker is distinguished by its protuberant and downward-pointing sucker-like mouth. The mouth, located on the underside of a blunt, rounded snout, has thick lips covered with small fleshy bumps called papillae. The body of the white sucker is torpedo-shaped and cylindrical, with relatively large scales.

The color of the fish greatly varies—the color of its back and upper sides can be dark green, grey, coppery brown, or even black, while the lower sides are lighter and give way to the white underbelly. When spawning, these colors darken and intensify. Spawning males develop distinctly colored bands along the sides of their body as well as coarse bumps (tubercles) on the head and their anal and caudal fins. Young white suckers are lighter in overall color and have three very distinct dark spots on their sides.

Typically, white suckers grow to be 12 to 18 inches in length, but they can get as big as 25 inches long. They weigh anywhere from 2 to 6 pounds. White suckers have 55-85 lateral line scales and 10-13 dorsal rays.

Habitat

The white sucker can adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions and habitats including streams, lakes, and rivers but it tends to live in small/medium sized rivers and small creeks with cold, clear water. White suckers avoid rapid currents. They often move into tributary streams to spawn and tend to do so over gravel or rocky shoals.

Life History

From late April to early June (or more specifically, when the water temperature is warm enough), white suckers home upstream to rocky/gravely spawning areas with quick running water. Look for key areas in the lake where Bass will set up to lie in wait for preoccupied Suckers to pass by on their way to the creek inlets or outlets.

Once there, the female settles to the bottom and is soon crowded by males. Once two males find a place on either side of the female, the three fish begin to rapidly vibrate together, causing sperm and eggs to release. Once this quick spawning act is complete, the female continues upstream to find more mates. Over the course of an hour or more, a female may lay from 20,000 to over 100,000 eggs. No nests are built for the eggs—instead, they are scattered and eventually attach to the bottom. After a week or two, the adults leave the spawning grounds and return to where they originally came from. As for the eggs—after incubating for a week or two, the larvae hatch. The fry remain in the gravel for another one or two weeks and then migrate downstream. 

White suckers reach maturity in 3 to 8 years and then spawn annually throughout the rest of their lives. This species has a maximum life expectancy of about 17 years.

Geographic Range
For the most part, the white sucker inhabits the upper Midwest and Northeast of North America, but it has been found as far west as New Mexico and as far south as Georgia.

White suckers have a large variety of known predators. Its predators include muskellunges, bass, burbot, brook trout, and sea lamprey. Walleye and northern pike prey upon eggs and small white suckers. Bald eagles, herons, loons, and ospreys are known to prey on small white suckers as well. Other animals, such as bears, feed on white suckers during their spawning periods.

Conservation Status

White suckers are a very common and robust species with very large population sizes over a wide distribution. Therefore, the white sucker has been designated as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List.

Fun Facts

• The white sucker goes by a number of other names—common sucker, coarse-scaled sucker, brook sucker, gray sucker, mud sucker, sucker, mullet, black mullet, slender sucker, June sucker, and white horse.
  

• The white sucker is commonly confused with the longnose sucker, another type of bottom-feeding fish. They look similar and both use their fleshy lips to suck up food. The main difference between the two is that the longnose sucker has grey or dark olive-colored sides.

A plain blue back Huddleston with spawning bands applied via black sharpie.

Watch Care

Caring For Your Watches

Crown Down
Place your watch crown side down on your night stand or dresser. You are less likely to scratch the side of your valuable watch with only the crown making contact with the surface.

Invest in Deployant Clasps for Your Watch Straps or Bands
Your watch strap will last 4-5 times longer if you use a deployant clasp to take it on and off. With a standard buckle, you must pull back on the strap to put it on and off. This daily pulling back wears (creases) the strap out around the buckle. With at deployant clasp you avoid this. And, it is easier to use and safer (you can't accidentally slip and drop your watch putting it on). A deployant clasp works much the same way as a bracelet does.

Store Your Watch Collection in a Watch Box
Rather than keeping your growing watch collection loosely arranged in your dresser drawer, invest in a good watch box that keeps your watches safe from scratches and nicely displayed. If you have some XXL or large dial watches store them on the end slots or skip a slot to keep the crown from banging into another watch in the box.

Use a Soft Watch Cloth to Wipe off the dust, finger prints, etc. 

A soft cloth or a micro-fiber cloth is what we recommend for keeping your watch clean and dust free. For tarnish or brightening up gold or gold plated watches, you can get a Jeweler's Rouge polishing cloth to restore the original luster.

Preserve Your Watch Straps in Hot, Sticky Weather

We all sweat in the hotter summer months. Watch straps can get sweat marks on the inside and this can degrade a strap with a soft leather lining quite quickly. You are better choosing to wear a water resistant strap or one made out of synthetics. You can also use special leather treatments and refined beeswax to keep your straps in good condition.

Rotate Your Watches and/or Invest in a Good Watch Winder
With self-winding and hand wound watches it is important to keep them running by rotating your watches. If a watch sits unworn, for a long period of time, the lubricant and clump up or pool and doesn't get evenly distributed. A watch winder can help keep your self-winding watches in good condition. For hand wound watches, wind them frequently to keep them running at their best.

Salt Water and Your Dive Watch
Just like it is a good idea to rinse yourself off after swimming in the Ocean, you should rinse your dive watch off too. Even though it is made from stainless steel, it is still a good idea to wash off the salt water when you get a chance.

Have Your Mechanical Watch Cleaned and Oiled on a Regular Basis
The standard recommendation for having your mechanical watch oiled and cleaned is about every 4 to 5 years. Like changing the oil in your car, you should keep your watch serviced to keep it running smoothly and in tip top shape. 

Invest in a Link Pin Remover or Spring Bar tool, if You would like to Change Straps or Size Your Watch Bracelet
A deluxe Link Pin Remover can save you a trip to a Jeweler and pay for itself in one or two uses. They are pretty easy to use and they will not scratch the watch.

If you like to switch out your leather straps on occasion, invest in a Spring Bar Remover tool. They are available for little money and they make quick work of changing your straps.

Never set day & date functions between the hours of 9pm - 3am

During these hours the day & date complications are doing their function and manually turning the crown during this time can strip the gear.

Avoid showering while wearing your watch.

The hot water and steam may compromise your watch's water resistance. It was not tested under these circumstances so its best to avoid unnecessary exposure. 

With proper watch care your timepiece can offer you a lifetime of service that can be passed down for the next generation to discover the study of time. 

Tips for a successful Seppuku!

So you've decided to commit seppuku. Now what? To help you with the task, here is a handy tutorial. Enjoy!

Step #1: Purchase a Sharp Sword!

A dull blade can lead to ragged cutting and the expenditure of much "elbow grease" during the ceremony. Therefore, it is important that the sword be razor-sharp.

Step #2: Find a Buddy!

One of the most important parts of seppuku is the kaishaku, or assistant. The kaishaku's task is to slice off your head after you have completed the ceremony, and should therefore be a close friend, family member, or crudely jilted ex-lover. The Kaishaku is also responsable for placing your remains in a sealed garbage bag, so you don't stink up the trash. 

Step #3: Decide Where to Die!

You only die once, so the location of your seppuku ceremony should be as pleasant as possible. I suggest a sunny field, a well-tended garden, or the pleasantly air-conditioned lobby of an upscale office building.

Step #4: Go for It!

Kneel down in your chosen location and slowly insert the sword into your abdomen. The desired spot is about three inches left or right of your navel, depending on which hand you use. Once the sword is inserted, gently slice it across your stomach, then upward toward your chest. Remove sword when finished.

Step #5: Inspect Your Work!

If done properly, most of your internal organs should have spilled out across your lap. If no internal organs are visible, repeat act until the job has been done correctly. Once finished, your kaishaku should then lop off your head in one clean blow.

Good luck, and happy cutting!