Redear sunfish were originally found in the southeastern US from Texas north to a line even with southern Illinois and east to the Atlantic Ocean. As a result of introductions, the range has been expanded and now extends west into New Mexico and north into Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Where do you catch redear?
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.
When can you catch redear?
Like most fish, the best time to catch them is during their annual spawn, which occurs about a month earlier than the bluegill spawn. Begin targeting shellcrackers around March or April by sending red worms to the bottom. That's where you'll typically find redear, as they predominantly forage for food along the bottom.
How do you catch redear in sunfish?
Angling Tips: Redears prefer deeper water, so fish small baited hooks near or on the bottom of the waterbody or can jig the bait up and down off the bottom. During the nesting season, male redear sunfish on the nest provide tremendous action on light tackle.
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.
19 related questions foundWhere can I get a shellcracker?
Shellcrackers often congregate around stumps, roots, logs, standing timber and green aquatic vegetation such as water lilies, coontail and elodea. They prefer deeper water than most other sunfish and commonly are found at depths of 25 to 35 feet.
What is the best bait for shellcracker?
Worms, nightcrawlers, leeches, crawfish, and insects are among the best baits for targeting Shellcracker.
Does redear spawn before bluegill?
Redear will typically spawn a month earlier than bluegill. In most of the southeast this will occur during March and April. Unlike bluegills, that spawn every month from May through September, redear typically have only one major spawn which occurs during the early spring.
How big do redear sunfish get?
Redear sunfish have the ability to grow up to 12 inches long and weigh as much as 2 pounds, making them an excellent addition to a fishery.
How do you get spawning bream?
Start casting to the outer edges of the bream bed, and then work your way into the heart of the spawning area. A fly rod is also a great way to catch bedding bream. A 5-weight outfit and a handful of small popping bugs and sponge spiders are all you need.
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.
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.
Can you eat redear?
Often mistaken for bluegill, redears are distinguished by a red ear patch on the gill plate. The popular sunfish of the south are great fun to catch and delicious on the dinner plate. Redears are also found in parts of southern Missouri.
What is the difference between bluegill and redear?
Redear sunfish have a more gold and green coloration with faint vertical bars, while bluegills have more yellow or orange coloration. The main difference between the two is their operculum colors. The bluegill features a deep blue or black color while the redear sunfish has red or orange tips near its head.
How long do redear sunfish live?
They feed on snails and small mollusks, but will also prey upon small insect larvae and large zooplankton. They are bottom feeders and therefore are less likely to consume commercial fish feeds. They are considered to be a sportfish. Redears reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age and do not live past six years old.
Can you eat redear sunfish?
The best fish you can eat are pan fish gutted and left whole with the bones. Be it blue gill, redears, rock bass, perch, crappie.
How fast do shellcrackers 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 month do shellcrackers bed?
Shellcracker Seasons
Seasonal advice for bluegill and redear sunfish: In south Florida, shellcracker may spawn as early as the last week of February but more likely around the fourth week of March. In central Florida, they could first go onto spawning beds during late March.
What month shellcrackers spawn?
Some bream, particularly bluegills and shellcrackers, spawn around the new moon during the summer, when water temperature are well above the minimum spawning range.
What are shell crackers?
Similar to Bird Bombs®, Shell Crackers ("cracker shells") explode with a very loud "BANG" that scares pest birds and wildlife. Shell Crackers are fired from a 12 gauge shotgun. They're especially useful when a greater firing distance is desired as they will travel 200 feet or more before exploding.
Is a redear sunfish a bluegill?
A redear is not a bluegill. They both belong to the same family and genus of sunfish but redear sunfish and bluegill are different species of fish.
