Over the years I've spent quite a bit of time in southwestern VA, in mountains, fishing drainages into and within the New River. My wife has family sort of near Wytheville.
There's a small 'game' fish there called a redeye that grows somewhat larger than the various lepomis species. It has skin coloration similar to bass sp. (greens and blacks), a large mouth relative to BG, and big striking red eyes around black pupils. Its got pretty stout dorsal fin spines you need to be careful of. It doesnt resemble a bass, nor a BG....it looks like a redeye.
I've caught hundreds of them, and dont know anything about them. what family are they in, what's there genus and species? wasnt very successful trying to find them on internet. Years ago i used to live in MD, and never caught one on the Potomac river, so i think they're a more southern water fish, with southern VA perhaps being the northern part of their range.
Does anybody here have experience with these fish, and would they make good additions to small ponds?
