Several miles of the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River flows right along Sparks Farm, and in it, lurking in the depths, a whole variety of fish and critters waiting to be caught by fishermen, birds, animals, and other fish.
Smallmouth Bass are the primary gamefish in the river. Smallmouth are a popular warmwater gamefish native to much of the United States and Canada and is sought after by many anglers because of their aggressive nature. Smallmouth Bass are primarily piscivores, meaning they eat other fish, but are also partial insectivores meaning they also eat bugs and crustaceans. The main food sources for smallmouth bass in the river by the farm are the crayfish that dwell at the bottom, sunfish, shiners and dace that swim in the currents, and big mayflies and stoneflies that float down the river.
Another gamefish in the river are channel catfish. Channel catfish are a species of North American freshwater catfish native to most of the eastern and central portions of the United States. They are a popular fish for eating as they are relatively easy to catch and taste good. Channel catfish are primarily scavengers and use their whiskers to feel around and sense food at the bottom so they eat many dead fish, fruit, and other animals drowned in the water. They will also go out and hunt for their own food, they have mouths built for crushing shells and hard things so crayfish and freshwater mussels are a favorite food on their menu as well as struggling and injured fish.
One of the bigger fish in the river is the common carp. Common carp is a non-native species of typical carps native to Europe and Asia. Common carp were brought to the United States in hopes to become a part of aquaculture for food and have since spread all across North America and have recently gained traction as a popular game fish. They have been a big sport fish in Europe and Asia for a very long time and those traditions have recently started transitioning to United States sport fishing. Carp have muscles in their mouths meant for crushing shells which means freshwater mussels, crayfish, nuts, and fruit are easy sources of food for them. They also spend a lot of time sifting through sand and mud looking for bugs, worms, and anything they can eat. Carp eat most of the day which is why they can get so big.
Sunfish are one of the best fish to target for beginner anglers and are one of the most abundant fish in the river by Sparks Farm. Lepomis are a genus of true sunfish native to North America and are one of the most abundant fish in lakes and rivers across the nation. They are also very popular amongst young and inexperienced anglers because of their relative size, aggressive behaviour, abundance, and wide diet. Sunfish will eat almost anything that hits the water or lives in the water, they are insectivores, piscivores, and will also eat fruits and nuts that fall into the water because of their hard mouths that have shell cracking abilities. Their favorite foods include crayfish, small minnows, bugs like mayflies and stoneflies, grasshoppers and other terrestrial bugs, and a good nightcrawler to fill them up!
