Similarities And Differences Among New York's Sunfish

Similiarities and differences among New York's sunfish species
Description	Habitat	Reproduction	Feeding	Fishing Information	Comments
Bluegill
4-1 0" long Flat, deep body shape Green to brown with sides of orange or pink with vertical bars. Metallic blue/green shades on sides of head Large, square-shaped, blue/black gill flap and dark blotch at back of soft-rayed portion of dorsal fin 3 spines on anal fin	Slow moving or standing water with plenty of vegetation or other shelter	Spawns May to July Male builds nest close to shore in firm sand or mud in 2 ½' of water Nests are very close together in colonies Male guards eggs and young Some males have been known to raise 2-3 broods in one season	Eats mostly insects and crustaceans, but also consumes plant material	Will easily bite any bait or small lure dropped in the water Fish in shallow water near weeds and use live bait, bugs and small spinners and poppers	Similar in appearance to pumpkinseeds Frequently stocked in farm ponds and other impoundments
Pumpkinseed
4-8" long Flat, deep body shape Golden brown to olive with red/ orange belly and wavy blue/ green lines. Emerald or blue streaks on sides of head. Rear of gill flap has pale margin around bright red spot. No dark blotch at back of soft-rayed portion of dorsal fin; 3 spines on anal fin Long, pointed pectoral fins	Wide range of habitats: small lakes and ponds; shallow weedy bays of larger lakes; and quiet waters of slow-moving streams	Spawns May to August Male builds nest close to shore in areas of submerged vegetation in 6-12" of water Nests are close together in colonies Male guards eggs and young	Eats mostly insects, crustaceans and small fish	Will strike just about any bait and small lure Fish in shallow water in sheltered areas with live bait and small spinners	Most abundant and widespread sunfish in New York State A favorite of small children Similar in appearance to bluegills
Redbreast
4-8" long Flat, deep body shape Golden brown to olive with yellow/ orange-red belly and reddish spots and blue streaks on sides Long, narrow, black gill flap 3 spines on anal fin Small, rounded pectoral fins	Prefers clear, slower moving streams with sandy and rocky bottoms Also occurs in lakes and ponds	Spawns early June to mid-August Male builds nest close to shore in 6-18" of water Nests are close together in colonies Male guards eggs and young	Eats mostly insects and crustaceans plus some small fish	Not widely available to New York anglers Use live bait in shallow water near weeds	Confined to eastern portion of New York State Similar in appearance to pumpkinseed
Smallmouth Bass
8-15" long Elongate, robust body shape Greenish bronze to brown with 81 1 vertical dark bars on sides Upper jaw does not reach beyond rear edge of eye 3 spines on anal fin	Cool, clear waters of lakes and flowing streams with gravel or rocky bottom and moderate vegetation	Spawns late May to early June Male builds nest in sandy, gravel or rocky areas near cover of rocks, logs or dense vegetation Nests are many feet apart Male guards eggs and young	Eats primarily fish, crayfish and insects Peak feeding time-early morning and evening	Popular sportfish famous for its fighting ability Still fish near rocks, shoals or other structure with crayfish, minnows or frogs or cast live bait, spinners and plugs	One of New York's most important gamefish Similar in appearance to largemouths
Largemouth Bass
8-17" long Elongate, robust body shape Dark green with a pronounced dark horizontal stripe on sides Upper law extends well beyond rear edge of eye 3 spines on anal fin	Warm, shallow, well-vegetated areas of lakes, ponds and sluggish streams	Spawns late May to early June Male builds nest adjacent to protective cover in a variety of bottom types Nests are far apart (up to 30 ft.) Male guards eggs and young	Eats primarily fish, but also eats crayfish, frogs and other animals such as mice Hides in dense vegetation and ambushes prey	Popular sportfish Still fish or cast in weedy, stumpy areas using live bait or a wide variety of lures including plastic worms and surface plugs A challenge to land because they are often found in dense vegetation	Another of New York's most important gamefish The largest member of the sunfish family
Rock Bass
6-10" long Flat, deep body shape Brownish with several dark bars or blotches on sides. Have bright red eyes 5 spines on anal fin	Lakes and ponds in rocky and gravelly, shallow water areas and the lower, warm reaches of streams Very abundant in most large rivers	Spawns mid-May to mid-June Male builds nest in variety of bottom types: gravel, mud and in vegetation Nests are well separated Male guards eggs and young	Eats mostly aquatic insects, crayfish and small fish	Popular panfish Fish along rocky areas and weeds and use live bait, small spinners, plugs and poppers	Often occur in same areas as smallmouth bass
Black Crappie
8-12" long Flat, diamond shape body Dark green to golden brown with mottled patches of dark scales 5 spines on anal fin	Clear, quiet waters of lakes, ponds and larger rivers with abundant vegetation	Spawns May to June Male builds nest in 10-24" of water in gravel areas with some vegetation Nests are kept 5-6' apart Males guards eggs and young	Eats small fish and insects	Popular panfish Fish along rocky areas and in shallow coves with minnows, worms and spinners Best fishing is just before sunset	Uncommon in the Adirondacks