I tried winter sampling this year. Last year my few efforts were fishless. But I figured since I was up and ready early enough to see some sun and that the main parts of rivers are mostly ice free to try some sampling. Due to the cold I did a dip and drag sampling method putting my perfect dipnet out at max extension and pulling it to shore scooping up bottom debris in the way back.

At first I tried South Branch at the bridge by the schools with no luck.

Next I went to Ashuelot River Park in Keene and sampled the namesake river. I tried shallows spots and deep spots as I walked up the trail. I tried going under undercut bakes, under overhanging vegetation, scooping up falled leaves, etc. And on the way up I caught nothing.

On the way back I re-tried one of the deeper holes that my perfect dipnet could barely reach the bottom of at max extension. This time I got two sunfish, I took pictures of the larger of them. This sunfish is odd as I cannot see the opercular tab on it so I am uncertain of identity. I am tempted to say pumpkinseed due to the spots but redbreast are more common in this stretch.

This is the first fish I got sampling during winter

Kinda looks like a smallie.

Kinda looks like a smallie.

Are you sure it's a micropterus? the body shape and color seems a bit wrong for it.

I have seen largemouth in this stretch of the river but not smallies, but a smallie would not surprise me as the habitat would fit them better.

I'm going to go with Bluegill, I've caught quite a few that size.

Do you get Warmouth in your area?

These are the same photos as on FirstChaos' other post, right? The consensus there seems to be growing for redbreast. We're running an unintentional experiment here to see how species ID's the same blurry photos can generate. At least everyone agrees that it's some kind of centrarchid.

These are the same photos as on FirstChaos' other post, right? The consensus there seems to be growing for redbreast. We're running an unintentional experiment here to see how species ID's the same blurry photos can generate. At least everyone agrees that it's some kind of centrarchid.

Sorry on posting in two areas, I made the trip report first then realized asking for an ID has its own section which is more appropriate.