lighter 'orange' ear tabs can mean a RES or some sunfish that hybridized with RES to mute the coloring so I was checking on that. Also are RES native in creeks in OH? that would be awesome if that is true.
In MI the only native fish with a bit of orange on the ear tab would end up being a pumpkinseed or a PS hybrid. There is supposed to be established RES populations in a few lakes in SW MI but it doesn't seem that often that they are caught. The pumpkinseeds are common in the northern MI lakes but would only be found in a lake/pond and not in moving water in a creek.
