Fish id needed

[Anthony AkA THE BRIM REAPER]

Are Warmouths, rockbass And goggleeyes the same fish

[John Sheehan]

no........Warmouths are different but I believe goggle eyes and rockbass...also called redeyes are the same fish...why you got photos of fish ?

[Anthony AkA THE BRIM REAPER]

No just looking at pics on here and saw some war mouth and rock bass that look very similar

[jeffery gibson]

i believe goggle eye and warmouth are the same but the rock bass are the old school spotter bass

[Rob Garner]

Warmouths are not the same as rock bass.They are usually much smaller than rock bass.Look at the "strange fish" I think one of the last pictures there is warmouth.I used to work with some guys from Missouri that was the first time I heard the term goggle eyes.It took me awhile to figure out what he was talking about but if I am right it was just their name for rock bass.Kinda fits too when you look at a rock bass it becomes pretty self explanatory.

[bluegillboogieman]

Hey Brim Reaper
Here is what the Florida Dept of Conservation says about Warmouths. I've caught quite a few in my area, usually around stumps and logs. I've also heard of them as stumpknockers because they supposedly head butt stumps to dislodge possible food. They usually aren't as big as the Bluegill in the same waters but they fight good and hit hard. The purple tint in the official description is something I have noticed on the ones I've caught. I don't have a clue about Rockbass. Must be a northern fish.


Warmouth
(Chaenobryttus gulosus)


Common Names - warmouth bass, warmouth perch, goggle-eye, redeye and goggle-eyed perch.


Description - The warmouth closely resembles a bass or a bream. It has a stout, deep body similar to that of a bluegill or redear sunfish, yet has a large bass-like mouth. The red eye and large mouth are the first conspicuous field marks of mature warmouth. They vary from brassy to dark-olive green and often have a purple tint overall. Broad, irregular dark bars give it a mottled appearance. The soft-rayed portions of the dorsal and anal fins are marked with rows of dark spots. Three or four conspicuous dark stripes radiate back from the eye across to the cheek and gill cover.


Subspecies - There are no recognized subspecies. However, warmouths readily hybridize with other members of the sunfish family.


Range - Found throughout Florida.


Habitat - Warmouths inhabit swamps, marshes, shallow lakes, slow-moving streams and canals with soft, muddy bottoms. They prefer to stay around aquatic vegetation, stumps, and snags and under the banks of streams and ponds. They have more tolerance for muddy water than most species.


Spawning Habits - Warmouths are solitary nesters that prefer to build their nest adjacent to some submerged object. Nests are found over a wide range of water depths. They often spawn more than once a year usually between April and August. Females may produce 3,000 to 23,000 eggs.


Feeding Habits - Warmouths are carnivorous. Crayfish, shrimp, insects and small fishes make up the bulk of its diet. Most of its feeding is done in the morning, as it seems to sleep at night.


Age and Growth - Warmouths are capable of living up to eight years and may reach a length of 12 inches and a weight of approximately one pound.


Sporting Qualities - The warmouth is one of the more easily caught sunfish by anglers using cane poles and natural baits, spinning tackle with small topwater lures and shallow-running spinners. They strike hard, frequently breaking the surface of the water. The best place to catch warmouths is shallow water around trees, stumps, or vegetation. As a sport fish, specific bag and size limit regulations apply, and you can register a qualifying catch as part of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's "Big Catch" program.


Eating Quality - The warmouth are good to eat when caught from clean water. Like other panfish they are relatively small and bony. The flesh is usually prepared by deep-frying after rolling it in seasoned cornmeal.


State and World Records - 2 pounds, 7 ounces, caught in Guess Lake (Yellow River), Florida, in 1985

[John Sheehan]

Interesting !!Being from New Jersey I dont have the same description of a Warmouth! I only recall catching one about 20 years ago and I dont have a photo so maybe I got it wrong. It was caught on a Bill Norman 1/4 oz crankbait in the Tennessee Shad pattern.Th thing that impresses me is after seeing the photos I could almost swear the Warmouth I caught looked more like a Red Breasted Sunfish with a Crappie sized mouth .
Perhaps it was a hybrid.
As to Sporting qualities up here in New Jersey...they sure arent easy to catch 'cause they are rare.Most fisherman up here haven't even heard of them let alone caught one .

[Anthony AkA THE BRIM REAPER]

Thanks Guys

[Anthony AkA THE BRIM REAPER]

these are what ive come up with ones a bluegill on mistake

[John Sheehan]

1)Warmouth
2)Rock Bass
#)Female Blue Gill is what I see these three fish as.I'm a Jersey Man all my life and thats what we call them.

[John Sikkila]

I thought they were pretty much the same myself but I see they certainly are different...After doing dome checking,I see the coloration is different and the anal spines are different in number...the rockbass has 6 spinal fins and the warmouth has 3 or so (according to the fish biology people)......here's a rockbass that I"thought" was a warmouth......6 spines on the anal fin here...it's a rockbass from what I see......

[Bob Davis]

Plenty of rock bass in the Wisconsin waters and especially in Rock Lake. (Wonder if that's how it got it's name??) Anyway, a guy from down in Arkansas who now lives up here was the first guy I ever heard call them goggle-eye. I've also heard folks call them "baby grouper" because they kinda look like ocean groupers but obviously much smaller. One distint trait they have is when you grab them around the gurth like you would a bluegill or sunfish; they go into an almost paralyzing quiver as if they are going into shock opening their mouths and allowing you to remove the hook very easily. I've never seen any other fish do that when being handled. Warmouths???? Never heard of em'. Bob

[James Feasel]

Here in IN the names rockbass and goggle eye are interchangable. The easiest way to tell the difference is to count anal fin spines. The rockbass has 5 or 6 and the warmouth has 3. Rockbass are more commonly found in smallmouth or spotted bass creeks and rivers. Warmouth are more common in ponds, lakes and reservoirs. The warmouth can be quite aggressive and will nail big bass baits. The rockbass is better tablefare IMO.