What Panfish Is This?

What Panfish is this?
Attachment 300325
I caught several of these in a small lake (big pond in my book) in central VA. Is it a Red Eared Sunfish? If so, is it the same thing as a Shellcracker? It doesn’t look like the ones I see pictured on here from further South? I am familiar with the Bluegill caught here in TN, as they look exactly the same as the ones I caught up there.
TN Bluegill
?Attachment 300326
VA Bluegill
?Attachment 300327
But what are the ones called in the first picture, they look different from what I have caught in East Tennessee. Thanks for the help.


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#1 Red Ear/Shellcracker

#2 Male Bluegill

#3 Looks like a hybrid X...

Red ear.

My :twocents opinion :

1st pic is female Shellcracker/Red Ear Sunfish (Shellcracker is a nickname)

I say "female" because the spot is orange (female) rather than red (male).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by StantheMan2567

What Panfish is this?
Attachment 300325
I caught several of these in a small lake (big pond in my book) in central VA. Is it a Red Eared Sunfish? If so, is it the same thing as a Shellcracker? It doesn’t look like the ones I see pictured on here from further South? I am familiar with the Bluegill caught here in TN, as they look exactly the same as the ones I caught up there.
TN Bluegill
?Attachment 300326
VA Bluegill
?Attachment 300327
But what are the ones called in the first picture, they look different from what I have caught in East Tennessee. Thanks for the help.


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

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Attachment 300404 looks pretty much the same to me . 2nd is bluegill . I would have thought the third was a male bluegill . :juggle

Thank you for the clarification. I have caught Shellcrackers in Santee Cooper in South Carolina, but it has been years since I have fished there and I remember them as being darker colored, almost like a Black Crappie. I guess CRS syndrome has finally started to set in (or CRF Can't Remember Fish). :Doh::)

Female with eggs (starting)

Attachment 300421

Male building nest

Attachment 300422

red ear top fish for sure
second 2 look like regular bluegill to me