Pea River - Aquatic Life

Aquatic Life

Bass, bream, shellcrackers, mullet, and catfish are caught in the river. Mullet make the trip up from the Gulf of Mexico to feed on the moss that grows on the "rock" walls of the river (actually more of a clay-like substance, probably blue-marl clay, referred to sometimes as soapstone, because it is so slippery when wet) periodically, and a large number are caught from time to time. Bass are more of a challenge.

Historically, the river has been home to sturgeon, who were fished commercially in the early 1900s. Since they have been protected, the sturgeon are making a comeback, and sturgeon as long as six feet long have been seen jumping near the junction in Geneva. Dr. Dwayne Fox did research for his Ph.D. in the Choctawhatchee and Pea Rivers by radio-tagging sturgeon in the Gulf of Mexico and tracking them up the Choctawhatchee and Pea Rivers upstream of Geneva. He even was able to collect samples of eggs to prove they were breeding in the Pea and Choctawhatchee rivers.

Suckers are another fish that travel upstream as the weather changes. About the time that the sap beings to flow in the early spring, suckers will seek small tributaries in which to spawn. Fisherman set out gill nets to catch these tasty fish, which are rather difficult to catch with hook and line. Shad are common in the river, but, since they eat moss, are seldom caught.

The last Saturday in April is set aside by the city of Geneva to celebrate its river heritage and the rich history of the Choctawhatchee and Pea rivers.