03-27-2003, 11:28 AM
[cool]Hey, X...I didn't get a good look at your biggie when you caught it, but now that I see the pic, that is a "readear" sunfish. Another new species for you. There are lots of them in Patagonia. Down south, where they are native, and more common, they are also known as "shellcrackers"...for their tendency to feed on small clams, mussels and crayfish. If you had kept that one and opened it up, you would have probably found some crawdad remnants. Most of the ones I have kept out of there had 'dads in 'em.
That fish you got, I would estimate at right around a couple of pounds. That's a nice one, but nowhere near the Arizona state record, which I think is somewhere around 3.5 pounds. I have taken several in the same size range. Here's a pic of one that was a little smaller, but hit a rattletrap being tossed for bass and made a nice pic.
I remember you saying that yours really "bent your stick and stretched your string". The one I caught on bass gear had me thinking four pound bass until I saw it. They are great fish on light tackle.
PS. Took another Utah guy...Mike Barker...fishing at Saguaro yesterday afternoon. I caught well over 50 yellow bass from about 2 PM to 6:30. Water temp up to 70. Air temp about 85. He's going back with a tan and some great memories of his first float tube trip. Oh yeah, he got a decent bunch of yellows too...and a 25 # carp that pulled him all over the lake.
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That fish you got, I would estimate at right around a couple of pounds. That's a nice one, but nowhere near the Arizona state record, which I think is somewhere around 3.5 pounds. I have taken several in the same size range. Here's a pic of one that was a little smaller, but hit a rattletrap being tossed for bass and made a nice pic.
I remember you saying that yours really "bent your stick and stretched your string". The one I caught on bass gear had me thinking four pound bass until I saw it. They are great fish on light tackle.
PS. Took another Utah guy...Mike Barker...fishing at Saguaro yesterday afternoon. I caught well over 50 yellow bass from about 2 PM to 6:30. Water temp up to 70. Air temp about 85. He's going back with a tan and some great memories of his first float tube trip. Oh yeah, he got a decent bunch of yellows too...and a 25 # carp that pulled him all over the lake.
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