Mega Longear Sunfish

[Huntingducks117]

4 hours ago, tjm said:

from Wikipedia "The longear sunfish reaches a maximum recorded length of about 24 cm (9.5 in), with a maximum recorded weight of 790g (1.7 lb). Most do not live beyond six years. "

http://wrec.igfa.org/WRecDetail.aspx?uid=19304&cn=Sunfish, longear

Huge fish, my biggest longear was about 7.5" and I wasn't sure what it was at the time because of the size, I thought hybrid.

Thanks! In.searching the web, the biggest I saw a picture of was 9.25 inches.  It looked massive.  

[Huntingducks117]

44 minutes ago, Chief Grey Bear said:

So do we have to start  trying to decimate the bluegill population like we do the Spots??

 

Not sure I understand your post?  I enjoy eating fish and meat, and I enjoy getting my own fish to eat. This is a Longear Sunfish, not a bluegill.  It is not legal to shoot Spotted Bass in Bull Shoals Lake.  Shooting 1 large Sunfish is hardly decimating the population.

[MoCarp]

why is it the biggest get stabbed? not "eaters"

Skimming off the biggest can't be good for genetics....but for now its legal...but it would have been cooler if you caught it and released it alive for someone in the future to share 

 

 

[Chief Grey Bear]

1 hour ago, Huntingducks117 said:

Not sure I understand your post?  I enjoy eating fish and meat, and I enjoy getting my own fish to eat. This is a Longear Sunfish, not a bluegill.  It is not legal to shoot Spotted Bass in Bull Shoals Lake.  Shooting 1 large Sunfish is hardly decimating the population.

It has nothing to do with you or even that body of water. 

Occasionally a spotted and Smallmouth will fall in love and raise a family. Spotted bass racists loose their minds and want  all spotted bass murdered for sleeping with their daughter.  

[Huntingducks117]

3 hours ago, MoCarp said:

why is it the biggest get stabbed? not "eaters"

Skimming off the biggest can't be good for genetics....but for now its legal...but it would have been cooler if you caught it and released it alive for someone in the future to share 

 

 

Are you seriously trying to shame me for keeping and eating a Longear Sunfish?  This is an "eater" size for a Longear.  This fish is likely 5+ years old and has put its genetics out there. Yes it is legal, and my choice to kill it and eat it.  Bull Shoals is a big lake, if you put your time in, maybe you can catch one or shoot one for yourself.  There are no shortages of Longear Sunfish out there, so go get yourself one.  

[Ham]

Please keep more Longear Sunfish! Please shoot or catch and keep the biggest you can find. There are literally 10’s of thousands of them ; Almost no one keeps them. I kind of feel like if there were a lot less of them, we would have larger individual fish. I’m not sure anyone if fishing for trophy long ear Sunfish.

The large number of LES and Green Sunfish combined with the lack of shoreline cover reduces the effectiveness of the natural Walleye spawn. Eat some Sunfish, Save a walleye. 

[Greasy B]

A mess of 6” Longears make a fine shore lunch. 

[Johnsfolly]

1 hour ago, Huntingducks117 said:

This is an "eater" size for a Longear.  This fish is likely 5+ years old and has put its genetics out there. Yes it is legal, and my choice to kill it and eat it.  

Keep and eat what you want as long as it is legal. Enjoy!

[Johnsfolly]

51 minutes ago, Ham said:

I’m not sure anyone if fishing for trophy long ear Sunfish.

I know a few folks that may be interested !

[BilletHead]

1 hour ago, Huntingducks117 said:

Are you seriously trying to shame me for keeping and eating a Longear Sunfish?  This is an "eater" size for a Longear.  This fish is likely 5+ years old and has put its genetics out there. Yes it is legal, and my choice to kill it and eat it.  Bull Shoals is a big lake, if you put your time in, maybe you can catch one or shoot one for yourself.  There are no shortages of Longear Sunfish out there, so go get yourself one.  

        Huntingducks,

         Let it go in one ear and out the other man. Good legal stab and congrads on that nice longear. Nice to see it in your hand and some of us our jealous we did not get to hold it in ours,

  BilletHead