29 replies to this topic

[jmed999]

This is what I usually catch in my minnow trap. Whatever it is ranges from about 1 to 3 inches long in my trap. What kind of fish/minnow is it?

Thanks for your help!

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[florida strain]

When I clicked the thumbnail, it kinda looks like a crappie hatchling. They eat minnows alot so that could be why they are getting in the trap also.

[slonezp]

White Crappie

[jmed999]

How sure are you? I thought it was a baitfish of some sort like a shad.

[VolFan]

Immature bluegill. Maybe take another pic with a little less glare, but the color and gill plate look like a small 'gill to me.

[BradH]

I'm with VolFan, I vote bluegill.

[00 mod]

My guess would also be a juvenile bluegill, and maybe more specifically a juvenile pumpkinseed?

Jeff

[jmed999]

Here are some more pics of them on a paper plate. They have a blueish purple tint along their back and greenish vertical stripes. Hopefully you can see this in the pics...

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[jmed999]

A few more pics

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[slonezp]

The dorsal fin would be the giveaway whether it's a crappie or gill. Next time, see if you can get a pic with the dorsal fin strected out. It's definatly not a shad.

[jmed999]

I tried to stretch the dorsal fin out in the pics attached. Ignore the grass near the mouth in one of the pics...

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[jmed999]

I've noticed in the pictures the fish just looks like a brown color. The camera isn't picking up the bluish/purple on the back and the vertical green stripes.

[florida strain]

Yeah thats crappie hatchlings. Just look at the thumbnail photo you have, that has the smaller and bigger ones together, you can see the speckeling get more prodominate as they grow vs the vertical stripes as the smaller one, and you can see the body shape making the transition as well, the eyes are to big to be gill fish.and the gill speck would also be bigger than what it is. plus its bedding season. so they probably just hatched.

[jmed999]

When I clicked the thumbnail, it kinda looks like a crappie hatchling. They eat minnows alot so that could be why they are getting in the trap also.

These things are waaay to small to be eating minnows....they are minnows themselves.

[jmed999]

Yeah thats crappie hatchlings. Just look at the thumbnail photo you have, that has the smaller and bigger ones together, you can see the speckeling get more prodominate as they grow vs the vertical stripes as the smaller one, and you can see the body shape making the transition as well, the eyes are to big to be gill fish.and the gill speck would also be bigger than what it is. plus its bedding season. so they probably just hatched.

I thought they bed in the spring not January....I could be wrong though. So you think they just hatched and are between 1 and 3 inches?