Thread: Kayak Trip Report, Limestone Creek

That sounds like a lot of fun!

Can you tell the difference between pumpkinseed and long ear sunfish? I caught some long ear for the first time on Monday, and they were so colorful. My wife said I could go back sometime and get one for the aquarium haha

Yep, Pumpkinseed have a red dot on the flap at the end of the gill, but not as large or pronounced as the shellcracker. I'll try to remember to take a pic next time. Limestone is one of the few places where I catch a lot of them. What most people call Pumpkinseeds are Longears. What I've always called Goggle-eyed are actually Rockbass and often get confused with warmouth that I always call stumpknocker. Maybe I'll just go back to calling them all bream, LOL!

By the way, if you get a chance, Limestone Creek has huge Shellcracker. I returned numerous that were ten inches on this trip with the largest two around 12". The creek is covered with several types of snails so the shellcrackers get plenty to eat without much effort. With the clear water I've seen several much larger than I've ever caught, but I'm sure there are some unpressured 14 or 15 inch shellcracker swimming around.

Google Eye, Stump Knocker, Warmouth. I have caught these little tasty treats for years in a certain area of our Creek that runs through the farm. They love structure. Like Ditch said they are thick little buggers that put up a pretty good fight. They love to run, or the ones ive caught have. They grab the bait and take off up or down the creek with it. I heard the name stumpknocker came from them ramming limbs, wood under the water to eat what bugs fall off when they do. Great day Ditch! that getting in and out would kill me.

This is what ive always called a Stump Knocker or Google Eye. Notice how big the mouth is on a 6-7 inch bream.

Good eating and hard fighting little fish they are

Can you imagine they have caught shellcracker out of Lake Havasu over 6 pounds. What that fish must pull like!!

6.3-Pound Sunfish! Possible World-Record Redear Caught (Agai

Originally Posted by Ditch Basser

Can you imagine they have caught shellcracker out of Lake Havasu over 6 pounds. What that fish must pull like!!

6.3-Pound Sunfish! Possible World-Record Redear Caught (Agai

Like snagging a freight train.

I looked and Missouri has a page with information on gigging.

Fish Gigging | Missouri Department of Conservation

Giggin' on the Gasconade - YouTube

Amazing when you think many of the recipes (pressure cooking) probably originate as a way of preserving the fish for later when families didn't have a freezer.

Love catching them . "A fish is a fish "

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