ID this fish - warmouth.jpg (1/2)

"J. Miller (Guit_fishN)" wrote in message
.

Either a Warmouth or a Rockbass.
My bet would be on the former from the coloration.

The anal fin spines weren't visible in the picture, but the number of spines
and coloring are the key to identifing this fish.

From:
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/...d/warmouth.htm

WARMOUTH SUNFISH
COMMON NAMES: Warmouth sunfish, Mud bass
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lepomis gulosus

IDENTIFICATION: Warmouth look similar to rock bass and green sunfish
with a thick, oblong body. The mouth is large, with the upper jaw extending
to or beyond the middle of the eye. The coloration is dark olive-brown and
it is mottled with dark brown blotches over the body. In addition, they have
dark colored stripes extending from the eye to the opercle (ear) flap.
Warmouth have only three anal fin spines while rock bass have six.

RANGE AND HABITAT: Warmouth sunfish are native to Ohio, but their
distribution is limited to glaciated streams and lakes in the northeast part
of the state. They are abundant in one of the few natural lakes in Ohio,
Nettle Lake in Williams County, and in the Scioto River drainage in
south-central Ohio. Warmouth prefer weedy lakes, sluggish streams, oxbows,
marshes and ponds. They are a secretive fish seeking cover in rocky banks,
stumps, or weed masses to avoid direct sunlight.

LIFE HISTORY: Warmouth are not colonial spawners like other sunfish
species. However, males do fan out a nest, usually near a rock, stump, clump
of vegetation, or other large object. The male guards the nest until the fry
disperse. During this time the male will chase intruders off with gill
covers spread wide and mouth open, to make himself appear larger. Adults eat
primarily crayfish, aquatic sowbugs, aquatic insect larvae, and small fish.
Warmouth can take four years to reach 6 inches in length.

ADULT SIZE: Adults usually range from 4 to 10 inches in length with
the largest warmouth reported in Ohio measuring 11.2 inches.

FISHING METHODS: Warmouth will bite on both natural and artificial
baits. However, because of their small size and limited distribution in
Ohio, warmouth are seldom sought by anglers.





"Musashi" wrote in message
t...

"J. Miller (Guit_fishN)" wrote in message
.

Either a Warmouth or a Rockbass.
My bet would be on the former from the coloration.

"fganje" wrote in message
...
The anal fin spines weren't visible in the picture, but the number of
spines
and coloring are the key to identifing this fish.


I didn't bother to research it as much as you did.
I merely went by what I remembered from every Rockbass that
I've ever caught in my life (maybe 5 in all, if that) and they all had
a coloration that was strongly bronze/brownish something similar
to a SM Bass.