Fish ID?

[Reel Class]

A buddy of mine caught this thing in a lake in N Jersey this evening. It was 9" long, and put up one helluva fight on ultra light gear and the mouth was big enough to fit what looks like a 3/0 in it :eek:

To me, it looks like a cross between a pumpkinseed sunny, LM bass, and a rockbass, but who knows what it could be? I also though maybe a cichlid of some sort on steroids?

Can anybody ID this thing?

[AndyS]

Chaenobryttus gulosus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warmouth

[Lard Almighty]

I'm pretty sure that's a green sunfish. The turquoise on the gill plate is a dead giveaway.

[Jerseydix]

looks like a Largemouth Bluegill. :)

[flyboy1]

That is a 100% no doubt completely absolutely positvely........ Green Sunfish:cool: its often confused as a warmouth.... but its a green sunfish....

[Reel Class]

I think the winner is green sunfish. Thanks guys!

[Tony Cav]

War Mouth

[Sigma1073]

Did some searching and I would have to say green sunfish.

Warmouth - http://cnre.vt.edu/efish/families/warmouth.html

Green Sunfish -http://cnre.vt.edu/efish/families/greensun.html

[Skunk City]

Green Sunfish. Caught a bunch last year at Pompton Lake. Aggressive little f*ckers too, would hit 5" senkos all day long. Here's a few pictures...
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/QuikSilverSRT4/2011-05-12_093340-1.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/QuikSilverSRT4/IMG_20110604_124224.jpg

[acabtp]

it's a green sunfish, which is an invasive species in NJ. do not release them alive.
you should also contact NJDEP biologist for your region. page 40 of the regs:
The most effective way to succeed in containing aquatic invasive
species is to report each encounter. Anglers are reminded that possession
or release of flathead catfish, snakehead, Asian swamp eel, brook
stickleback, oriental weatherfish, green sunfish and warmouth, bighead
carp, silver carp and grass carp (diploid) is prohibited. Anglers must
destroy these species if encountered and submit specimen(s) to the
Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries at (908) 236-2118 for north Jersey and
at (856) 629-4950 for south Jersey.

[rutgersfan1]

skunk...how is that fish in your top photo not a bluegill ?

[Skunk City]

http://www.anglersfishinginfo.com/articles/fishident/sunfish.htm

Check out that link, should help ya a little. After landing one for the first time last year, I posted on here thinking it was a Rock Bass. Some knowledgeable regulars told me otherwise.

[rutgersfan1]

I dunno...I don't think your link is the best representation of a blue gill. Your two fish have completely different coloration.

[Wilson]

They make good Snakehead bait:eek:

[steve392]

it's a green sunfish, which is an invasive species in NJ. do not release them alive.
you should also contact NJDEP biologist for your region. page 40 of the regs:

wow, would've never thought sunfish were no good. They are or were tons of them in Indian Lake in Little Ferry. Used to catch themall the time by the dock with a piece of corn or bread packed on a hook as a kid.

[acabtp]

wow, would've never thought sunfish were no good. They are or were tons of them in Indian Lake in Little Ferry. Used to catch themall the time by the dock with a piece of corn or bread packed on a hook as a kid.
only green sunfish and warmouth are no good. bluegills, pumpkinseeds, redbreasts or most of the other sunfish that you probably caught as a kid are fine.

[steve392]

ooh ok. I just looked up the green sunfish and bluegill and man they are pretty easy to confuse. I just called them sunnies when fishing as a kid.

[NJ219bands]

I caught 4 warmouth and 2 green sunfish in Central NJ this year and sent pics to NJ Invasive species biologist Shawn Crouse at Shawn.Crouse@earthlink.net. I'll try to attach a pic of each species.

[NJ219bands]

First pic is warmouth and second pic is green sunfish.

[anthrax2244]

Good eye NJ219...The Green Brook, which is a tributary of the Raritan River is loaded with green sunfish. I used to catch them back in my middle-school/early high-school days (around 15 years ago). My friend and I used start in Green Brook (Sebrings Mills/Green Brook Rd bridge) and end up in Middlesex under the route 28 bridge. Carp, smallmouth, largemouth, shiners, chubs, sunnies of all kinds. We caught more green sunfish than anything else, I would say 50+ per person per trip. So I would imagine the Raritan is loaded as well...Good luck eradicating them

[Reel Class]

...take a picture, and bring the wood chipper - I will pass on the info. :D