# King Of The Panfish: Fishing For Redear Sunfish (Shellcracker)



## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 23, 2020)

*INTRO......*

Hello again gentlemen!....and the probably 4 or so ladies on the forum! In the middle of getting ready to follow up my lessons on trophy bass fishing, I realized I had forgot about the lot of you guys out there who fish for other species. There is actually a pretty surprising number of people who enjoy fishing for panfish and trout than I thought, particularly for big bluegills, shellcracker, redbreast sunfish (or redbellies depending on who you ask), perch and rainbow trout. So, before I continue with the bass lesson, I figured I would fire off a couple short threads off the top pf my head for those who aren't really looking to catch the ever so popular green fish everyone is always after. Here is a quick guide to targeting the king of the sunfish family, the Redear Sunfish...

_*ALL ABOUT SHELLCRACKER....*_ 

Also known as Yellow Bream, Golden Bream, Stumpknockers, Sunfish, Sunnies, and most commonly shellcrackers, The redear sunfish is a very popular panfish species among southern anglers. They are plentiful, easy to catch, easy to find, agressive and will readily take both natural and artificial baits. They also happen to be the largest of the sunfish family, averaging over half a pound, with the world record being over 5lbs (yes, I did just say somebody caught a 5 pound BREAM) with fish over a pound actually not being very hard to come by and even a 2 pounder isn't a rare catch. 

They are eager biters normally, widely available, they put up a pretty scrappy fight on an ultralight or fly rod and are tough customers on light line partly due to their shape, size and agressive behavior, and they are considered excellent table fare by most folks, producing thick and tasty fillets with a rather mild flavor. (I like em battered and fried with cajun seasoning and a squeeze of lemon myself) A bright red spot on the gill flap sets them apart from the other members of the sunfish family. They are also less round and plate shaped than other sunfish.

 Normally featuring variable speckles and markings down the sides, an olive green back and a bright yellow belly, these fish arent hard on the eyes either. They spawn in the spring time normally in shallow, sandy or slightly mucky bottoms. Spawning often takes place a little earlier than bluegill, mostly around the two moons in march, but if a cold front comes through it will push them into the last full moon in march and the first one in april. Unlike bluegill, these are true warmwater fish and they have a zero tolerance policy for cold water and seldom feed in temperatures below 45 degrees. 

Think of shellcracker vs bluegill in the same way as you would largemouth vs smallmouth bass. Cold water or otherwise unfavorable conditions shut largemouth down normally. On the other hand, the worse the conditions get, the happier smallmouth and spotted bass are, and they don't care how cold it gets. These fish tend to spawn and live in water a little deeper than other sunfish and often prefer protected bays and flats with some deep water access nearby. 

You can find them bedding by just following your nose this time of year, as they leave a kind of fishy smelling scent in the air. Males have a larger and wider ear flap than females on the gill plate. They commonly bed at 3-7ft depending on water clarity and envioronmental conditions. 
They produce less offspring than other sunfish species so it's harder for them to become stunted than others and they grow to bigger sizes faster than other sunfish species as well.

 Like bluegill, these sunfish spawn in "colonies" or groups of fish. Males turn very dark, even almost black in color, and they dig out a bed. They appear as bright round spots on an otherwise dark bottom and are called "elephant footprints" by many. Hybridization with bluegill, green sunfish, longear sunfish, and pumpkinseeds are fairly common, so don't be surprised if you catch an odd looking shellcracker here or there. The red ear flap is still present on most hybrids. Spawning occurs mostly in late spring and early summer when the water is in the high 60 range and some will linger on into the 70 range. By the time the bass are in post spawn, your shellcracker are on bed. Some bluegill colonies may be bedding in shallower water too, but they're normally not bedding along with shellcracker and their bedding sites are separate.

 In both species, the male is the one who guards the eggs. For this reason it's actually more acceptable to keep females over males. Females carry less eggs than other sunfish species, but they are still sunfish and are in large numbers usually but because bedding success after eggs are laid is dependent on the male, it has been decided by fisheries biologists and panfish experts that the larger males are vital to the species. If you catch a big dark one, especially off a bed, let him go. Keeping a 12 incher isn't such a bad thing post spawn, due to the rapid growth of this species in comparison to other sunfish. They are also longer lived with a lifespan of up to 8-10 years.

 These fish are bottom feeders mostly, but will sometimes come to the surface and grab insects with a diet of invertabrates like worms, insects, mollusks, freshwater shrimp, small crayfish and tons of snails, hence the name "shellcracker" as they are lovingly reffered to.

 They can be seen scouring the bottom tailing like redfish feeding on crabs or sheepshead on dock pilings as they feed in a very similar way. Like the two inshore saltwater species, they have teeth in the backs of their throats that help them feed on crustaceans like grass shrimp and other food items with a rough exterior. 

*WHERE TO FIND SHELLCRACKER.... 

Like many other sunfish species, shellcracker prefer clear and weedy waters with a sandy bottom. They don't like current very much and can be found in the slower pools and sloughs of rivers and creeks as well as lakes and large ponds. Stumps roots, logs and weed beds are all favorite hangouts for them. They prefer shade and can be caught in much deeper water than other panfish. 
Sometimes what you think is a school of crappies in 20-35 feet of water is actually a school of big shellcracker.  Native to the southeast, they have been stocked across the country to a few southwest and northwestern states. They do favor larger lakes and reservoirs but can be found in just about any small lake, pond, river, stream, and creek in the state and can even be found in brackish waters on the coast being that they are more tolerant of salinity than most sunfish.

* SHELLCRACKER FISHING FACTS...

These scrappy panfish are not as easy to catch as other sunfish species and can be a real challenge. They are less inclined to take artificial baits, but can be taken on many live baits. They will still strike artificial baits but less of them work than on other species, being that redear sunfish are bottom feeders and less inclined to chase lures or rise to the surface. 

The majority of redear sunfish are caught during the spawn. Much like crappie, it seems everyone is filling a bucket with them during the spawn and then loses track of them the entire rest of the year once they move into deeper water, only catching one here and there by chance unless they're an active pursuer of the species. Anglers who know where the deep shell beds are can stay on fish almost year round.

Like mentioned earlier, they are true warm water fish and prefer temperatures in the mid 70 range. When the water is too hot in the summer for other species like bass or striper, some warm or "hot" water fish like Flathead catfish (who prefer lots of current and water temperatures in the low to mid 80 range believe it or not) and shellcracker may still be very active and willing to bite. This can save you an unproductive fishing trip or two. Can't catch any bass or anything else and just want to catch a fish? Break out the ultralight and catch some big redears.

Grass shrimp are a top shellcracker bait and are commonly overlooked. Many don't even know freshwater shrimp exist. Old timey bait shops used to sell them as well as Leeches, catalpa worms and grubs. You can find grass shrimp with a dip net by picking through clumps of hyacinth weeds.

When it comes to growth comparison, it takes up to 9 years to grow a 10 inch, 1 pound bluegill on average in most waters across the country. When it comes to shellcracker however, a 10 inch, 1lb fish is normally no older than 5 years old. On a well managed lake with an ample food supply, that same fish may be 3 years old.

Lake Havasu is considered one of the top shellcracker lakes in the country, producing several fish over 4 pounds due to the bottom content and the lake mussels that are prevalent there. It's not uncommon to catch a 3 pounder or a couple on almost any given trip. 

With a 5 pounder being the world record, 5lbs, 12oz to be exact, it's believed that somewhere out there is a 6 pound behemoth of a bream swimming around waiting to be caught by some lucky angler...... Here goes hoping they realize what they have and that fish ends up in a display tank with a replica mount instead of on somebody's dinner plate.


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 23, 2020)

That takes care of about 3/4 of this thread. To finish, I'll get into techniques, baits and how to target these fish specifically over other panfish. Here's the heads up though - fish deep and on the bottom with worms. Most panfish tend to be shallower and feeding on the surface or mid depth. You'll catch more shellcracker baiting up and casting into the middle of the lake than you will using a bobber and a cricket on the bank outside of the spawn. That's a better technique for bluegill, pumpkinseeds and green sunfish.


Continuing on....

*PROPER PANFISH GEAR......*

The tackle used for chasing panfish is more limited than tackle used to fish for most other species due to their size. I recommend scaling the size down to match the fish to get the most out of your trips. You'll be surprised how hard those little fish can fight on the end of a 2lb line! I will discuss both appropriate conventional and fly fishing gear here and a few baits, flies, and lures to use...

* CONVENTIONAL RODS......*

You can target Panfish with just a plain line and a hook or just a cane pole if you wanted to, but being that many of you are die hard panfishers, you'll want a decent dedicated setup for these fish. 

Spinning rods - most fishing for Panfish is done on ultralight to medium light power rods with a fast or xtra fast action. Very sensitive tips are necessary to feel light bites and cast tiny baits. The good part about Panfish gear is that it's cheap. Offerings anywhere from a $10 shakespeare micro light Walmart special rod to a high end Japanese import rod in the hundreds of dollars range is available to you. I highly recommend ACC crappie stix, a strike king Mr Crappie combo, or if you're a finesse bass fisherman you can just use that same rod for bream, shellcracker in particular because you'll be fishing deeper, heavier, and they get to a larger size. Rod length should be from 6ft long up to 7'6. The exception is if you're going to spider rig for them. You can use your crappie spider rigging or drifting rods for shellcracker in deep water and those rods may be from 9-12ft long.

Casting Rods - Yes, there are baitcasters for panfish! Those that are normally used for crappie fishermen make excellent reels for shellcracker. A BFS (bait-finesse) baitcaster like you'd use for bass with a small spool, typically a 30 size spool (most conventional baitcaster reels for bass are 100-150 size) should work fine. These reels excel when vertical fishing over a spinning reel because you have more direct contact with the baits and allow you to set depth more easily. Rods can be anything from light to medium.

Fly Fishing Rods - When shellcracker are shallow enough, they can be taken on flies. A 2wt-5wt setup is perfect, with 4wt being ideal. The same one you'd use for smaller stream trout will do. Floating lines are normally what you would use also, although in river fishing situations, a sink tip or intermediate line with a 3-5 ips (inches per second) sink rate may be necessary. Remember these fish don't like heavy current, so heavy sinking lines to stay down in the water aren't needed. They'll be in the back of pockets and sloughs in the shaded areas.

* FISHING LINES FOR SHELLCRACKER......*

For Panfish, you're free to use anything really, as long as it's within reason. They don't care if you're using monofilament, fluorocarbon, braided superlines or copolymer. 

Mono/Fluoro/Copoly - These lines all work great for these fish, but being that you're after shellcracker, you'll want heavier line than you'd normally use for sunfish. Going all the way down to 2lb test will get your line broke many times. I recommend 4-10lb test, with 8lb being my comfort zone. Fluorocarbon is a great line to use as leader and in clear water with finicky fish. It's a good idea to use braid and have different sizes of flouro leader from 4-10lb test so instead of needing another spool of mainline, you just tie a new leader. Use the heavier lines for fishing in heavy cover or over rocky bottom. If you're in water that has no obstructions, back your drag down on that little ultralight and fish 2-4lb line and have a ball! I recommend Trout magnet or crappie magnet lines, izorline xxx (my favorite), stren original, sufix pro mix, and Mr Crappie Hi-Vis lines.

Braid - By far the best braid for any panfisher is Sufix Nanobraid. Tiny diameter braid in sizes small enough for Panfish and trout anglers on even the smallest reels, yet heavy enough to catch decent size predator species if needed. You will get superior castability and sensitivity with this line, but you need to use a leader.

Fly Line - As stated before, full floating and intermediate lines as well as short sink tips all work well here, but they must be small. 2-5wt with 4wt being ideal. Tippet sizes down to 7x-8x are good, but 5x gives you just enough power to not break your line on a big bull bream. Flies you'll be using will be fairly small, or downright puny, so turning over large flies isn't an issue. You'll rarely use anything bigger than a size 6 fly for these fish, and you'll have times where you may go all the way down to a size 16 on a tiny 8x tippet when they just refuse to bite anything else.


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## fi8shmasty (Dec 23, 2020)

You should be a guide and have a fishing show. Your always spot on


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## Shrimpngrits (Dec 23, 2020)

Thank you for this! Bluegill is my favorite fish to catch, yet I know so little about the shellcracker. Seeing as the hill has a good supply of this fish, I’ve been wanting to learn the differences between the two.


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## greg_n_clayton (Dec 23, 2020)

Shrimpngrits said:


> Thank you for this! Bluegill is my favorite fish to catch, yet I know so little about the shellcracker. Seeing as the hill has a good supply of this fish, I’ve been wanting to learn the differences between the two.


They are all bream to me !


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 23, 2020)

fi8shmasty said:


> You should be a guide and have a fishing show. Your always spot on


Youtube channel coming next year! I always knew I'd make my living on fish or fishing ever since my early childhood. First I wanted to be a marine biologist, then an ichthyologist, then a pro bass fisherman but those are all playing a losing game. So now I have plans to make my mark in other ways and then probably move to Florida and retire as a guide down there one day as an old man. Time to start putting in the work!


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## RamblinWreck (Dec 23, 2020)

I live for big red ears, but they are tough to find right now (Dec-Jan). I am tying up jigs now to use this spring, when water temps start to nudge over 60F. Little hair jigs of squirrel and arctic fox, instead of feathers or marabou, work best. I have learned that tipping a small hair jig with a red wiggler or piece of night crawler is very effective, and almost eliminates gut-hooking. Also I am starting to use 2 small plastics that work like magic, but I learned from someone about them, and will let them tell you, not me. Hint: they have YouTube channels.


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 23, 2020)

Shrimpngrits said:


> Thank you for this! Bluegill is my favorite fish to catch, yet I know so little about the shellcracker. Seeing as the hill has a good supply of this fish, I’ve been wanting to learn the differences between the two.


I've caught and seen some dang giant ones in Lanier and Allatoona too. Easily 2 pounders. I watched someone catch a 3 pounder on the ocmulgee river by the dam when I used to live out that way


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 23, 2020)

RamblinWreck said:


> I live for big red ears, but they are tough to find right now (Dec-Jan). I am tying up jigs now to use this spring, when water temps start to nudge over 60F. Little hair jigs of squirrel and arctic fox, instead of feathers or marabou, work best. I have learned that tipping a small hair jig with a red wiggler or piece of night crawler is very effective, and almost eliminates gut-hooking. Also I am starting to use 2 small plastics that work like magic, but I learned from someone about them, and will let them tell you, not me. Hint: they have YouTube channels.
> View attachment 1056898


They definitely have an affinity for worms. Trout magnet jigs, spinners and mister twister micro plastics smoke em too.


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## RamblinWreck (Dec 23, 2020)

So far you haven't told me anything I don't already know. I was hoping for some wizard-level tips.


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 23, 2020)

RamblinWreck said:


> So far you haven't told me anything I don't already know. I was hoping for some wizard-level tips.


I would but that stuff is classified and I'd have to charge ya ?


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## RamblinWreck (Dec 24, 2020)

Me? Pay? Good luck with that. Maybe when you get famous, I'll buy a t-shirt.


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 24, 2020)

Here's a couple from Allatoona


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 24, 2020)

RamblinWreck said:


> Me? Pay? Good luck with that. Maybe when you get famous, I'll buy a t-shirt.


In due time!


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## F.A.R.R. (Dec 24, 2020)

Jeremiahisbrown said:


> Youtube channel coming next year! I always knew I'd make my living on fish or fishing ever since my early childhood. First I wanted to be a marine biologist, then an ichthyologist, then a pro bass fisherman but those are all playing a losing game. So now I have plans to make my mark in other ways and then probably move to Florida and retire as a guide down there one day as an old man. Time to start putting in the work!



I agree shell cracker are loads of fun to catch and delicious when fried up.

Good luck breaking into fishing as a full time profession, what is your current line of work ?


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## trad bow (Dec 24, 2020)

Target mussel beds on larger lakes for a very consistent pattern for catching shell crackers. I find them by looking at the banks for spent shells then backing off bank to find the bed. Rocks are a good place to find mussels or any other hard bottom.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Dec 24, 2020)

> They also happen to be the largest of the sunfish family, averaging over half a pound, with the world record being over 5lbs (yes, I did just say somebody caught a 5 pound BREAM) with fish over a pound actually not being very hard to come by and even a 2 pounder isn't a rare catch.



Many years ago (just look at that babyfaced kid) me and dad got on a mess of shellcrackers up here in the mountains.  I was trolling around a blowdown and I happened to look down into the top of it and saw masses of dark black fish.  I tied up the bow of the boat into the limbs of the blowdown and we started dropping worms down to them. After getting broken off a few times on ultralights, we pulled out our bass rods and re-rigged.  Before we were done, we had caught something like 76lbs of shellcrackers out of that one tree.  Multiple 2 pounders and one that was 3lbs on the nose.

You can't tell here, but that thing was over 3 inches thick through much of its body.


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## Old Yapper (Dec 24, 2020)

RamblinWreck said:


> So far you haven't told me anything I don't already know. I was hoping for some wizard-level tips.


If you'd like to see a lot of very good videos of a first rate shellcracker, bluegill, and crappie fisherman (from a down to earth guy with zero shirt patches and zero inflated ego) try this guy==>  Go on YouTube and enter the words "Richard Gene the Fishing Machine".  He's over in Alabama, doesn't think he's a  pro, but catches a TON of fish on the same kind of waters you and I have to fish. He teaches without preaching.
He has no "production company", no loud music playing in the background, no $40,000 bass boat...no large sponsors...just a simple fisherman out of a wide aluminum boat with a 50hp on the back, and the kind of guy who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty.
His country drawl is a little much, but that doesn't matter to me.
If you haven't tried his site, give it a look. I really enjoy it and he isn't always trying to sell stuff.


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## Ruger#3 (Dec 24, 2020)

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> Many years ago (just look at that babyfaced kid) me and dad got on a mess of shellcrackers up here in the mountains.  I was trolling around a blowdown and I happened to look down into the top of it and saw masses of dark black fish.  I tied up the bow of the boat into the limbs of the blowdown and we started dropping worms down to them. After getting broken off a few times on ultralights, we pulled out our bass rods and re-rigged.  Before we were done, we had caught something like 76lbs of shellcrackers out of that one tree.  Multiple 2 pounders and one that was 3lbs on the nose.
> 
> You can't tell here, but that thing was over 3 inches thick through much of its body.



When they get that size it’s like being hooked to a submarine. They plow around where they want to go.


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## Cmp1 (Dec 24, 2020)

Jeremiahisbrown said:


> Here's a couple from Allatoona
> View attachment 1056907View attachment 1056908View attachment 1056909


Those are monsters,,,,


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## Cmp1 (Dec 24, 2020)

Old Yapper said:


> If you'd like to see a lot of very good videos of a first rate shellcracker, bluegill, and crappie fisherman (from a down to earth guy with zero shirt patches and zero inflated ego) try this guy==>  Go on YouTube and enter the words "Richard Gene the Fishing Machine".  He's over in Alabama, doesn't think he's a  pro, but catches a TON of fish on the same kind of waters you and I have to fish. He teaches without preaching.
> He has no "production company", no loud music playing in the background, no $40,000 bass boat...no large sponsors...just a simple fisherman out of a wide aluminum boat with a 50hp on the back, and the kind of guy who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty.
> His country drawl is a little much, but that doesn't matter to me.
> If you haven't tried his site, give it a look. I really enjoy it and he isn't always trying to sell stuff.


Yep, I was just going to mention that you should go fish with him,,,,I got the same Rod he uses,,,,the Eagle Claw IM-7 UL,,,,great videos,,,,

I'm a newbie crappie,pan fish fisherman and I appreciate the info from you,,,,I don't think I've ever seen a shell Cracker here,,,,


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## RamblinWreck (Dec 24, 2020)

Old Yapper said:


> If you'd like to see a lot of very good videos of a first rate shellcracker, bluegill, and crappie fisherman (from a down to earth guy with zero shirt patches and zero inflated ego) try this guy==>  Go on YouTube and enter the words "Richard Gene the Fishing Machine". ...



I've been a subscriber to Richard for going on 3 years, watched every one of his videos, and I did buy a t-shirt.


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## Cmp1 (Dec 24, 2020)

RamblinWreck said:


> I've been a subscriber to Richard for going on 3 years, watched every one of his videos, and I did buy a t-shirt.


I know he likes the TN river,,,,great video's,,,,he was talking about his UL rod, how he liked it so much,,,,I went and got it on Amazon,,,,with an Okuma Avenger 7 bearing reel and Mr Crappie 4lb,,,,48.00 or so,,,,really nice rod,,,,


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## amicusnole (Dec 24, 2020)

I’d really like to know where to find shellcracker in Lanier. One time my son caught a huge one right under the dock where I was launching the boat. That’s the only one we’ve ever pulled from Lanier. Seemed random. They gotta be somewhere.


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 24, 2020)

amicusnole said:


> I’d really like to know where to find shellcracker in Lanier. One time my son caught a huge one right under the dock where I was launching the boat. That’s the only one we’ve ever pulled from Lanier. Seemed random. They gotta be somewhere.


When spring time comes around next year, look up the backs of creeks and in the bays that are protected from the wind. You'll see them on beds dozens at a time. After the spawn, you'll find them in deeper water in similar areas


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## Fletch_W (Dec 24, 2020)

I only ever catch them accidentally when bluegill fishing, and you are spot on about them being deeper and preferring worms near the bottom. Another pro-tip you didn't mention.... their favorite food of all time is Catalpa Worms in June.


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## trad bow (Dec 24, 2020)

The largest shell crackers being caught are in South Carolina in the canals between the big lakes. The big fish are caught on mussels taken out of the shell and fish on the bottom around the mussels beds. 
This same tactic works in our lakes around bridge pilings, rip rap and docks. You can catch them on red wrigglers but the largest ones tend to come off mussels.


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## Cmp1 (Dec 24, 2020)

Fletch_W said:


> I only ever catch them accidentally when bluegill fishing, and you are spot on about them being deeper and preferring worms near the bottom. Another pro-tip you didn't mention.... their favorite food of all time is Catalpa Worms in June.


First time I ever heard of catalpa worms, I really thought they were worms,,,,? ? ? ?,,,,someone here said to turn them inside out,????
We have a bunch of catalpa trees here,,,,


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## hopper (Dec 24, 2020)

Nice write up! My uncle stocked his pond with "Ga Giants" from Ken's fish hatchery back in the say. Those suckers would steal a cain pole. We would paddle all over that dang lake chasing our pole across the water.


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## hopper (Dec 24, 2020)

not my fish.


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## Old Yapper (Dec 24, 2020)

amicusnole said:


> I’d really like to know where to find shellcracker in Lanier. One time my son caught a huge one right under the dock where I was launching the boat. That’s the only one we’ve ever pulled from Lanier. Seemed random. They gotta be somewhere.


I used to fish way up on the North end of Lanier. From 1965 through 1990.
Go under the Highway 53 bridge out of Gainesville.
Immediately you will see a long steep bank on your right that runs parallel to the highway for maybe 1/4 mile. Got some depth all the way from 40 feet to one inch along that bank.
That was always the hottest shellcracker spot on the lake as far as I was concerned. Plus the water color up there is better. I wouldn't think too much has changed that far up the river although it has been quite a while since I was up there. But it's a starting point. If somebody sent me up there to get shellcrackers, that's where I would go. (there may be residences along that stretch now)
And that submerged island as you enter the Chestatee there just above Browns Bridge was another favorite shellcracker spot. Fishing on the bottom with a slip sinker rig and worms. We used to have to circle around and around to search for it with the depthfinder but now I suppose it is marked on maps with GPS waypoints. (the  fish down there don't know about waypoints however)
I can't tell you much about anything below Browns Bridge (except is it a zoo with the pleasure boaters)


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## Cmp1 (Dec 24, 2020)

hopper said:


> View attachment 1057020not my fish.


Dang,,,,


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## Old Yapper (Dec 24, 2020)

Cmp1 said:


> First time I ever heard of catalpa worms, I really thought they were worms,,,,? ? ? ?,,,,someone here said to turn them inside out,????
> We have a bunch of catalpa trees here,,,,


Not necessary to do that "inside out stuff".
Just take a pair of scissors and cut 'em in half or even in thirds...that let's the juice flow. The shellcrackers will know what to do from that point.
Realize that your fingers are going to be stained dark brown from the juice. It'll wear off in a few days....although I've done pretty good cleaning it off with straight Clorox.
You've got to start those trees off producing by putting some of the caterpillars ("worms") on the trees. Put a lot of mulch around the base of the trees. They will burrow down into the mulch at the base of the trees and then come out to prowl in the mornings and will eat those leaves to pieces. Usually about June when that starts happening.
You can freeze them in plastic zip-loc bags. I put some green koolaid and water mixture in the bags to keep them from turning brown. When you go fishing and cut them with the scissors, the juice will still flow. (just lay the bags in the sun on the bottom of the boat on the way to the water....they'll thaw out by the time you get to the launch ramp)


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## Cmp1 (Dec 24, 2020)

Old Yapper said:


> Not necessary to do that "inside out stuff".
> Just take a pair of scissors and cut 'em in half or even in thirds...that let's the juice flow. The shellcrackers will know what to do from that point.
> Realize that your fingers are going to be stained dark brown from the juice. It'll wear off in a few days....although I've done pretty good cleaning it off with straight Clorox.
> You've got to start those trees off producing by putting some of the caterpillars ("worms") on the trees. Put a lot of mulch around the base of the trees. They will burrow down into the mulch at the base of the trees and then come out to prowl in the mornings and will eat those leaves to pieces. Usually about June when that starts happening.
> You can freeze them in plastic zip-loc bags. I put some green koolaid and water mixture in the bags to keep them from turning brown. When you go fishing and cut them with the scissors, the juice will still flow. (just lay the bags in the sun on the bottom of the boat on the way to the water....they'll thaw out by the time you get to the launch ramp)


Thank you,,,,
BTW, you and your family have a Merry Christmas,,,,


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 24, 2020)

trad bow said:


> The largest shell crackers being caught are in South Carolina in the canals between the big lakes. The big fish are caught on mussels taken out of the shell and fish on the bottom around the mussels beds.
> This same tactic works in our lakes around bridge pilings, rip rap and docks. You can catch them on red wrigglers but the largest ones tend to come off mussels.


Correct! South Carolina and California are producing the biggest fish


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## Old Yapper (Dec 24, 2020)

Cmp1 said:


> Thank you,,,,
> BTW, you and your family have a Merry Christmas,,,,


I share Merry Christmas wishes to everyone here EXCEPT for any democrats.
I hope theirs is the most miserable of their lives.


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## crackerdave (Dec 24, 2020)

Jeremiahisbrown said:


> *INTRO......*
> 
> Hello again gentlemen!....and the probably 4 or so ladies on the forum! In the middle of getting ready to follow up my lessons on trophy bass fishing, I realized I had forgot about the lot of you guys out there who fish for other species. There is actually a pretty surprising number of people who enjoy fishing for panfish and trout than I thought, particularly for big bluegills, shellcracker, redbreast sunfish (or redbellies depending on who you ask), perch and rainbow trout. So, before I continue with the bass lesson, I figured I would fire off a couple short threads off the top pf my head for those who aren't really looking to catch the ever so popular green fish everyone is always after. Here is a quick guide to targeting the king of the sunfish family, the Redear Sunfish...
> 
> ...


Thanks for this thread,from a diehard panfisher!


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## RamblinWreck (Dec 24, 2020)

I've heard/read Lake Havasu in Az has the biggest redears due to the invasive quagga mussel.


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 24, 2020)

RamblinWreck said:


> I've heard/read Lake Havasu in Az has the biggest redears due to the invasive quagga mussel.


Yep! Shellcracker candy. I wish red bellies got to the same size. They put up the best fight among panfish In my opinion.


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## JWF III (Dec 25, 2020)

Jeremiahisbrown said:


> I've caught and seen some dang giant ones in Lanier and Allatoona too. Easily 2 pounders. I watched someone catch a 3 pounder on the ocmulgee river by the dam when I used to live out that way



Which dam did you fish? Jackson? I would think it would have too much current for crackers. Juliette dam? Another further down stream?

I’m wanting to get started  fishing the river some. I just have to get my old 40 Merc back in service.

Wyman


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 25, 2020)

JWF III said:


> Which dam did you fish? Jackson? I would think it would have too much current for crackers. Juliette dam? Another further down stream?
> 
> I’m wanting to get started  fishing the river some. I just have to get my old 40 Merc back in service.
> 
> Wyman


I think it was Juliette a little ways down the road from the public park on lake jackson. I remember it being a right turn next to the bait shop that took you down to the water. There was a fishing pier they built in the tail water area just below the dam but there was access to the river all over. Fish get HUGE in the ocmulgee. I've even seen schools of 16 inch gizzard shad


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## Fullnet2 (Dec 25, 2020)

Old Yapper said:


> I used to fish way up on the North end of Lanier. From 1965 through 1990.
> Go under the Highway 53 bridge out of Gainesville.
> Immediately you will see a long steep bank on your right that runs parallel to the highway for maybe 1/4 mile. Got some depth all the way from 40 feet to one inch along that bank.
> That was always the hottest shellcracker spot on the lake as far as I was concerned. Plus the water color up there is better. I wouldn't think too much has changed that far up the river although it has been quite a while since I was up there. But it's a starting point. If somebody sent me up there to get shellcrackers, that's where I would go. (there may be residences along that stretch now)
> ...


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## Fullnet2 (Dec 25, 2020)

Hate to sound dumb but are you traveling north under the 53 bridge?


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 26, 2020)

Here's a picture of the 5lb world record redear sunfish! This thing is literally as big as the world record crappie... BOTH of them! That's one heck of a bream!


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 26, 2020)

hopper said:


> View attachment 1057020not my fish.


The bottom left fish in that bottom photo is actually a bluegill/green sunfish hybrid. Very cool fish!


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## Thunder Head (Dec 26, 2020)

Nice thread. Ive never tried to target them specifically. Caught some nice ones here and there.

If you get enough views / subscribers on youtube. You dont need to push products or sell t-shirts. Some of them guys are making alot of money.


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## Dutch (Dec 26, 2020)




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## Cmp1 (Dec 26, 2020)

Dutch said:


> View attachment 1057392
> 
> View attachment 1057393


That's a Lotta cleaning,,,,Wow,,,,congrats,,,,you the man,,,,


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## Old Yapper (Dec 26, 2020)

Fullnet2 said:


> Hate to sound dumb but are you traveling north under the 53 bridge?


Yessir


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## Dutch (Dec 26, 2020)

Cmp1 said:


> That's a Lotta cleaning,,,,Wow,,,,congrats,,,,you the man,,,,



Isn't that bad, using the slab-o-matic fish scaler.


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## Fullnet2 (Dec 26, 2020)

Old Yapper said:


> Yessir


Thx,I crappie fish in that vicinity a lot so may take some worms next spring and give it a try. In forty years if fishing Lanier ,have only seen one shell cracker.


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## Dutch (Dec 26, 2020)

Fyi...the above 'crackers where caught in Lake Juliette.


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## Old Yapper (Dec 27, 2020)

Dutch said:


> Isn't that bad, using the slab-o-matic fish scaler.


Just fillet the things....just like you'd do a bass.
No scaling, no bones. (I haven't scaled a fish in 50 years.)
Use an electric knife.


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## Dutch (Dec 27, 2020)

Old Yapper said:


> Just fillet the things....just like you'd do a bass.
> No scaling, no bones. (I haven't scaled a fish in 50 years.)
> Use an electric knife.




I fillet them all as well. But I like them with the skin on. Skin is tasty, scales not so much.

Saltwater water fish I skin, without scaling. And I use a manual knife, I am just as quick as someone with a electric and I dont have to have a power source. I even skin catfish with a fillet knife.


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## fatback (Dec 27, 2020)




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## Old Yapper (Dec 27, 2020)

Dutch said:


> I fillet them all as well. But I like them with the skin on. Skin is tasty, scales not so much.
> Saltwater water fish I skin, without scaling. And I use a manual knife, I am just as quick as someone with a electric and I dont have to have a power source. I even skin catfish with a fillet knife.


To each his own, I guess.


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## Cmp1 (Dec 27, 2020)

I've got to get down,,,,dang it man,,,,


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## Cmp1 (Dec 27, 2020)

Dutch said:


> I fillet them all as well. But I like them with the skin on. Skin is tasty, scales not so much.
> 
> Saltwater water fish I skin, without scaling. And I use a manual knife, I am just as quick as someone with a electric and I dont have to have a power source. I even skin catfish with a fillet knife.


I'll do all the scaling,or filleting,,,,just get me on em, please,,,,? ? ? ?


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 27, 2020)

So, it has just occurred to me that I didn't go into baits, lures and flies. There's plenty of information going already, but I'll name the top picks off the top of my head.

NATURAL BAITS
1. Nightcrawlers
2. Wax Worms (bee moth larvae)
3. Grass Shrimp
4. Lake Mussels/Snails
5. Catalpa Worms

ARTIFICIAL LURES

1. Rapala Original Floater (sizes F03-F05)
2. Rapala Countdown Minnow (sizes CD-3 and CD-5)
3. Worden's Rooster Tail inline Spinner 1/8oz
4. Curl Tail Grubs on 1/16-1/8oz heads, #6 - #4 hook, sickle or round bend style.
5. Hair jigs 1/8oz


FLIES
1. Wooly Worm
2. Bead Head Hare's Ear Nymph
3. Cone Head Crystal Bugger (a wooly bugger with weighted cone head and crystal flash in the material)
4. San Juan Worm
5. Panfish Poison


Top producing colors.....

Artificial Lures -
Black
Yellow
Chartreuse
Silver/black
Gold/black
White/blue
Pink

Flies -

Black
Brown
Olive
Tan


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## Nicodemus (Dec 27, 2020)

Jeremiah, on Lake Seminole, they like all those baits and also grass shrimp.


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 27, 2020)

Nicodemus said:


> Jeremiah, on Lake Seminole, they like all those baits and also grass shrimp.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Grass shrimp are among some of the best natural Baits but normally overlooked


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## NE GA Pappy (Dec 28, 2020)

Old Yapper said:


> I used to fish way up on the North end of Lanier. From 1965 through 1990.
> Go under the Highway 53 bridge out of Gainesville.
> Immediately you will see a long steep bank on your right that runs parallel to the highway for maybe 1/4 mile. Got some depth all the way from 40 feet to one inch along that bank.
> That was always the hottest shellcracker spot on the lake as far as I was concerned. Plus the water color up there is better. I wouldn't think too much has changed that far up the river although it has been quite a while since I was up there. But it's a starting point. If somebody sent me up there to get shellcrackers, that's where I would go. (there may be residences along that stretch now)
> ...



doesn't Hwy 53 cross the lake twice... once at the Chattahoochee River, and then again at the Forsyth County line?  I take it you are talking about the river channel bridge.... IIRC it is called Boling Bridge, and they just opened the new bridge across the lake


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## NE GA Pappy (Dec 28, 2020)

when ever someone starts talking about north Lanier, my brain automatically goes to north of Clarks Bridge Road. I was raised in Cornelia, and my Pappy lived off Clarks Bridge Road going on out toward Brookton.  We use to fish the lake  but very seldom did we fish south of Clarks Bridge.  We did use to tie up and crappie fish in the summer at Clarks Bridge.  We fished on up beyond Hwy 52 where the lake basically narrows down to a river again.


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## OleCountryBoy (Dec 28, 2020)

Used to live in central Florida. Lake Kissimmee south of Orlando is the first place I’d go for Shellcracker in large quantities.  Used to catch easy limits in a few hours on wigglers in the lily pads. Just go early March and find all the boats piled up and get in the middle.  They weren’t the 1+ pounders but easy fillet sized and an occasional pound plus.


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## crackerdave (Dec 29, 2020)

OleCountryBoy said:


> Used to live in central Florida. Lake Kissimmee south of Orlando is the first place I’d go for Shellcracker in large quantities.  Used to catch easy limits in a few hours on wigglers in the lily pads. Just go early March and find all the boats piled up and get in the middle.  They weren’t the 1+ pounders but easy fillet sized and an occasional pound plus.


Those fillets are some of the best eating there is!


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## Cmp1 (Dec 29, 2020)

Just heard yesterday at the VA clinic that there's 5 in of ice on the two lakes near me,,,,saw a few brave souls out there,,,,
Anybody interested?


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## crackerdave (Dec 29, 2020)

Cmp1 said:


> Just heard yesterday at the VA clinic that there's 5 in of ice on the two lakes near me,,,,saw a few brave souls out there,,,,
> Anybody interested?


Not unless it's in one of those heated little shacks!


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## Cmp1 (Dec 29, 2020)

crackerdave said:


> Not unless it's in one of those heated little shacks!


Shanty with a 30,000 btu propane heater,,,,bait shop on the lake,,,,


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## crackerdave (Dec 29, 2020)

Cmp1 said:


> Shanty with a 30,000 btu propane heater,,,,bait shop on the lake,,,,


That's the ticket!


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## Cmp1 (Dec 29, 2020)

crackerdave said:


> That's the ticket!


No way I can put a hole in the ice,,,,got a portable sonar setup too,,,,
The Deeper Sonar system,,,,


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Dec 30, 2020)

Fullnet2 said:


> Thx,I crappie fish in that vicinity a lot so may take some worms next spring and give it a try. In forty years if fishing Lanier ,have only seen one shell cracker.


Caught a few at Lanier but normally bycatch. They'll even grab a bass worm every so often. They're HUGE in Lanier but I've seen bigger in Allatoona personally. You'll see them on beds and think they're bass from the sheer size of the things


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Jan 8, 2021)

For anyone looking to use a catalpa worm:

Cut the head off, hook the worm from the opposite side, push the worm over the hook so it's inside out over the shank with the hook point exposed.


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Jan 15, 2021)

Shellcracker pattern swim jigs, swimbaits and crankbaits are an overlooked pattern for Largemouth Bass in the spring and summer as well, but for whatever reason they don't seem to work the rest of the year


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