# What is this fish?



## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

MY buddy caught this today in NE ohio somewhere but he didn't say. I have no idea what it is.









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## jonnythfisherteen2 (Mar 5, 2011)

that is a very good pic. its a warmouth bass. I saw a guy catch a 9 inch yesterday.


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## Bassthumb (Aug 22, 2008)

Beautiful fish, I thought hybrid gill / sunfish


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## Mr. A (Apr 23, 2012)

I thought warmouth were a type of bluegill?

(edit) looked it up and they were listed as a bluegill sub~type. Look like a good fish to stock in a pond though!

Mr. A


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## PolymerStew (Feb 17, 2009)

Warmouth

ODNR species page
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/spe...Index/warmouthsunfish/tabid/6782/Default.aspx


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## Carpeater (Apr 20, 2012)

That's a pretty fish!


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## barf (May 10, 2009)

I luv warmouth sunfisheses. they are incredibly aggressive.


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

Yep, 100% pure warmouth. Not a bluegill, not a rock bass, not a green sunfish, not a sturgeon, or a black rat snake, but a warmouth!lol


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

yep looks like a warmouth and boy it is a beaut.
sherman


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

supposedly it was a caught out of a small public pond in Seville. (Medina County) I guessed warmouth or black crappie at first but all the warmouths i catch are alot more colorful so I didnt know. thanks for the help everybody I appreciate it!


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## Mr. A (Apr 23, 2012)

Was doing some reading and may have found your answer.

Looking at the DNR pages for warmouth and rock bass. I now believe out to be a rock bass. Out is nearly identical to the rock bass picture and nothing like a warmouth IMHO. Drake a look and tell me what you think.

Mr. A


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## Bossman302 (Mar 20, 2012)

The eye is the give away, Rock Bass have a dark red color to their eyes, and this one doesnt have red eyes. Definitely a Warmouth, Awesome coloring too!


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

Mr. A said:


> Was doing some reading and may have found your answer.
> 
> Looking at the DNR pages for warmouth and rock bass. I now believe out to be a rock bass. Out is nearly identical to the rock bass picture and nothing like a warmouth IMHO. Drake a look and tell me what you think.
> 
> Mr. A


IMO the DNR's pic of a warmouth is pretty bad(along with a lot of their other pics). I never caught one that looked like that. 

Their rock bass pic though is a real rock bass. http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/species_a_to_z/SpeciesGuideIndex/rockbass/tabid/6744/Default.aspx

Rock bass are gold colored with rows of black specs, and like the odnr's pic they can have dark blotches. And chances are if you caught the fish in a pond or lake(excluding Lake Erie) you can rule out rock bass.

Here's a pic of a warmouth I have, and a rock bass and green sunfish for comparison.

Warmouth









Rock Bass









Green sunfish


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

And eyes aren't the best indicator, as green sunfish and warmouths can also occasionally have red eyes, though not always as pronounced as rock bass.


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## chevyjay (Oct 6, 2012)

not a warhead either.


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## Deazl666 (Mar 30, 2012)

fishinnick said:


> Yep, 100% pure warmouth. Not a bluegill, not a rock bass, not a green sunfish, not a sturgeon, or a black rat snake, but a warmouth!lol


Are u sure? Have u considered other possibilities?

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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

Like what? The only fish other than a warmouth that look remotely close to the fish in the OP are green sunfish and maybe rock bass. And it doesn't look like either of those. I have no idea what else it could be.


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## PolymerStew (Feb 17, 2009)

In my opinion, the best way to tell a rock bass from a warmouth is to count the number of sharp spines on the anal fin (rear fin on the fish's belly). Rock bass have 6 spines (5-7), while warmouth (and other sunfish in the Lepomis genus) have 3 spines. 

If you look at the warmouth and green sunfish pics Fishinnick posted you see that both those fish have 3 spines on the anal fin. Look at the rock bass pic on the ODNR page, and you see 5 or 6 spines on that fin.
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/species_a_to_z/SpeciesGuideIndex/rockbass/tabid/6744/Default.aspx


From the ODNR page on warmouth:

"The rock bass is similar in appearance but has 6 anal fin spines compared to the 3 that a warmouth sunfish has. Rock bass have a teardrop under the eye, no radiating lines on the cheek, and a black margin to the fins."

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/spe...Index/warmouthsunfish/tabid/6782/Default.aspx

I think the only other panfish species in Ohio with 5-7 anal fin spines aside from the rock bass are the crappie.


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## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

The states stocking a new cross between a white bass and a sauger...the whauger.


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## JSykes3 (Oct 14, 2010)

Got this little guy while bass fishing a couple weeks ago. The lure was about the same length as him.


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## FlashMan2702 (Jun 2, 2006)

JSykes3 said:


> Got this little guy while bass fishing a couple weeks ago. The lure was about the same length as him.


I've caught like 4-5 of those little guys my last 2 times down at the Tusc also. Aggressive suckers for their size. 

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## Rasper (Sep 6, 2012)

I caught my warrior on Saturday! They always hit my bass jigs hard as hell.

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## Mrshupp (Jun 11, 2013)

They are everywhere in brown county they like it near Lake Grant and the back creaks around here and they are great bait for cat fish at T.J's pay lake and also at Willard s pay lake

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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

JSykes3 said:


> Got this little guy while bass fishing a couple weeks ago. The lure was about the same length as him.


That's a green sunfish, just as aggressive, if not more aggressive than warmouths.


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## exide9922 (Aug 9, 2010)

maybe fishinnick can end a debate i've been haivng with a friend about what kind of fish this is. my friend says rock bass, i said heck no hybrid gill. looks like your green sunfish pick, but with brighter colors. was 10 inches


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## FlashMan2702 (Jun 2, 2006)

I think Green Sunfish but hell I'm no expert lol 

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## exide9922 (Aug 9, 2010)

alright, good to know! i thought i was catching hybrids


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## FlatKat (Jul 20, 2012)

Tusc river in Massillon is stacked full of Warmouth ive caught more this year than ever before.


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## Widget_Master (Jun 7, 2013)

Warmouth. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned what is the unique tell-tale sign for me: the several dark bands radiating from behind the eye. That's a giveaway for warmouth in my book.


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## mdrex (Oct 9, 2013)

JSykes3 pic looks like a pumpkinseed fits in palm of his hand and aggressive little guys.


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## chevyjay (Oct 6, 2012)

rock bass have a red eye, lack of one rules out rock bass. the warmouth that i've caught had orange on them and thick lips.


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## viper1 (Apr 13, 2004)

looks like a green sun fish. And state is stalking the hybrids now like other people. grow huge and quick and bite aggressively. But dont breed. But we call them all gills. LOL! And all good eating!


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## rustyfish (Apr 27, 2004)

Wow that's a whole lot of wrong packed into one thread.
100 % warmouth. 

And hybrid sunfish absolutly do breed.

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## viper1 (Apr 13, 2004)

rustyfish said:


> Wow that's a whole lot of wrong packed into one thread.
> 100 % warmouth.
> 
> And hybrid sunfish absolutly do breed.
> ...


LOL! Not in 40 years of stocking them every year. Thats why their hybrid. Their bred to get large and not spawn.


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## rustyfish (Apr 27, 2004)

Sorry this is not an argument it is a fact. Once again a whole lot of wrong.

The cross produces 85~95% male population which reduces reproduction rates. But they will absolutely reproduce. All sunfish hybrids reproduce. 
Side note, that % male fish is the main rason that hybrids out grow bluegill not some freak of nature hybrid power. They are producing and all male cross of BG at OSU that is hoped to put hybrids to shame. 

I didn't know ODNR stocked hybrids anywhere other than the state fair. This will say I am not at all sure about. I just don't know of anywhere else.



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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

nice black crappies


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