Crappie/Sunfish hybrid?

[chris kowaleski]

Does anyone know if crappie and sunfish breed together, or has anyone else caught one? this is the second one i've caught that looks like this. now that i look at the picture though, it doesn't really do it justice. it doesn't look as big as it was (of course, haha) and you can't really see the crappie markings as well. I've also caught another one that was a bit bigger on a different day, but my phone battery was almost dead so i coudln't take a pic. This one though, man, he fought like he was the man, he even kinda jumped out of the water.

[Tony Livingston]

Chris, that looks like a Redear Sunfish to me. Not a hybrid at all, but another species of panfish. Most times of the year, they are usually caught on or right near the bottom. Referred to as "shellcrackers", because they are equipped with pharyngeal teeth, or plate, which enables them to crush the shells of snails, and smaller bivalves.

[Zach Pierce]

looks like a healthy Redear to me, where are you catching these fish?  If you are luck enough to find these in healthy numbers they will get large like Crappie as well. 

[Vic Tankersley]

Chris, Tony hit it on the head. A big redear sunfish, great eating and a real fight.. They do have a hybrid Crappie They will grow to around 5 pounds, but they are real. Found them:::: they are a mixed between Black and White crappie which increases growth..They are all female but are sterile.

 

 

[chris kowaleski]

Well heck!  I guess i don't catch these very often, and i was fishing kind of deep so that would explain it. Thanks guys!

[chris kowaleski]

Also, would this one happen to be a female, since it has the lack of colors?

[Tony Livingston]

What time of the year did you catch it? Fish can display muted colors in colder, or dirty water.

If I had to take a guess, based on this one picture, I would say female.

[chris kowaleski]

I caught it yesterday. The pond i caught it in usually has really nice looking water, and the fish that come out of it have amazing colors, except for this one and a few other ones i've caught out of there.