Redbreast Sunfish - Ya Gotta Love 'Em

[Fishidiot]

During the warmer months of the year I really like to chase warm water fishes, smallies in particular, but rock bass and sunfish are favorites too. In particular, redbreast sunfish are a favorite as they've saved a few days when the bass wouldn't cooperate. In many smaller, warm water streams they're the most prevalent fish worth targeting with a fly rod. On the downside, RB's seem to me to be a bit less inclined to surface feed than bluegills but this is more than made up for by their aggressive nature. RB's love a big, buggy nymph - I prefer a rubber legged version with marabou in a bit smaller sizes than I'd use for bass (keep the fly to about an inch in total length, any smaller and you'll hook too many dinks). Try fishing the nymph, dead drift with an occasional twitch, under a strike indicator over cobble rock with some current. RBs like current and are often found in with smallmouths feeding on hellgrammites, crayfish, and minnows. RBs top out at about 8 inches but a fish this size will have some shoulders and will fight much harder than a rock bass or bluegill and can put a dent in a 7WT rod! Once water temps drop below about 65 degrees I've found river RBs to be much less aggressive and I don't get a lot of 'em when fishing smallies in the late fall period - they're much more reliable in the summer. If you just want to get out with a fly rod in the next month or so and don't have time to travel far, explore a local warm water creek, or trout stream, and fish for RB sunfish. Take your kids, or a dog that loves water, and you're almost guaranteed a good time. Redbreast sunfish are a blast.

 

[3wt7X]

Dave,
I totally agree, a rebreast sunfish is a great gamefish. Before I started fly fishing, I used to catch them back home in Ohio at Mogadore reservoir. They were very agressive and hard fighting like most other sunfish. My grandfather introduced them to me as shellcrackers, but it was definately the same fish. I have taken several nice sunfish on the Potomac this year, but never targeted them. Nice post and great picture of the Benny the "Buoy."

 

[PSUFishMenace]

I absolutely love fighting 7-9"ers with my 5 wt, best is when you get them cast after cast after cast...

Have you ever noticed the teeth on those guys? pretty impressive for a panfish.

 

[Streamer]

Fishidiot.. Love the pose w/Benny!

 

[Fredrick]

Dave any deeper and bennie going to need some swimmies :-D

 

[Rkey530]

These are great fish I love catching them and have had many relaxing days on my boats just catching them. I prefer a 4 wt with 7 x tippet because it makes it more fun. I am just about to finish building a 9'-3wt rod that i'm hoping will be the perfect boat rod for panfish. I'll post some pics.

 

[tomgamber]

Imagine hooking into this..

 

[Acristickid]

Dave I am much more impressed with the dog. hehe

 

[flipnfly]

i caught a sunfish that couldnt fit in a minnow bucket you know the ones with the lyellow lid back when i was a kid it was out of a farm pond on a roostertail

 

[ratgunner]

Heres a fat little panfish... :-D

 

[Fishidiot]

ratgunner,
Welcome to the PAFF forum. That's a neat sunny yuh got there. I'm not sure what species - looks like a red-ear but I'm not sure. Anyway, it's good to see a fellow sunfish fella.

All these trout snobs yuh know.

 

[ratgunner]

Thanks.I love 'em all.Smallmouth bass in streams/rivers are my favorite.The panfish I catch are so different I don't know what they are,I'm guessing hybrids.

 

[beadhead2]

They are pobably illegal immigrants lol

 

[ratgunner]

Yep,probably illegals.Could be just results of interacial fornication too.... ;-)

 

[1wt]

Sunfish are my number one fish to catch on a flyrod. When the trout and smallmouth slow down in the summer, the sunfish are "thick as thieves"
I just got back on photobucket!! I think that I had my URL's messed up for a while!​

 

[ratgunner]

Wow thats a nice gill.Huge photo too.