Locating Shellcrackers

This may be a stupid question but I don't learn if I don't ask questions. I'd like to be able to find Shellcrackers on the lake I fish. (Guntersville) I find bluegill often and occasionally find some shellcrackers mixed in. I'd like to find them when they are on the bed or not. I know what they typically feed on so here's the question. When I find areas that have mussel shells on the banks, would that be an obvious good spot to try to find them? I'm sure they don't eat larger mussels but if there are larger mussel shells on the bank, I'd imagine that the mussels are living and reproducing in that spot, so there would be small mussels there too? I know I'd need to look for harder bottoms, or sandy bottoms to find them also. Those areas aren't as common as they use to be. I do know where 4 or 5 spots are where mussel shells are on the edge of the bank.

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Originally Posted by FurFlyin

This may be a stupid question but I don't learn if I don't ask questions. I'd like to be able to find Shellcrackers on the lake I fish. (Guntersville) I find bluegill often and occasionally find some shellcrackers mixed in. I'd like to find them when they are on the bed or not. I know what they typically feed on so here's the question. When I find areas that have mussel shells on the banks, would that be an obvious good spot to try to find them? I'm sure they don't eat larger mussels but if there are larger mussel shells on the bank, I'd imagine that the mussels are living and reproducing in that spot, so there would be small mussels there too? I know I'd need to look for harder bottoms, or sandy bottoms to find them also. Those areas aren't as common as they use to be. I do know where 4 or 5 spots are where mussel shells are on the edge of the bank.

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Sounds likes you already know where to look. After they are done bedding still fish around the bedding area......just move out to deeper water. Mussel shells cause me to stop and have a look...no matter the size....and usually those areas pay off for me. How they bed depends on the lake. Ive seen them have their beds in 2 feet of water and the bed be right up next to the bank. I also find they bed in coves....off points...sandy areas, and in places that hold pea gravel.

Regards


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Fur, one of these days I'm going to fish Big G for bream. Thinking of staying at Honeycomb Campground. Would there be any good bream fishing around Honeycomb?

I'm sure there is, although I have never fished Honeycomb for them. If you've got a SI fish finder, it's hard to bream fish G without catching fish. You aren't gonna catch Florida sized gills here or definitely not many of them, but there are millions of them to catch.

I'm a serious redear man, hence my handle. I've pursued them for many years and they still baffle me from time to time.

I fish Lake Barkley here in Western Kentucky, it produces some large redear every spring. We typically catch a number of 28oz-30oz fish. While these aren't Havasu fish, they are like pulling in a frisbee with fins at that size. We dipnet these fish because it breaks your heart when trying to flip one into the boat and it comes unbuttoned. That actually happened to me last year on a really nice fish.

We find them in coves and seemingly protected areas, too. Depth wise, I've consistently found them between 2ft to 6ft of water in the spring. I've almost never found them on steep banks, so eliminate that thought. Find a gradually sloping bank with either wood/logs/bushes and explore it with lively red worms.

I can't wait, I'll soon be out in pursuit of that elusive Male redear that I deem to be mount worthy!!!