Since it is a popular sport fish, it has been introduced to bodies of water all over north america. This is the first fish that should be stocked in your farm pond or lake to create the base population and food chain for your pond. Big shellcracker redear sunfish fishing with 1 lb line. Fish are available on our route trucks or for special delivery. Redear have blunted molaform teeth that allow them to crack the shell open then consume the snail. I like to catch plenty of fish that fight hard, test my. I spent the morning catching drag pulling shell cracker and a few bass nuisance fish lol. But wetting a baited hook isnt likely to garner as many bites as youll get when bluegill fishing. Jun 07, 2018 bluegill fishing is a popular pass time for many people, and all anglers will want to know the best bait to use. Since people are normally targeting bluegill and other species when they catch the occasional redear sunfish or shellcracker, the most popular rod for bluegill is an ultralight rod. Redear are stocked not only as sport fish but also as a solution to worm infestations commonly found in sport fish.
This is a microwave recipe for homemade bait, known to have excellent results specifically with bluegill. Redear top out over 4 pounds with rich food sources. Big shellcracker redear sunfish fishing with 1 lb line and. Place the flour in make bluegill bait shellcracker. So, i ordered fish which arrived november 25 and were put in the pond.
Body is rounded like other sunfish and has a relatively small mouth. Mccadams is prejudiced when it comes to kentucky lake. Believe it or not, shellcracker will associate a cork with danger. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. We both wanted to go after them with our fly rods aka buggy whoppers as acey wall, deceased use to call my fly rod. Panfish challenge showcases panasoffkees bluegill and.
He knows how to fillet fish so we would like to catch dinner while were there. Unlike many fish, the bluegill will take your offering while they are in their nesting cycle. They will eat processed feeds as well as natural foods in the pondlake. The term bream refers to any narrow, deepbodied freshwater panfish, and includes several different species. They coexist well with bluegill and do not compete with them for nest sites. Are you scratching your head about now and saying to yourself, what is he going to write about this time. Lake parker is also producing bluegill and some shellcracker on crickets and red worms. Crappie fishing, bluegill, shellcracker and crappie. The shellcracker isnt often sought out in my area as the fish of preference, and most catches are thought to be incidental. Redear shellcracker at dunns fish farm we know that your satisfaction is essential to our success. Shellcracker and bream fishing robert webster of hamlet, nc who has a camper at the lake tillery family campground, adjacent highway 2427, has been keeping a watch on the fishing conditions for shellcrackers and bream. Come join the best family orientated fishing website on the internet.
A floating wake bait version, and a sinking version. As the water gets warmer, the bluegill will continue to get deeper and deeper to stay in the water temperature they like and will bed every full moon through the summer. Frozen bluegill fillets for retail, find complete details about frozen bluegill fillets for retail,bluegill for sale from fish supplier or. The black dog small shell cracker g2 is nice as well and a little bit cheaper. Folks today, i explain ways you can locate bluegill and shellcracker when they are not bedding.
Its superior design and proven performance on the water sets this bait apart from other wake baits. Redear or shellcracker are typically added at a rate of 5 to 15 percent of the total bream stocked. Whats the better choice for big shellcracker, barkley or ky lake. If your not a regular bluegill or crappie fisherman, dont discount these little guys. That afternoon, i caught over 120 bluegills and shellcrackers. The nickname of the redear sunfish, shellcracker, comes from its. I was thinking for the cracker g2, i would get the ghost bluegill color.
Anyone have reports from the bluegillshellcracker front. Bream is a local term throughout the southeast that includes a variety of deepbodied panfish belonging to the sunfish family. The rod today was a mega bass shoreluck limited 6 9 solid. The black dog bait company was formed in the fall of 2006 and the shellcracker is their first offering in the big bait market. Redear sunfish are also called shellcracker, georgia bream, cherry gill, chinquapin, improved bream, rouge ear sunfish and sun perch.
During spawning, the margin of the males gill cover flap turns bright red. The lily pads and shell bars are producing the most fish. They nest deeper than bluegill on average, like deeper water, and can be picky eaters of food from the bottom, rather than taking bugs on top. We use pieces of nightcrawler and a small hook to catch a nice little mess of winter bluegill and shellcracker. This gaming fish is similar in appearance to the bluegill relative but typically is found to be darker in color and larger in size. Dec 16, 2011 redear top out over 4 pounds with rich food sources. This reminded me of the last two world record sun fish caught out of san tee cooper cut in north carolina. Try the new gravel fish attractors along the eustis lake walk and the pier outside of the canal to the eustis boat ramp. Bluegill, shellcrackers and crappie fishing, not only fun to catch but these little guys are second to none in the frying pan. Mar 30, 2012 how to identify catfish flathead, blue, channel, white catfish, bullhead and other species duration.
Yellowgreen or olive, with faint vertical bars and random dark spots. Frozen bluegill fillets for retail buy bluegill for sale. The following article is a must read, and will give you the insight you need for your next pond management decision. The shellcracker g2 is designed to create a wake on the surface of the water during the retrieve.
Unlike many fish, the bluegill will take your offering while. Shell cracker, however, like water in the 5 foot depth. The shellcracker is also known as the redear sunfish and. It is found in the usa, ranging from coastal virginia to florida, texas, northern mexico, western minnesota and western new yo. My best bluegill trip ever was using some pt nymphs i got from you, fishing them 18 below one of my poppers. Hybrid bluegill the hybrid bluegill is a cross between a male bluegill and a female green sunfish, and is sometimes referred to as a hybrid. In april bluegills bed shallow, where on the august full mooon they will be a lot deeper. Some of the fish had zebra muscles in the stomachs. Everybody gets excited in may because that is the peak time for our bedding bluegill and shellcrackers. Gamefish redear sunfish shellcracker gamefish 1 to 3.
Grandson caught 17 of these in an afternoon fished with red worms. Our bluegill and crappie trips usually result in limits each day. Redear bream, are often referred to as shellcracker, because of their preference for snails. Shellcrackers tend to be much less common than their cousins and. This fish is adapted for feeding on snails and other mollusks, in addition to insect larvae. Thats why we work hard to bring you the information you need to know to manage your pond or lake. Hey guys, i know many of you think that fishing for bluegill is for kids. How to tell a bluegill from a shellcracker youtube. You can follow any responses to this entry through the rss 2. By eliminating the snail population, the redear bream will have effectively broken the cycle of the worm. Water temp in my pond that i caught this fish was 56 degrees so that explains it. Jun 27, 2009 asking bruce condello and other big bluegill members to discuss their experience with feeding bluegill purina fish food, and specifically which purina fish food has produced the best results.
The big bluegill are starting to get on the beds, mccadams says. Shellcrackers are the best tasting freshwater fish in florida, which makes since theyre just a large bluegill and we know bluegills are the best tasting panfish in the midwest. Shellcracker fishing tips sheelcracker fishing florida. Fishing for shellcrackers panfish rambling angler outdoors. Id like to hear from people who have personal experience too but everyones welcome to chime in. Mar 06, 20 you need to be a member of the shellcrackers to add comments. For the last seven years, lake tarpon has consistently produced large shellcrackers year round.
Using an automatic fish feeder, we have been feeding auqamax dense 4000 product 5d09 which the baby bluegill. Now is the time to strike a trot to the lake and wet a hook for these babies. Apr 26, 2012 when the water temperature reaches about 70 degrees, the next full moon phase will be when the largest bluegill and redear sunfish commonly known in the south as shellcrackers will begin their spawn. Used a 124 ounce jig head twitching along bare bottom in 58 feet of water when i could find the holes in the milfoil. Theres another two or three weeks of prime spawning time too. Grab a shellcracker g2 today and see what the black dog baits can do for you. Dec 20, 2012 i was wondering which colors i should get of each. Ive been wanting to put together a bluegill shellcracker trip to lbl for the past three or so years and have never really had the time or money to do so.
Crappie fishing, bluegill, shellcracker and crappie fishing. Ok so ill be going to maryland in june and me and my friend are going to go fishing. While all of these species of fish have their peak months, our guides seem to know where to get the big ones year around. When i smell a bream bed, i begin to fish 30 or 40yards from the bank in the deep water. Gamefish redear sunfish shellcracker gamefish 1 to 3 size. Game fish forage fish available in sizes from 1 to 3 inches availability.
Panfish action for both bluegill and shellcracker has been especially good for polk county and central florida area anglers this past week. Catching bluegill and shellcracker on kentuckhy lake. However, every time they catch shallowwater bream, the fish will run for deep water and disturb the beds farther out in the river. They fight better than most other freshwater species. Florida has more than 7,700 named lakes and ponds and over 10,000 miles of streams and rivers, all brimming with bream. Shellcrackers growth rate will average a 14 pound per season and only a few will survive more than six summers. Did this latest rain system push the water level back up or muddy it. For the swavers i would get baby bass, and bluegill. In march 3 months ago we put 6,600 coppernose bluegill fingerlings and 900 readear shell cracker fingerlings into my 4 acre pond that. If an area has had alot of fishing pressure, a cork hitting the water surface can turn active fish off. Tips for catching bigger bream this spring and summer. The coppernose bluegill has a deep, rounded body in a variety of colors including brown, copper, orange and green with reddish orange to yellow on the belly. Dec 19, 2017 today we head to guntersville dam to do some bluegill and shellcracker fishing. The redear sunfish lepomis microlophus, also known as the shellcracker, georgia bream, cherry gill, chinquapin, improved bream, rouge ear sunfish and sun perch is a freshwater fish in the family centrarchidae and is native to the southeastern united states.
I have been wanting to try out the ghost color myself but cant see spending the money for another when what i have works great. Bluegill fishing is a popular pass time for many people, and all anglers will want to know the best bait to use. Selecting the best purina aquamax fish food for bluegill. This is one of the most frequently asked questions when stocking a pond, and usually the second question is which is better. Ive been wanting to put together a bluegillshellcracker trip to lbl for the past three or so years and have never really had the time or money to do so. Theres another two or three weeks of prime spawning time too so grab a friend and head on out. I gradually work my bait in moreshallow, until i start catching bream. Talked to a few guys who have caught some huge gills but very few of them, water is around 73 degrees. Im getting this bad feeling that the floods have cheated me out of my bluegillshellcracker on the nest fix for this year.
Florida lake tarpon and lake guntersville shellcrackers. When stocking a pond for a bluegill, redear sunfish and largemouth bass fishery, stock 250 bluegill and 250 redear fingerlings that are 1 to 3 inches long per acre in late summer or early fall. Specks are still biting at lakes bonny, crago, hancock. The redear sunfish lepomis microlophus, also known as the shellcracker, georgia bream, cherry gill, chinquapin, improved bream, rouge ear sunfish and sun. I think they are actually more picturesque than the bluegill, and the only other fish i know that can compare is the sunfish. Find the perfect mix of activities, attractions when i find a bass on bed i cast it well past the bed and work the bait up to it slow.
I hope you enjoyed the video, please leave a like if you did. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Then for the bbz, i would get the blue herring floater. I had a 14 acre pond constructed in augustseptember of this year. Florida shellcracker fishing spawning bluegills mwoutdoors. This seems to be the year that i finally get it all lined up. This 4,500acre lake is home to plenty of shell beds, jeff willitzer, biologist for the southwest region of the fl orida fish and wildlife conservation commission in wakeland, florida, explains. May 04, 2011 redear sunfish make an excellent forage for largemouth bass. The water is stained but not muddy on the main lake. If you want to catch morebigger warmwater fish, go trout fishing for them. As far as i know there are bluegill, largemouth bass, catfish, and what seems like a. Around the country, the prevalent breams may be known as brim, sunfish, panfish, or bream, but no matter what you call them, it is the first fish most of us caught and one of the bestflavored fish around they are round in many lakes and ponds, are easy to catch and provide hours of. Difference between crappie and bluegill difference between. The answer to both questions is it depends on the circumstances and preferences.
Due to its high sporting characteristics the redear sunfish lepomis microlophus has become a popular species among anglers throughout north america. A light subtle presentation and a slow fall can actually trigger strikes from. Frozen bluegill fillets for retail, find complete details about frozen bluegill fillets for retail, bluegill for sale from fish supplier or. Lake okeechobee is the home to large populations of crappie speck, bluegill, and shellcrackers that go right along with the worldfamous largemouth bass. Also, fish the shell beds near the sailboat marina and along the east shore. A light subtle presentation and a slow fall can actually trigger strikes from fish that are spooky from heavy fishing pressure.
Apr 30, 2016 the big bluegill are starting to get on the beds, mccadams says. The crappie is a popular sport fish found mostly in the eastern half of the usa. It is one of the bestknown sunfishes throughout its original range in the freshwater habitats of the central and southern united states. Remember, this is a wood bait check out the detailing around the head. Dale hollow bluegill shellcrackers the water is high, there are acres of flooded brush, some of the popular spots are about 4 ft deeper. Today we head to guntersville dam to do some bluegill and shellcracker fishing. The water i would be fishing is stained, with a good amount of. Eta on the billcracker is the last quarter of 2008. Locating bluegill and shellcracker when they are not on bed. A well fertilized and fed pond of bluegill will produce years of fun, food and. Just downstream from lake harris, lake eustis has some of the best quality sunfish populations sampled by fwc in the harris chain of lakes. Bluegill, lepomis macrochirus, popular game fish in the sunfish family, centrarchidae order perciformes.
Find out more about shellcracker and other fish american sportfish stock here. While you can definitely fish for shellcrackers with an ultralight rod ive found that a medium light rod is much better. Panfish challenge showcases panasoffkees bluegill and shellcracker fishing. Bluegill should be stocked at a rate of 5001500 per acre. Fishing for bluegill and shellcracker in the peak of the spawn is one of them. We get word from black dog bait company that they are working on a billed version of this bait that can be retrieved slow or very fast and will probably prove even more deadly than the original sinking version.