Anyone know if the shellcrackers have begun their spawn on the St. Johns? I'm talking southern potrion from say Debarry to Geneva/Lake Harney area. Last year the second week of April at Lemon Bluff was excellent. This year nothing has come through. I'm not exactly the best at finding these fish bedding in the pads like some with the water stained. Not asking for any spots just curious if I missed out. Seems like if they were running a month late that this week with the coming full moon would be on fire.

It's weird to me in central Florida. I can find bedding fish, but it doesn't seem like they return to the same places year after year. Where I grew up in the upper midwest the same exact spots would have bedding gills year in and year out. Also the water was clear so they were pretty easy to find if you put the time in. And....far less lilly pad zones on those deeper, colder lakes to scour through. Here it's like a needle in a hay stack finding bedding gills. And the shellcrackers can be even more tough cause it seems they bed a little deeper. I know to look for sand or shell bottoms as compared to muck, but that doesn't narrow it down much. Oh well, all the more rewarding when I find some.