Found huge bed of shell crackers today. Some them are in spawning colors. Had one shell cracker that went 12 inches with tail pinched....a trophy in my book. Had some Gill Crackers in the mix along with a few copper nose bluegill....some in spawning colors also. Fish were caught on a Bison and a Bulldog colored Trout Magnet using SOS 2# test line. I used a 1/24 ball jig head and a Trout Magnet 1/64 jig head. The rod used was my JDM TICT Ice Cube Rockin' Drift 6' 9" UL rod with a fast tip. I did not keep count but close to 100. I had to do a lot of walking to get to these fish but needless to say it was well worth it. It was a great day of drag pulling fun!
Have u ever been able to peg down where they go after spawn? They get really tough for me to find.
No I have not. I have read article after article that refers to shell cracker after the spawn as "Shell Cracker Mystery". Biologist aren't even sure where to tell you to look for them. I can catch them up into mid June.....maybe even later but then it is a mystery. But I have found that many articles I have read about the "fall bite" to be true. They appear to show back up in the shallows September...October time frame. I have caught them at VFW and Center Hill in the fall in about 7 feet of water. Many say they do just like sauger after their bite in the winter...they just disappear. But they have to eat....so where would we find them? I don't know but am going to wear them out while I can. Hope to get up to Center Hill next week to check some bedding areas I got them from last year at this time. I do know that when they first come off the beds you can catch them out in deeper water adjacent to their just used beds.
Back in the day when I was a really active scuba diver, 80s, 90s, (and a lot younger) I use to see post spawn shellcrackers along the drop offs of Dale Hollow. Usually they'd be on the shale banks where all the snails would hang. They'd be right above the thermocline, which hovered right at 20 feet during July and August when I'd do most my diving.
Back in the day when I was a really active scuba diver, 80s, 90s, (and a lot younger) I use to see post spawn shellcrackers along the drop offs of Dale Hollow. Usually they'd be on the shale banks where all the snails would hang. They'd be right above the thermocline, which hovered right at 20 feet during July and August when I'd do most my diving.
Shell Cracker Bed
