Large Sunnies Caught (PICS)

[carlcmc]

Fishing with Father in law in some farm ponds. Caught these large sunnies. What are they exactly do you think?

[The Grebe]

I think they are those exotics, "Tulipia'!
Just kidding, I wonder if these are the things that are called "Warmouths" or maybe hybreds between a Warmouth and a Green Sunfish?

[2dalake]

That's a good question. I always look for the corner of the mouth to decide if it's a large or small mouthed species. Yours looked in between so I searched for hybred photos and found this image:

http://www.thejump.net/id/hybrid-sunfish.htm

It looks pretty close to me, but who knows for sure. What kind of panfish live in the pond?

[ricqik]

Hybrids are hard to tell apart. I say it is a bluegill-green hybrid.

[2dalake]

I agree. A warmouth is longer, not as "plate shaped" and I would think a warmouth would add more blue to the color. It's definately a bluegill cross though.

Nice size to them too. How many inches long?

[carlcmc]

thanks for the replies. i unfortunately didn't measure as i had left my tape at home. did take the pics at least. the were significantly larger than my hand...

[CrappieMagnet]

All pics are of big Bullgills...er Bluegills

Note the all-black ear flap...definately a Bluegill...and to the owner of these fine fish..Congrats!
They look to be 10.0 to 11-inch Bluegills!
Nice BullGills!

CM

[This message has been edited by CrappieMagnet (edited 07-13-2004).]

[The Grebe]

Those are some pretty hefty dudes! I'd have to say they were a cross between a Green Sunfish and a mud turtle!

[2dalake]

Hm. I think the mouth is too big for a straight gill, and I've never seen a gill with that lighter colored trim on the fins and tail, but I suppose they all fillet the same anyway.

[ricqik]

It's definately not a pure bluegill because the lower gill isn't blue like a bluegill, and it has the wormlike blue markings running along the gill cover like the green along with the tipped fin colors. The ear flap is dried and you can tell the edges of the earflap folded back which should've been a grayish orange color to it and definately the mouth is larger than a bluegill.

But anyways, nice catches.