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what is the best lure and color for catching shellcrackers?also live bait whats the best?reason for asking is because i located some and they would knock the fire out of my baits but wouldnt grab hold of it i could watch them chase my lure all the way to the boat and then stop
I prefer wax worms or crickets.
we had crickets but they wouldnt hit those either we floated them and fished them on the bottom
How close were you to them?
red wiggler on the bottom
probably 10 yards or so
worm on bottom, no float, they bite very subtle sometimes, watch your line. Alot of time they swallow the hook. Good luck and enjoy
Jr. B
We used popeye jigs, tipped with waxworms, fished under a small bobber to get these.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...n/IMG_0025.jpg
A really sensitive float will cure that. I was reading a shellcracker article in the latest GON (Georgia Outdoor News.) The guide they interviewed used a float and complained about how shellcrackers were always swallowing the hook. This guide was using some of the worst floats I've ever seen. No wonder the fish were swallowing the hook!Quote:
Originally Posted by Jr Branham
Fish swallow the hook when you don't see the bite, and most floats are just not good bite indicators. Fish a light waggler with enough split shot so that just a pimple is showing above the surface. You won't miss bites with that!
What size "lure" were you using ?? Maybe if you downsized the same lure, they'd take it better :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by 78mudbug
Last ones I caught, came on nightcrawler pieces (under a float). Thought seriously about using a slip sinker/bobber stop/hook setup ... to get/keep my bait on bottom, and still be able to detect the bite. Problem was ... the wind got up, and was blowing my line pretty good. So I just stuck with the float setup, and let the wind blow it along :p
I think I was too late to find them nesting, anyway. The little lake I fished is known to produce some pretty nice Crackers, so I may give them another go .... unless the Crappie start biting good, there ;)
.. cp :cool:
Disco,
I would be interested in seeing your rig. Sometimes I fish for them on a big reservoir, not sure if it would be pratical to use the waggler since the wind/water can get choppy. I also fish Santee Cooper's canal, little bit of current and LOTS of boat traffic, seems like it would be difficult. But, I'm open to try any new technique.
I do see alot of people using bigger floats fishing on the bottom, hard to detect bites, thus fish swallow the hooks.
Jr. B
Here's the basic set up:
Attachment 18929
The waggler is very good if the water is choppy. Just use a bigger one and leave more of the float sticking out of the water.
My favorite bait for them is 1-2 inch crayfish. I just hook them through the top of the shell and fish them under a cork. Great bait.
Small jigs also get them for me as far as lures.