Today I was panfishing, and caught a few fish that I can't identify. I didn't have a camera handy, but will next time. I have caught this same type of fish before.

The fish in question was small, about 3 inches or so. I have never caught any that look like it bigger. It had a big mouth. Spot on dorsal fin and tail fin. Body was long and it was brown with a purplish tint.

Anyone have any ideas? I have looked through pictures and pictures and can't seem to find it.

Thanks!

A picture is worth a thousand words.

When you get a picture make sure you have enough posts here to show us . I think you need at least 10 posts.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

When you get a picture make sure you have enough posts here to show us . I think you need at least 10 posts.

:-X

Today I was panfishing, and caught a few fish that I can't identify. I didn't have a camera handy, but will next time. I have caught this same type of fish before.

The fish in question was small, about 3 inches or so. I have never caught any that look like it bigger. It had a big mouth. Spot on dorsal fin and tail fin. Body was long and it was brown with a purplish tint.

Anyone have any ideas? I have looked through pictures and pictures and can't seem to find it.

Thanks!

doing a search for the fish known to be in the area might be a start. kansas does a good job of listing species and pics of fish in the area.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

When you get a picture make sure you have enough posts here to show us . I think you need at least 10 posts.

??????????????? Just curious

:-X

I have looked through the TN state fish website and I can't find anything that looks like it.

Thanks though.

                   Was it a Green Sunfish?

Roger

definitley get us a picture when you can, but in the meantime, at least tell us where you caught it. what lake or watershed/drainage

Today I was panfishing, and caught a few fish that I can't identify. I didn't have a camera handy, but will next time. I have caught this same type of fish before.

The fish in question was small, about 3 inches or so. I have never caught any that look like it bigger. It had a big mouth. Spot on dorsal fin and tail fin. Body was long and it was brown with a purplish tint.

Anyone have any ideas? I have looked through pictures and pictures and can't seem to find it.

Thanks!

First man, to help folks here, where you fishing when you caught it? Geographically speaking, that limits down the list of possibilities.

Next, see if you can find a listing of indigenous fish in your area and then hit their pics one by one. I had the same thing happen when I caught a yellow perch here. I had to get a listing of al native fish then specifically googled photos of them 1 by 1 until I found it.  

I live in middle tennessee, and I was fishing in spencer creek off of old hickory lake.

well judging from your description and location i'm betting it is a green sunfish. need pictures though!

see if you can find the fish on here: http://www.tnfish.org/FishIdentificationID_TWRA/FishKey.htm

O.K. while it took me looking at several different pictures and doing some research. Drum roll please.... the winner is green sunfish. Thanks for your help. I had seen those and some of the pics just didnt match up but the more i looked it for sure is.

O.K. while it took me looking at several different pictures and doing some research. Drum roll please.... the winner is green sunfish. Thanks for your help. I had seen those and some of the pics just didnt match up but the more i looked it for sure is.

thats what its all about; research and comparing pics.

glad you figured it out.

could be a sculpin or goby. they like to reside in the same type of water as panfish, and are small with a wide mouth.

Sure sounds like a goby to me.