Need help on fish ID.

[Alphahawk]

I went fishing at Laurel Hill today and had a great day catching 8 to 9 inch Bull Bluegills almost on every cast. But I also caught about a dozen Bluegill like the one in the pic I am posting. Yes I know it is a Bluegill but it is unlike any type or specie I have ever caught. It was drizzling rain and I only had my cell phone camera and it does not take good pics. The fish has red eyes like a Rock Bass. On all 12 of these the eyes were the same and the color is a beautiful pale blue. The picture does not really do it justice. Maybe it is just some specie of the Bluegill but the red eyes is what has me curious. Anyone have any ideas?


Regards

http://www.tnfish.org/PhotoGalleryFi...eNegus_jpg.htm

I'd call it a straight up bluegill... Nice fish!

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by middleTNsmallies

http://www.tnfish.org/PhotoGalleryFi...eNegus_jpg.htm

I'd call it a straight up bluegill... Nice fish!

Thanks for the compliment on the fish. It most definitely is a Bluegill. I catch a lot of fish..simply because I fish a lot. While I am known for catching huge Smallies on 2# test line and tons of Crappie. People that know me will tell you I will drive 500 miles in search of trophy Bluegills. The point being I have caught most of the different types of Bluegill that I know about. The camera could not capture the eyes. I have never seen red eyes on a Bluegill. If I had just caught one fish I would not have thought anything about it...but I caught a dozen of these. I think I will PM TNPondmananger and ask him. He is a fisheries biologist and I am sure he can tell me. In the end you may be 100% correct but the red eyes have me wondering.


Regards

Looks to have some coppernose in it. There's a photo in the bait shop of an 11" bluegill caught out of the lake either last year or this year, that's clearly a coppernose bluegill. I talked to a guy from TWRA who manages the lake and he said that at one point they had gotten some fish from a commercial hatchery. The light-colored patch on the forehead of your fish is a mark of coppernose, as are the white-fringed fins.