Redear Shellcracker
(also known as Redear Sunfish or Stumpknocker)
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lepomis microlophus
Fender's Fish Farm sells the Redear Shellcracker for lake and pond stocking. Redear are a deep, slab-sided fish similar to the bluegill, except the ear flap is black with a red or orange margin; black blotch at the base of the dorsal fin is absent.
Redear sunfish are not native to Ohio, but have been stocked in state waters since 1931. Their native range was limited to southern states below the mouth of the Wabash River on the Ohio River. This species thrives in clear, warm impoundments with rooted vegetation. Redear sunfish are attracted to submerged vegetation and trees, hence the name "stumpknocker." Following spawning, redear tend to move offshore to deeper water.
This fish feeds on aquatic insects, larvae, snails, and cladocerans. Snails are a major food item in adults, which they crush with pharyngeal teeth, giving rise to the vernacular name "shellcracker". The shellcracker should never be stocked as your primary fish. They should only be stocked percentage wise because the pond will not make enough feed for these fish. Approximately 20-25% is all that is needed. In well managed waters with good habitat, redear sunfish will reach 9 to 11 inches in length. The state record redear weighed 3 pounds and 1 ounce, and was 13.25 inches in length.
Redear are usually stocked with coppernose bluegill as forage fish for your bass.