Redear sunfish are a popular addition to balanced Oklahoma ponds and are commonly stocked alongside bluegill and largemouth bass. Sometimes called shellcrackers, redear are known for feeding heavily on snails, mussels and other aquatic organisms.

Moore’s Fish Farm offers redear sunfish for stocking new and existing ponds.

Redear add diversity to a pond's forage and recreational fish populations.

They are a great choice for:

• New pond stocking
• Bass and bluegill ponds
• Recreational fishing
• Adding forage diversity
• Feeding on snails and other aquatic organisms
• Producing quality panfish

Redear are commonly stocked as a companion species rather than as a replacement for bluegill.

Redear sunfish have specialized teeth in their throat that allow them to crush hard-shelled prey.

They commonly feed on:

• Snails
• Small mussels
• Aquatic insects
• Insect larvae
• Small crustaceans
• Other bottom-dwelling organisms

Their preference for snails is what earned them the nickname "shellcracker."

One of the primary reasons pond owners stock redear is their appetite for aquatic snails.

Snails are part of the life cycle of certain fish parasites. By feeding on snails, redear can help reduce snail populations within a pond.

Redear shouldn't be considered a guaranteed treatment for parasites, but their feeding habits make them a useful addition to a diversified pond-management program.

Redear and bluegill are related sunfish, but they fill somewhat different roles.

Bluegill reproduce heavily and typically form the foundation of the forage population in a largemouth bass pond.

Redear Sunfish reproduce less prolifically and spend more time feeding on snails, insects and other aquatic organisms.

For this reason, the two species are often stocked together.

Redear can be stocked alongside largemouth bass and bluegill as part of a balanced fish population.

Young redear provide additional forage for predator fish, while surviving adults can grow into quality panfish.

A combination of bluegill and redear provides greater diversity than relying on a single sunfish species.

Yes. Redear reproduce naturally in ponds.

They typically spawn during warmer months and may build nests in colonies similar to bluegill.

However, they generally do not reproduce as heavily as bluegill, which is one reason bluegill usually remain the primary forage species in a bass pond.

Redear are primarily natural feeders and are generally less likely to regularly use floating fish feed than bluegill or hybrid bluegill.

They spend much of their time feeding on snails, insects and other aquatic organisms.

This makes natural pond productivity particularly important for maintaining healthy redear populations.

The appropriate stocking rate depends on pond size, existing fish populations and your management goals.

Redear are commonly stocked as a portion of the overall sunfish population along with bluegill.

As a general recommendation stock 250-500 (2-3″) per surface acre. 

Current Redear Sunfish Pricing

3 Inch Size $.80 each

Sizes and availability vary throughout the year. Contact us for current inventory.

Redear can be an excellent companion to bluegill in a balanced pond.

Tell us your pond size, what's already stocked and your goals, and we'll help determine whether redear should be included in your stocking plan.

Moore’s Fish Farm
Inola, Oklahoma
918-341-4194