Thread: How big are your BIG redears?

Originally Posted by exfactor

This is my big red ear 4 Ca. It was 4#1 oz, and 16 inches.

Sweet! Nice catch!

WOW! nice fish. The state record red ear for Mississippi is 3.33 lbs.

I've seen those redears of Kelly Nobles posted on another site that I'm a member of, and to be honest, they don't really look like shellcracker to me. Now Exfactor's redear is a true, hawg shellcracker. That's the best mount of a panfish I've ever seen too. The Nobles redear just seem VERY dark and they don't have the looks of the one in this thread. Actually there is one good looking ear he's got and I think it's the one that's 2.7lbs.

redearhoosier,
I have fished that area that Kelly catches those fish.He is fishing in the river, I mainly fish the lake above his spots. I have caught shellcrackers that looked almost black with only a small patch of red on their lobe. I have also caught fish real deep that were pale white hardly no coloration at all. I don't think they are hybrids, what do you think they are if not shellcracker?
Jr. B

This maybe more than you wanted to know but a young man who was working after school with one of my coustomers in Marianna, FL caught this monster .. There was one larger later but was an ilegal catch .. guy from Pensacola snatched hooked it .... I think they prosocuted him when everything was finalized. For some interesting reading "Google" Merritt's Mill Pond.
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Merritt's Mill Pond
This is a unique 202-acre spring-fed impoundment with crystal clear waters near the city limits of Marianna. The lake is accessible off US 90 in Marianna by taking SR 71 north 1.1 miles to SR 164 for 1.8 miles and then south on Hunter Fish Camp Rd. to the ramp. Merritt's Mill Pond is renowned for its trophy redear (shellcracker) fishing. The pond currently holds the State record for redear at 4.86 pounds and until recently held the world record fish. Fishing far from your boat, on cloudy or rainy days or when there is a ripple on the water may produce the best results when fishing in this clear water pond. Due to an extended drawdown in 1994-1996 for dam repairs, bluegill and redear populations suffered, however, largemouth bass populations capitalized on the abundance of food in the pond.
Special Regulation: Redear sunfish (shellcracker) daily bag limit: 10.
Redear sunfish less than 10 inches in total length must be released immediately.

*Bluegill, redear (shellcracker) and spotted sunfish (stumpknocker) fishing should be good. Recent FWC surveys suggest an excellent population of stumpknockers throughout the mill pond. Take a stealthy approach in the clear water. Fish crickets or worms around the eel grass beds for the best success. As for shellcracker, remember the minimum length limit is 10 inches with the bag limit of 10 shellcracker per person in the mill pond.
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The 202-acre millpond has produced seven state record and two world record redear sunfish. Merritt’s Millpond is unique, having incredibly clear and hard water, which supports a large population of snails, a favorite treat for redear sunfish, among numerous other fish. Sport fishing is a lucrative business in Jackson County.
In the late 1800s, the Blue Springs were impounded in order to build and operate a grist mill. The mill created a reservoir—the seven-kilometer-long Merrit’s Millpond. At one time, Florida Public Utilities powered a small electric generated plant by harvested the energy of the water in the area, where the millpond dam is now located.

(the Above was from FL State Web Site and the city of Marianna Web site)

JSC

Originally Posted by Jr Branham

redearhoosier,
I have fished that area that Kelly catches those fish.He is fishing in the river, I mainly fish the lake above his spots. I have caught shellcrackers that looked almost black with only a small patch of red on their lobe. I have also caught fish real deep that were pale white hardly no coloration at all. I don't think they are hybrids, what do you think they are if not shellcracker?
Jr. B

I would think they're a hybrid, they look nothing like the redear in this thread. Exfactor's redear is a traditional looking cracker, with the cream colored belly, greenish/bronze body and traditional red ear flap. Now a couple of Noble's pictures clearly show big traditional looking, huge redear. But the real dark colord fish could be hybrid or maybe I'm wrong?

i never knew shellcrackers got that big. i might have to do a little fishin in my lake for em. i know where to catch em, now im gonna try to target em. interesting thread. and NICE fish mount by the way.

Originally Posted by Jr Branham

redearhoosier,
I have fished that area that Kelly catches those fish.He is fishing in the river, I mainly fish the lake above his spots. I have caught shellcrackers that looked almost black with only a small patch of red on their lobe. I have also caught fish real deep that were pale white hardly no coloration at all. I don't think they are hybrids, what do you think they are if not shellcracker?
Jr. B

I really do not think they ar Hybrids .. Have seen a lot of what I call the "Black Blotched" are mostly on big fish and are pond fish ..

My 2 cents

JSC

Here are 27 from 2007. Weighed 27 pounds. The 2 or 3 biggest weighed in at 1.5 lbs. Most of the rest are 1 - 1.25 lbs.

the colors on a redear can vary alot, I have seen real dark ones too, and every shade in between. sometimes the throat area is a mustard yellow, sometimes it'slighter in color.