“At one point, there were fantastic redear sunfish populations in Mountain Run in Culpeper and Phelps Pond in Fauquier, but I have not sampled these sites in a few years,” concluded Odenkirk. “However, I still recommend them.”

In Western Virginia, Lake Moomaw has become one of the premier destinations in the state for a member of the perch family. Additionally, VDGIF biologist Paul Bugas has some good news on the fish kill front.

“None of the kills that affected the James or Cowpasture have hit Moomaw,” Bugas told me. “Yellow perch were introduced by the VDGIF in the early 1980s when we were trying to establish a forage base for the trout. Some of the blueback herring, these did not take, and sunfish came from eastern Virginia.

“I suspect there were some yellow perch ‘hitchhikers’ that made their way into Moomaw via these stockings. Regardless, it has been a success story. The perch are both predator and prey to other sport fish in the lake. They are our representatives from the perch family in Moomaw, whereas other lakes utilize walleyes.

“The yellow perch grow to trophy proportions and seem to have found a comfortable niche in the reservoir. Many catch-and-release black bass fishermen catch yellow perch, and those usually find their way to the cooler for consumption. So, all in all, it’s a great sport and food fish. People love perch here.”

The major lake in southwest Virginia is 4,475-acre Claytor near Radford and Pulaski. Biologist Copeland gives this overview.

“Claytor Lake is my top pick for sunfish,” he said. “Quality bluegills are the showcase species at this impoundment. Late May to mid-June is the best time to fish for bluegills at Claytor Lake, but the fishing remains good through the summer. Claytor does not produce bluegill citations that rank it in the top tier of Virginia, but it can offer anglers daily limits of quality bluegills in the 6- to 7-inch range.”

In the past, Gatewood Reservoir near Pulaski has been a showcase for panfish action, especially among those anglers that enjoy using johnboats and canoes to ply mini-reservoirs. However, the news is not good.

“I cannot recommend a small impoundment in my area for panfish,” continued Copeland. “Gatewood Reservoir’s population is not what it used to be. I think it is due to a recent yellow perch introduction there.”

South-central Virginia has a pair of lakes that offer outstanding panfish potential: 740-acre Sandy River and 845-acre Briery Creek. Vic Dicenzo monitors these waters as well.

“Actually, Briery and Sandy are the other large impoundments in our district and both have good sunfish, predominantly redears, aka shellcrackers,” Dicenzo said. “Anglers can expect fish greater than 8 inches and occasionally greater than 10 inches. The best time to catch the larger sunfish is May and June at the onset of spawning.

“At Briery, there is a lot of aquatic vegetation and anglers have to locate beds adjacent to weedbeds or in small pockets of weeds. Visibility is pretty good at Briery. Sandy lacks the vegetation, and visibility is much less than at Briery, so anglers have to just cover more ground. At both lakes, mealworms and crickets tend to be the favorite baits, but fly-anglers can have great days with poppers. Bluegill numbers are higher at both lakes, but instead of 8 to 10 inches being good quality, it’s more like 6 to 8 inches.”