Pumpkinseed fish

[davedave 6]

I recently spoke to an angler who has been fishing a club ticket water that I am considering joining. He was saying how he's got a small number of fish called pumpkin seed fish. I just googled it and sure enough the pictures are of a fish that he described to me.

 

Now i'd never heard of this species, let alone caught one or seen one caught. I'm pretty positive that the waters I am currently fishing don't contain any. Has anybody caught these? Do they grow very big? Are they common? I am assuming that they are non-native, I don't know whether they are fish that are released from aqariums or not but any information would be appreciated

 

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=pumpkin+fish&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.45175338,d.d2k&biw=1242&bih=591&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=uExsUYSkIvTL0AW49YDIDQ#um=1&hl=en&tbm=isch&q=pumpkinseed+fish&spell=1&sa=X&ei=xExsUYb0FsKM0AXWgoHIDQ&ved=0CEwQvwUoAA&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.45175338,d.d2k&fp=2d2acc93fac3b4e7&biw=1242&bih=591

 

 

Thanks,

Dave

[captain cojones 15]

We have them too. Perca del sol they are called here.

Pretty little things.

[Chris Plumb 471]

American species - sunfish. Stocked in a few waters - don't grow very big - there is a British Record listing for them - a couple of drams over 14oz!

 

C.

[Phone 729]

davedave,

 

Well, you don't WANT them as an invasive species. They are quite aggressive for habitat. The will, no doubt, compete with perch. There are half a dozen or more very similar fish. Bluegill, Green Sunfish, are sometimes hard to tell from Pumpkinseed. They are often just called "sunfish". They are easy to catch dinks although I've caught bluegill to a pound or better.

 

Phone

[Steve Walker 941]

Good eating, Phone?

 

I kept some bluegill in a garden pond once, but the winter killed 'em.

[Phone 729]

Steve,

 

Yes, very good eating. Not to fishy, firm white meat. Problem is you need to filet 20 or more for a family meal (4 folks). Perhaps you know, almost everyone has an electric filet knife so it's not as bad as it sounds.

 

Phone

[Steve Walker 941]

Sounds good to me!

[Dales 216]

They are in a few waters, but no one really talks about it. Supposed to be easy to catch with a simple float set up and feeding maggots.

[Andy_1984 275]

davedave,

 

Well, you don't WANT them as an invasive species. They are quite aggressive for habitat. The will, no doubt, compete with perch. There are half a dozen or more very similar fish. Bluegill, Green Sunfish, are sometimes hard to tell from Pumpkinseed. They are often just called "sunfish". They are easy to catch dinks although I've caught bluegill to a pound or better.

 

Phone

 

I have to take a screen shot of that. you slipped up phone, you outed yourself as a dink angler

[Latimeria 60]

Very easy to catch, in the absence of effective predators they become stunted and very numerous. I fished one water where a handful of maggots thrown in the edge resulted in a feeding frenzy. At least one fishery had to remove any coarse stock they wanted and then nuke the site from orbit to get rid of them. They're nest builders, and so are quick and efficient breeders. Lovely little fish, but only in the right place.