Welcome, David!

It's absolutely great that you joined BigBluegill. We're super glad to have you here.

I hope you enjoy all of the photos, videos and discussion. We've got a really nice group of bluegill fans here.

Bruce

david, let me help. shellcrackers basically stay on or near the bottom most of the time. they eat juvinile clams, along with alot of other things. they crush clams and snails in their throat. the lake I catch them in is semi clear with sandy bottom. so they don't spend alot of time in shallow water there. however, if the water has color to it, they will definitely go shallow. so you have to find them first. and they can be in the lily pads, around trees growing in the water, logs etc. try to get you some redworms, and put a couple on a size 4 crappie hook, with the ends loose. If they are shallow you can use a bobber, if they are deep just put a couple good sized splitshot 3 feet up the line, and fish it on the bottom, just like you were fishing for catfish. use two or three rods sometimes. I catch them 12-15 feet deep alot. you won't see them on your depthfinder, because they are on the bottom. they love cypress trees and the roots. they nearly always swallow the hook. and they will hit an artificial bait too, with black being a good color, as is a white beetle spin with red dot. another thing, they do not have to be spawning for you to catch a bunch, just feeding. as a matter of fact, I have only been lucky enough to find some spawning one time, and Iv'e caught several hundred over a pound. they tend to spawn deeper than bluegill, 3-10 feet so you probably won't see them on the bed. the small ones have the same habits as a bluegill, and when they get bigger, they become bottom dwellers. a shellcracker can get to one pound in 3 years, it takes a bluegill about 8 years....hope this helps.

Welcome, David! I'm a 'yakker, too! Check out my page.