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Thread: Need some help

  1. #1
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    Default Need some help


    I’ve started targeting gills and shell cracker for the first time this spring and summer. My first trip really targeting them I found some big shell cracker. I was just floating around trying different spots and baits just really trying to learn. I found them on a mud bank in shallow water. Caught no telling how many 10-11 inch fish on a slider. I went back the next week to the same place and found the same situation,only it was good gills instead of crackers. I’ve looked everywhere trying to find crackers again. My question is where could they be now??Why are they gone from there and only gills now?Im fishing a big,long creek with everything. Starts narrow and goes wide and deeper. Up to 25ft of water. I’d just like to be able to find some crackers again and need some advice.


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  2. #2
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    My guess is they’re near their spawning site but in deeper water.
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  3. #3
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    Shellcracker spawn earlier than bluegills but they like using the same type of area (depth, bottom, etc.). One moved out and the other moved in.
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  4. #4
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    Fish post-spawn relocate and not always deeper. Targeting a species with what you're casting is near impossible unless small schools of the same fish are located and caught. At least you're catching fish. Congrats.

  5. #5
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    Thanks guys. Yeah for not knowing a lot I’ve done fairly well catching gills. I’ve tried red worms,crickets and lots of small plastics. I just really liked catching those crackers and am wanting to try and figure them out. What would you guys recommend for bait trying to locate them?


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  6. #6
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    Shell cracker can be very tough to find after the spawn. Old Alabama shell cracker guides referred to them as the "Mystery Fish". VFW Lake is only 22 acres...yet finding shell cracker there after the spawn can be tough....and it holds a lot of quality shell cracker. I have been able to find them with my di unit on a couple of occasions and work them over pretty good using a jig...the Trout Magnet. But the best way to do it is rig a rod for drop shot....use a small piece of nightcrawler and slowly drift the boat along with the crawler maintaining contact with the bottom. If you find a spot that they are stacked up then you can try a jig. I have not done this in awhile. The reason is I no longer like to fool with bait...I would rather go someplace else and use the jig and catch 50-100 Spotted bass and crappie this time of year. Using the drift method will produce shell cracker.....just not in great numbers as during the spawn. Not that long ago I would use this method at VFW and Laurel Hill and stay on the water for 8-9 hours. Nowadays I am only good for about 4-5 hours on the water. As has already been said....they are not always deep but as summer drags on the deeper they will go. Many think the shell cracker will spawn again in fall but I have never seen that. But for whatever reason they will move into the shallows again in mid fall.


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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alphahawk View Post
    Shell cracker can be very tough to find after the spawn. Old Alabama shell cracker guides referred to them as the "Mystery Fish". VFW Lake is only 22 acres...yet finding shell cracker there after the spawn can be tough....and it holds a lot of quality shell cracker. I have been able to find them with my di unit on a couple of occasions and work them over pretty good using a jig...the Trout Magnet. But the best way to do it is rig a rod for drop shot....use a small piece of nightcrawler and slowly drift the boat along with the crawler maintaining contact with the bottom. If you find a spot that they are stacked up then you can try a jig. I have not done this in awhile. The reason is I no longer like to fool with bait...I would rather go someplace else and use the jig and catch 50-100 Spotted bass and crappie this time of year. Using the drift method will produce shell cracker.....just not in great numbers as during the spawn. Not that long ago I would use this method at VFW and Laurel Hill and stay on the water for 8-9 hours. Nowadays I am only good for about 4-5 hours on the water. As has already been said....they are not always deep but as summer drags on the deeper they will go. Many think the shell cracker will spawn again in fall but I have never seen that. But for whatever reason they will move into the shallows again in mid fall.


    Regards
    Thanks for the great info. Gonna try to find a few crappie tomorrow but if that don’t work may try drifting a crawler.


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