The Pumpkinseed
The pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) is a warm-water “panfish” found throughout western New York. Pumpkinseed typically range between 4 and 7 inches in length and can be identified by their spiny dorsal fin, gold belly area, and broad body that has splotches of deep olive green that contrast patterns of bright teal. Pumpkinseed also have a characteristic black tab on their gill plate that is tipped with bright red.
Pumpkinseed somewhat resemble their close cousin, the bluegill. There are a few differences that distinguish bluegill from pumpkinseed. One difference is coloration. Bluegill are typically more uniform and dull in color, while pumpkinseed usually have darker green splotches that starkly contrast underlying hues of light green or teal. Also, the black tab on a pumpkinseed’s gill plate has a bright red spot on it, while the tab on a bluegill’s gill plate is uniformly black. Pumpkinseed and bluegill are probably the most abundant fish in western New York.
Habitat
Pumpkinseed are warm-water fish and are extremely temperature tolerant. Pumpkinseed can tolerate temperatures well in excess of 70 °F in the summer. Given their adaptability, pumpkinseed can be found in any body of water: streams, creeks, rivers, ponds, and lakes. The only place where pumpkinseed might be hard to come by is cold, clean, well-oxygenated wild trout streams.
In ponds and lakes, pumpkinseed roam the weedy areas close to shore. In May, pumpkinseed can be seen building nests that look like craters in the shallow sections of lakes and ponds. Pumpkinseed usually only leave the shallows when the weather gets cold and they move to deeper parts of ponds and lakes. In creeks and rivers, pumpkinseed can be found in slow moving sections, especially where cover is present.
Food
A pumpkinseed’s diet consists primarily of insects. Pumpkinseed eat aquatic insect larvae, aquatic insects, or really any insect that lands on the surface of the water including bees. In fact, pumpkinseed can be so indiscriminant in feeding that pieces of grass, tree bark, or flower petals thrown onto the water can often trigger a pumpkinseed to strike. Large pumpkinseed will sometimes eat small minnows and can sometimes be caught on small stick baits.
Where to Catch Pumpkinseed
Pumpkinseed can be found pretty much everywhere, and are abundant in all counties of western New York. Pumpkinseed are usually stocked in ponds and lakes in neighborhoods and public parks. Ponds and lakes that aren’t stocked almost always have a self-sustaining population of naturally reproducing pumpkinseed. Local ponds are probably the best place to target pumpkinseed, where they can be seen cruising the shallows, often in large numbers. For this reason, pumpkinseed and bluegill are probably the best fish to target when taking children fishing. Pumpkinseed and bluegill are always eager to bite, and sight fishing keeps both kids and adults interested.
Late spring through fall is the best time to target pumpkinseed. During the early months of spring, when ice is unsafe or gone and water is still cold, pumpkinseed can be lethargic and tough to catch. During May into early June, pumpkinseed will occupy the shallows of ponds and lakes making nests and spawning. During the spawn, pumpkinseed are not focused on feeding. Usually starting in June, pumpkinseed begin to feed and become quite easy to catch. From June through October, pumpkinseed occupy shallow, weedy areas of ponds and lakes in large numbers and can be sight fished from shore.
How to Catch Pumpkinseed
Punpkinseed can be caught on pretty much any reasonably sized bait, artificial or live. However, there is no need to complicate things. The classic worm and bobber is the best way to go when trying to catch pumpkinseed. A small hook with a piece of nightcrawler fished a half foot to a foot under a bobber is almost guaranteed to produce fish. A small split shot weight can be added several inches above the hook if needed.
When fishing for pumpkinseed, it is most productive to sight fish. Pumpkinseed reside close to shore, so if you can’t see any where you’re casting, they probably aren’t there. Walk along the shore until you find some fish, and cast away. When casting, try to cast past the fish then slowly reel your bait toward them. Casting on top of fish can scare them. However, pumpkinseed probably won’t scare much if they’re getting nightcrawlers thrown at them. It is not uncommon to catch the same pumpkinseed several times in a row.
