# Bluegill colors?



## Stampede (Apr 11, 2004)

I've always heard the depth the fish is caught is what makes bluegill you catch different colors .And fri we were catching gills in 3-4 ft.Some were real bluegill dark,some lighter,some dark and orange typical.But seems like only a foot or so water difference.And most dark ones seem to be a little further from the shore by 3-4 ft. but in the same depth all in a shaded area.


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## mikedocy (Mar 30, 2011)

Maybe you were catching various species of Sunfish such as Redear, Bluegill, Green Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Red Breasted Sunfish, etc? I get different species all the time from the same location. They hang out together. They all taste the same, though!

On the other hand, if you are certain that they are all Bluegill and not different species then let us know. It is an interesting find.

Could be male and female too. As you know the females usually have a yellow breast.

Some males have been known to have a slight yellow breast. Nature's way of letting them sneak into the spawn disguised as a female.

Mike


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## mastercatman (Jan 30, 2005)

Male bluegills tend to be darker and females tend to be lighter colored. Fish from stained or deeper water tend to be lighter and fish in shallow clear water tend to have more vibrant or darker colors. It can also be a function of their food sources. All species of fish in a body of water do not eat the same things all the time. Some may consume more insects while others consume more minnows or other small critters. Color differences can also be relative to size or maturity. As mentioned above, you may be catching different species and depending on the water body, panfish can and will hybridize especially with green sunfish being the most common crosses. Green sunfish in my opinion do not taste as good as all other panfish in that they seem to be a little mushier! Hope this helps somewhat or at least helps you draw a conclusion from what you saw.


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