I've caught Green Sunfish in 3 different locations in NJ now. Mind you I didn't know they even existed until I joined NANFA so they could be widespread in the state for all I know. I first caught them in a small stream called Golden Run that empties directly into the Delaware river a couple of miles above Trenton. The start of the Delaware-Raritan canal is at Bull's Island some 20 miles upriver.
I next caught some at an unnamed stream that flows into the Millstone River between Griggstown and Rocky Hill. The Millstone flows into the South Branch of the Raritan River from to the Raritan itself. Now I've been fishing the Millstone for some 15+ years now fairly heavily and I've caught plenty of Redbreast,Bluegill and Pumpkinseed Sunfish but none that I can recall looked like a Green Sunfish. The stream would connect to the Millstone after a lot of rain or the spring runoff so I can't for certain that they are in the river but I'll be looking for them when I'm in the area.
Lastly I caught one today in the Delaware-Raritan canal. Now the first stream I caught them from flows under the canal through a pipe so it is possible that someone caught some of the sunfish from the stream and put them into the canal thinking they were doing them a favor. Should I contact my state Fish and Game dept and report this to see if they know about it? They aren't mentioned in the fishing records or regulations in NJ at as far as I can tell.
Green Sunfish in Delaware-Raritan canal
Started by
Guest_davidjh2_*
, Sep 13 2010 03:02 PM
14 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_gzeiger_*
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Posted 13 September 2010 - 05:12 PM
Sunfish are regulated as a group in NJ. No minimum size except in Rainbow and Ryker lakes (7" minimum), and limit of 25 per day (10 in those lakes). Green sunfish are included in this group. They are game fish and must be taken on hook and line. I don't see anything exceptional here that requires contacting Fish and Game.
#3
Guest_davidjh2_*
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Posted 13 September 2010 - 05:30 PM
I was just wondering because they aren't native to NJ waters. Of course neither are Bluegills, Large and Smallmouth Bass and more then a few others fish species that you can now catch in NJ waters.
#4
Guest_wargreen_*
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Posted 14 September 2010 - 06:03 PM
Anytime a fish thats not native to that enviroment is introduced its a good idea to contact Your local DNR. Green Sunfish are native to Missouri, but the state of Florida, a state who has many invasive predatory fish (Cichlids,Snakeheads,Swamp eels,Catfish,Asian Carp etc)according to their website, consider Green Sunfish a threat to their local ecosystems (from what I read once its because they feel they could outcompete their local Lepomis species and be a threat to Pygmy Sunfishes). The species may seem harmless to you or me, but there are biologist who study those ecosystems and know their food webs and fauna much better than we do; and would be better qualified to comment on whether this species is a threat or not. Bass and Bluegill have been blamed for the almost extinction of Sacramento Perch (another Centrarchid) and little Mosquito fish is the culprit for the extinction of several Pupfish species in the West. So please do get ahold of experts when you find an introduction to your area! Thanks Joe.
Sunfish are regulated as a group in NJ. No minimum size except in Rainbow and Ryker lakes (7" minimum), and limit of 25 per day (10 in those lakes). Green sunfish are included in this group. They are game fish and must be taken on hook and line. I don't see anything exceptional here that requires contacting Fish and Game.
Edited by wargreen, 14 September 2010 - 06:06 PM.
#5
Guest_davidjh2_*
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Posted 15 September 2010 - 09:01 AM
I just sent them an email, I'll let everyone know if they respond or not. I didn't tell them I have 2 juvenile specimens yet. If they actually show any interest I'll tell them.
#6
Guest_davidjh2_*
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Posted 15 September 2010 - 12:56 PM
I got a response faster then I thought I would.
Thanks for your report which I'll forward to the biologists at our Lebanon office.
The 2010 Fish Code identifies green sunfish as a dangerous species and are to be destroyed by anglers who catch them.
Thanks for your report which I'll forward to the biologists at our Lebanon office.
The 2010 Fish Code identifies green sunfish as a dangerous species and are to be destroyed by anglers who catch them.
#7
Guest_fundulus_*
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Posted 15 September 2010 - 01:42 PM
I like the description of greens as "dangerous", they certainly are to smaller fish and inverts, and probably to whole ecosystems.
#8
Guest_davidjh2_*
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Posted 15 September 2010 - 03:09 PM
Are they that aggressive? I know they aggressively hit lures but so will most other sunfish.
#9
Guest_fundulus_*
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Posted 15 September 2010 - 04:35 PM
All I can say is, yes.
#10
Guest_Newt_*
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Posted 15 September 2010 - 06:58 PM
They're microbass. They are also capable of infiltrating tiny headwaters, shallow swamps, floodplain ponds, and other waters normally inaccessible to other big-mouthed predators.
#11
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Posted 15 September 2010 - 07:09 PM
They're microbass. They are also capable of infiltrating tiny headwaters, shallow swamps, floodplain ponds, and other waters normally inaccessible to other big-mouthed predators.
I've seen this firsthand. 2 of the places I found them are very small streams where the next biggest fish I've seen are Creek Chubs.
Edited by davidjh2, 15 September 2010 - 07:09 PM.
#12
Guest_Gambusia_*
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Posted 17 September 2010 - 11:31 AM
Green sunfish have been stocked all over the eastern US.
They are practically everywhere here in NC and most other places I have been.
They are also sometimes the only predator you will find in small streams. Green sunfish thrive in all kinds of permanent water
They are practically everywhere here in NC and most other places I have been.
They are also sometimes the only predator you will find in small streams. Green sunfish thrive in all kinds of permanent water
#13
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 17 September 2010 - 12:10 PM
They are also sometimes the only predator you will find in small streams. Green sunfish thrive in all kinds of permanent water
I know where you are going and I agree, but since someone mentioned Creek Chubs above, I feel obliged to point out that Creek Chubs are some of the most voracious, large mouthed, predators around... and I find them here in small stream headwaters, where they are growing up with the other minnows... until they eat them all! A four inch creek chub has a mouth big enough and a stomach big enough to eat a three inch shiner. They are not nice neighbors like Nocomis chubs... look at the mouth on a Creek Chub, allows for the whole front of the fish to open up and swallow anybody...
sorry, anti-creek chub rant concluded.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#14
Guest_davidjh2_*
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Posted 23 September 2010 - 12:47 PM
I know where you are going and I agree, but since someone mentioned Creek Chubs above, I feel obliged to point out that Creek Chubs are some of the most voracious, large mouthed, predators around... and I find them here in small stream headwaters, where they are growing up with the other minnows... until they eat them all! A four inch creek chub has a mouth big enough and a stomach big enough to eat a three inch shiner. They are not nice neighbors like Nocomis chubs... look at the mouth on a Creek Chub, allows for the whole front of the fish to open up and swallow anybody...
They do have one very redeeming quality. Catch one, put it on a hook and any fish big enough to eat it will go after it.
#15
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 24 September 2010 - 11:43 AM
Actually, like everything they have their place, right... I had a tank with two medium sized ones and a yellow bullhead... they were all in the 4-6 in range and didnt ever bother each other. The creekchubs had color in their dorsal fin and developed gold spangles over their napes and flanks (they were actually pretty). They are just not a fish to be kept with any small shiners, darters, madtoms, etc.They do have one very redeeming quality. Catch one, put it on a hook and any fish big enough to eat it will go after it.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
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