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California Fish Species

Arctic Grayling
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Blue Catfish
Bluegill
Brook Trout
Brown Bullhead
Brown Trout
Channel Catfish
Chinook Salmon
Coho Salmon
Common Carp
Creek Chubsucker
Cutbow Trout
Cutthroat Trout
Flathead Catfish
Gizzard Shad
Golden Shiner
Green Sunfish
Hybrid Striped Bass(wiper/palmetto)
Kokanee
Lake Chubsucker
Lake Trout
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
Pumpkinseed
Rainbow Trout
Redear Sunfish
Sacramento Perch
Smallmouth Bass
Spotted Bass
Spotted Sucker
Spotted Tilapia
Steelhead
Striped Bass
Sunfish (Bream)
Threadfin Shad
White Bass
White Catfish
White Crappie
White Perch
Yellow Bullhead
Yellow Perch

Lakes with Pumpkinseed on FishExplorer
Pumpkinseed
Native to eastern North America, Pumpkinseeds original range is from southern Canada to Georgia and North Carolina. This sunfish is rarely found in running water, preferring still heavily vegetated ponds.  It frequently coexists with the bluegills, its competitor.  These species occasionally hybridize.   When bluegills are present, Pumpkinseeds occupy the shoreline zone, leaving the open water habitat to the gills.  These smallish fish are typically six to eight inches in length, with fish to twelve inches possible.

These colorful sunfish are deep-bodied with a small mouth. Their underside is typically orange to yellow.   Sides are speckled with orange, yellow, blue, and emerald spots. The cheeks have wavy blue lines. Ear flaps are short, black, and have a red-orange rear edge.

Males, as is typical of sunfish, build nests in colonies in gravelly areas. Nest building starts hen water temperatures approach 60 degrees Fahrenheit.  Extremely territorial males chase everything away, including early-arriving females. Females deposit approximately 1,500 eggs which settle through a cloud of milt and stick to the bottom. Males then guard their nest as the eggs hatch in a few days. Once hatched males herd the fry into ball-like clouds for a couple weeks.  Sexual maturity generally occurs by the second year. In the wild, pumpkinseeds can live upwards of eight years.

Pumpkinseeds have diverse diet, insects, insect larvae, mollusks, snails, other crustaceans, and small fish are all on the menu. Feeding is primarily during the day and they are especially active in the afternoon.  All levels of the water column are utilized.
Most Recent Pumpkinseed Forum Posts
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Pumpkinseed Articles, Blogs, & Podcasts
Blog: Ignoring Instincts Paid Off 08.05.15 by David Coulson
Blog: Kids fishing 06.25.15 by Rob Stout
Blog: Boomerang Tool Co. Grip 11.07.12 by Joshua Christensen
Blog: 4 Apps Every Angler With A Smartphone Should Use 02.09.12 by Joshua Christensen
Blog: Clouser Pattern Detailed - New Article 12.16.11 by Matt Snider
Blog: Become a pro 09.30.11 by Joshua Christensen
Blog: FishExplorer.com Launches California 09.27.11 by Matt Snider
Blog: California now on FishExplorer.com 09.23.11 by Matt Snider
Recent California Pumpkinseed Photos by Fish Explorer Members
by BeastModeVet -
 
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