Hey Guys,

Just wondering what is your favorite ways to catch shellcrackers? What kind of areas do you target to find them? What is the best baits to use? Any special rigs for these fish? I live in N.E. North Carolina and fish coastal rivers mostly. The rivers have no current unless there is a huge rain and then is just very slight. Average depths are 10 to 15 feet with shallower stretches of 5 to 8 and most of the time stained water although the drought this year has cleared the water to a slight green. This is just to give you an idea of the type of water I fish in. oh yeah, mainly sandy and mud bottoms. I have never caught many shellcrackers while crappie or brim fishing but the ones I have caught were nice ones and pulled like a run away freight train. Would like to learn how to target these fish so I can go after them when the crappie fishing is slow. I have heard that the easiest time to catch them is around spawn then they become difficult to find. Anybody have decent luck with them in the summer/fall/winter periods? Thanks for the info. CF