Quote Originally Posted by Olgrey View Post
When is the best time to catch redear? Is it as someone suggested about the first full moon in May? How much does the water temperature affect their bedding? Thanks for any information.
Olgrey ... all I've read about Shellcrackers indicates that the best times to catch them, with any consistancy, is during the Full Moon (spawning) period of May thru July. Spawning conditions/factors to be looked for : water temps above 70deg's ... water depths up to 8ft (depending on clarity) for spawning beds ... the presence of submerged weeds/grasses or wood ... sandy, gravel, or hard mud bottom. Their diet consists mainly of snails, shellfish (craws, grass shrimp), insects & their larvae (land & water types), fish eggs, and small fish. This is generally the reason for the use of worms, crickets, insect grubs, & shrimp/crawfish tail chunks, over the minnow imitation artificials that we like to use for Crappie.

It has been said that, if you're on a good Bluegill bed & catching them ... your boat "may" be sitting right on top of a Shellcracker bed ... as they generally spawn in slightly deeper water than a Bluegill. And you want to insure that your bait is right on the bottom, or no more than 6" from it.

... cp