By the numbers
7 Bream species considered sport fish in Georgia
17 Bream species found in Georgia
26 Species in Georgia in the sunfish family
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources recently announced the certification of a catch that ties the state record for spotted sunfish. Ryan Kersey of Swainsboro caught the fish from the Satilla River on June 4.
The sunfish was 8 inches long and weighed 10 ounces. The fish ties the record set by Mike Markovcic in 2003.
Spotted sunfish are members of the bream family and are stream fish, usually found in rivers and creeks of South Georgia. They also are referred to as stumpknockers.
Bream are some of the easiest fish to catch and often are the first fish taken by novice anglers and kids. These fish also can cause a lot of confusion.
An angler describing a catch as a “bream” could be speaking of any one of a number of species. Georgia is home to more than two dozen species that fall in the sunfish family. Seven of those are the black bass, such as largemouths and spots, which are not considered bream. Black and white crappie are in the family, too, but not considered bream.
Just a few of the remaining species are looked upon as sport fish in the state. Bluegills, fliers, and warmouths, as well as redbreast, redear, green and spotted sunfish are the only species that consistently get big enough to interest anglers.
Common names applied to those species in different areas can add to the confusion. Bluegills are sometimes called long-eared or red-breasted sunfish. The actual redbreast sunfish also is called a longear.
Warmouths also are called stumpknockers or goggle-eyes. But the green sunfish is referred to as a goggle-eye as well.
The redear sunfish is much more commonly called a shellcracker in Georgia.
Go online to fishesofgeorgia.uga.edu for a complete list of Georgia sunfish. Descriptions of the bream consider sport fish are available at georgiawildlife.com/node/606.
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