PANFISH BLUEGILL | REDBREAST | REDEAR | SPOTTED | BLACK CRAPPIE
BLUEGILL
(Lepomis macrochirus)
COMMON NAMES - bream, blue bream, sun perch, blue sunfish, copperhead, copperbelly, roach.
DESCRIPTION - Bluegills have small mouths and oval-shaped, almost rounded, bodies. Body coloration is highly variable with size, sex, spawning, water color, bottom type, and amount of cover. In general, they are somewhat lavender and bronze with about six dark bars on their sides. Males tend to have a copper-colored bar over the top of the head behind the eyes. The breast is silver to slightly blue most of the year, with some yellow or orange during spawning season. Females are generally lighter colored than males. Two distinctive characteristics are the prominent black spot on the rear edge of the gill-cover and a black spot at the base of the posterior portion of the dorsal fin.
SUBSPIECES - Two are recognized: the northern bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus macrochirus), found in northwest Florida; and the Florida bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus mystacalis), found throughout Florida except the panhandle. The bluegill also hybridizes with other members of the sunfish family.
HABITAT - Bluegills prefer the quiet, weedy waters where they can hide and feed. They inhabit lakes and ponds, slow-flowing rivers and streams with sand, mud, or gravel bottoms, near aquatic vegetation.
SPAWNING HABITATS - Bluegills are well known for "bedding" in large groups, with their circular beds touching one another. Bedding occurs in water two to six feet deep over sand, shell or gravel, and often among plant roots when the bottom is soft. Spawning occurs from April through October with the peak in May and June, when water temperature rises to about 78-80 degrees. A female may lay 2,000 to 63,000 eggs, which hatch 30 to 35 hours after fertilization.
FEEDING HABITS - Insects, insect larvae and crustaceans are the dominant foods of bluegills, with vegetation, fish eggs, small fish, mollusks, and snails being of secondary importance, although they may dominate their diet during certain times of the year.
AGE AND GROWTH - A one-year-old fish may be four inches long. Spawning may occur the first year. Bluegills can live up to 11 years, but most are less than 7 years old. The rate of growth varies considerably in different bodies of water. However, a six-inch bluegill is typically two to four years old.
SPORTING QUALITIES - Because of its willingness to take a variety of natural baits (e.g., crickets, grass shrimp, worms) and artificial lures (e.g., small spinners or popping bugs) during the entire year, its gameness when hooked, and its excellent food qualities, the bluegill is one of the more important sport fish the eastern United States. As a sport fish, specific bag and size limit regulations apply.
EATING QUALITIES - Excellent; the flesh is white, flaky, firm and sweet. They are generally rolled in cornmeal or dipped in pancake batter before frying. Many rank the bluegill as the most delicious of all freshwater fish.
WORLD RECORDS - 4 pounds, 12 ounces, caught in Ketona Lake, Alabama, in 1950.
(Lepomis auritus)
COMMON NAMES - redbelly, robin, yellowbelly sunfish, bream, river bream, longear sunfish, sun perch and redbreast bream.
DESCRIPTION - The redbreast is one of the brightest colored sunfishes. Males have yellow, orange or red breast, olive upper sides, blending into blue-tinged bronze on the lower sides and blue streaks on the cheek. Females are less colorful; their breasts are yellowish or pale red. The most distinguishing characteristic of this species is a long, narrow (no wider than the eye) extension of the gill cover. These flaps, which may reach a length of one inch or more, are entirely black.
SUBSPECIES - There are no recognized subspecies. They are known to hybridize with other members of the sunfish family.
HABITAT - Redbreasts inhabit sand-bottom areas as well as rocky areas of coastal-plain streams, rivers, and lakes. They frequently concentrate around boulders, limestone outcroppings, logs, aquatic vegetation, or in undercut tree roots.
SPAWNING HABITS - They reproduce in typical sunfish fashion by constructing circular beds; but not clustered like bluegills, in water from one to three feet deep usually adjacent underwater objects such as stumps and snags. They often occupy beds that have been abandoned by other sunfishes. Spawning occurs from May through August when water temperatures range from 68 to 82 degrees. Males are the nest builders and guard the eggs and larvae for a short period after hatching. The number of eggs laid in a season ranges from about 1,000 to 10,000, varying with the age and size of the female.
FEEDING HABITS - The redbreast's diet is probably the most varied of any of the sunfishes. Principal food organisms are bottom-dwelling insect larvae, snails, clams, shrimp, crayfish, and small fish.
AGE AND GROWTH - Compared to some sunfish, redbreasts grow slowly. Redbreast reach six-inches in about two to three years. They seldom live beyond seven years and commonly reach a length of eight inches.
SPORTING QUALITIES - Redbreasts are prized game fish and are caught on natural baits and artificial lures. They a good fighters and will bite on flies and small spinners, as well as worms, crickets, grasshoppers and small minnows. Unlike most sunfishes, redbreasts bite well at night. Fishing from a drifting or slowly powered boat is the best way to catch redbreasts, although angling from the bank can be productive. As a sport fish, specific bag and size limit regulations apply.
EATING QUALITIES - The sweet, flaky, white flesh is excellent eating. They are most often fried after dipping them in seasoned cornmeal or pancake batter.
WORLD RECORD - 1 pound, 12 ounces, caught in the Suwannee River, Florida, in 1984.
REDEAR SUNFISH
(Lepomis microlophus)
COMMON NAMES - Widely known as shellcracker because of its fondness for snails. Also called bream, yellow bream.
DESCRIPTION - The redear is similar in shape to the bluegill, but lacks the dark spot at the base of the posterior portion of the dorsal fin and has a red or orange border around the "ear" flap. The body coloration is light olive-green to gold, with red or orange flecks on the breast. The breast of a mature redear is typically a rather bright yellow. The body is heavily spotted and they have long, pointed pectoral fins. Five to 10 vertical bars are more or less evident on the sides, depending on the size of the fish. Males and females are similar in appearance, although the male is generally more colorful.
SUBSPECIES - There are no recognized subspecies. Known to hybridize with other members of the sunfish family.
RANGE - Found throughout Florida and the southeastern United States. They are also one of the dominant sport fish in the vast Everglades marshes.
HABITAT - They are typically found on sandy or shell-covered areas of ponds and lakes, and are often located near grasses. Redear spend a great deal of time offshore in open water, particularly in the winter. Other redear found in rivers prefer, quiet waters and have a tendency to congregate around stumps, roots and logs. They are common in lower, more slowly flowing reaches of rivers. They tolerate brackish water better than other sunfish. Like black bass and spotted sunfish, they may be abundant in tidal areas near the mouths of rivers.
SPAWNING HABITS - Spawning occurs during May, June and July when water temperatures reach 70 degrees. They prefer water three to four feet deep, and a firm, shelly bottom, often near a dropoff. Nesting sites are often near aquatic vegetation such as water lilies, cattails, lizardtails, and maidencane. Breeding behavior is similar to other sunfish, with the males doing the nest building and guarding the young. A female may lay between 15,000 to 30,000 eggs during a spawn.
FEEDING HABITS - Redears are opportunistic bottom feeders, foraging mainly during daylight hours on a variety of invertebrates. Important food items include snails and clams which are crushed by grinding teeth in the throat; larval insects, fish eggs, small fish, and crustaceans. In some areas snails may be secondary to insects as a food preference.
AGE AND GROWTH - Redears grow faster than any other true sunfish. The maximum age is about eight years old. Nine- to 10-inch redears are common.
SPORTING QUALITY - Strong fighters, but more difficult to catch than most other sunfish. The redear does not readily take artificial lures but is easily taken on natural baits. Most fish are taken on cane poles with small hooks, corks, and split shot for weight. Favorite baits are worms, crickets, grubs, and shrimp fished in the spring and summer during the bedding season. Later in the season they move to much deeper water or into heavy cover, where they are difficult to locate. As a sport fish, specific bag and size limit regulations apply.
EATING QUALITY - Similar to that of bluegill, with white, flaky, sweet-tasting meat. Prepared the same as bluegill.
SPOTTED SUNFISH
(Lepomis punctatus)
COMMON NAMES - stumpknocker and bream.
DESCRIPTION - Spotted sunfish tend to be olive-green to brown in color, with black or reddish spots on the base of each scale to form rows of dots on its sides. On some fish there is a red bar in front of many of the black spots, particularly below the lateral line. These bars give the fish a reddish hue. Body shape is thick and ovate, with the length about twice the depth. Some fish have blue on the lower portion of the eye.
SUBSPECIES - Two were previously recognized, but now represent distinct species. The other closely related species is L. miniatus, which is found in Mississippi and in Gulf coast drainages. Intergrades may be found in northwest Florida.
HABITAT - The preferred habitat is slow-moving, heavily vegetated streams and rivers with limestone, sand, or gravel substrates. They are virtually ubiquitous inhabiting large rivers to very small creeks.
SPAWNING HABITS - A nest-building sunfish that tends to be more solitary than some of the other members of the sunfish family. Males are very aggressive and antagonistic toward other fish in its nesting area. The beds are about one foot in diameter and are fanned out by the male, who also stands guard over the eggs and larvae. Concentrations of beds are found where suitable habitat is limited. Spawning takes place from May through November.
FEEDING HABITS - This species is very aggressive and will take almost anything they can attack and catch. They generally feed on the bottom, but sometimes it will rise to the surface to take food. Spotted sunfish will feed on invertebrates, insects and small fishes when they are easy to catch. The bulk of their diet consist of a variety of plants and animals that are usually associated with aquatic vegetation, brush, or rubble.
AGE AND GROWTH - Very little information is available on age and growth. A four year old fish average about six inches long.
SPORTING QUALITIES - Because of its small size the spotted sunfish has limited value to the angler, but it is an active and fiesty panfish. The same methods of fishing discussed for the redbreast sunfish apply for the spotted sunfish. As a sport fish, specific bag and size limit regulations apply.
EATING QUALITIES - The flesh is excellent. Preparation is the same as the redbreast sunfish.
WORLD RECORD - None exists due to its small size.
(Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
COMMON NAMES - speckled perch, specks, papermouth, bachelor perch, calico bass, strawberry bass, or white perch.
DESCRIPTION - The black crappie is a silvery-green to yellowish fish with large dorsal and anal fins of almost identical shape and size. The sides are marked with black blotches which become more intense towards the back. The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins also are marked with rows of dark spots. Crappies have compressed bodies, small heads and arched backs. It has a large mouth with an upper jaw extending under the eye.
SUBSPECIES - There are no recognized subspecies. They are closely related to the white crappie that is found in Alabama and Georgia.
HABITAT - Black crappies thrive in clear, natural lakes and reservoirs with moderate vegetation. They are also found in large slow-moving less turbid rivers, provided the water is not too murky. Crappies prefer water from 70 to 75 degrees but will tolerate water over 80 degrees. It is gregarious and often travels in schools.
SPAWNING HABITS - Spawning occurs from February to April when water temperatures reach 62 to 65 degrees. They nest in colonies. Circular nest are fanned by males over gravel or soft-muddy bottoms and frequently around submerged vegetation in waters from three to eight feet deep. After spawning, males guard the eggs and fry. Females may produce between 11,000 and 188,000 eggs.
FEEDING HABITS - Primary food items are crustaceans, aquatic insects and small fishes. Adults mainly eat small fish, particularly open-water forage fish, like threadfin shad.
AGE AND GROWTH - Sexual maturity is reached in the second or third year.
SPORTING QUALITIES - Black crappies are excellent game fish and are highly regarded by bait fishermen and artificial-lure anglers alike. They are easily caught during prespawning periods when the fish are congregated in large schools. Trolling with small, live minnows or a spinner-fly combination is very productive. They will also strike subsurface flies, small spinners, jigs, and tiny crankbaits. Crappies tend to suspend in midwater, so you may have to experiment to find the right depth. As a sport fish, specific bag and size limit regulations apply.
EATING QUALITIES - Considered to be excellent eating by many anglers. The meat is prepared by rolling in cornmeal or dipping in pancake batter and deep frying, and can also be baked or broiled.
WORLD RECORD - 4 pounds, 8 ounces, caught in Kerr Lake, Virginia, in 1981.