They have a small mouth, and their ear flaps have a white rim surrounding them with a red orange spot on tip, giving the redear sunfish their name. Shellcracker seafood the original budmugs is a family owned seafood company that. Redear seldom respond to floating fish food, as do bluegill. The dorsal fin usually has 10 spines, but may range from nine to 11, whereas the anal fin has three spines. The last couple of weekends weve caught some nice shell crackers and bream. Further confirmation that finding those hard shell beds, which are typically on high spots on a river or creek channel ledge or swing. My 3 silki brahma cross girls have just started laying, today we had our first shellless egg. Have fun cause a big ole bed of crackers can make some mighty fine eating.
I went fishing for shellcracker at clarks hill the week after easter last year. They have a distinct red coloring around its ear flap. They will spawn in eight to 15 feet of water depending on how clear the water is. Catching a bull bluegill will require patience and persistence, as with any trophy fish. Shell crackers must be fired from a clean shotgun without a full choke, and with a chamber at least 234 inches long, and a barrel at least 20 inches long. Shellcrackers look much like a bluegill on steroids, and of course, they have an opercular flap with an orange red edge ahead of a dark splotch. The redear sunfish, also known as the shellcracker, is arguably one of the best fighting, best tasting and hardest to find and catch throughout the season than any panfish you pursue. Sep 24, 2010 catching bream on a bare hook may be fun to try just so you can brag to your friends you have done it, but if filling a stringer is your goal, a couple of techniques are sure fire winners.
The males will be absolutely gorgeous with an almost black appearance, with a strong cherry red ear tab. Shell cracker smack down on santee cooper lakes duration. I just saw a flyer for a fall fish sale and am considering buying some fish for our new pond. They will also refuse a popping bug, but they do love sinking flies such as a beadhead nymph or a black knat. Bream is a local term throughout the southeast that includes a variety of deepbodied panfish belonging to the sunfish family. When using this method, watching your line for the strike is a must. Im taking my son to dale hollow friday to try to catch some fish. I hope you enjoyed the video, please leave a like if you did. Seemed every time i turned off the camera i caught a fish.
Most redear are caught during spawning season by fishing with red worms on the bottom. Quick demo of filleting some shellcrackers redear sunfish with the bubba blade. They get that washed out look in the colder months, im not sure why. Shellcracker seafood the original budmugs, memphis, tennessee. Big bluegills wont be in the typical schools of 20 to 30 fish, like small ones. Redear sunfish have a dark olive compressed body, fading to light green and silver on the sides with dark spots and sometimes stripes, often seen on younger fish. A really big bluegill tends to be a lone fish or may be a member of a small group. Requires completion of a wildlife control statement. Big bluegills got big by being cautious and smart, and they prefer to stay alive. We feed layer pellets, fruit veg scraps, mealworms and mixed corn as treats. My question is, why do they recommend stocking about hybrid bluegill per acre but only recommend 10 redearacre. It is spooled with 6pound line and a few baits, according to the mood of the fish.
When more range is needed for bird control, the shellcracker is the answer. Get the best deals on reeds nut and shell cracker when you shop the largest online. Gators outdoor adventures and guide service 18,876 views. Two nice redear sunfish caught on barkley lake both over 2 pounds. While none of these foods are likely to kill your turtle in small amounts. My red ear slider took a huge fall today and cracked her. By eliminating the snail population, the redear bream will have effectively broken the cycle of the worm. Ive caught crappie, bass, bluegill, shell crackers or red ear and even a bonus catfish on them thus far. Jul 30, 2018 shellcracker, or redear sunfish, are the biggest of the beam, with the world record a 4 pound ounce monster caught in florida in 1986. Bluegill and red ear sunfish have grown to remarkable quality in recent years. Shellcrackers would win a popularity contest sports. Mar 31, 2017 i went fishing for shellcracker at clarks hill the week after easter last year. Shellcracker fishing tips sheelcracker fishing florida.
As quoted from the book secrets to catching more and bigger bluegill. 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. We would anchor the boat, put a gob of red wigglers on the hook and cast out about six different outfits, put them in rod. Click here to visit our frequently asked questions about html5. The breast of a mature redear is typically a rather bright yellow. They also eat other food like insects, worms, and crawfish, but feed on the bottom. Apr 26, 2012 instead this is a fish that likes to be in deeper water. Even the larger bernie plastic got gobbled up by small bluegills and some hefty jumbos as well.
How to fillet shellcrackers redear sunfish youtube. Browse through our impressive selection of porn videos in hd quality on any device you own. May 01, 2015 it was a rare opportunity that i couldnt waste. The big females get mustard colored on the belly, and full of eggs. While both panfish are easy to catch, particularly when theyre spawning, the shellcracker is a strongerpulling fish once its hooked.
Im sure that many are caught in deeper water, but i feel that they prefer shallow depths if sufficient cover is available. The big ones i catch here on lake barkley in the spring time, usually have a strong color. How to find and catch shellcrackers with underwater footage. If this is your first visit to the area or you are just looking for a new fishing hole, our experienced fishing guides will show you the way. 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. Hector brito caught this worldrecord redear sunfish at lake havasu in 2014. Since it is a popular sport fish, it has been introduced to bodies of water all over north america. Ive caught shellcrackers in less than twelve inches of water, and, more often than not, this is the depth where they actually feed. Apr 12, 2011 hook the worm a couple of times or three just enough to leave about 2 of worm hanging of the hook so it can squirm around and just drive a cracker to suckem up.
Redear sunfish aka shellcrackers underwater youtube. Redear will typically spawn a month earlier than bluegill. A good friend and i hit lake x in search of some monster shellcrackers and man did we find them a bunch of. The redear, or shell cracker as it is called in the southern us, has generally the same shape and coloration as the bluegill except for the ear flap which has a red edge that wraps around the back portion. Id like to hear from people who have personal experience too but everyones welcome to chime in. 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. As their name tells, they eat snails and muscles, crushing the shell with a tough muscle in their gullet. I set out to do just that and redear sunfish is what i have my sites set on. Bedding time for bream in freshwater fishing thoughtco. Grandson caught 17 of these in an afternoon fished with red worms.
Redear sunfish lepomis microlophus, as the name implies, are best distinguished by a distinct red opercle flap. Lepomis, the generic name, is greek and means scaled gill cover. When presenting the jig and cork combination, throw out and let the jig settle. How to find and catch shellcrackers with underwater footage backwoods gourmet channel. Redear sunfish are mostly known by the red trim along the opercular gill flap. Big shellcrackers redear sunfish personal best and possible maryland state.
Never found a need for a cork, as mentioned keep close attention to your line if it moves or twicthes set hook. Catching bream on a bare hook may be fun to try just so you can brag to your friends you have done it, but if filling a stringer is your goal, a couple of techniques are sure fire winners. The lake is stocked with florida strain largemouth bass. The redear sunfish, as its commonly called because of a redtinged flap behind the gills, grows larger than bream. Redear sunfish, its habitats, characteristics, fishing methods.
While you can definitely fish for shellcrackers with an ultralight rod ive found that a medium light rod is much better. Redear sunfish to biologists, or chinquapin to louisiana anglers, these feisty fish typically favor deeper haunts, but when a. The body coloration is light olivegreen to gold, with red or orange flecks on the breast. All fishing buy, all about redear sunfish, habitats, fishing. Most spawn in the backs of coves in 1 to 5 feet of water, usually under floating vegetation, tight to. Oct 18, 20 we cleaned 60 big gills, some big red ear and a few yellow bass. These characteristics describe the shellcracker redear sunfish with its nicknames of. If ever there was a panfish popularity contest conducted between thurmond lakes bluegills and shellcrackers, i believe the latter would be the winner. They have a small mouth, and their ear flaps have a white rim surrounding them with a.
We have a lot of submerged vegetation and quite a few shell beds in 6 to 8feet deep water, which is ideal habitat for shellcrackers. They have access to a bowl of crushed oyster shells and grit. Foods in your pantry that an aquatic turtle can eat cuteness. I spend a lot of my lunch breaks fishing a small storm drain adjacent to a wooden dock behind my house, but the usual bass and bluegill targets took a backseat to the unexpected appearance of bedding shellcracker. View profile view forum posts private message view articles legend join date dec 2009 location illinois posts 9,952 post thanks like. A nickelsized float, a few bb split shot, and a small aberdeen hook is a rig both simple and deadly effective. Once the jig is still, start a stop and go retrieve. We cleaned 60 big gills, some big red ear and a few yellow bass. All fishing buy, all about redear sunfish, habitats. The redear is similar in shape to the bluegill, but lacks the dark spot at the base of the posterior portion of the dorsal fin and has a red or orange border around the ear flap. Redear have blunted molaform teeth that allow them to crack the shell open then consume the snail. Lead head colors which i have found to be successful are flo red and chartreuse.
I like to catch plenty of fish that fight hard, test my tackle and my angling skills an d taste delicious when i eat them. After several fish, the plastics will start to slip down the hook since there is no keeper. The redear is a deepbodied sunfish with a relatively small mouth. A member of the national fresh water fishing hall of fame and legends of the outdoors, steve mccadams is a professional guide and outdoor writer from paris, tenn. Shell crackers are not for sale in our online store but can be ordered by phone.
Your browser does not currently recognize any of the video formats available. Color ranges from dark olive green above to almost white on the belly. Would someone mind giving me a few tips on how to rig and what to look for to have some success. Get the best deals on reeds nut and shell crackers when you shop the largest online selection at. Other species that are highly sought after are, sac a lait white perch, crappie, bluegill, chinquapin red ear sunfish, shell crackers and catfish. This is a smart move when youre targeting trophy fish that are wary. No other sex tube is more popular and features more crackers scenes than pornhub. Apr 12, 2014 catching shell crackers red eared sunfish on lake toho, april 11, 2014.
My second choice is a 64 to 32 ounce hair jig tipped with. Fishing for shellcrackers panfish rambling angler outdoors. Florida has more than 7,700 named lakes and ponds and over 10,000 miles of streams and rivers, all brimming with bream. Discover the growing collection of high quality most relevant xxx movies and clips. These sunfish species have always been popular for easy catches of fish in numbers, but more hardcore anglers have been won over to the eager brawlers now that handsized bluegill are especially copious and shell crackers of ten inches to a foot or longer are. This seems to be the year that i finally get it all lined up. Most often, the strike will occur when the jig settles. I saw a post on another site where someone, who i think posts on here sometimes, caught some redear at dale hollow and it got me to thinking that redear would be perfect for my son and i to try to catch.
This method aslo works well on red worms and crickets. The quest for white bass, bluegill, and red ear sunfish are a year round event. However, in a pinch, you may be able to find a snack in your pantry that will tempt your terrapin. Book a full or halfday excursion to get you on the right track to that perfect catch. My all time favorite is a sem sculpinthey imitate the very predator that the shell cracker is trying too keep out of the bed.
It can be very tough to find and catch trophy bluegill. We visited a spot called flat swamp expecting little more than a day catching sunfish, but what we didnt expect was that some of those would turn out to be nearly. However when we filleted them out we checked the gullets of a few fish and found them stuffed full of small snails and muscles. Big shellcrackers redear sunfish personal best and possible. They are able to crush the shells by the special teeth in their throats. The lake record for largemouth bass is lbs 4oz caught in march 1998. The species epithet microlophus is greek for small nape. Whats the better choice for big shellcracker, barkley or ky lake. Redear sunfish body color varies, depending on water quality, sex and age. Our average shellcrackers are 8 to 10inches long, but some anglers catch crackers up to 12inches long. You can access steves previous fishing reports in our fishing report archives. Severe cold fronts can turn spawning shellcracker to a neutral mood. Bird bangers are launched in the same manner as screamers, the 15mm bird banger travels 100 150 feet down range before exploding.
Shellcracker, or redear sunfish, are the biggest of the beam, with the world record a 4 pound ounce monster caught in florida in 1986. Steves reports cover kentucky lake from paris landing to new johnsonville. Redear bream, are often referred to as shellcracker, because of their preference for snails. May 22 2017 fishing and giant redear sunfish youtube. They are also known as shellcrackers because their diet is primarily composed of snails and other mollusks.
In spring, look for crackers in shallow water close to, but not in, the canal on either end. Whether you keep a painted turtle chrysemys picta, slider trachemys scripta, softshell apalone spp. May 24, 2018 even the larger bernie plastic got gobbled up by small bluegills and some hefty jumbos as well. They are bigger than other sunfish, 7 to 10 inches in length, 1 to 2 pound weight. Best way ive found is red wigglers, fished under a float very near the bottom. This installment of the series features the redear sunfish lepomis microlophus. Shellcracker seafood the original budmugs home memphis. Red earshell cracker spawn at what water temperature do yall expect to see red ear on beds. The shape and size of their bodies, mouths and fins are similar to bluegill. Found a strange egg just sitting on a log and caught a big redear sunfish. Catching shell crackers red eared sunfish on lake toho, april 11, 2014. They have a special set teeth in their throat that allows them to grind up snail shells.
780 628 743 793 844 568 115 273 996 1269 1015 682 736 946 453 494 1591 297 1604 462 1450 139 394 310 232 1318 1450 422 946 1015 1189 628