Bream and Shellcracker Beds in Lanier?

Can anyone give me a hint where these suckers bed in Lanier? I've tried to put my son on a bed, but to no avail. I've scanned multiple creek backs on side imaging but see nothing. Any suggestions or hints (eg, depth/features)?
 

95g atl

Senior Member
I'm no expert, but we have had great success beaching our boat. Throwing in a few crushed crackers. Looking for brim sign, then throwing a small trout hook with artificial maggots. BOOM, fish on.

typically depths of 3-6 feet give or take.

catch n release.

Can catch 20 at a sitting.
 
I'm no expert, but we have had great success beaching our boat. Throwing in a few crushed crackers. Looking for brim sign, then throwing a small trout hook with artificial maggots. BOOM, fish on.

typically depths of 3-6 feet give or take.

catch n release.

Can catch 20 at a sitting.

Yeah, we've caught some smaller bream just slash fishing along the shoreline with crickets and worms. Trying to get on some bigger ones--especially shellcracker--on beds. I'm from Florida where bream and shellcracker bed in 1-5 foot of water. I'm guessing they bed deeper in Lanier.
 

bfriendly

Bigfoot friendly
Yeah, we've caught some smaller bream just slash fishing along the shoreline with crickets and worms. Trying to get on some bigger ones--especially shellcracker--on beds. I'm from Florida where bream and shellcracker bed in 1-5 foot of water. I'm guessing they bed deeper in Lanier.

Welcome to the world of reservoir fishing! I too am from Florida and had to change everything it seems.....not really, but seriously. I have found a few beds looking in similar places you are searching, but by accident rather than searching for them.
I’d say look deeper? Biggest thing up here is that winter draw down and drought that will change the water line 15’ EZ. I think the beds will typically stay under water, rather than show themselves when the water is low, if that makes sense.
 

Fletch_W

Banned
One thing to make sure of it that it's around a full moon. You could be fishing some great beds on the New Moon, not catch anything, and figure there aren't any beds there. But if you were to go back around the full moon, they'd be there.

You can also slowly troll shallow areas until you get a bite, then circle back around to cast on that area. If the fish are there, you should just about be catching them on every cast (around a full moon). On a new moon, nothing there, abandoned beds.

Shellcracker will be slightly deeper and for me, always harder to find. In fact, it's been a few years since I've caught one. I found where they bed on Bear Creek, by accident, many years ago, but since moving away from that lake, I haven't found them in my new bodies of water yet.
 
Thanks for the info. I think I'm going to scan with the side imaging while sipping beer and dragging a couple beetle spins behind me.
 

Fullnet2

Senior Member
Don't believe there are enough shellcracker in Lanier to warrant fishing. Hope someone corrects me about that statement. Have caught some good bluegills in the back of Orr creek.
 

bfriendly

Bigfoot friendly
One thing to make sure of it that it's around a full moon. You could be fishing some great beds on the New Moon, not catch anything, and figure there aren't any beds there. But if you were to go back around the full moon, they'd be there.

You can also slowly troll shallow areas until you get a bite, then circle back around to cast on that area. If the fish are there, you should just about be catching them on every cast (around a full moon). On a new moon, nothing there, abandoned beds.

Shellcracker will be slightly deeper and for me, always harder to find. In fact, it's been a few years since I've caught one. I found where they bed on Bear Creek, by accident, many years ago, but since moving away from that lake, I haven't found them in my new bodies of water yet.
So tonight is looking better and better....I need to go put that new light out
 
Don't believe there are enough shellcracker in Lanier to warrant fishing. Hope someone corrects me about that statement. Have caught some good bluegills in the back of Orr creek.

My son caught a huge shellcracker off the dock at 6 mile while I was loading the boat a couple years ago. Those suckers have to be making love somewhere.
 

dixiecutter

Eye Devour ReeB
I know nothing about Lanier. Nothing. But I know a touch about shellcrackers. Use worms. Close to the bottom. They like to bed on course sand or pebbly bottom. They'll bed anywhere, but weedy, mucky bottum isn't the favorite. They like deeper water, compared to bluegills bedding in 2 or 3 feet, shellcrackers like it 5,6,7 feet or so- and they'll bed in the middle of nowhere, not really hugging the bank (again opposite the bluegills)- so if you have a lakemaster card, see if you can find a big sand flats in this depth range and look there. I personally think it's oxygen (thermocline) or current or some other reason they like it deeper and out in the open, but don't really know. Easiest fish in the world to catch, but you might lose a whole day trying to find them. Oldtimers can smell them, or they'll plunk a worm on a breambuster every 2 feet over and over all day long until they land on them, then drop a anchor. Good luck
 

Teh Wicked

Senior Member
I don't bream fish but I have come across a few beds while using side scan. I noticed bream beds in this area are deeper, the ones I seen last month were in 7-9ft of water. I could see the bream on the beds on my sonar. I never touched them, just tried to fish around it a little and see if I could find anything. when I found them I was back up in the creek at Six Mile and also back in the creek there at Old Federal. both sets of beds were off a small point along the bank. No way to access without a kayak or boat.
 
I don't bream fish but I have come across a few beds while using side scan. I noticed bream beds in this area are deeper, the ones I seen last month were in 7-9ft of water. I could see the bream on the beds on my sonar. I never touched them, just tried to fish around it a little and see if I could find anything. when I found them I was back up in the creek at Six Mile and also back in the creek there at Old Federal. both sets of beds were off a small point along the bank. No way to access without a kayak or boat.

Well I fished all over the very back of 6 Mile the other day and didn't see any beds on side scan. Caught a few, but didn't find any beds. I may need to cut down on my beer consumption while scanning.
 

bfriendly

Bigfoot friendly
Found a few bream beds today in 5‘ of water, but it was only 4 or 5, not a dozen +
 
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