A Bluegill, (Lepomis macrochirus) is smaller than a shellcracker, and lacks the red or orange opercular ear flap Bluegill typically have a darker coloration, with shades of dark green, brown and purple.
Why are
red ear sunfish
called shellcracker?
The spinous dorsal fin is in front of a soft dorsal fin. Finally, this deep-bodied fish has a unique set of teeth in their small mouth, called pharyngeal teeth These teeth are used for crushing their favorite food, snails, and mussels, which is where they get their nickname, shellcracker.
Can you eat shellcracker fish?
redear sunfish
are a fish of the southeast. They often feed heavily on snails, thus the nickname shellcracker. However, they also are known by
georgia bream
, cherry gill, chinquapin, improved bream, rouge ear sunfish, and sun perch.
What is the
best bait
for shellcracker?
Because shellcrackers aren’t particularly susceptible to lures, most anglers use live bait. Worms, grass shrimp and crickets are probably the top three in popularity, but waxworms, meal worms, leeches, catalpa worms and bits of crayfish tail or mussel meat also get their attention.
What is the largest shellcracker ever caught?
The freshwater fishing community around North America is buzzing off the recent news that a new world record Redear Sunfish (also known as Shellcracker) has been caught from famous Lake Havasu in Arizona. The behemoth reportedly weighed 6 pounds 3 ounces , and was 17 inches long with a 20
inch girth
. WOW!.
Are shell crackers good for a pond?
A fun sunfish to catch. Best if stocked in ponds 3 acres or larger but can be stocked in smaller ponds Should be stocked as a supplement to bluegill population no greater than 10% (EX.
Are redear good for ponds?
Adding redear sunfish to any pond is a great way to reduce parasites in bass, bluegill, catfish, and other non-game fish such as golden shiners They are usually stocked in small ponds and lakes because they are specialized feeders and do not compete much with other fish.
Is a shellcracker and bream?
The redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus), also known as the shellcracker, Georgia bream, cherry gill, chinquapin, improved bream, rouge ear sunfish and sun perch) is a freshwater fish in the family Centrarchidae and is native to the southeastern United States.
What is the best time to catch shellcrackers?
Best Times to Catch Shellcrackers Like most fish, the best time to catch shellcrackers is during their annual spawn Redear begin to spawn in the spring when the water temps hit about 66 degrees. However, ideal fishing temps are more around the 70-74 degree mark.
Will shellcrackers spawn in a pond?
It is not uncommon to see a population of redear disappear from a lake or pond over a period of years Limited reproduction and heavy predation by early spawned bass often take their toll. It is possible to re-establish populations of redear by restocking redear fingerlings into existing bass/bluegill ponds.
What is the best bait for redear sunfish?
Rister said meal worms and crickets are the preferred live baits for redear sunfish, while red worms and crickets are tops for bluegills. The recommended strategy for both species is suspending the bait under a float.
How fast do shellcracker grow?
Shellcrackers growth rate will average a 1/4 pound per season and only a few will survive more than six summers. There are two types of crappie that are most common, the Black Crappie and the White Crappie. The Whites are much more prolific than the Black. White Crappie in most cases, take over smaller ponds and lakes.
What is the world record redear?
Thomas Farchione of Waterford, Wis., with the enormous 6.30 pound redear sunfish he caught on May 4 at Lake Havasu in Arizona. The fish ranks a new International Game Fish Association world record.
How long do shellcrackers stay on bed?
The fish usu- ally bed on the two moons in March, but if there has been a cold spell late in the winter, it will put the bedding off until the last moon in March and the first moon in April This gives anglers a good month of bedding fish to fill boats to the brim.
What’s the world record red ear bluegill?
A world record Measuring 17 inches long with a 20-inch girth , the fish eclipses the former world record of 5.78 pounds caught in 2014 by Hector Brito. Brito’s fish topped Robert Lawler’s 2011 world record of 5.55 pounds.
What is the world record bluegill?
The current all-tackle bluegill record is held by T. Hudson, who caught a 4-pound 12-ounce fish on April 9, 1950 in Alabama’s Ketona Lakes. No other details about the catch are recorded by the IGFA, but subsequent stories say the fish was 15 inches long and had an incredible 18.25-inch girth.
Where can I find redear sunfish?
Smaller lakes offer productive redear sunfish fishing as well. McNeely Lake in Jefferson County, Briggs Lake in Logan County, Three Springs Lake in Warren County, Lake Reba in Madison County, Pennyrile Lake in Christian County and Marion County Lake all hold good populations of redear sunfish.
Do redear sunfish eat snails?
Redear sunfish, sometimes called shellcracker, feed on aquatic insects, snails , small fish and other small aquatic animals.
Do redear sunfish eat bluegill?
Yes, everything eats Bluegill And, yes, they are going to be your primary forage producers for your pond. But Bluegill are not adapted to consume aquatic snails.
How fast do redear sunfish grow?
Sunfish require at least 2 years to reach this size. Recommended stocking rates for hybrid sunfish grow out is 5,000 to 7,000 juvenile fish per acre (12,355 to 17,279 fish/ha) in year 2.
What do sunfish taste like?
Sunfish have a unique flavor that some people compare to bass and others compare to lobster They are a scaly fish with a heavy taste. In Asian countries, they are sometimes used to flavor soups or sauces. They can have an odor that turns some people off.
Can you eat freshwater sunfish?
Sunfish have a light flavor similar to that of herring or sardines. It can be eaten raw or cooked, but it must be very fresh because it spoils quickly after being caught.
References
https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=390
https://www.threeriverspublishing.com/TRP3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=38265:redear-sunfish-are-fun-to-catch-and-good-to-eat&catid=198&Itemid=200176