Sunfish vs Bluegill ID

[TubeDude]

For some reason DWR is dragging their feet on stocking Redear's ( Shell Crackers) at Powell to help control the mussels there.  Havasue has them and they have done extremely well and helped with the mussel problem.  Not sure why they are not moving forward on this !! Sunnies on a Fly rod w/poppers are FANTASTIC!!!

Agreed.  I had access to lots of redears in the lakes of Arizona while I lived there.  They are more solitary than bluegills...but they hit hard, fight hard and are great eating (like all sunfish).  In most of the lakes I fished a 2 pound redear was a biggun.  But in Havasu they get over 4#.   Here's a pic of an "average" size redear from Patagonia Lake...in southern Arizona.


I'm betting they would do as well in Powell.  Why doesn't DWR go ahead and put them in Powell?  That is a "why" question.  My philosophy is that any question that begins with the word "why"...and has to do with the actions of people...probably does not have a good answer.