Sunfish Fishing
in Ohio for Bluegills, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Longear
Sunfish, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Redear Sunfish, Rock Bass, Spotted
Sunfish, Warmouth, White Bass, White Perch, Yellow Perch and
Other OH Panfish.
One or more species of sunfish populate virtually all warm water
streams, ponds and lakes throughout Ohio and around the world
for that matter. They can survive in waters that provide their
natural food source of minnows, crustaceans, insects and worms.
Their competitive nature amongst themselves for food, makes them
relatively easy to catch.
Sunfish Lakes In Ohio
Ohio waters are loaded with sunfish and an array of panfish. Ponds,
creeks, rivers, parks and most fishing water in the state. They
are plentiful in some of the larger impoundments including Alum
Creek Lake, Atwood Lake, Berlin Lake, Buck Creek Lake, Buckeye
Lake,
Caesar
Creek
Lake,
Charles
Mill
Lake,
Clendening
Reservoir,
Cowan Lake, East Fork Lake, Grand Lake St Marys, Hoover Reservoir,
Indian Lake, Lake Erie, Lake Milton, Meander Creek Reservoir, Mosquito
Lake,
Piedmont Reservoir, Pymatuning Lake, Rocky Fork Lake, Salt Fork
Lake, Seneca Lake, Tappan Reservoir and West Branch Lake.
Salt Fork Reservoir produced the Ohio state record bluegill.
The OH state record green sunfish, redear sunfish, hybrid
sunfish and pumpkinseed sunfish all came
out of private ponds. The state white perch record fish was pulled
from Green Creek and Lake Erie posted the state record yellow perch.
Panfish are prolific spawners and repopulate the waters as fast
as they are harvested. A common problem with panfish fishing is
that the waters are under-fished causing panfish to overpopulate.
As a result they tend to stay small in size due to lack of food
source.
The list of panfish is comprised of many fishes each called by
a variety of names. The bluegill tops the list and is the most common.
Bluegill
Lepomis macrochirus
Other local jargon names for the bluegill include common yellow
perch, sunfish, red-breasted bream, red-spotted sunfish, long-eared
sunfish, white bass as well as a host of variations and cross breeds.
These fish tend to run in schools and congregate near their food
supply. Panfish can be found in depths of 35 feet or more but are
more commonly found in one to ten feet depths depending on time
of day and weather conditions.
Check for Ohio bluegill fishing
articles in the articles section.
Crappie are also considered panfish. For details on crappie visit
our crappie
fishing section.
Green Sunfish
Lepomis cyanellus
World Record: 2.1 lbs.
A favorite for private and farm ponds, the green sunfish is native
to lakes and ponds and prefers heavily vegitated areas. Their diet
consists of small invertebrates, insects and larve. Use light line,
size 12 hooks and worms, crickets or cut bait. They tend to run
in schools so competition for food can make them easy prey for
anglers. Prefers water temperatures from 70 to 80 degrees. Also
known as a rock bass or goggle-eye.
Hybrid Sunfish
These hybrids are a cross between bluegills and other sunfish including
green sunfish, redear sunfish, redbreast sunfish and others.
A high percentage of the hybrids are male which limits the reproductive
process. They prefer warm water 70 to 78 degrees and do quite
well in private ponds and small lakes. They prefer areas with
heavy vegitation and cover. Fish for them on light tackle with
small hooks using worms, insects, prepared bait and cut bait.
Longear Sunfish
Lepomis megalotis
World Record: 1.75 lbs.
Anglers love the longear sunfish for several reasons. They feed
on the surface making them vulnerable to fly fishermen, they are
easy for kids to catch on worms or cut baits and they make great
bait for larger predator fish. The longear sunfis prefers water
temperatures from 75 to 80 degreesand is sometimes called red-belly
bream, red perch, blackear and red bream. Use ultralight tackle,
they'll eat just about anything edible.
Pumpkinseed Sunfish
Lepomis gibbosus
World Record: 1.4 lbs
Shaped like a pumpkin seed and often has body coloring similar
to a pumpkin color, their favorite habitat is weed-covered lake
bottoms in clear water. They prefer water temperatures from 75
to 82 degrees. Also known as punky or common sunfish. Fish for
them on light tackle with small hooks using worms, insects, prepared
bait and cut bait.
Redear Sunfish
Lepomis microlophus
World Record: 5.4 lbs.
The redear sunfish can be found throughout the warmer states and
grows larger than most sunfish. It is typically yellowish on the
sides, white on the belly and dark green or brown on the top side.
The red stripe alomg the edge of the ear (opercle) is the distinguishing
mark for males, and it is orange on females.
Prefers water temperatures from 70 to 80 degrees. Also known as
stumpknocker and shellcracker. The usual sunfish baits like worms
and grubs work well on light line with small hooks. Rarely doe
the redear sunfish rise to take flies and baits off the surface.
Rock Bass
Ambloplites rupestris
World Record: 3.0 lbs.
Native to the eastern half of the USA, the rock bass is good eating
and fun to catch on light tackle or a fly rod. You can find rock
bass in streams and rivers where they prefer clear water eith rocky
bottom and vegetation. They feed primarily on smaller fish, insects,
and crustaceans. Worms, grubs and cut bait work well. The rock
bass, aka goggle-eye, green sunfish and sometimes branch perch,
prefers water temperatures from 64 to 72 degrees.
Spotted Sunfish
Lepomis punctatus
Green on the top and often reddish to brown on the lower sides,
they have a dark or black ear covering which looks like a black
spot. The spotted sunfish naturally inhabits streams, creeks and
rivers. They prefer areas with gravel or sand and plenty of vegetation.
Their favorite foods include invertebrates, insects and small fishes
but will feed on virtually anything edible including plants. They
will also rise to feed on the sirface. The spotted sunfish prefers
water temperatures from 70 to 89 degrees. They are small but quite
good eating. Fish for them with ultra-light tackle using virtually
anything edible as bait on very small hooks.
Warmouth
Lepomis gulosus
World Record: 2.4 lbs
The warmouth sunfish has a larger mouth than most sunfish and can
eat larger prey. It is rather golden in color overall, darker greenish
on the top side and kighter on the underside, with mottled spotting
similar to a crappie. Adult warmouths feed on insects, mollusks,
minnows and small fish. They prefer snady bottoms of quiet areas
in creeks, streams and rivers and look for heavy vegitation for
cover. The warmouth prefers water temperatures from 78 to 86 degrees.
It is also known as goggle-eye, stumpknocker, mudgapper and warmouth
bass. Fin to catch on ultralight tackle and quite a fight when
you hook a fat little two-pounder.
White Bass
Morone chrysops
World Record: 6.8 lbs.
The white bass has silver sides with horizontal dark stripes and
is often called sand bass, stripes, barfish and silver bass. They
are a good fighter, fun to catch and they tend to run in schools.
Often big schools of several hundred or more. Their primary diet
is bait fish and other smaller fish but they also eat worms and
insects. Fish for the white bass on light tackle with jigs, spoons,
minnow-imitation lures and live bait including worms and minnows.
White bass often school deep, particularly in summer and winter
- moving shallower in spring and fall. Their prefered water temperature
range is from 63 to 76 degrees.
White Perch
Morone americana
USA Record: 4.6 lbs
The white perch is named for its color which ig generally white
or silver with shades of adaptive color from its environment to
help it hide from predators. They are a good tasting fish and are
even fished commercially. They are quite prolific and can be considered
a nuisance in some waters. They prefer water temperatures from
62 to 70 degrees. Also known as perch, silver perch, perch and
grey perch. White perch make a great fish fry with nice filets
coming from ones approaching a pound. Use light tackle to fish
for white perch. For bait, use worms, minnows, jigs, spoons and
small lures imitating baitfish.
Yellow Perch
Perca flavescens
USA Record: 3.75 lbs
Possibly the best tasting of all the panfish, yellow perch are
a favorite for fish frys. They are generally yellow, to gold, to
brown in color and most often lighter shades of these colors. Dark
vertical bands decorate their sides. They average about a third
of a pound and 6 inches long, many larger ones are often caught
as well. They are often mis-named as perch, rock perch and many
others. Their primary diet consists of minnows and other small
fish, onsects and worms. Yellow perch prefer water temperatures
from 66 to 70 degrees but remain active in temperatures outside
this range. They are fun to catch on ultralight tackle and can
be caught year round. They are a favorite of many ice fishing enthusiasts.
Use worms, minnows, small jigs. spinners or cut bait.
For general information on local fishing visit the
Ohio
Fishing home page.
If you have information, articles or photos relating to panfish
which you would like to see published here, please submit them
for
consideration. We will gladly give you credit for your contribution.
If you offer fishing guide services for Panfish in Ohio we would
like to include you as a resource for our visitors. We offer a complimentary
listing for your guide service on our Ohio
Fishing Guides page or you can see other options to promote
your panfish fishing guide services in Ohio by visiting our Advertising
opportunities section.
How to submit Ohio fishing
articles.
OH Sunfish Fishing - All About Fishing for Bluegill
& Other Panfish in Ohio. |
