3+ pound ShellCracker Low Falls

[beaglewoman]

BeagleMan, RoundHead, and Joey fished out of Low Falls Landing today and BeagleMan landed a 3.9 and 3 pound ShellCracker. They had the limit early and were at my work with the catch by Two this afternoon. Blue bait was the bait of choice, and the fish were in about seven feet of water.

[Razorback]

Great catch beaglewoman they are starting to bed here, what is blue bait?

[WAHOONBOX]

ARE THOSE SORES I SEE ON THE FISH?

[beaglewoman]

Great catch beaglewoman they are starting to bed here, what is blue bait?

Blue bait on the top. Red worm on the bottom.




WAHOONBOX "ARE THOSE SORES I SEE ON THE FISH? "

Kind of looks like it. Those spots were only on one side of the fish, and only on that one I think. I assume that they were made by rubbing up against the stumps in the area. (The fish have just moved into this area where the stumps are). The spots were not nasty, just red. appeared that the scale was knocked off.

[flatland fisher]

Nice! A shellcracker is the same as a redear isn't it? Did you happen to take a measurement? My dad gets some big redears in Lake Havasu Az. but I don't think he has got one over 3 lbs yet. Them are some good eats.

[beaglewoman]

no measurements, but the big fish was 3lb 9.5oz(second fish in the pics)

[Jer]

Wow, thats a very nice freshwater catch.

I was going to ask about the red areas on the fish also but BOX already did. It seems the fish lost the scales.

[seapower]

I thought that's where you hit em' with the gaff !!! Nice fish. Frank

[Captain Fred Archer]

GOODGOSHAMIGHTY! Those are the biggest danged shellcrackers I have ever seen!

As for the "sores", I suspect that they are much like largemouths (same family of fishes) in that the females spend time rubbing up against wood to help loosen up their eggs just prior to spawning. I don't know much about shellcrackers, but I know that hen bass do this and we used to target pre-spawn ones in wood just before the moons that they spawn on.

Regardless of that, thank you for the pictures of those humongous 'crackers. What beauties!

Here's on of those "other sunfish" that was caught on deep wood just before the spawn. We released most of these fish, but this one died in the livewell due to the hook wound, I think, before we could get her back for the lake biologist to examine before release - something that we did regularly.

[beaglewoman]

Capt Fred that sure is a nice bass you caught there.