Select a state to find fishing and boating information:
Get A Fishing License
Get started fishing today, purchase your fishing license online, check regulations and more.
Register A Boat
Register your boat today. Learn how to register your vessel, boating laws and more.
Home > Learn to Fish & Boat > Fish Species > Redbreast Sunfish
The redbreast sunfish is an excellent panfish and a scrappy fighter.
The belly, or ventral surface, ranges in color from yellow to orange-red or crimson red and the ear lobe (a lobe or flat on the gill cover) is usually long and narrow. In adult males of this species the lobe is actually longer than in the longear sunfish. The two species are readily distinguished by the fact that the gill cover lobe of the redbreast sunfish is completely black (or blue-black) all the way to the tip and is narrower than the eyes. The lobe of the longear sunfish is much wider and is bordered by a thin margin of pale red or yellow around the black. The pectoral fins of both species are short and roundish as compared to the longer, pointed pectoral fins of redear sunfish, and the opercular flaps are softer and more flexible than the rigid flaps of species such as the pumpkinseed sunfish.
The redbreast sunfish is native to the east coast of North America from Maine, south along the Atlantic slope, east of the Appalachians, to about central Florida, but only as far as west in the Florida panhandle as the Apalachicola River. It has been introduced into nearby states. The following list includes additional details on where to catch this fish:
It can be caught with baits or lures. It can even be taken at night. The following are fishing methods used to catch this fish:
The following are lures, tackle or bait that can be used to catch this fish:
10 Questions to Ask When Booking Guided Fishing Trips
Read More
Fishing on Lake Erie, Ohio
Tips for How to Tie a Boat to a Dock
Do you like this content? Subscribe to our Newsletter and get all the information you need to learn, plan, and equip for your next fishing adventure.
NEWSLETTER SIGNUP
Sign-up to receive our monthly newsletter with interesting blogs about fishing and boating. Get fishing tips and tricks and read personal stories from anglers who live and breathe fishing and boating. Learn new fishing skills, boating resources, fishing etiquette, conservation and more.
Please complete the following fields to subscribe to our newsletter.
SUBSCRIBERS PREFERENCES
What information would you like?