Why redear are hard to catch

My unlce and I have finally figured out a pattern that has been very successful for cracker fishing. Obviously fishing on bottom and using live bait, wigglers or crawlers is a must, but there's much more to our pattern than that.

I'm not here to tell our secrets though, I've been thinking about another reason they're hard to catch...they don't show up on a depth finder. The fish you see on a depth finder are suspended fish, like bluegill or crappie. Redears are on the very bottom and generally don't show up on fish finders, making them very elusive to the average panfisherman.

The lakes we fish around Southern Indiana, are for the most full of redears. But very seldom do I see fisherman with any good number of redears in their coolers, maybe two or three they caught by accident. A hint for good redear fishing...look at the terrain.

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Originally Posted by redearhoosier

My unlce and I have finally figured out a pattern that has been very successful for cracker fishing. Obviously fishing on bottom and using live bait, wigglers or crawlers is a must, but there's much more to our pattern than that.

I'm not here to tell our secrets though, I've been thinking about another reason they're hard to catch...they don't show up on a depth finder. The fish you see on a depth finder are suspended fish, like bluegill or crappie. Redears are on the very bottom and generally don't show up on fish finders, making them very elusive to the average panfisherman.

The lakes we fish around Southern Indiana, are for the most full of redears. But very seldom do I see fisherman with any good number of redears in their coolers, maybe two or three they caught by accident. A hint for good redear fishing...look at the terrain.

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So your really not goin to tell us ur secrets :confused:
I would tell you if I knew a secret to catchin redears (shellquackers) lol
Only secret I know is that they like snails more then wigglers or worms :D

they are not hard to catch, as long as they are feeding, and you are in the right place. I fish for them in about 12 feet of water on average, on the bottom with red wigglers, on a size 4 or 2 crappie hook, with a couple good size split shots about 3 feet above the hook. put about 2 or 3 wigglers on the hook with the ends free so they move alot. just like crappie, they don't always bite, so it's best to have 4 or 5 spots to check. one of those spots will likely produce. they don't have to be spawning, for you to fill the cooler, just feeding. fish with 2 or 3 rods, and sit back and watch the rod tips. anchor the front and the back of the boat so it doesn't move around alot. and they can jerk the rod out of the boat too. I use 9 or 10 foot rods, so it makes it harder for the fish to do that. lol dropoffs, submerged humps, sloping points, 10-12 foot deep flats. they best places have some wood debris, or stumps etc. they eat the little aquatic larvae etc. off the wood.

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Originally Posted by redear

they are not hard to catch, as long as they are feeding, and you are in the right place. I fish for them in about 12 feet of water on average, on the bottom with red wigglers, on a size 4 or 2 crappie hook, with a couple good size split shots about 3 feet above the hook. put about 2 or 3 wigglers on the hook with the ends free so they move alot. just like crappie, they don't always bite, so it's best to have 4 or 5 spots to check. one of those spots will likely produce. they don't have to be spawning, for you to fill the cooler, just feeding. fish with 2 or 3 rods, and sit back and watch the rod tips. anchor the front and the back of the boat so it doesn't move around alot. and they can jerk the rod out of the boat too. I use 9 or 10 foot rods, so it makes it harder for the fish to do that. lol dropoffs, submerged humps, sloping points, 10-12 foot deep flats. they best places have some wood debris, or stumps etc. they eat the little aquatic larvae etc. off the wood.

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Bingo, that's a great post. We do all of the above, but I do put an emphasis on fishing the flats in 8-12 foot of water. That's our pattern, flat fishing, I don't seem to catch many in other areas. I'll have to try baiting with two or three wigglers, I normally use one good one. My poles might be to short too, they're only 5'6 poles and I do seem to miss lots of good bites.

Redear, thank you for sharing.

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Originally Posted by Bluegilll

So your really not goin to tell us ur secrets :confused:
I would tell you if I knew a secret to catchin redears (shellquackers) lol
Only secret I know is that they like snails more then wigglers or worms :D

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I gotta secret I'll tell you Bluegill. But remember this is a secret, so don't tell anybody else on here cause I don't want them catching all my fish :D.

Okay here's the secret...In times of low water such as the winter draw down, you can scout the shorelines and banks of the lake and find areas where there is an abundance of shell fragments and cracked open clam shells where they have been washed up. Keep those spots in mind when the water comes back up cause the quackers will hang in the water in front of those banks just a few feet deeper than the small gills. You can also do this scouting during the summer, you just see a lot more in the low water.

Hope this "secret" works fer you. Sure works for me.

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Originally Posted by redear

they are not hard to catch, as long as they are feeding, and you are in the right place. I fish for them in about 12 feet of water on average, on the bottom with red wigglers, on a size 4 or 2 crappie hook, with a couple good size split shots about 3 feet above the hook. put about 2 or 3 wigglers on the hook with the ends free so they move alot. just like crappie, they don't always bite, so it's best to have 4 or 5 spots to check. one of those spots will likely produce. they don't have to be spawning, for you to fill the cooler, just feeding. fish with 2 or 3 rods, and sit back and watch the rod tips. anchor the front and the back of the boat so it doesn't move around alot. and they can jerk the rod out of the boat too. I use 9 or 10 foot rods, so it makes it harder for the fish to do that. lol dropoffs, submerged humps, sloping points, 10-12 foot deep flats. they best places have some wood debris, or stumps etc. they eat the little aquatic larvae etc. off the wood.

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Good information...you are exactly right! :)

the reason for the long rods, is that they really help when the wind is bowing the line, and you get a bite, and also, it enables better control of the fish close to the boat. they head straight for the anchor lines sometimes. If it seems that some fish have indeed moved up shallower, around cypress trees etc. I will use a slip cork with the hollow plastic tube protruding out both ends. I won't use a stop knot but rather just observe the cork laying on the water. If he grabs it, you will see the cork jiggle or move. or you will see the line moving thru the cork. I think you can tell I'm ate up with it. what ever I have learned about catching them, came from one especially generous ole timer. .lol

Out here we find the post spawnners out on 8'-12' flats and along the deep side of weed banks. Our lake is really prolific and these REs gorge themselves on all kinds of larva and fry. Got one last week that was alomost 11" long on a silver minnow thang (with a cricket).

when fishing a dropoff or point, anchor up shallow, say in 3-6 feet of water, and toss the bait out into 15 fow, then lay the rod down at a right angle to the line if possible, and then reach down and reel up the slack as you pull the bait towards you some it will be moving up the incline towards you. when you think it's at 10-12 ' deep on that slope, leave it there, and if you feel debris with the split shots, leave it there. yes you will get hung up, use the eagle claw extra light wire aberdeen hooks, they will help to get them back.

Fishing in gin clear water of quarries I can tell you another secret.

Gills and crappie look up an awful lot. Redear almost never look up. They track baits from eye level down mostly. They will pick up a bead head muddler off bottom. You can hold it 6 inches above their heads all day and unless a gill hits it never get a bite.

Lots of good tips and information here....thanks for sharing guys!

Just wanted to share a picture of some we got this may from Ky lake. We fished bobbers and popeye jigs in 8ft water.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...MG_0005-17.jpg

If you can get your bait past the reg. BG and to the bottom, give it two turns and see if they're there. Most big RES I catch are absolutely right on the bottom - especially this time of year. Remember, full moon is Aug 7., that might move them in a little.

Here in eastern,NC if you can find bonnett beds that have some decent water you can scorch them during the spawn.Post spawn they obviously move back out.Last Friday i sit in 13-18' water and put a hurtin' on em.No huge ones,but several that were pushing a pound.Red worms all the way for me,althoughI have seen them hit shrimp also.

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Originally Posted by redear

they are not hard to catch, as long as they are feeding, and you are in the right place. I fish for them in about 12 feet of water on average, on the bottom with red wigglers, on a size 4 or 2 crappie hook, with a couple good size split shots about 3 feet above the hook. put about 2 or 3 wigglers on the hook with the ends free so they move alot. just like crappie, they don't always bite, so it's best to have 4 or 5 spots to check. one of those spots will likely produce. they don't have to be spawning, for you to fill the cooler, just feeding. fish with 2 or 3 rods, and sit back and watch the rod tips. anchor the front and the back of the boat so it doesn't move around alot. and they can jerk the rod out of the boat too. I use 9 or 10 foot rods, so it makes it harder for the fish to do that. lol dropoffs, submerged humps, sloping points, 10-12 foot deep flats. they best places have some wood debris, or stumps etc. they eat the little aquatic larvae etc. off the wood.

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Your advice is right on target.:D

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Originally Posted by chaunc

Just wanted to share a picture of some we got this may from Ky lake. We fished bobbers and popeye jigs in 8ft water.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...MG_0005-17.jpg

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Those are real nice bro. Chaunc

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Originally Posted by chaunc

Just wanted to share a picture of some we got this may from Ky lake. We fished bobbers and popeye jigs in 8ft water.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...MG_0005-17.jpg

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Those are hog redear, a couple of em look to be well over a pound, pushing 20-22 ounces?? Now those would give you a fight of your life on light or even medium tackle.

A good ol boy that fished with an uncle of mine when I was growing up was a Shellcracker Expert If I have ever seen one. I have seen him fuss about catching a gill over a pound ... said he was cracker fishing not gill fishin and that was wasting his bait ... Except for bedding time he would all ways find the channel in these farm ponds that we fished a lot {in Alabama} .. and he would fish along the edge of it ... No depth finder .. feeling it out with his pole and line fishing on bottom .. the largest earth worms he could find (or wigglers if he could not get earth worms} Crawford was a real character.

JSC
:)

We fished the Trent and Neuse Rivers in eastern,NC last weekend and caught shellcrackers slam full of roe??? Go figure.Water temp was in the low to mid 80's everywhere and they were caught in shallow water.I know not all fish when the water gets upper 60's and up,but this seems awfully warm and late.Any thoughts or similar past results?

they will hold the roe till mid july many years, where I fish. puzzles me too.

Do they not spawn on each full moon during the summer like other sun fish?

You betcha. Got my mind set on a lake full of huge RES this PM. Gonna start deep with worms and work my way up to where ever they are. RES usually spawn a little deper than GB, so they will likely be in 6-8 fow and the gills in shallower. FULL MOON boys. Get with it.

I don't know how many times they spawn, have heard so many conflicting things on the subject.

I've had good luck fishing road beds. They seem to like the gravel bottoms or maybe the clams and mussels like the gravel. Here is a mess I found next to an old road bed.

GreenLantern: those are some really nice fish.