A male redear will have a red gill flap, and a female will have a orange gill flap.
I have a 10 acre lake that is about 35' deep and full of Bluegill and has some Redear in it. I'm not real good at telling the difference between the two. I know the males have a orange spot (thus the red ear) but what about the females. i want to thin out the gills and keep the Redear.
A male redear will have a red gill flap, and a female will have a orange gill flap.
Chubby lil sucka aint he.
"Garden Hackler"lol
you can't go by the earflap alone, because I catch them all the time with just a blue ear, or a little cream color border to it. the longer nose and tail, and long pointed pec fins, and also the body coloration help me tell them apart.Ive never seen a redear with an orange or red throat either, they usually have a cream or yellow color throat. the only time I have any trouble identifying them is when they are small, to me they look more like a gill then. they way they fight gives them away too, bulldogging for the bottom when they see the boat.
Here's a few pics from my 2009 trip to KY lake of redears and a bluegill. Should help tell them apart for you.
Bluegill
male redear
female redear
That there is called a "Pan Fish",hmmmm,I wonder why.lol.Nice fish.
"Garden Hackler"lol
If I caught fish that big I`d have to get a bigger pan ! thanks fpr posting the pic`s
Pat