Redear

The term panfish typically summons images of perch or bluegills or crappie. They get the most press, are more widespread, and undoubtedly have greater numbers of avid fans than other smallish fish species. But In-Fisherman has always emphasized the unique nature of each of them, and the challenge of what we sometimes call “other fish.”

Across the U.S. and Canada, 7 sunfish species besides bluegill can be considered small gamefish or panfish: the redear, redbreast, green, longear, and spotted sunfish, plus the pumpkinseed and warmouth. In addition, several other members of the Centrarchid (sunfish family) qualify.

Redear: Though bluegills get far more press, the redear, commonly called “shellcracker,” is king of the sunfish clan in terms of size. The world record, a massive 5-pound 7-ounce specimen, was caught in Santee-Cooper’s Diversion Canal in South Carolina. Six states boast records over 4 pounds and two others are within ounces of that mark.

The species’ native range covers southern East Coast waterways from Virginia to Florida, west to Illinois, Missouri, and Texas. Popular wherever they’re found, stocking has greatly expanded redear distribution out to California, where big ones are common in clear lakes and impoundments. They’re easy to identify, having a bright yellow belly and sides, and a red tab on the gill flap.

The peak of redear popularity likely occurs in Florida, where they thrive in weedy waters rich in lime and calcium, which produce plenty of mollusks and grass shrimp that shellcrackers savor—indeed, the term shellcracker comes from this diet, and they possess powerful pharyngeal teeth in the throat designed to crush shells. They’re also highly prized in Georgia and Alabama and frequently stocked in man-made ponds, along with bluegills and largemouth bass. 

Many anglers key on the redear spawn, when colonies of big fish gather in shallow bays and hard-bottomed flats, once water temperatures approach 70°F. Pole-fishing with live shrimp, redworms, or crickets, either with a float or dabbling vertically, works great when shellcrackers are bedding. Outside the spawn, Beetle Spins, small jigs, and even downsized crankbaits catch lots of fish, as they tend to feed near bottom on a variety of invertebrates. 

Redbreast: Wherever they’re abundant, redbreast sunfish are highly prized, despite their moderate size (a 3/4-pounder is considered a trophy specimen). Look for them in Atlantic Coast drainages from Maine to Florida and west along the Gulf Coast to Texas. The world record is a massive 38-ouncer from Florida’s Sante Fe River.

Though river anglers in New England and Mid-Atlantic states often target them, redbreasts achieve peak popularity in Georgia and South Carolina rivers such as the Satilla, Altamaha, Edisto, and Waccamaw. It’s here that local anglers and fishery managers have fought to reduce numbers of introduced flathead catfish that consume these sunfish. Anglers and fish watchers appreciate redbreasts for their brilliant coloration—a fiery chest with orange, greens, and browns along the flanks. Around spawning time, males become even brighter, a trait common among the sunfish species. Redbreasts are sporty panfish that strike spinners and small topwater lures, and they’re popular with fly anglers.

They spawn slightly later than other common sunfish—mid-April in Florida, June in Mid-Atlantic states, and July in New England. Unlike redear and bluegill, they build solitary nests, usually close to shore and in sandy substrates, often sheltered by a log or stump.

Pumpkinseed: This colorful species is common throughout the Atlantic Coastal region from Nova Scotia to central Georgia, ranging west into southern Canada, and through the Midwest to southern Illinois. Introduction has brought them to the Northwest and western states. Like the redear, they favor shelled invertebrates and have the dentures to crush them.

Wherever they’re found, pumpkinseeds favor shallow to middepth weedy flats and river backwaters. Though their diet is mostly ­invertebrates, they take small minnows along with any rig fished for other sunfish species. They rarely exceed a pound (the world record is 1 pound 6 ounces), but pumpkinseeds often grow faster than bluegills and quickly reach “eater size” of at least 6 inches.

Their aggressive nature, abundance, and good average size make them loads of fun. And “punks” are every bit as tasty as bluegills. Like bluegills, they move to spawning areas when water temperatures reach 68° to 70°F. Spawning colonies aren’t nearly as dense as those of bluegills, and some fish even build solitary nests within vegetation on harder bottom. In northern waters, they frequently hybridize with bluegill, producing fish that remarkably intermediate between the two species.

Green Sunfish: Though widespread in distribution, greenies are not as highly prized as some other sunfish species. Perhaps their penchant for living in waters of marginal quality impairs their reputation, since their aggressive nature, capacious mouth, and rather large size (occasionally over a pound) make for fun fishing. And edibility matches that of related species, unless waters are especially muddy or algae-ridden.

Greens sometimes hybridize with bluegills, redear, and pumpkinseeds in nature, producing large, brilliantly colored offspring. Hatcheries in the Southeast cultivate hybrids of the bluegill and greenie for stocking and these crosses can attain 3 pounds. Greens are aggressive and hit all types of livebait and small lures fished near the bottom.

Warmouth: Warmouth are most common in swampy lowland waterways of the Southeast, though they’re found as far west as New Mexico and north to Lake Erie and southeastern Minnesota. In the heart of their native range they reach large size, and the world record is 2 pounds 7 ounces from Florida. It’s sometimes called a “stumpknocker,” allegedly for bumping woody debris to dislodge aquatic invertebrates, though this name also is used for spotted sunfish. As with other sunfish, stocking trucks have brought them west of the Rockies where they’re mostly ignored.

Warmouth tend to hole up around stumps and shallow brushpiles, often in groups. In tannic waters where they’re common, they turn very dark, with some blotching along the sides. In clearer systems, they carry more tan between dark bars. Lowering a worm or cricket often results in a tug and hookup. In open areas and old ponds that warmouth occasionally invade, ultralight artificials work well, too.