Since it is a popular sport fish, it has been introduced to bodies of water all over north america. Small minnows, plastic grubs, flies tipped with minnows, and small crankbaits work best. Hector brito caught this worldrecord redear sunfish at lake havasu in 2014. Artificial lures such as beetle spins, road runners, rooster tails and jigs also. Many swimbaits are built with typical fishy elements that can attract bass while bass fishing whereas other products are constructed and designed with patterns that appeal to trout. Heres a quick guide to the best bait to use while fishing for the shellcracker. Crappie fishing, bluegill, shellcracker and crappie. Here is a closeup of the operculum or ear as us country boys call it. How to catch bluegill and redear sunfish best techniques. The luckestrike rick clunn trickster ii swim jig is legendary bass angler rick clunns hybrid creation that combines the smooth moves of a swimming jig with the frenzied vibration action of a bladed jig. Shellcracker redear sunfish spawn in april and may during the full moon phases. Put them on the bottom with a bb shot if in still pond water.
Highland park fish camp is an authentic haven of old florida for the family that loves camping and who are nature lovers. It wiggles like a real fish would swim, which really attracts the big predators. In the mid west the bluegill offers a lot of attitude for their size, fighting better than any other freshwater species of panfish. Monster redear aka shellcracker if youre down south. See more ideas about saltwater lures, shell cracker and vinyl skirting. Fourtime bassmaster classic champion, rick clunn, has teamed up with luckestrike to help develop the luck e strike tickster spinnerbait. Carolina fishing tackle provides the best lures and tackle for serious bass fishing. To catch bluegill, most anglers rely on live bait like nightcrawlers, leaf worms. Panfish limits at tenoroc fish management area are specifically regulated for each individual body of water located on site. From the gaudy pumpkinseed to the toughsounding shellcracker, they are the first fish many of us caught in our youth.
The redear spawn season starts about when bluegills also move onto beds. The shellcracker is not a fish that likes to be right against the bank. When redear fishing, you want the bait on bottom and this guarantees the bait finds the bottom every time. Sep 24, 2010 get into a bunch of these fish, where you are getting virtually a fish per cast, and even the most accomplished angler can get caught up in the fever.
Grant olguin, cofounder of black dog bait company, relayed to us a story of when they first fished the shellcracker on the waters of the california delta. Folks today, i explain ways you can locate bluegill and shellcracker when they are not bedding. Potential alltackle world record redear sunfish caught. Mister twister product testimonials for sunfish shellcracker. Though ive been tossing big baits for some time now, when i first held a bdb shellcracker in my hand more than a year and a half ago, i had a difficult time getting my mind around a fish actually being able to engulf this bait. Shop fishing lures from brands that mean business in the water such as cabelas, rapala, berkley, booyah, strike king, atlas mikes, luhrjensen and many others. Its superior design and proven performance on the water sets this bait apart from other wake baits. Fishing for shellcrackers in florida large bluegills. The best and simplest rig is to tie on a number 4 long shank cricket hook, thread a redworm on and attach a split shot about 12 inches above the hook. Once is probably good enough, but i usually put the hook through one end of the worm twice. Shellcracker bait to avoid cats can anyone recommend a bait for shellcracker they catfish dont like as much as wigglers.
In the midwest, a 10inch bluegill was and still is a much coveted fish. 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. Most spawn in the backs of coves in 1 to 5 feet of water, usually under floating vegetation, tight to cut banks or around cypress knees. Ive never found a better, more consistently effective trout lure than the mepps 00 ultra lite dressed single.
It is a great bait for texas or carolina rigs as well as flipping and pitching. Historically, midfebruary to late april is prime time for shellcracker fishing on lake. In florida lakes, where shellcracker reach the peak of angler popularity in public waters, anglers typically target spawning fish. Usa fishingvintage fishing lurescrappie fishingfishing girlsgone fishingfishing tacklelake havasu. Usa fishing, bass fishing shirts, fishing girls, kayak fishing, saltwater fishing, fishing boats, fishing stuff, crappie fishing tips, trout fishing check out this 2lb bluegill sport fishing going fishing best fishing fishing guide fishing 101 fishing places vintage fishing lures salt water fish fishing pictures. We waded out in waistdeep murky water and rescued it. The shellcracker g2 is designed to create a wake on the surface of the water during. Lake talquin is one of the best black bass lakes during the winter, but if you want to catch specs, bream, and redear sunfish lake talquin is the place to be. Limits are high and they can be found from the smallest stream to the largest lake. It was just a drawing on a piece of paper, but 2 months later, it was a bassmaster elite winning lure. Nichols lures is a bass fishing lure manufacturing company that produces only the finest handpainted, handassembled baits in the usa. Its a handtied jig that an older gentleman back home makes, and it hardly ever gets hungup or. Clunn is a firm believer that a spinnerbaits blades need to displace water that is equivalent to the bulk of the spinnerbait, and ricks long drop blades achieve this proper water displacement. A light subtle presentation and a slow fall can actually trigger strikes from fish that are spooky from heavy fishing pressure.
They can be distinguished from other panfish by their bright orangered margin on the tip of each gill cover, a more slender body than the bluegill, and a typical greenish color blending to pale yellow on the lower body and abdomen. Body is rounded like other sunfish and has a relatively small mouth. 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. The souths best shellcracker holes hunting and fishing. Wormstyle soft lures with ridges offer a lifelike appearance to convince fish theres a tasty treat awaiting them, while soft baits with realistically moving tails and extremities provoke strikes. Anglers fishing at lake a, lake b, lake f, lake g, lake 5, fish hook lake, legs lake, coronet lake, shop lake, and lost lake west have the best opportunity to be successful catching bream on the property. Parasitic worms most commonly found in sport fish, begin their lifecycle as eggs in the throat of fish eating birds. Shellcracker anglers do best in these areas using red wigglers instead of crickets. Heres a quick guide to the best bait to use while fishing for the. In spring, look for crackers in shallow water close to, but not in, the canal on either end. Fishing lake talquin fishing florida usa southeast. Jun 19, 2017 the owner of this website is a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon properties including, but not limited to,,, or. Just the other day i caught bream that couldnt have been 5 in length so it catches everything in the water. Sometimes, depending on fishing pressure and weather patterns, a cork can spook fish that are spawning.
Florida shellcracker fishing spawning bluegills mwoutdoors. Bream fwc florida fish and wildlife conservation commission. I have had success with the cotton candy shell cracker in clear water, rigged flat with a 18 oz keel weighted hook. Shellcracker fishing tips and information on shellcracker fishing in florida on some of the top lakes in the country. Yellowgreen or olive, with faint vertical bars and random dark spots. They are also second to none in the frying pan, so i thought i would take a trip to tavares florida and try my hand at some of the largest bluegills in the states, the shellcracker. Locating bluegill and shellcracker when they are not on.
Bream bait 101, bluegill bait101, shell cracker bait 101 youtube. Apr 26, 2012 instead this is a fish that likes to be in deeper water. Panfish fishing florida helpful tips for fishing bream in florida. Also this bait has really cool coloring and looks really realistic too which is also pretty sweet. Casey ashley, twotime bassmaster elite series tournament champ, swears by shooter jigs.
For the last seven years, lake tarpon has consistently produced large shellcrackers year round. Now is the time to strike a trot to the lake and wet a hook for these babies. Fishing the florida bluegill shellcrackers 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. Trust cabelas to prepare you for fishing with our assortment of fishing lures.
Luckestrike rick clunn trickster spinnerbait tackle. These fish are bottomfeeders, meandering along the lake bed seeking and cracking open snails and other shelled creatures. Strike king rage tail baits are designed with a unique and exclusive tail design that you wont find in any other soft plastic bait. Fishing for both bluegill and shellcracker has been especially good for polk county area anglers this past week. Bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bluegill bream, brim crappie sunfish shellcracker walleye. Mar 31, 2017 i went fishing for shellcracker at clarks hill the week after easter last year. If an area has had alot of fishing pressure, a cork hitting the water surface can turn active fish off. Luckestrike rick clunn trickster spinnerbait tackle warehouse. How to catch bluegill and redear sunfish the fishing advice. I have literally used this lure in every puddle of water that had fish in it and have always caught fish.
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. Ive caught countless brookies and rainbows on wisconsin and upper michigan streams. Anglers can cast a line from several free publicaccess fishing docks or launch a boat at one of the many ramps and marinas. Fishing for bluegill and shellcracker in the peak of the spawn is one of them. Florida lake tarpon and lake guntersville shellcrackers. Believe it or not, shellcracker will associate a cork with danger. Rage tail soft plastic shellcracker shad warmouth sunfish imitating lure 6 baits per bag. 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. Redear sunfish, also known as shellcracker, is one of the hardest fighting fish in fresh water. Redear bream lepomis microlophus, are one of the most effective tools for preventing or eradicating worms grubs in your sport fish. The rage shellcracker is designed to be used with 40 to 60 hooks. Catching bluegill and shellcracker on kentuckhy lake. Instead this is a fish that likes to be in deeper water.
Overall i really like this product and think that it. Strike king lures rage shellcracker soft lure 3 34 bodt. Cant say exactly how far, but it disappears into the distance. How fish the shell cracker g2 by black dog baits youtube. Small shell cracker g2 ghost bluegill carolinafishingtackle shell. Crank it down or fish it like a wakebait on top, either way bass cant resist. Redear sunfish to biologists, or chinquapin to louisiana anglers, these feisty fish typically favor deeper haunts, but when a. I hope you enjoyed the video, please leave a like if you did. If you are a tactical fisherman, you could use a bait option that can drive all freshwater fish to your fishing line or a product that is made for saltwater species. The florida fish and wildlife commission maintains the population of stripers by stocking.
May 24, 2018 redear sunfish, also known as shellcracker, is one of the hardest fighting fish in fresh water. The black dog bait company was formed in the fall of 2006 and the shellcracker is their first offering in the big bait market. A full instructional video on demonstrating the versatility and effectiveness of the g2 shell cracker made by black dog baits. Lets reel in some shellcracker hope you enjoy, and god bless.
Bluegill spawn throughout the summer, congregating. Rage rig i toss it out and let it fall on slack line. Maroon, black, and white have all worked exceptionally for me. I like to fish those deep water shellcrackers in juliette, but its hard to keep the catfish off the hook. Panfish fishing florida helpful tips for fishing bream. Anglers often anchor in open water adjacent to main lake shoreline vegetation or edges of the four islands within the lake and use weighted crickets to lure bluegill off their spawning beds.
The best baits to use when fishing for shellcracker. Fish brush piles or downed trees in the winter, early spring or late fall months. It was in the latter part of the day, maybe an hour or two from dusk. While the birds are foraging in your pond, the worms are released into the water. With the addition of a diving lip, the black dog baits shell cracker g2 affords anglers great versatility.
An overview of how to catch bluegill with baits and lures. The shellcracker g2 is designed to create a wake on the surface of the water during the retrieve. Strike king rage shellcracker soft plastic any color rgsc. Highland park fish camp where fishing is a tradition. Catching shellcracker bream is a lot of fun and they are good to eat, too. 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. Black and white crappie are big and plentiful in south caroinas santee cooper lakes. The harper lurewinner of 2019 weekend legends instagram tournament names new lucky strike lure. Mepps product testimonials for sunfish shellcracker. This fishing bait is really unique because all the parts of the fish in the water move to make it look like a real fish which is really cool. One of the most versatile soft plastic baits in the strike king arsenal fish it stand alone as a topwater buzzbait or as a trailer for a tour rage blade chatterbait or fish it weightless for. The reason for my quandary is the relative round profile of this bait. The other method is to attach a slip cork setup only do not use a bobber stopper. Bluegill, shellcrackers and crappie fishing, not only fun to catch but these little guys are second to none in the frying pan.
Home customer service international orders track your order account login join free. Luckestrike rick clunn trickster ii swim jig bass pro shops. Theres another two or three weeks of prime spawning time too so grab a friend and head on out. I always catch bass, bream, crappie, pumpkin seeds, warmouth, and shell cracker of all sizes. Expert advice and quality equipment you need to enjoy your time on the water and catch the big one. Panfish action for both bluegill and shellcracker has been especially good for polk county and central florida area anglers this past week. Weekend legends tournament serieswin the tournament and name a lure. Shellcracker fishing tips sheelcracker fishing florida. In central florida, they could first go onto spawning beds during late march. May 01, 2015 it was a rare opportunity that i couldnt waste. Even the most jaded angler still finds a spark of excitement when a fat bluegill, shellcracker, redbreast, green sunfish or any other pintsized member of the clan latches onto a bait or lure presented on a willowy cane pole or ultralight spinning rig. A floating wake bait version, and a sinking version. Bold and vibrant colors draw the attention of freshwater and saltwater species alike, and soft fishing lures with added salt and attraction infusions provide a sensory experience that fish wont be able to ignore.
Salmon is also the owner of and chief lure designer for slab jiggies. Bass, largemouth bluegill bream, brim crappie black sunfish shellcracker. Thats saying a lot here in florida, where gators are as common as houseflies. Although we caught only a few fish on that trip since it was too early, it did bring back memories of how much fun bream fishing can be. During spawning, the margin of the males gill cover flap turns bright red. The florida crappie, speckled perch or speck as they are called throughout the south is the most sought after panfish on lake okeechobee. You are purchasing as many brand new strike king soft plastics as you want.
The shellcracker has a cherryred edge to the operculum which is a series of bones found in bony fish that serves as a facial support structure and a protective covering for the gills. In south florida, shellcracker may spawn as early as the last week of february but more likely around the fourth week of march. Walleye during river runs, troll or jig with minnowtipped doll flies, sparkle tails, ac shiners, rapalas, or shad raps. The shellcracker is also known as the redear sunfish and will average between one and two pounds during spawning. A bonus of the action is that all of these panfish species are delectable on the table, making more than a few anglers relish the thought of heading out to their favorite panfishcatching spot. Fishing the bottom of the canal with worms catches most big fall fish.
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