Pumkinseed

Pumpkinseed, September 2014, Fish of the Month!

A brief note about this family of Fishes: The Sunfish family includes a large number of very North American species. We're including many of them here (in spite of their often small size) because they make excellent warm-water training species for young anglers and because adult warm-water fly-fishers are likely to often take them as incidental catches and would like to know what species they've brought to hand.

Pumpkinseed

Lepomis gibbosus

Local Names:

Sunny, Common sunfish, Kivvy, Kibbie, Yellowbelly, Quiver, Roach, Sunfish, Sun bass, Punky

Average Size:

7 to 8 inches

Distinguishing Field Marks:

(See the illustration.)

Deep almost round body, with a high rounded back.

The head is not large in comparison to the body.

The eye is large and dark colored.

There are pale aqua-blue irregular streaks on the gill covers and cheeks.

The opercular (ear) flaps are relatively short with black interiors bordered by a white outside edge with a short red mark just below the center of the flap. This red mark on the "ear-flap" is a reliable field mark to distinguish this species from the Bluegill.

The mouth is small and tipped upward. The upper jaw extends back only to the front edge of the eye.

The first dorsal fin has 10 spines and is fully attached to the second dorsal.

The tail is slightly forked with rounded lobes.

The anal fin has 3 graduated spines.

The paired pelvic fins have 1 spine and pointed tips.

The pectoral fins are large, nearly transparent, and pointed.

Diet:

Throughout their lives, Pumpkinseeds feed almost exclusively on immature and adult aquatic insects and other invertebrates. They often feed at or near the water's surface.

Biology:

Genus-typical winter aggregations of Pumpkinseed sunfish break up at water temperatures of about 50 degrees F. when mature males move to shallower areas, choose and defend nesting territories, and begin fin-fanning the bottom to open nests that are situated very close together.

Water temperatures in these shallow nesting areas rise quickly inducing spawning that may last from June well into August. With the completion of the nests, females will begin entering the colony and males will rush to them and commence a courtship dance which involves their swimming in circles around and over the female with which they choose to spawn. When the pairs are ready, they begin circling the nest and then the female tips her body, with the male remaining upright, and their vents touching. Small batches of eggs and milt are released and settle into the bottom of the nest. The pair then goes back to circling the nest in preparation for another spawning. This ritual may go on over the course of a day or two. Females may mate with several males and breeding pairs may also spawn over nests which are not their own. The eggs, guarded and aerated by the male parent, incubate for a period of from 3 to 5 days, and the male remains at the nest site, protecting the newly-hatched fry for a short period.

As adults, Pumpkinseeds are found in shallow rocky or weedy areas of lakes, ponds, and slower portions of some streams.

Fly Fishing for Pumpkinseed:

Now widely distributed in the United States and southern Canada, the Pumpkinseed is one of the most frequently caught members of its genus. This colorful, aggressive, hard-fighting species is very willing to take a broad range of small offerings. Wet and dry flies, and small poppers, will all entice Pumpkinseed to strike.

Fly fishing gear in the 3 to 5 weight range is best for handling these fish. As Pumpkinseeds frequently take food at the surface, occasionally gain good size, and are very strong battlers, using their deep slab-sided bodies to their best advantage when hooked, using small foam bodied poppers on a floating line is a very enjoyable sight-fishing approach to taking these rather elegant fish.

Significance to Humans:

One of the most common of our small sunfishes, the Pumpkinseed is an excellent sport fish for its size and is also a fine fish for the table. It is also another of our small sunfishes that can thrive in the habitat of a home aquarium.

Status:

Thriving throughout its broad North American range.

A write up about a local fisherman called Steve Coomer aka OldStinkyGuy by Chris Hampton

All,
 I had the honor of attending a seminar given by Steve Coomer
(OldStinkyGuy) last night. For those of you that may be unfamiliar with
Steve, he is a master angler, photographer, and published author. He has
been fishing the Little Miami and other area streams 3-4 times per week for
the past 40+ years. His presentation was on Fall river fishing for
Smallmouth Bass. 
 Mr. Coomer is a friendly, soft spoken, and modest man. When he
speaks about fishing however, there is no doubt that his words come from a
deep understanding of his quarry. I am sure that most of you know that fish
are on a mission in the fall. That mission is to eat as much as they can
tolerate until the winter sets in and they become essentially dormant until
spring. This "magical time" can last a few days or even a month or so. Steve
explained to us that the smallmouth keys in on the length of day during the
fall to determine when it will begin migrating to the deep, still pockets
and holes where they will spend the winter. This migration will concentrate
upwards of 90% of the larger fish into a very small portion of the available
water. In opening his discussion he placed an emphasis on the slow fishing I
think we are all seeing right now. His assessment of this is based on the
high water temperature and low water conditions of course. During this time
Mr. Coomer says that he spends his time focusing on being prepared when that
"magical time" begins. Starting within a few days before or after the fall
equinox (September 21,22,23 every year) fish will begin to make their move.
As water temps begin to fall into the mid 60s and below (down to around the
low 50s) these feisty beasts become ravenous. Taking in anything that is
thrown at them. 
 Some of the best information presented during the seminar was
Steve's approach to lure selection in different structure. In fast riffles
he chooses minnow imitators in darker colors and smaller sizes. Something in
the 2.5" to 3.5" range was roughly his preference. Using a high sticking
method of up and across stream with little if any retrieve, the minnows will
tumble through the riffle and out much like the forage fish will.
Positioning yourself directly across stream from where you expect the bite
to occur and casting upstream from there was the recommended method. Unlike
the crayfish imitations most of us throw here, the minnow baits should be
kept slightly above the bottom. In order to ensure that the bait is staying
suspended, but flowing naturally, Steve suggested starting with a heavy lure
up to 1/2 oz. or more in some cases. If you find that you are dragging the
bottom, then progressively decreasing weight will allow you to find that
perfect presentation. 
 As you move through the run below a riffle the presenter recommended
shifting your attention higher in the water column to imitate the shiners
that tend to be more present in the slower moving water. Here he selects a
larger, lighter colored minnow bait for the same reason. This is where
things like plugs, and even top water lures are going to come into play. The
approach was a little less specific but, considering the more varied
selection of lure styles, I think trial-and-error may be the only way to key
in on the "best" approach. 
 In either structural environment Steve made it very clear that one
thing is consistent. If the water is in the smallmouth's wheelhouse, they
WILL be feeding constantly. He stressed several times the concept of fish
condensing into smaller areas. Thus if you are throwing the recommended
patterns and you feel your presentation is good, cast 25-30 times covering
an area. If, after doing so, you have not caught anything at all then you
are in the wrong spot. Move to the next riffle upstream or down and begin
again. If you find that you are catching a ton of smaller fish, the choice
is up to you. You can stay and enjoy catching your fill and having a blast
doing it. If, however, you want to find the catch of a lifetime then you
should move again. According to Steve's research and experience the larger
bass won't be feeding with the little guys. They will have taken up
residence among their peers at the best points close to their winter homes.
 After the presentation I had a chance to spend some time talking
with Steve and several other members of the OGF site. I was then invited out
to dinner with these guys and had an incredible time. I must admit, I was a
little out of place in the group, but was made to feel right at home among
them. All-in-all, this was a great experience and one that I will not soon
forget.
 Please understand that I have barely touched the surface of the vast
amount of knowledge presented. More information can be found in Steve's Book
that I believe Rob linked on the website and on Facebook. I will link this
below as well. After the presentation I had a chance to spend some time
talking with Steve and several other members of the OGF site. I was then
invited out to dinner with these guys and had an incredible time. I must
admit, I was a little out of place in the group, but was made to feel right
at home among them. All-in-all, this was a great experience and one that I
will not soon forget.

Hope to see you all on the water soon,
Chris

Orvis Knots

Generally you use simple knots when spin-fishing or bait casting

When you get into Fly fishing sometimes you need special knots to tie on fly line,backing,leaders,tippet and flies

To help with this Orvis has come up with this animated tying tool

Check out this link to help with your knots

Orvis Knots

It's a Game Fish......

Disparagingly dismissed by many anglers as a "trash" fish, the longnose gar is, in fact, a hard fighter that is more than willing to take a fly.  And they are actually quite pretty fish, with leopard spots, opalescent scales and pinkish tails. If these fish don't get your adrenaline pumping, you're probably better off just grabbing your laptop and playing a game or two at www.Partypoker.com

Gar Flies

The problem with gar is that their mouth is mainly bone and teeth and even the sharpest hook will seldom penetrate. The solution is the rope fly, tied with nothing but some slightly unbraided nylon rope and maybe a little flash. The gar mouths the fly and the nylon becomes tangled in its fine teeth.  Resist the temptation to set the hook - give the fish slack immediately and let him shake his head several times before you tighten up.

The bottom fly of the first photo is a veteran of several fish; the others are new.  I use 1/4" nylon rope, pull out the center core and unbraid the individual strands.  The fly is tied on a small stainless ring (available from FeatherCraft) with one section of rope (doubled) per fly.  Insert the nylon strands (twice the length of the finished fly), and flash if desired, through the ring with a bobbin threader.  Wrap head with heavy tying thread - this is easier to do with your hands instead of using a vise. I usually make the thread wraps about 3/4" long.  After a quick whip-finish, I usually wrap the head with some lead tape for a little weight, then paint and epoxy.  The nylon will take color from permanent markers if you want to get fancy.

I prefer my flies 7-9" long.  This makes them a bit hard to throw using lighter rods, but the longer length "hooks" better.  Rods in the 7-weight to 9-weight range make these flies much easier to throw.  I sometimes cut-down flies to carry when fishing lighter rods, but my hook-up ratio is lower.

Though some people use them, I've never found wire leaders necessary for gar.  In fact, with the rope flies, I often catch them without any kind of "bite" or "shock" tippet. My standard rig is usually a 7-9' leader with 12-16lb tippet, and about a 6" bite tippet of 30-lb mono. I use the non-slip mono loop to attach the fly.

"Hooking" The Fish

Gar fishing is often "sight-fishing".  The fish spend a lot of time on or near the surface and the angler can often spot the fish before the cast.  Gar are often seen "porpoising" slowly on the surface - when acting this way, they may or may not be feeding.  At times, they will be aggressively slapping at bait near the surface - this is typically feeding activity.  Especially in warm weather, you may see the fish just hanging motionless on or near the surface - this is sometimes a resting pose, but it can also be a camouflaging maneuver.  The gar will hold, looking like a floating stick, and then flash into action when an unsuspecting baitfish nears. In most cases, the gar will actually ease up with his snout parallel to the prey fish. The, with a sudden sideways twist of the head, he'll nail the bait. They seem to prefer striking with the center section of their jaws rather than taking frontally - this is probably because the incapacitate the prey before trying to swallow it.

Tactics for getting the gar to eat the fly will vary. My most-used technique is a slow, erratic movement of the fly.  I try to throw as you normally would when sight-fishing, leading the fish in a direction so that my retrieve intersects his path without swimming toward him.  Sometimes when the gar are actively feeding,  a fast retrieve will trigger a strike. Generally, the slow technique brings

the most hits for me.

 

The slow strip method offers another considerable advantage.  Ironically, considering its vicious-looking mouth full of teeth, the gar's strike is often quite subtle.   Perhaps with all those sharp teeth, he only needs to bite lightly on his normal prey.  His bite is not

to kill, injure or incapacitate the bait, but rather just to catch.  With a fast strip, it is quite easy to pull the fly right out of the gar's mouth (before the nylon tangles).  In fact, if you don't see the take, it may feel like nothing more than a very light tap or bump.  It is critically important that you give the fish slack immediately.  With no tension, the fly has a much better chance of tangling in the teeth.  I like to let the fish run for 20-30', hopefully feeling several head shakes in the process. Only then will I tighten up on the line. And make sure you just tighten up, no set hard.

At times you will see the fish on top and then they will submerge and you lose sight.  A sinking or sink-tip line can be useful in times like this. Cast in the general direction and fish very slowly, with regular hesitations.  The big fly has good visibility, and you'll often draw a hit from an unseen fish.  Here especially you must be alert for the slightest bump and immediately "dead-stick" the fly.

Landing & Releasing The Gar

Once the gar eats and the fly is tangled in his teeth, the fight begins. This is a strong fish capable of fast, hard runs, sometimes mixed with tail-walking jumps.  Some fish seem to give up after one good run, though they may explode again right at the boat.  Others will test your fish-fighting skills, first making long runs and then slugging it out close quarters with under-the-boat spurts.  When they get close to the boat, exercise considerable caution - as they can jump right in - and an angry 4' fish with a mouth full of teeth won't do you legs or the rods in you rod rack any good (don't ask how I know this!).

Removing the fly from the fish may be the hardest part of the whole proposition.  You'll need something to hold his mouth open and a stiff brush to pull the fibers from his teeth.   A glove or a towel will help you hold the fish - the scales can cut and the fish is very slick and very strong.  Note the teeth - hundreds of them & very sharp - I suggest a sturdy glove.  I like a big screw-driver and a jaw-jack designed for pike and musky.  Some anglers use a home-made wooden jig to hold the mouth open.  Regardless, maintain a firm hold on the fish throughout - they'll "play possum" and then explode when you least expect.

The fly will be a tangled mess - no problem, just comb it out a little and it'll still work just fine.

Eating Gar

There are those who claim gar is quite good to eat ("tastes like chicken," right).  I am in no position to debate the point as I've never tried. The instructions for cleaning given on a website somewhere suggest a big axe and a bandsaw for prepping the fish - I don't have a bandsaw.

2014 Season is upon us

Just letting everyone know that we have been out hitting some of our local waters.

Jim Deski and I hit Lake George and did pretty well catching some nice Bluegill

Hope to hit The Mad River and catch some trout in the upcoming weeks

Will let everyone know when we plan this trip as it should be an exciting day of fishing

If you have ideas of places to go pass them along us we are always looking for new and exciting places to get our lines wet