Why is there so much steam lately in regards to large sunfish? I swear I've heard, read, and seen more crap in the past year about large sunfish than I have previously during my entire life.
There isn't any big secret to finding them and they're in every lake. Ottertail County is home to the best lakes for large sunfish. If you drive East on hwy 10 out of Moorhead once you start getting out of the Red River Valley all those little lakes and sloughs are loaded with jumbo sunfish. Launch a boat off a gravel road "Dakota Style" and catch them until your dick falls off....
I'm sorry, but if you're over the age of nine fishing for sunfish is gay, unless you're taking a kid fishing. In East Central MN they don't grow as big or grow as fast but I've caught 10" sunfish off the dock....and have pictures with them over a ruler to prove it because people didn't believe me. They're not uncommon. Go to a strong weed line that drops off into about 18' to 20' of water with some slip bobbers rigged with medium to large leeches so the little effects won't be constantly messing with your bait and guess what?
You'll catch lots and lots of large sunfish. I've done it on pretty much any lake in MN, outside the shield lakes, I've fished when we were looking to have a meal of fish and needed some more.
Do people honestly make an effort....as in hook up and trailer a boat to launch in different lakes targeting sunfish?
I've literally never spoken with any angler who does that. I've spoken to two anglers in my lifetime who have done that....they don't do that on a routine basis....but they've done it a couple times in the past.
The focused concern over big sunfish---I don't get it.