Here's a hawg redear I nailed yesterday

It was a dandy, about 12in and 1lb9oz. Caught a few nice ears in shallow water on bottom. Tough overall bite though.

Good fish!! There's a 2 pounder out there with your name on it.

We were working the banks and laydowns in the back of the bays over on Barkley and I always have a tub of worms this time of year and voila, stumbled into some nice ones while crappie fishing. They are coming up and hitting on straightlines in shallow water. I'm headed out here in an hour. I thought this fish was a catfish...ran towards a stake bed but drag saved my butt.

Very nice

Wow! Nice fish. :notworthy

That redear fishing is on my bucketlist. It has to be a blast. :biggrin

lake barkley has been known for big red ears but not this early .nice fish. hope to get down there in may.Dave

Congrats on your catch,betta that was sure fun to catch.
LittleJohn

nice red worms or crawlers

This fish had the genetics that if it had grown to 13 inches, it would've been about 2.25-2.5lb fish. Probably the most impressive speciman I've caught in my life but not the biggest. Caught a few last year that pushed 2lbs but they didn't have this fish's features.The height of this fish was stunning and it was like trying to reel in a frisbee with fins....lots of fun.

With redear this early, you have to be willing to take a catfish approach. Throw the lines out with good worms and wait, and wait some more. It's not a boom-boom event, patience is the second biggest factor in ear fishing. Patterning them this early is the first big hurdle to jump. Their guts were FULL of muscles, almost swiss cheese like in appearance when I cleaned them.

Sweet take an easy on them now save some for me!!

You fixin to have a lot of company in your honey holes.