Record setting Ontario Orange-spotted Sunfish?

[MuskieBait]

We can speculate all we want, but without a picture, it can never be verified. One of the easiest ID key for the Orangespotted Sunfish is the lack of red or orange dot on its black ear flap that is trimmed with a relatively wide white margin. All the other Ontario Lepomis species either has a red dot on the ear flap (Pumpkinseed, Northern Longear, Green and Warmouth) or it completely lacks the white margin and red dot (Bluegill). In Green Sunfish and Warmouth, the red dot may be faint or faded, but these two also has much narrower white margin around the ear flap. Plus, Green Sunfish and Warmouth looks nothing like the Orangespotted Sunfish, with clear colouration and physical differences between all three.

It is possible that a hybrid Lepomis shows intermediate characteristics, as is seen in Pumpkinseed X Bluegill or Green x Bluegill or Pumpkinseed x Green. To be completely honest, the range of Northern Longear (restricted to southernwestern Ontario in a couple of rivers and their tributaries), Warmouth (restricted to southwestern Ontario in a few bays of Lake Erie) and Orangespotted Sunfish (restricted to a couple of sites around the Detroit area) that it is highly unlikely...unless these fish were mixed up with other sunfish during a stocking or introduction event.

Picture speaks a thousand words...Or know the species characteristics beforehand well enough so the species can be accurately identified in the field.

As good as recollection and pictures are, fish ID can still be extremely hard. Here's a trick question...what species are these two? (I do have the answer)