The golden shiner is a favorite bait fish of walleyes, northern pike and many other freshwater game species. Its sides, colored silver or golden, give it its name and provide the "flash" that is believed to make it noticeable to predator fish.
The golden shiner, Notemigonus crysoleucas, is widely distributed throughout North America and can be found in many Minnesota waters. But it is not an easy minnow to raise for profit in this state, in part because two or three years are required for a golden shiner reared this far north to reach the ideal length of about 4 inches. Fathead minnows, by contrast, can be harvested and sold annually.
Golden shiners (there also are "spot-tailed" and other types of shiners) feed largely on zooplankton. Rarely found in rivers or places with strong currents, they prefer still waters.
