A sunfish is a sunfish

[Sarge]

I know this is a walleye board, but help me out will ya!

I would like to hear the different types of sunfish in your area. Include any thing in the sunfish family. I want to know how many differnt varieties are around.

In SE MN where I'm from blue gills, green sunfish, and hybrid sunfish are the norm. But I have heard of Longear sunfish, warmouth and red ear sunfish.

SO lets hear whats in your neck of the woods!!!

[mtwalleye]

It all depends on how far you want to take this sunfish thing. According to the book "A Field Guide to Montana Fishes" written by fisheries biologists, it states:

"Sunfish Family
Centrarchidae

"This family contains not only the sunfishes and Rock Bass, but also the crappies and blass basses. The dorsal fin has spiny- and soft-rayed portions which are broadly (or in the black basses, narrowly) joined into a single fin."

According to the book, in Montana that includes black crappie, white crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass.

Of course, that being said, if you tried to sneak in extra smallmouth bass under the sunfish limit in this state, you'd be in HUGE trouble with the game wardens. -- mark
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Walleyes Unlimited
www.walleyesunlimited.com

[brushpile]

So this proves my theory that largemouth bass really are just oversized sunfish. Thanks for the confirmation.

[northernhawk]

Saw a real big Sunfish near Morro bay Ca. on a Albacore fishing trip. This was way out, 2 days or so trolling before doing any chum thing. Perhaps 140 miles out. Thing weighed like #320. Mola .Mola or something like that. Scary, not the average Pumpkinseed.Yikes!!

[eyegetit]

Here's a link to Ohio's record fish. It includes the sunfish family.
http://www.outdoorwritersofohio.com/

[Sarge]

WOW! 3.58# Sunfish!!

Thanks for the info! 3.2# Bluegill!! Oh to have wonderful dreams!

I am mostly interested in inland North America Sunfish, not the crappies and bass. You know the blue and green and yellow ones.

Thanks

[fishy1]

A book called iowa fish and fisheries is available throughthe IOWAdepartment of Natural resources Wallace state office Building,Des Moines,IA 50319-0034

I can not tell what the book costs it was a gift and it lists all of the fish and fishes including the baitfishes found in the central states some extinct.
the book lists thirteen fishes in the sunfish category.enough said buy the book }>

[Bassin Fool]

Yep, sure nuff is a big ol sunfeesh. By tha wey, them tar wawleyes is nuthin more an a big ol perch.

[targa2]

Have you ever been to Rice lake in Ontario. Its swarming with sunfish and bluegills. I live about 20 minutes from it and all I know is that the only guys targeting them is the visiting U.S. folks. I've fished them a bit myself and there are both size and numbers. Rice lake is about an hour east of Toronto.

[Reels]

Pumkin seed and Red ear in IL.

<{{}}><

[SWeed]

In your area of southern MN you probably have three or four strains.One of the problems is the regional names given to the same fish...

Green Sunfish are often called warmouths, largemouth and catfish bait.

Hybrids are called all sorts of things and occur naturally in lakes.

Red Ears are sometimes called long earred.

Bluegills conclude the four main types you probably have in southern MN.

good luck SWeed