Every year the WLPOA sponsors a Winter Ice Fishing Tournament and a Summer Fishing Tournament to support Fish Habitat.

For the last several years we have been working on the fish habitat here on Wiggins Lake with guidance from the DNR. The pike regulations were changed to allow pike to grow bigger while removing the smaller fish that were causing stunted growth. The pike in our lake were 3 inches smaller than the average Michigan pike at the same age. After the last fish survey, we had closed the gap to an inch.

We have also done some habitat projects including manufacturing bedding areas. We hope to continue to expand.

We are now excited to move on to the next step of planting. Over the years the DNR has planted walleye. While there are some, our lake structure is not best suited to the needs of walleye to thrive. WLPOA board member Adam did due diligence to come up with a fish that best fits our situation- the Redear Sunfish.

This is all possible from the money raised during our pike tournaments and donations.

The first planting will be this fall. Fall and spring are the preferred times for planting. We may be limited to what is available, so the amount of fish will depend on availability. They will be an average of 4-5” each.

Redear sunfish aka (shell crackers) diet consists of snails and Mussels so they don't compete with other species for food. They do get a little larger in size then the regular sunfish which makes them great for anglers and they don't reproduce as much as the regular sunfish so they won't overpopulate.

Identification & Characteristics

• Size: Typically grows larger than a standard bluegill, averaging 8 to 10 inches (up to a foot long).

• Coloration: Dark back with a yellow-green belly and faint vertical bars. Males feature a distinct cherry-red edge on the operculum (gill plate), while females have an orange edge.

• Diet: Specialized bottom feeder that uses thick pharyngeal teeth in its throat to crush hard-shelled prey like snails, clams, and quagga or zebra mussels.

• Confusion with Pumpkinseed: Often mistaken for the native pumpkinseed sunfish, which also has a red or orange margin on the gill flap. However, pumpkinseeds feature blue and green facial streaks and yellow spots along the belly, whereas redears lack blue facial lines.

Status & Management in Michigan

• Introduction: First stocked by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to provide trophy panfish opportunities and help control snail populations.

• Distribution: Found primarily in self-sustaining populations across the southern part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula (such as Wamplers Lake).

• Regulations: Managed under state fishing guidelines with a daily limit of 25 fish (combined with other sunfish species in many waters, subject to current Michigan Fishing Guide rules).

• Angling Tips: Best caught using small live bait like worms or crickets near shallow sandy or muddy bedding areas during their late spring to early summer spawning season.

See less