Redear Sunfish

Lepomis microlophus

The shellcracker. A bluegill cousin with a red tab on the gill cover and a taste for snails. Often bigger than the average park-lake bluegill.

Size / bag

No min · counts in the 25 sunfish+crappie bag

Season

Warm months

Difficulty

Habitat around Los Angeles

Snail-rich bottoms and weed edges in the warmer urban lakes.

How LA anglers actually fish them

Same 25-fish combined sunfish/crappie bag. They hug the bottom more than bluegill. A small piece of worm or a tiny jig dragged slowly at Legg, El Dorado, and similar lakes will sort them out of a bluegill school.

Current CDFW regulations

Size limit: No size limit
Bag / possession: Counts in the 25 combined sunfish and crappie
Season: All year

Same section as bluegill — §5.82.

T14 CCR §5.82 sunfish and crappie →

Independent-site disclaimer: this summary is for orientation only and can change in-season. Confirm with CDFW before you keep a fish. Fish in LA is not affiliated with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Best lures & bait

Small worm on the bottom
Tiny jig crawled through snails

How to catch them

Fish deeper than you would for bedding bluegill
Feel for taps, not a running bobber

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Related freshwater species

All species hub →