Sunfish- post your pics

[onemississipp]

I have been thinking of what an older gentleman said to me on a lake up north one evening. I spotted him away from the trout waters on the shallow side of the lake casting flies. I decided to go talk with him. We spoke a bit while he was fishing and I was wondering why he wasn't chasing the trout but never asked. Then out of no where he said, "I love the Sunnies".

How could you not! He was catching long ear sunfish with their beautiful colors!

I know crappie and bass are in the sunfish family but I'm talking about the colorful little guys.

We have hybrid bluegill (cross between green sunfish and bluegill) in our lake and most lakes around, but they just don't have the color.

So post them up and tell us what you call them in your part of the country!

Here are the fish he was catching!

Here is a guide of sorts

 

[deceiverbob]

This is a bluegill from the southern end of Mississippi, I like the purple color

 

[herchammer]

Love the fight in these little guys!

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[kentuckysteve]

Those are all beauties.Heres one i caught monday.Just a small bluegill but still fun to catch.

 

[onemississipp]

This is a bluegill from the southern end of Mississippi, I like the purple color

And one from North Mississippi, same purple!

Herchammer, beautiful colors!

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---------- Post added at 08:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:04 PM ----------

Here is a hybrid I spoke of....

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[dc410]

Cool thread! Here are the four primary species of sunfish that I catch regularly in SE and Central PA. We obviously get hybrids of many of these as well, but I would call all of these photos purebreds. Gorgeous little fish and lots of fun on a fly rod!

Redbreast Sunfish

Bluegill

Green Sunfish

Pumpkinseed

 

[onemississipp]

John,
Thanks for sharing! The lake up north I spoke of was in PA, Lebanon area.

---------- Post added at 09:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:47 PM ----------

Here is an article I was reading earlier today,

Know Your Sunfish | The Ultimate Bass Fishing Resource Guide® LLC

 

[huntschool]

Just think what those little beasts would be like if they weighed in at 1-2 lbs... Hello rod bend...... Talk about a Permit turning sideways and running.......

 

[onemississipp]

Here's one from little rock Arkansas

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[dc410]

Dustin,

That was an interesting article. Thanks for sharing it. Here is a photo of one of the hybrids that I caught recently. (Yeah, that is my 8wt in the background, caught this one while I was targeting carp so it wasn't much of a fight) Anyway, I'm not totally sure what this is a cross between. I can almost see characteristics of all four of the species that I showed above. Half of it is definitely a Green Sunfish and I would guess that the other parent was a Redbreast Sunfish merely because the creek that I caught it in has mostly Green and Redbreast in it. Redbreast Sunnies are my most favorite species to target with the fly rod. They are every bit as scrappy as a Bluegill and are located generally in warmwater creeks often found when targeting Smallmouth Bass. They have large mouths similar to a Green Sunfish and can take in some pretty big offerings like the one I showed above that took a size 6 foam gurgler while bass fishing.

Here is a photo of that hybrid

 

[GrtLksMarlin]

Just for fun here are some IGFA world records:

Bluegill: 2.15 kg (4 lb 12 oz) 0 cm Ketona Lake, Alabama, USA 09-Apr-1950

Pumpkinseed: 0.63 kg (1 lb 6 oz) 29.21 cm Mexico, New York, USA 27-Apr-1985

Green Sunfish: 0.96 kg (2 lb 2 oz) 37.465 cm Stockton Lake, Missouri, USA 18-Jun-1971

Hybrid Sunfish: 0.63 kg (1 lb 6 oz) 29.21 cm Mexico, New York, USA 27-Apr-1985

Longear Sunfish: 0.79 kg (1 lb 12 oz) 26.67 cm Elephant Butte Lake, New Mexico, USA 09-May-1985

Redbreast Sunfish: 0.79 kg (1 lb 12 oz) 27.305 cm Suwannee River, Florida, USA 29-May-1984

Redear Sunfish: 2.61 kg (5 lb 12 oz) 43.18 cm Lake Havasu, Arizona, USA 16-Feb-2014

B.E.F.

 

[kentuckysteve]

WOW.Imagine trying to land a 4 or 5 lb sunfish.Based on the fight those little one put up,that would be a challenge.And by the way one that i would be up to.

 

[herchammer]

Just think what those little beasts would be like if they weighed in at 1-2 lbs... Hello rod bend...... Talk about a Permit turning sideways and running.......

I typically fish a 3wt., when fishing these ponds, and if I were lucky enough to tie into a 1-2 pound bluegill, I don't think I'd be able to quit grinning, even long after the battle was over.

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[onemississipp]

Herchammer,
I went to bed last night thinking about my 3wt. Thinking I need to put it in the truck and start trying to catch a "Sunnie" where ever I may go! This little thread go me excited about the FF clubs meeting this month. It will be on Lake Lamar Bruce in North Mississippi.

Lake Fishing Records

Species Weight Anglers Name
Bass 11 lbs. 12 oz. Billy Putt
Crappie 3.25 lbs. Jim Bayer
Redear 2.75 lbs. Monroe Savage
Bluegill 2 lbs. 3 oz. E. L. Beckley
Catfish 26 lbs. George Flatt

Lake was closed for repairs for several years was restocked in 2013;

Mississippi wildlife officials have stocked Lake Lamar Bruce in Lee County with an additional 200,000 Bluegill and 100,000 Redear Sunfish, double the usual amount, to keep the Largemouth Bass population from crowding out other fish

Then re-opened May this year.

---------- Post added at 07:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:12 AM ----------

Should get some great pics!

 

[pjcalla]

I was out chasing small jaws a couple weeks ago, and this guy decided to play. I believe I posted this in another thread, but it makes more sense in here.

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[onemississipp]

What a beauty!

 

[GrtLksMarlin]

WOW.Imagine trying to land a 4 or 5 lb sunfish.Based on the fight those little one put up,that would be a challenge.And by the way one that i would be up to.

Though off topic....
....yet simply to the point of catching flat bodied fishes (none of them Sunfish).......you can understand the attraction to catching a Permit which the current record is 60 lbs., or Flounder 30 lbs., or Halibut 500 lbs. to finally tying into an Ocean Sunfish or Mola which have been estimated to have reached 3,500 lbs..

B.E.F.

 

[ponycarman]

Couple from the last few months.

 

[onemississipp]

Fly Fishing for Sunfish and Panfish
by Dave and Emily Whitlock | April 6th, 2012
Fly Fishing for Sunfish and Panfish - Fly Fisherman | Page 4

No excuses now! go get em!

 

[herchammer]

Onemississipp, that's what I do. I keep it in the Jeep, and if I get a chance to hit a pond after work, or on a day off, then I've got it. I travel some, with my job, so I've gotten to where I'll throw it in my gear on trips, along with my loaded vest and a net. I get some funny looks, when we unload and head for the hotel, but, it's offered some entertaining days off. I've got licenses for 5 states this year!

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