Sunfish Fishing
in Tennessee for Bluegills, Flier Sunfish, Green Sunfish, Longear
Sunfish, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Redbreast Sunfish, Redear Sunfish,
Rock Bass, Spotted Sunfish, Warmouth, White Bass, Yellow Bass,
Yellow Perch and Other TN Panfish.
One or more species of sunfish populate virtually all warm water
streams, ponds and lakes throughout Tennessee 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 Tennessee
They are everywhere. Choose Boone Lake, Center Hill Lake, Cherokee
Lake, Chickamauga Lake, Dale Hollow Lake, Douglas Lake, Hull Lake,
J Percy Priest Lake, Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, Nickajack Lake,
Norris Lake, Old Hickory Lake, Reelfoot Lake, South Holston Lake,
Tellico Lake, Tims Ford Lake, Watauga Lake and Watts Bar Lake and
you'll find healthy panfish. Ponds, rivers and smaller lakes also
have panfish.
Fall Creek and a private pond each turned out the tieing Tennessee
state record bluegill and the TN state record flier sunfish was
pulled out of Blair Lake. North Cross Creek was home to the TN
state record green sunfish and Dogwood lake served up the Tennessee
state record pumpkinseed sunfish. The state record redbreast sunfish
came out of the Holston River and the state record for redear sunfish
came from a pond. Melton Hill Reservoir and the Hiwassee River
produced a tie for 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 Tennessee bluegill fishing
articles in the articles section.
Crappie are also considered panfish. For details on crappie visit
our crappie
fishing section.
Flier Sunfish
Centrarchus macropterus
World Record: 1.25 lbs
Prefers rivers and weedy lakes with water temperatures from 72
to 85 degrees. The flier sunfish is a favorite for private ponds
and is also commonly called pond flier, millpond flier and round
sunfish. Its diet can include insects and small invertebrates.
Like all sunfish, use worms, crickets, cut bait or salmon eggs
on size 12 hooks. Can be taken on flies and is fun to catch on
ultralight equipment.
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.
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.
Redbreast Sunfish
Lepomis auritus
World Record: 1.7 lbs.
The males are quite colorful with red, orange or yellow breasts
with dark green upper bodies. Females are colored the same but
in drab shades of the same colors. They prefers water temperatures
ranging from 76 to 84 degrees. Redear sunfish are also commonly
called longear bream, redbreasted bream and yellowbreast bream.
Worms, larve, crickets, insects, cut bait and prepared bait all
work well on small hooks and light line.
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.
Tilapia
Oreochromis aurea
World Record: 4.4 lbs
Most tilapias are omnivorous with a preference for soft aquatic
vegetation. They are typically found in warmer waters in the southern
states, both east and west. Prefers water temperatures from 70
degrees and above, and has difficulty surviving water temperatures
below 50 degrees. Tilapia are of similar size and shape to crappie.
Fish for them like you might for bluegills using worms, crickets
and dough balls on a size 12 hook.
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.
Yellow Bass
Morone mississippiensis
World Record: 4.2 lbs
Often referred to as stripers or stripies, the yellow bass is generally
silver or golden on the sides with yellow bellies and dark horizontal
stripes. They are found in most states from the Mississippi River
east and a few western states. The yellow bass prefer water temperatures
ranging from 55 to 67 degrees and remain active in warmer, and
sometimes colder water.They average about half a pound and tend
to run in schools. Use spoons, spinners, or live minnows and experiment
with depth until you find their comfort zone for the day. Light
tackle is ideal.
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 Tennessee
Fishing home page.
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TN Sunfish Fishing - All About Fishing for Bluegill
& Other Panfish in Tennessee. |
