US Range Redear Sunfish......

Comment

Comment by DAVID L EITUTIS on March 29, 2015 at 8:53am

Don't know this to be a fact or not, but one time I was talking to a Biologist in Iowa he said Red Ears are their own species and do reproduce . That must be true because out at Great Pond my boy was catching em there when he was a kid and that is way over 25 years ago.........

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on March 29, 2015 at 8:46am

Indeed Tooty......I was also surprised by the Great Lakes region........they appear to adapt very well.........although I rarely see one while fishing in the winter months around these parts.....

Comment by DAVID L EITUTIS on March 29, 2015 at 8:43am

HEY JEFFREY, they are doing well in Northern Illinois for sure and out at great pond a mile from my house is the largest ones around here....We get plenty of cold weather here and lots of ice too normally . They seem to weather the winters all right here and glad they do....

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on March 28, 2015 at 5:05pm

What I find interesting is the largest redears have come from waters outside of the native range.......Lake Havasu has been well documented in recent years and before those fish the Santee Cooper chain in South Carolina......by the looks of the map tey are progressing well in the Northern sector as well........good news for panfish anglers for sure......