The Shellcrackers

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Comment by John Burns on March 16, 2023 at 5:01am

Nice video and good feeding for 60 degree water.

I will try posting the direct link to the Youtube video.

Feeding Redear in 60 degree water

Comment by Randy Wagoner on March 15, 2023 at 7:03pm

I couldn't get the video at 1st by clicking the link 3 posts previous.  Try clicking the 2nd  60DegreeFeedShellcrackerFish

that's below the search title.

Comment by Randy Wagoner on March 15, 2023 at 6:49pm

Several considerations with feeding in Feb.  I don't think there's much forage in the pond now.  I drained to 18" and renovated with a dozer last Oct. Likely lost a most of what was living in the water though the RES survived.  Yet the 2" fry to 4" are dying.  I think the cold combined with a lack of forage kills 'em.  At 5" they gobble the smaller pellets. The bigger bream need the pellets.  Also, experts say that if fish don't have enough forage, growth is lost and can't be made up.  Winter feeding, as long as they'll eat, helps.  These shellcrackers start eating when water temps reach 50.  At 60 they feed like it's summer.

Comment by John Burns on March 1, 2023 at 4:57am

Good deal Randy. Good to know the fish do not suffer from Alzheimers and remember what the pellets are good for! :-) 

They stayed trained.

Comment by Randy Wagoner on February 28, 2023 at 7:54pm

Update on 'pellet trained shellcrackers.'  When it turned cold the feeder was removed from pond.  Occasionally I'd hand feed.  Well the weather kept on being record warm most this Feb.  The water temp 6 inches down is 60 degree.  As per video these bream feed just as if it were summer.

60DegreeFeedShellcrackerFish - YouTube

Comment by Greg Easley on April 6, 2022 at 7:41am

That's good work.  Definitely adds to the knowledge base of ways to get RES started on pellets.

Comment by Randy Wagoner on April 4, 2022 at 5:45am

No pellets as babies, and there's still several RES holdouts.  They occasionally will take a pellet in their mouths a few seconds but still spit 'em out. As week 2 progresses, the 11 incher with a spot on his back seems to prefer the Optimal pellets over worms.  Another reason they took to pellets in just a week, is they have been 'chumed' twice before, with worms, a few days before the grandkids would come visit.  Whenever I show up with the blue container, they're like pets.  Oh, the guy at the bait shop says he'll get me a 1,000 crickets for $18.  My RES go nuts over those.  I guess you could say they are trained to strike the surface too.

Comment by Greg Easley on April 4, 2022 at 5:25am

Good video.  Did your fish get pellets when they were babies, or was this a completely new thing for them?  

Comment by Randy Wagoner on April 3, 2022 at 10:46am

I think you're on pace for 2 lb.er too Greg, lots of $$ & groceries pays dividends with these beautiful big brim.  I had an 11 incher a few years ago, but think a crane got that one.  My solo big mouth bass hit the pond hard for 2 yrs, wiped out the clouds of fatheads and silenced the frogs.  He became hook shy after breaking some of my fly weight rigs.  Finally reeled him in so he has his own 5 ac. pond now.  It'll be interesting to see the forage base to bounce back.  Don't know of scuds or daphnia, but this pond has the other forage. Seems warm water helps big RES.  Your gal looks to be a tad over 11".  Feed her well and harass the cranes!

Comment by Randy Wagoner on April 2, 2022 at 8:09pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3zFen-Vvzs

Maybe. . .

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