How to catch bluegill and redear sunfish the fishing advice. The redear sunfish is a freshwater fish in the family centrarchidae and is native to the southeastern united states. Among the fish species thriving in the lake are largemouth bass, striped bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, channel catfish and flathead catfish. Pound for pound, there is not another fish that out pulls these little bullies. In some small ponds, redear practically eliminate snails. Lake havasu is the location of over a dozen fishing tournaments and activities a year. While its a great way to introduce a youngster to the great sport of fishing, it tends to bring out the kid in all of us once the bobber disappears time after time. The redear sunfish is deep and slabsided, with a small mouth, with the upper jaw not reaching past the front of the eye. How to catch bluegill and redear sunfish best techniques.
Instead this is a fish that likes to be in deeper water. A redear sunfish lepomis microlophus is an easily distinguished member of the sunfish family, and in some areas of the u. The shellcracker is also known as the redear sunfish and will average between one and two pounds during spawning. During spawning, the margin of the males gill cover flap turns bright red. Found a strange egg just sitting on a log and caught a big redear sunfish. We join daren bowen of creek candy lures for some fun fishing for large redear in western kentucky.
Body is rounded like other sunfish and has a relatively small mouth. May 30, 2017 may 27, 2019 3 years ago stingram 712 views bluegill, bluegill bait, bluegill fishing, bluegill fishing tips, bluegill fishing with lures, lake guntersville, lake guntersville fishing, microbaits, readear sunfish facts, redear sunfish, redear sunfish fishing, redear sunfish fishing tips, redear sunfish shellcracker, redear sunfish. The redear sunfish, also known as the shellcracker, is arguably one of the best fighting, best tasting and hardest to find and catch throughout the season than any panfish you pursue. Redear sunfish shellcracker typically begin spawning about one month before bluegill.
Redear shellcracker taxidermy fish replicas by marine creations. Redear are equipped with a set of crushers in the back of their throat. Id like to hear from people who have personal experience too but everyones welcome to chime in. The redear sunfish lepomis microlophus, also known as the shellcracker is a freshwater fish in the centrarchidae family and is native to the southeastern united states. We dipnet these fish because it breaks your heart when trying to flip one into the boat and it comes unbuttoned. I fish lake barkley here in western kentucky, it produces some large redear every spring.
It is a lover of deep water and usually stays there except during the spawning period. Shellcracker and bream fishing robert webster of hamlet, nc who has a camper at the lake tillery family campground, adjacent highway 2427, has been keeping a watch on the fishing conditions for shellcrackers and bream. The nickname of the redear sunfish, shellcracker, comes from its. We both wanted to go after them with our fly rods aka buggy whoppers as acey wall, deceased use to call my fly rod.
The name shellcracker was derived from the ability of this fish to capture and eat snails, clams, small mussels and other mollusks. All fishing buy, all about redear sunfish, habitats. But wetting a baited hook isnt likely to garner as many bites as youll get when bluegill fishing. Five to 10 vertical bars are more or less evident on the sides, depending on the size of the fish. Redear sunfish to biologists, or chinquapin to louisiana anglers, these feisty fish typically favor deeper haunts, but when a. A bright red mark on the back edge of the gill cover is very distinctive. Redear sunfish are usually stocked in small ponds and lakes with bluegills and. Redear prefer hard bottoms, congregating in deeper water than bluegill. Due to its high sporting characteristics the redear sunfish lepomis microlophus has become a popular species among anglers throughout north america.
Fishing for bluegill and shellcracker in the peak of the spawn is one of them. This seems to be the year that i finally get it all lined up. Redear look different from bluegill, and they also have their own unique behavioral characteristics which we will discuss. Shell cracker fishing redear fishing bluegill fishing. Its most distinguishing feature is a red or orange edge along the ear flap. The ramp at toolsboro is paved but the road to the ramp is gravel. I spend a lot of my lunch breaks fishing a small storm drain adjacent to a wooden dock behind my house, but the usual bass and bluegill targets took a backseat to the unexpected appearance of bedding shellcracker. Are invasive quagga mussels leading to huge redear sunfish. Redear seldom respond to floating fish food, as do bluegill.
Ive been wanting to put together a bluegillshellcracker trip to lbl for the past three or so years and have never really had the time or money to do so. Its shellcracker fishing time on the santee cooper lakes. They have a distinct red coloring around its ear flap. Seemed every time i turned off the camera i caught a fish. Also known as shellcracker or chinquapin perch, stumpknocker, or yellow bream, their scientific name is lepomis microlophus. If your catching giant bluegill, theyre probably redear. It resembles a bluegill but is somewhat larger, averaging 79 in length. The body is heavily spotted and they have long, pointed pectoral fins. In natural waters, it is confined to the southern half of missouri, but it is widely stocked in small reservoirs and ponds. Redear sunfish are caught most often on earthworms around the full moons. Redears are cousins to the bluegill, green sunfish, and pumpkinseed. Redear sunfish often utilize snails as a major food item, hence the common name shellcracker. Each largemouth bass mount is painstakingly painted to our customers picture or preference with amazing detail and realism. There is some shore fishing along the parking area and at.
Shellcrackers are the best tasting freshwater fish in florida, which makes since theyre just a large bluegill and we know bluegills are the best tasting panfish in the midwest. They have a small mouth, and their ear flaps have a white rim surrounding them with a red. Have these panfish that really can fill a pan, and are widely regarded as one of the better fish species to eat, found a surplus of invasive quagga mussels to munch. Although we caught only a few fish on that trip since it was too early, it did bring back memories of how much fun bream fishing can be. Shellcracker, stump knocker, yellow bream, cherry gill, chinquapin. The redear does not readily take artificial lures but is easily taken on natural baits. Most fish are taken on cane poles with small hooks, corks, and split shot for. A deep sided fish with a black ear flap rimmed in red or orange. Thats why we work hard to bring you the information you need to know to manage your pond or lake. Big shellcracker redear sunfish fishing with 1 lb line. In south florida, shellcracker may spawn as early as the last week of february but more likely around the fourth week of march. Fishing habitat and techniques for bluegill and redear sunfish are much alike.
The species is usually found near the bottom in warm water with little current and abundant aquatic vegetation. The redear sunfish will thrive in most warmwater lakes and streams. Fishing for shellcrackers panfish rambling angler outdoors. Specially modified teeth in the throat allow them to crack mollusk shells. I went fishing for shellcracker at clarks hill the week after easter last year. The breast of a mature redear is typically a rather bright yellow. Catching bluegill and shellcracker on kentuckhy lake. In the south, shellcracker fishing is common among pan fisherman. They will also refuse a popping bug, but will eat a sinking fly such as a beadhead nymph or a black knat. Large shellcracker before preparation for consumption. Redear can be harder to find because they prefer deeper. Redear sunfish lepomis microlophus, also known as shellcracker, georgia bream, cherry gill, sunny, chinquapin, improved bream, stumpknocker, and sun perch is native to the southeastern united states from south carolina to texas in the south, and from the southern illinois east to the atlantic coast in the north, but since it is a popular sport fish it has been introduced to bodies of water. They also eat other food like insects, worms, and crawfish, but feed on the bottom.
It gets its other name of shellcracker, because it has crushers in its throat. They dine on small snails, mussels and other mollusks they crush with teeth in their throat, thus the shellcracker nickname. Its most distinguishing feature is a red or orange edge along the ear. Big shellcracker redear sunfish fishing with 1 lb line and. Lepomis is the greek word for scaled gill cover, while microlophus is the greek word for small nape. Spawning redear can easily attain sizes of 1 to 2 pounds in lakes with an. Phoenix have the redear sunfish at lake havasu really gone quagga crazy. The redear sunfish gets its name from the red border around a black spot on its earflap. However, anglers should take caution while navigating due to the many snags and stumps in the lake. Fishing for shellcrackers has become an annual endeavor for me and a time during spring that i look forward to every year. Whats the better choice for big shellcracker, barkley or ky lake. As the name redear suggests, shellcrackers are known for having a distinct red color on the side fin, although the reddish hue is more common in males while females tend to have a slight orange tinge to their side fins. The following article is a must read, and will give you the insight you need for your next pond management decision. The redear sunfish is a deep, slabsided fish with pointed pectoral side fins.
Redear sunfish have a dark olive compressed body, fading to light green and silver on the sides with dark spots and sometimes stripes, often seen on younger fish. They prefer snails and clams, giving them their common nickname. Shellcracker, or redear sunfish, are the biggest of the beam, with the world record a 4 pound ounce monster caught in florida in 1986. Redear bream lepomis microlophus, are one of the most effective tools for preventing or eradicating worms grubs in your sport fish. This gaming fish is similar in appearance to the bluegill relative but typically is found to be darker in color and larger in size. The shellcracker goes by a number of names, including redear sunfish, sun perch and georgia bream. Common names widely known as shellcracker because of its fondness for snails. By the end of march, depending on water temperatures and water levels, redears shellcracker start migrating to the shallows in preparation for the spawn. They nest deeper than bluegill on average, like deeper water, and can be picky eaters of food from the bottom, rather than taking bugs on top.
As their name tells, they eat snails and muscles, crushing the shell with a tough muscle in their gullet. The redear sunfish lepomis microlophus, also known as the shellcracker, georgia bream, cherry gill, chinquapin, improved bream, rouge ear sunfish and sun perch, is native to the southeastern united states, but since it is a popular sport fish it has been introduced to bodies of water all over north america. They bear a close resemblance to a native bluegill but have a bright red orange patch towards the back of their gill plate see above. Perhaps the most notable different between crappie and shellcracker is their color. Redear sunfish at havasu have been reaching world record sizes. Fishing conditions on lake havasu are ideal almost yearround. All fishing buy, all about redear sunfish, habitats, fishing methods. We would anchor the boat, put a gob of red wigglers on the hook and cast out about six different outfits, put them in rod. The shellcracker is not a fish that likes to be right against the bank. They coexist well with bluegill and do not compete with them for nest sites. These crushers consist of an upper and lower pad attached to a set of very strong muscles.
This fish is adapted for feeding on snails and other mollusks, in addition to insect larvae. Shellcracker fishing tips sheelcracker fishing florida. Most redear are caught during the spawning season by fishing with red worms on the bottom. However, insect larvae and cladocerans may also be found in their diet. Since it is a popular sport fish, it has been introduced to bodies of water all over north america. Hector brito caught this worldrecord redear sunfish at lake havasu in 2014.
So in the remainder of this post, the word bluegill will be used to refer to both bluegill and redear, except where a distinction is made for. The state record and onetime world record is a 5pound, 712ounce fish caught in the diversion canal in 1998. Redear not only look different from bluegill but they also have their own unique behavioral characteristics which we will discuss. They are a deep, slab sided tall and flat fish with a small mouth. They are a deep, slabsided tall and flat fish with a small mouth. Yet its unlikely the arizona game and fish department would stock redear sunfish with the sole purpose of reducing populations of the quaggas, which also have affected lake mead, lake mohave, the lower colorado river below lake havasu to mexico, the central arizona project canal, lake powell, lake pleasant, canyon. This area was hit hard by hurricane michael, but the dead lakes still offers excellent bluegill and redear sunfish aka shellcracker fishing opportunities. Stocking redear as a featured sport fish in some locations is a possibility. In his study of trophic specialization in sunfishes, lauder 1983 describes the extensive molar surfaces on the pharyngeal arches of lepomis microlophus and the associated musculature that enables the fish to crack mollusk shells hence the local name shellcracker. These crushers are bony, toothlike patches capable of grinding snails and small mussels. Shellcrackers, aka redear sunfish, are popular on both lakes, with the largest area of heavyduty shellcracker action typically in the upper end of lake marion above the i95 bridge. Snails and other mollusks are preferred, but diet also consists of crayfish, insects, insect larvae and fathead minnows. Florida shellcracker fishing spawning bluegills mwoutdoors.
Find out more about shellcracker and other fish american sportfish stock here. Shellcracker grow larger than bluegill, with fish over 1 pound common. Redears feed on snails, insects, and small bait fish. May 22 2017 fishing and giant redear sunfish youtube.
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