Thread: Why redear are hard to catch

Fishing in gin clear water of quarries I can tell you another secret.

Gills and crappie look up an awful lot. Redear almost never look up. They track baits from eye level down mostly. They will pick up a bead head muddler off bottom. You can hold it 6 inches above their heads all day and unless a gill hits it never get a bite.

Lots of good tips and information here....thanks for sharing guys!

Just wanted to share a picture of some we got this may from Ky lake. We fished bobbers and popeye jigs in 8ft water.

If you can get your bait past the reg. BG and to the bottom, give it two turns and see if they're there. Most big RES I catch are absolutely right on the bottom - especially this time of year. Remember, full moon is Aug 7., that might move them in a little.

Here in eastern,NC if you can find bonnett beds that have some decent water you can scorch them during the spawn.Post spawn they obviously move back out.Last Friday i sit in 13-18' water and put a hurtin' on em.No huge ones,but several that were pushing a pound.Red worms all the way for me,althoughI have seen them hit shrimp also.

Originally Posted by redear

they are not hard to catch, as long as they are feeding, and you are in the right place. I fish for them in about 12 feet of water on average, on the bottom with red wigglers, on a size 4 or 2 crappie hook, with a couple good size split shots about 3 feet above the hook. put about 2 or 3 wigglers on the hook with the ends free so they move alot. just like crappie, they don't always bite, so it's best to have 4 or 5 spots to check. one of those spots will likely produce. they don't have to be spawning, for you to fill the cooler, just feeding. fish with 2 or 3 rods, and sit back and watch the rod tips. anchor the front and the back of the boat so it doesn't move around alot. and they can jerk the rod out of the boat too. I use 9 or 10 foot rods, so it makes it harder for the fish to do that. lol dropoffs, submerged humps, sloping points, 10-12 foot deep flats. they best places have some wood debris, or stumps etc. they eat the little aquatic larvae etc. off the wood.

Your advice is right on target.:D

Originally Posted by chaunc

Just wanted to share a picture of some we got this may from Ky lake. We fished bobbers and popeye jigs in 8ft water.

Those are real nice bro. Chaunc

Originally Posted by chaunc

Just wanted to share a picture of some we got this may from Ky lake. We fished bobbers and popeye jigs in 8ft water.

Those are hog redear, a couple of em look to be well over a pound, pushing 20-22 ounces?? Now those would give you a fight of your life on light or even medium tackle.

A good ol boy that fished with an uncle of mine when I was growing up was a Shellcracker Expert If I have ever seen one. I have seen him fuss about catching a gill over a pound ... said he was cracker fishing not gill fishin and that was wasting his bait ... Except for bedding time he would all ways find the channel in these farm ponds that we fished a lot {in Alabama} .. and he would fish along the edge of it ... No depth finder .. feeling it out with his pole and line fishing on bottom .. the largest earth worms he could find (or wigglers if he could not get earth worms} Crawford was a real character.

JSC

We fished the Trent and Neuse Rivers in eastern,NC last weekend and caught shellcrackers slam full of roe??? Go figure.Water temp was in the low to mid 80's everywhere and they were caught in shallow water.I know not all fish when the water gets upper 60's and up,but this seems awfully warm and late.Any thoughts or similar past results?