COLUMBUS, OH - Two common Ohio fish sometimes overlooked by anglers are the rock bass and pumpkinseed sunfish. While they are not the largest fish, these members of the sunfish family are scrappy fighters and readily take a piece of garden worm or wax worm on a small hook suspended below a bobber. Catching rockies and punkies is a fun way to fill a familys summer afternoon and a great way to get kids hooked on fishing.
Rock bass can be found in waterways all across the state. They prefer clearer streams with coarse gravel and boulders. In Lake Erie they can be found near reefs, large boulders, and docks. Their thick, heavy body is usually colored a dark slate or olive-green with a coppery iridescence. The eyes of rock bass are various shades of red.
Many believe there is no prettier fish swimming in Ohio waters than the pumpkinseed sunfish. Golden or olive-green on the back, their orange-spotted sides reflect yellow, blue, emerald, and green. The belly is usually a bright yellow-orange. The earflap is black with a red-orange spot. Pumpkinseeds can be found statewide, but are more common in the northern two-thirds of the state. They prefer still waters with dense, submerged vegetation.
The current state record rock bass is the oldest fish in the Ohio record book, caught seventy years ago in 1932 by George A. Keller of Dayton. The record rocky measured 14_-inches long and weighed 1.97 pounds. It was caught in Deer Creek near London, Ohio.
In contrast, the current state record pumpkinseed is a relatively recent fish, caught January 6, 2001. It was 9 _-inches long and weighed 0.75 pounds. Terry Rush of Edison caught this sunfish from a farm pond.
All state record fish are certified by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio after inspection by a fisheries biologist of the ODNR Division of Wildlife. To view a list of state record fish, go online to www.outdoorwritersofohio.com. For a free fish identification brochure, call 1-800-WILDLIFE and request publication 334.