King Of The Panfish: Fishing For Redear Sunfish (Shellcracker)

[King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah]

Which dam did you fish? Jackson? I would think it would have too much current for crackers. Juliette dam? Another further down stream?

I’m wanting to get started fishing the river some. I just have to get my old 40 Merc back in service.

Wyman

I think it was Juliette a little ways down the road from the public park on lake jackson. I remember it being a right turn next to the bait shop that took you down to the water. There was a fishing pier they built in the tail water area just below the dam but there was access to the river all over. Fish get HUGE in the ocmulgee. I've even seen schools of 16 inch gizzard shad

 

[Fullnet2]

I used to fish way up on the North end of Lanier. From 1965 through 1990.
Go under the Highway 53 bridge out of Gainesville.
Immediately you will see a long steep bank on your right that runs parallel to the highway for maybe 1/4 mile. Got some depth all the way from 40 feet to one inch along that bank.
That was always the hottest shellcracker spot on the lake as far as I was concerned. Plus the water color up there is better. I wouldn't think too much has changed that far up the river although it has been quite a while since I was up there. But it's a starting point. If somebody sent me up there to get shellcrackers, that's where I would go. (there may be residences along that stretch now)
And that submerged island as you enter the Chestatee there just above Browns Bridge was another favorite shellcracker spot. Fishing on the bottom with a slip sinker rig and worms. We used to have to circle around and around to search for it with the depthfinder but now I suppose it is marked on maps with GPS waypoints. (the fish down there don't know about waypoints however)
I can't tell you much about anything below Browns Bridge (except is it a zoo with the pleasure boaters)

 

[Fullnet2]

Hate to sound dumb but are you traveling north under the 53 bridge?

 

[King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah]

Here's a picture of the 5lb world record redear sunfish! This thing is literally as big as the world record crappie... BOTH of them! That's one heck of a bream!

 

[King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah]

View attachment 1057020not my fish.

The bottom left fish in that bottom photo is actually a bluegill/green sunfish hybrid. Very cool fish!

 

[Thunder Head]

Nice thread. Ive never tried to target them specifically. Caught some nice ones here and there.

If you get enough views / subscribers on youtube. You dont need to push products or sell t-shirts. Some of them guys are making alot of money.

 

[Dutch]

 

[Cmp1]

View attachment 1057392

View attachment 1057393

That's a Lotta cleaning,,,,Wow,,,,congrats,,,,you the man,,,,

 

[Old Yapper]

Hate to sound dumb but are you traveling north under the 53 bridge?

Yessir

 

[Dutch]

That's a Lotta cleaning,,,,Wow,,,,congrats,,,,you the man,,,,

Isn't that bad, using the slab-o-matic fish scaler.

 

[Fullnet2]

Yessir

Thx,I crappie fish in that vicinity a lot so may take some worms next spring and give it a try. In forty years if fishing Lanier ,have only seen one shell cracker.

 

[Dutch]

Fyi...the above 'crackers where caught in Lake Juliette.

 

[Old Yapper]

Isn't that bad, using the slab-o-matic fish scaler.

Just fillet the things....just like you'd do a bass.
No scaling, no bones. (I haven't scaled a fish in 50 years.)
Use an electric knife.

 

[Dutch]

Just fillet the things....just like you'd do a bass.
No scaling, no bones. (I haven't scaled a fish in 50 years.)
Use an electric knife.

I fillet them all as well. But I like them with the skin on. Skin is tasty, scales not so much.

Saltwater water fish I skin, without scaling. And I use a manual knife, I am just as quick as someone with a electric and I dont have to have a power source. I even skin catfish with a fillet knife.

 

[fatback]

 

[Old Yapper]

I fillet them all as well. But I like them with the skin on. Skin is tasty, scales not so much.
Saltwater water fish I skin, without scaling. And I use a manual knife, I am just as quick as someone with a electric and I dont have to have a power source. I even skin catfish with a fillet knife.

To each his own, I guess.

 

[Cmp1]

I've got to get down,,,,dang it man,,,,

 

[Cmp1]

I fillet them all as well. But I like them with the skin on. Skin is tasty, scales not so much.

Saltwater water fish I skin, without scaling. And I use a manual knife, I am just as quick as someone with a electric and I dont have to have a power source. I even skin catfish with a fillet knife.

I'll do all the scaling,or filleting,,,,just get me on em, please,,,,? ? ? ?

 

[King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah]

So, it has just occurred to me that I didn't go into baits, lures and flies. There's plenty of information going already, but I'll name the top picks off the top of my head.

NATURAL BAITS
1. Nightcrawlers
2. Wax Worms (bee moth larvae)
3. Grass Shrimp
4. Lake Mussels/Snails
5. Catalpa Worms

ARTIFICIAL LURES

1. Rapala Original Floater (sizes F03-F05)
2. Rapala Countdown Minnow (sizes CD-3 and CD-5)
3. Worden's Rooster Tail inline Spinner 1/8oz
4. Curl Tail Grubs on 1/16-1/8oz heads, #6 - #4 hook, sickle or round bend style.
5. Hair jigs 1/8oz


FLIES
1. Wooly Worm
2. Bead Head Hare's Ear Nymph
3. Cone Head Crystal Bugger (a wooly bugger with weighted cone head and crystal flash in the material)
4. San Juan Worm
5. Panfish Poison


Top producing colors.....

Artificial Lures -
Black
Yellow
Chartreuse
Silver/black
Gold/black
White/blue
Pink

Flies -

Black
Brown
Olive
Tan

 

[Nicodemus]

Jeremiah, on Lake Seminole, they like all those baits and also grass shrimp.