Pumpkinseeds at Big Bear Lake in CA. Have you seen any?

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Pumpkinseeds at Big Bear Lake

By Jim Mattews, Outdoor News Service

We used to catch them by the scads on little fly-rod poppers with a trailing wax worm or maggie. R.G. Fann, my brother-in-law, started using the pop-and-drop technique for pumpkinseeds on Big Bear Lake years ago when the little panfish were prolific. In May and June, they wee packed into the weedy shallows, and catching 15 or 20 in a fishing session was easy.

Big Bear Lake is reported to have the only population of pumpkinseeds in Southern California, according to most scientific literature, but few have been seen or reported in recent years. This small, colorful bluegill-like panfish apparently has declined, and some even speculate there are no more punkies.

Alan Sharp at Big Bear Marina and I are trying to find out if they still exist, so we’re encouraging anglers to report any pumpkinseed catches and take digital photos of their fish. The pumpkinseed is easily distinguished from other sunfish by the red or reddish-orange spot on the tip of its black gill-flap. You can call Sharp at the marina at 909-866-3218 or via e-mail at info@bigbearmarina.com. Or you can call me at 909-887-3444 or shoot me an e-mail at odwriter@verizon.net.

[Orygun]

Is there any water left in Crystal Lake up in Azusa Canyon? They used to have pumpkinseed in their when I was a kid.

The gravel pits at Conroc(?) have them as well.