Pictured is a Rock Bass. Very similar to an Ozark Bass. I have fished in many Ozark streams. The West Fork, Middle Fork, White River, Richland Creek, War Eagle, just to mention a few - was that a few?? Heck, I even fished that creek which flows under the I-540 bridge near the Target store and next to restaurant row. If that's not urban fishing, I don't know what is.
I have seen many different species of sunfish. I have also seen many different cross breeds. Cream colored bream with "Red-Eye" Stump Knocker markings. Or Pumpkinseed mixed with Warm Mouth. I guess you could name them; Redeye, Goggle-eye, Red-eyed Bream, Stump Knocker, Mudgapper, Mo-mouth, Morgan, Molly, Rock Bass, Open Mouth, Weed Bass, Wood Bass, Strawberry perch, Mud Bass, and Warmouth Bass.
Whatever - just as long as they fit in the pan. The most beautiful sunfish of all, is what I truly consider to be the Ozark Bass. Cream colored body with black gills with red tips. A large mouths and belly. Heftier than most sunfish.
I caught a few this year and last. The most consisting day I had was when my father and I went out to Lake Elmdale. We landed many of these wonderful cream colored creatures. Some had mouths large enough to take deer hair flies. The Middle Fork of the White River (below Lake Sequoyah) is a pretty good place to find them. I used to drift Elk Hair Caddis to land these puppies on a 3 wgt. rod. I took my father to the stream and blew him away. lol. Large Pumpkin Seed "gills were prevalent under rock ledges when using a Montana Nymph.
I have landed so many sunfish that I think of myself as a Panfish Pro. If I could only be a Bass Pro. Sniff, Sniff.
What is the name of the perch that looks like a ball of fire when you first pull it from the water. I have caught numbers of those here in Alabmaa and I just always refered to it as the sun perch. I really don't know if this is what it is called, but it is one colorful fish.
ReplyDeleteI think they may be Pumpkinseed sunfish or maybe just sunfish in general.
ReplyDelete