What Kind of SunFish is this?!?!?

[Joe_Valencic]

@EdD

There are a lot of purple-tinted 'gills around here. Males will have red or orange bellies (not to be confused with red-breasted sunfish) and females with have yellow bellies. Hence bluegills are sometimes called “yellow perch” locally.

I wondered where that “yellow perch” misnomer came from. This is a yellow perch caught by yours truly:

Sorry, didn’t mean to highjack the thread, just wanted to make that point.

Joe

[EdD]

Joe, that’s an actual, proper yellow perch. But you already knew that.

Ed

[mashtom]

Here is a pic of a very colorful lot.

[Bluegill222]

What a gorgeous batch of longears!! Great picture.

[drolfson]

Sweet picture mashtom!!!

You can hijack a thread with a photo like that ANYTIME you want!! Very beautiful mess of fish. I like seeing the different colors and shades that the fish show. Really nice! Looks like a really fun morning at the water.

I need to get out and do that more than I do.

[tonysav]

Bluegill family

[Big_Dave]

I am from upstate SC. Most of the time there is no point in trying to identify those sunny hybrids. I would identenify that fish as some cute crazy bream. Then I might try to figure out how to catch more that size.

[Gigmaster]

A Pumpkinseed on steroids?

[FishinsMyLife317]

@Big_Dave

I am from upstate SC. Most of the time there is no point in trying to identify those sunny hybrids. I would identenify that fish as some cute crazy bream. Then I might try to figure out how to catch more that size.

I hear you. In one pond, it’s just about all bluegills, but in the creeks and other ponds, the hybrids are everywhere so they’re all just bream to me.