panfish

noun

pan·​fish ˈpan-ˌfish How to pronounce panfish (audio)
: a small food fish (such as a sunfish) usually taken with hook and line and not available on the market

Examples of panfish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For most, a long-shank Aberdeen-style panfish hook with a depth-appropriate split shot weight, and an adjustable bobber does the job. Manmade Bait For impromptu bluegill missions, bread balls made from any soft, moldable baked item are an easy sell. David A. Brown, Field & Stream, 28 Feb. 2024 How to catch them: Crappie are a popular, schooling panfish that are fun to catch and delicious to eat. Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 From panfish to trout, largemouth bass to catfish, a Zebco 33 combo will get the job done. Rob McDonald, Field & Stream, 13 Sep. 2023 With conservation efforts finally coming to the forefront of the panfish community, more and more anglers are starting to release trophy-class panfish, not keep their daily limit and educate themselves as to what can be done to improve panfishing waters that have suffered from years of overharvest. Jim Gronaw, Baltimore Sun, 19 Mar. 2023 It’s also perfectly suited for catching panfish and small bass on farm ponds or creeks. Ryan Chelius, Field & Stream, 3 Aug. 2023 Crappies, walleyes, and panfish are usually fried, and that’s partially because their thinner, more delicate fillets benefit from a batter coating holding them together during the cooking process. Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 20 July 2023 The party fishing boat (419-734-1143) sent home 10 anglers this week with a boat limit of 300 of the tasty panfish. cleveland, 20 July 2023 Full sun scatters largemouths and emboldens panfish, which rip apart floating crawlers. Will Ryan, Field & Stream, 5 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'panfish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of panfish was in 1796

Dictionary Entries Near panfish

Cite this Entry

“Panfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panfish. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

panfish

noun
pan·​fish ˈpan-ˌfish How to pronounce panfish (audio)
: a small food fish (as a sunfish) usually caught with a hook and line and not sold in stores
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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