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Jeff Sumner with his Green Sunfish |
Angler Jeff Sumner of Lenox (Cook County) had more than just a
great day of fishing in a private pond February 25, 2006 – he
managed to catch a new state record! Sumner reeled in a 1 lb. 7 oz.,
11-inch green sunfish, according to the Georgia Department of
Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). The most
recent state record for a green sunfish was a 1 lb. 4 oz. fish
caught in Franklin County in 2004.
“It is always exciting for anyone to reel in a state record and this
reminds us that Georgia is such a fantastic place for anglers
because there are so many fishing opportunities and resources
available,” says WRD Fisheries Management Chief Chuck Coomer. “We
hope that the recognition of this new state record will inspire
experienced and novice anglers to get out and fish at any one of
Georgia’s numerous lakes and rivers. You might not catch a new state
record, but odds are you will still have a great day of fishing.”
Green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) are members of the sunfish family,
which includes bass and bream. They are more thick-bodied than other
sunfish and are a bluish-green color with emerald and yellow
iridescence on their cheeks. Their belly is yellow to white and they
have black earflaps with a white to yellow/orange margin. Typically
they live in ponds and slow moving pools in streams and rivers. They
are very tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions. Green
sunfish will eat anything they can catch and swallow.
Because of their highly predatory nature they are one of the easiest
fish to catch and will readily bite on small worms and insects.
However, most fish that are routinely caught are not very large.
Green sunfish rarely exceed 6-7 inches in length and a typical
weight (for Georgia) is less than one-half pound. The world record
weight is 2 pounds, two ounces from Missouri and Kansas (tie). Check out the other
Georgia Fishing Records |
