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Friends, I live in Texas and have never targeted the redear. I’d like to catch some, but am not sure where to begin, especially this time of year lol. What size hook and bait do you guys typically use? I’ve heard red worms work well and they prefer the bottom over similar fish such as bluegill.
How do you guys find them and put em in the boat? Appreciate your time.
Best,
Slab Apprentice
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I use the same baits I use for bluegills: small jigs, flies, and grub-type live bait (maggots, wax worms and meal worms.)
As you say, they tend to be more bottom-oriented than bluegills.
You have a good mentor in Texas. Ask SK questions, am sure he will give lots of info on catching them. He posted a video on You Tube early in the week.
Seems Richard Gene liked light weight squirrel tail jigs tipped with a piece of crawler. Cast out and retrieve slowly along the bottom.
I use a #6 truturn hook for brim and Shell Crackers. Bait depends on where I am fishing. I have used wigglers on the StJohns River with good results. I have been using grass shrimp lately at my local lakes.
I use a very small squirrel-tail jig, or plain jig head, to hook a wiggler, like a 1/28-1/32 oz with #6 or #8 hook, fished slow on the bottom. I get almost no gut-hooking this way, and catch just as many as using a plain hook. No additional weight needed.
When I don't have worms (or don't feel like driving to the bait store) I use the same small squirrel tail jig, or a small jig head with a Renosky Keystone minnow, or a Mr Twister micro claw plastic. Deadly on bedding fish.
Thanks to all for your inputs so far!
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Target 8'-12' foot of calm water. With sand bottoms and wood near by. Muscles if you have em. Keep the presentation close to the bottom.
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pick another "target" fish bro , you wont see but just a very few here if any , no matter how hard you go at itQuote:
Originally Posted by Slab Apprentice
possibly in a private spot a few , but near none locally on public lakes in this area .
I’ll take your word for it Ketchn. I’ve only caught one in a private pond around here. Why is it they aren’t in the lakes around these parts? Thanks!Quote:
Originally Posted by Ketchn
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“Redear sunfish were originally found in the southeastern US from Texas north to a line even with southern Illinois and east to the Atlantic Ocean. As a result of introductions, the range has been expanded and now extends west into New Mexico and north into Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. In Texas the species is native to the eastern two-thirds of the state from the Red River to the Rio Grande. It has been widely introduced throughout the state.“
Redear Sunfish (Lepomis
microlophus)
Gonna a post - 79 fish ain't bad 6 hours! It might help.
Didn't wan to highjack the post.
Carolina rig a # 6 hook/jig with a meal worm , red worm , cricket or wax worm . Drag it slow across the bottom . If they are there they will find it .
I catch them a lot in the same places the crappie spawn.
I use 1/64 hand tied black jigs
I think they have a #8 hook.
It’s a challenge, once you find em it’s fun.
Blue Gill are usually in the same areas too
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small pop eye jig with part of red worm....the jig keeps from gut hooking.......also drop shot rig with red worm on a jig hook with no lead on it...drag on bottom
Hi I am in Tennessee, but we are catching them right now. I am fishing in about 2' of water and using a slip bobber with a small piece of nightcrawler on a hook set about 18". I have also been using this Bobby Garland jig with a 16th Oz pink jighead, with a slow retrieve. Shellcrackers and Crappie love this color here.Attachment 399652Attachment 399653Attachment 399654Attachment 399655
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The red ear population is not near what it was years ago .
Modern depthfinder with side scan has hurt the population enormously , In pryor days people had to work at finding the beds and most gave up before they did to much damage, now days they just drive down the bank and when they find the beds they fish them to death untill they have caught almost all the bedding fish and then that colony is gone . It kills me to see people posting about how many they caught in a short amount of time ,
If they only understood the damage they were doing ,
They are fun to catch but only take what you need and through the rest back . Its the only way the population will return . 15 years ago they were abundant .
not sure , we have mega mussel beds and the waters that should hold themQuote:
Originally Posted by Slab Apprentice
all i know is that in the dfw area , a private spot might have a few .
but public waters hold almost zero ,i can count on one hand the number i have seen in the last 10 years on local waters .
i know pretty factually if they existed in any numbers anywhere near here ,myself or my ketchn crew would have found them .
SK found a couple at marine creek one year ,it says the lake used to have good numbers ,but they went south in there ?
thats about the only spot i have heard of where someone ketched more than one .:dono
with the one exception just south of you at the state park , no big ones , but we do ketch 1 or 2 when we visit there sometimes .