All About Sunfish
If I had to name the most fished fish amongst anglers I would have to say the Sunfish. The Sunfish can be easy to catch for the inexperienced angler or, if you are after the big ones, they can challenge even the most seasoned fisherman. One other thing, the Sunfish tastes so good.
Some anglers know the Sunfish by other names such as crappies, blue gill, black bass and pumpkinseeds. A true bred Sunfish is usually way too small for anglers to bother with. It is for this reason that they are cross bred with other species to make them rather more interesting.
Spawning, as with many fish, takes place in the spring when the water temperature is around 60 to 70 degrees. Sunfish generally build their nests in close proximity to each other so as to construct a breeding colony. Once the male has built the nest, preferably, on gravel or sand in water depths from 6 inches down to 3 feet, the female deposits somewhere in the order of 200,000 eggs, then her work is done. It is the male's responsibility to guard the nest and eventual fry. The male Sunfish is extremely aggressive in his efforts to keep away any intruders that happen by his nest including your bait, of course.
Spawning, however, does not only happen in the springtime, it can take place any number of times during the summer months and generally when there is a full moon. Sunfish like to eat insects, crustaceans, snails and other small fish. They mainly use visual and smell senses to hunt their prey.
Due to the Sunfishes offspring success rate they do tend to over inhabit their home waters and for this reason fish sizes tend to stay small. Having said that there can be some big ones. There is documented evidence of a blue gill weighing in at 4 Lbs 12 ounces. This record fish was landed from Ketona Lake, Alabama in 1950. Also a 5 Lbs 7 ounce Redear recorded in South Carolina in 1988.
In summary, the Sunfish is a versatile and fun fish to catch for fisherman from all walks of life. The fact that they are good to eat too is an added bonus to any days fishing.
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