Thread: Guntersville Gills & Shellcrackers

I found some last year behind the Holiday Inn in that little area behind the gas station that sells bait, ALso check under the bridge by the mills.

Yes, I've been catching them for approximately one month now. I always seem to get on them at Guntersville before just about everyone else. They haven't shown up in great force yet, but I am catching them at Guntersville in one spot consistently. I can go down approximately 100 yards of bank and in about 4 hours catch about a dozen giant, I'm talking giant redears and shellcrackers. They seem to like it (jigs on ultralight) moving right now. That doesn't seem like many, but I'm being honest, and I'm talking about the monsters, plus I'd catch many other smaller brim in that time. Fishing is pretty tough right now at Guntersville, though., but they're there, 100 percent sure of that, whereas not so much on other things, lol.

I always find them in 1 to 5 foot of water and they always return to the same spots every year. They are moving up, whereas the crappie really haven't yet - for me. The spot I found is going into a cove right from the main point into the cove, but they usually are found in their spawning areas once a year. Everything else, as in a lot of other varieties of fish, seem to show up where the shellcrackers spawn, too. I guess cause it's the right kind of bottom for nesting/feeding. I believe some other fish actually use their beds, or reformulate them for their size later because where I find them, they are usually the first to spawn.

Giant Shellcrackers: Funny fish, I catch them this time of the year in great quantity and then not so much the rest of the year. In a week or two, it will be every cast in some areas for a couple more weeks. Those spots are 1 to 3 foot deep.

These fish so far were caught on jigs, although, when they lock down, I use a special rig I've made up, basically a tiny plastic worm on a very small weighted hook that you can toss right on them. Of course, the old hair jig and cricket over a bobber is hard to beat, but my tiny Japanese worm rig I came up with on ultralight works just as well, it's not as dirty and you catch many on the plastic worm before it wears out. Since you're not always dippin' and hookin' critters, it's faster. When they're bittin', it's always epic and great to bring along the kids because it's non-stop.

To me it is about a month early for the bluegills and shellcrackers but I'm not saying they can't be caught. I'm sure the really big ones are starting to make the move into the shallows. Mostly I catch them from mid April thru May.