Catching the Overlooked yet Remarkable Longear Sunfish
A Tennessee Longear Sunfish captured underwater by Andrew Zimmerman Photography.
The Longear Sunfish is a perfect example of the overlooked species we highlight and champion as part of this blog. Longears are ubiquitous, eager to take most fly offerings, and stunning to behold. They are more beautiful than many varieties of trout in my opinion. They would be perfect in a tank next to some Oscars, Cichlids, and Goldfish in your home yet they reside in creeks and streams all over the country in abundance. Sometimes right under your nose.
So why are they overlooked? Long story short is that in many of the streams they inhabit, some of the best fighting sportfish on the planet live right alongside them. Largemouth, Spotted, and Smallmouth Bass often share the same waters with Longear Sunfish. In addition to these bass, trout are often there too. This is the plight of eye-catching, yet completely taken for granted Longear Sunfish.
A 16” Meramec River Smallmouth Bass.
A beautiful Rainbow Trout from the Fraser River in Colorado.
But fly fishing doesn’t have to be this way. Let’s face it, there’s times where the stars aren’t aligning and the smell of getting skunked starts to linger. That’s when some dry fly action and quick numbers of whatever will bite are precisely what the doctor ordered. These are the times when the Longear Sunfish comes through sure as Uncle Sam in April. A 1-3WT fly combo setup purely for these underdogs is a must-have for any fly angler in these situations.
A late summer Longear caught on a Pat's Rubber Leg Stonefly pattern from the Meramec River.
Where to catch Longear Sunfish?
The short answer is most anywhere. It’s not complicated but below are some places to start for finding Longear Sunfish. Anyone who has floated an Ozark river, stream, or wet-waded a shallow creek has seen or already caught one. I’ve caught them in water so skinny it seemed only a crawfish could live there but I’ve been proven dead wrong many times. That discovery and suprise is a big part of the fun in chasing them. They’re wild, thriving in some sketchy places. Their rugged environs help explain their pugnacious demeanor.
The below list of structure and stream features are a solid starting place finding Longears generally.
Root Wads
Downed Trees
Eddies
Long, slow moving & deep pools
Bridge Pilings
Weed-lined shorelines
The above and below picture galleries include other locations where Longears would inhabit and I have had success catching them.
If you’re curious what their below surface environments look like, Tyler Goodale is a Southeast Missouri fishing guide who has also captured some rather remarkable images of Longears included in the below gallery.
How To Catch Longear Sunfish?
Because they can inhabit such shallow haunts, near and top of the column techniques will often work great for Longears when they are in season. Peak season would be April through September with some exceptions like the fall season we’ve been experiencing lately. They can be taken during these times on top with poppers, ants, and gnats but to be really honest, most any dry fly will entice them on top.
Just below the surface great fun can be had stripping small marabou jigs, Pat’s rubber legs stonefly patterns, and small woolly buggers.
When water temps start falling well below 70 degrees you will have to switch things up, go deeper, slower, and with smaller offerings. Using smaller sized pheasant tail nymphs and midges below an indicator with a slow on and off retrieval or dead drift has produced in colder months.
What Gear To Use For Longear Sunfish?
This also does not need to be complicated at all. The lighter the better in my opinion. My go to is usually a 3WT and the Eagle Claw Featherlight is still one of my favorites for this pursuit. While it’s sometimes like casting with a fiberglass slingshot, it has the backbone to land double digit Carp alongside these little sunfish varieties. Plus they are cheap to replace if you break one.
For something faster action at a budget price point is the 2WT MaxCatch Ultra Lite Fly Combo. If you’re looking to step it up to a higher quality experience, the Redington Butter Stick paired with a Zero reel would be a lot of fun too. Paired with a quality line and maybe 2X tippet to boot, you’re in for some real fun.
While panfish are not often the sole focus of fishing adventures, varieties like Crappie, White Bass, Green Sunfish, Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, and many more will quickly take you back to where it all began. They were a gateway drug of sorts that got many started down this path fly fishing to begin with and they will be just as much fun at age 80 as they were when you were 10. So try a dose of humility once in awhile. You will be surprised how much fun it is to still chase the often neglected species living alongside the ones that got you out on the water in the first place.
On top of that, take a moment to admire their beauty. An overlooked, sleeper species in the eyes of some are the absolute stunners for those who slow down to appreciate their bright colors and scrappy demeanor.
