Pumpkinseed

Small live baits including worms, crickets, and small minnows. For artificial lures, use small jigs (particularly in chartreuse or natural colors), tiny spinners, and small poppers.

Spring and early summer when they're active in shallow waters, with May through July being prime time before their spawning period begins.

The 'pop-and-drop' technique works exceptionally well - rig a small buoyant popper (size 12 or smaller) with a piece of leader tied to the hook bend, then attach a small wet fly or nymph below it. This setup allows you to target multiple fish simultaneously as pumpkinseed often chase hooked family members.

Pumpkinseed are omnivorous, feeding primarily on invertebrates including insects, snails, worms, crustaceans, and small mollusks, with their molar-shaped throat teeth helping them crush shells. They also consume small fish, tadpoles, and bits of vegetation, feeding most actively in the afternoon hours.

They inhabit warm, shallow waters with abundant vegetation, preferring lakes, ponds, creeks, and slow-moving river sections with sandy, muddy, or gravel bottoms. Have been documented in limited numbers in Arkansas.