Alphahawk
 

I was directed to this site from a friend. He said you were a wealth of knowledge on panfish.

I am an avid bream fisherman but I am struggling to catch shellcracker in my local TWRA lake, Garrett Lake, in West TN.

There is a good population of big shellcracker there but when they are not on bed I can't seem to connect like I have heard stories of.

Very light line, small weight and redworms fished on or near the bottom is the tactic I have been using lately.

Any other tips you could offer ?

Thanks !

Give trout magnets a try. I just started fishing for pan fish and tried red worms with little luck. The trout magnets really seemed to fire them up. There's a ton of info on how to fish them properly on the trout magnet website. They can be fished under a float so seeing the strike is made easier. Good luck!


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Welcome Ruger. Ya'll take care of this man. He is a very important person on another very popular Tennessee Forum. Alphahawk will be able to help you.

Which forum would that be???

TNDeer.com

I use that one too but I've been active on this forum for much longer.

I sold my Ruger bicentennial 44 mag semi auto carbine on that site. Used to go over and check it out a lot more but haven't lately much.

Welcome to the forum...great bunch of guys on here. Well I fish a lot for panfish that's for sure....don't know that I am a wealth of knowledge but will try to help you out. You are doing the right thing. I fish the Trout Magnet because that is what I use and it works for me. Shell crackers love a small piece of night crawler slowly retrieved along the bottom. I would try to get some 1/32 or even 1/16 ounce jig heads with a #8 or #6 hook. I would put the piece of night crawler on the jig head and once on bottom I would reel it as slow as possible and still be turning the handle....but always keep the bait moving. I only use 2# test line but 4# is good also. The key to catching shell cracker when they are not bedding is you have to have a lot of patience. They rarely...if ever....suspend. I don't know the make up of Garrett Lake but this time of year I would look for gravel...rock...a transition zone of something like where a ledge drops off...and it doesn't have to be a big drop either. They first and foremost love to hang around shell beds. Then it is gravel...rocks.....then comes weed lines. Right now they could be in 4 feet of water or 15 feet of water. If you have caught them off the bed in Garrett Lake fish out a ways from those bedding areas in deeper water for them.....they tend at times to not travel too far from where they bedded even though the spawn was months ago. I have read several articles that shell cracker will have a fall bedding period when the water temps get right around 70 degrees or high 60's so check beds where you caught them during spring spawn. I haven't been able to prove that yet but several fish biologist think so. Once you find them make sure you keep a log as they will probably be at the same place same time next year. The spot I am fishing now at Pickwick has held them in the same spot for the past 3 years. They just show up for what I call the fall bite. I would find an area you think they may be in and just start fan casting to cover the ground. Once you find one you are going to get more. Fishing for shell cracker when not bedding can require lots of time and be frustrating. I got lucky about 2 weeks ago and found them in 6-8 feet of water at VFW Lake and I found them by just picking a spot that I had known them to be in from the past and started fan casting and I hooked up with one, threw my marker over the side and fished around the whole area. Garrett Lake sounds like a lake I need to visit. It looks like there is some rock at the dam. Are you fishing from a boat?...if so I would try in the rock at the dam. I hope I have given you some ideas that you find useful. Not many of us pursue shell crackers this time of year. Many of the shell cracker guides in Alabama refer to them as "The Mystery Fish" this time of year because they don't know where they go. Let me know how you come out and if you have anymore questions don't hesitate to ask.

Regards

Thank you very much sir.

Sounds like we use almost the same set up. I normally use 4# test and mostly flurocarbon.
Number 6 tru turn hook in gold. :)

I will try the night crawler.
There is an old road bed that crosses the lake so I figure that is where I need to be concentrating my efforts.
I think where I fail is in the patience category. I am always thinking... well I could catch bream over there......

The lake is 175 acres and over time has lost much of it's cover. There is a rip rap levee that drops off to the deepest part of the lake but honestly I haven't had much luck on that end.

If you are ever in the area I would be proud to show you around the lake... and learn more. :)

Yes, I fish out of my boat there.

Thanks again.

Oh and LOL @ very important man. :)

I am just me.
Thanks though.

Welcome aboard Ruger!

That is an offer I would take you up on...it is much appreciated. There are days when fishing for them it is an exercise in futility but when you get into them it is really good.

Regards

I use the gulp alive crickets in half on a #8 tru turn hook a split shot if they are deep a float if they are 0-4 ft and I wear them out constantly in OH Lake. That setup has also landed bass and catfish which are a lot of fun on 4 lb test and trying not to straighten out the hook

Glad to see you over here Ruger. Good bunch of people here and a well run site just like tndeer.

Dbllunger

Old Hickory is full of shell crackers. There is a spot I have fished up there where the bed was 15-20 yards long....had to be several hundred shell crackers on it. My son and I just sat out from it and caught them all day. But from what I have learned they are all over the lake like that. Do you catch them year round? I don't get up there much except in the spring....although 50 years ago I lived there.


Regards

I do catch them year round but since I've been boatless the numbers have been a lot less fishing from the bank. A lot of my honey holes don't have public bank access.