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Centrarchids of the Ocmulgee

Started by Guest_UncleWillie_* , Mar 24 2011 05:21 PM

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9 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_UncleWillie_*

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Posted 24 March 2011 - 05:21 PM

Well, I decided I'd post some various fish pics that I have from 2010. I started my research in May 2010 surveying the upper reaches of the Ocmulgee River, GA for Robust Redhorse. So since I am a sunfish nut, I'll post some snapshots of the Centrarchids. I know these aren't the best quality, but I just wanted to document different fish, so I took a quick snapshot of each of these beauties before releasing.

Longear - Introduced
Very pretty, but introduced into this river. They have a very strong population here and usually max out around 6-7 inches.
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Largest so far^

Edited by UncleWillie, 24 March 2011 - 05:25 PM.

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#2 Guest_UncleWillie_*

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Posted 24 March 2011 - 05:21 PM

Bluegill

Bluegill X Longear Hybrid
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Redbreast

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#3 Guest_UncleWillie_*

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Posted 24 March 2011 - 05:22 PM

Warmouth - Only caught one of these
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Spotted sunfish
(I have not found this species in the river, but I got a decent pic from another drainage, so I posted it)
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We also catch numerous redear (don't have a photo), and a single tiny green sunfish (no photo)

Black Basses

Spotted bass - Introduced
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Edited by UncleWillie, 24 March 2011 - 05:23 PM.

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#4 Guest_UncleWillie_*

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Posted 24 March 2011 - 05:22 PM

Shoal bass
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Spotted X Shoal hybrid (although I did not keep this fish, Bud Freeman is nearly certain this is an integrate between shoalie and spotted)
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Redeye bass (Ocmulgee) This is one of the largest we've caught. Never caught any until this past fall.
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Crappie

There are plenty of largemouth, but never bothered to take a pic.

Edited by UncleWillie, 24 March 2011 - 05:25 PM.

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#5 Guest_AOmonsta_*

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Posted 11 April 2011 - 10:17 PM

Sweet pics and catches.

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#6 Guest_smbass_*

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Posted 12 April 2011 - 10:21 AM

I think your supposed hybrid bass is just a largemouth bass. Look how far back the jaw extends on that fish, too far behind the eye for either the shoal or Alabama (spotted). Are the introduced spotted bass actually Alabama Bass? That fish looks rather long and slender more like M. henshali than M. puctulatus.

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#7 Guest_UncleWillie_*

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Posted 12 April 2011 - 11:02 AM

You're probably right, Brian. Honestly, I don't know whether the 'spotted' bass are Alabama or Kentucky spotted bass was the one introduced.
I always let the bass (anything but suckers) float on by unless they catch my eye (like the redeyes this fall). I mostly just scooped up these fish just to see what they were, maybe snap a pic, then let them go. Since they are not the focus of my project, I've never really looked at fins or tooth patches, etc. I did start another field season last month, and I may have to start scooping up some of these bass to take a better look at them. I was really pleased to find the Redeye bass this past fall - such a beautiful fish.
I have seen some small longears (<3'') that had some mighty conspicuous characteristics at are seen in young redbreast(like the orange spots along the sides), but the longears here look so different than what I've seen elsewhere, I haven't thought much about it. For the most part, I have seen mixing of redbreasts and longears occupying the same habitat. However in the swifter reaches of the river, redbreast seem to be in much greater numbers. In slowest reach of river (near a low head mill dam) the longears seem to be a little more abundant (along with redears and crappie). However, in the majority of the portion of river I sample (20 km) redbreasts and longears are found together.
I did end up catching two green sunfish last week (this is only the second time I have seem them).
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Edited by UncleWillie, 12 April 2011 - 11:05 AM.

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#8 Guest_smbass_*

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Posted 12 April 2011 - 11:18 AM

Yeah I was going to mention too that the last rebreast photo looks a little suspect of having some longear in his family lineage at some point. Those two are known to hybridize quite readily since they don't usually occur together and occupy similar habitat. I do think you hit the nail on the head with the bluegill x longear, that is what I would call that fish.