Angler Caught
Redear Sunfish (Shellcracker) Caught in Alabama
Email your fish picture for posting to Doug Darr.
Redear Sunfish over 1 pounds or 11 inches may qualify for a Master Angler Certificate.
Redear Sunfish over 2 pounds or 13 inches may qualify for a Trophy Angler Certificate.
Tip from the Lake Purdy Website: "Redear sunfish are not hard to catch if you follow these tips from "Grizzly" Lewandowski, the Shellcracker King: Use red worms with light line, 2 or 4 pound test. Fish a tight line (no bobber) with a small fine wire hook (size 8 or 10). Use a small egg sinker with a bobber stop so the fish won't feel the resistance when they run with the bait."
Most of Alabama's State Public Fishing Lakes are excellent for redear sunfish (shellcracker). Monroe County Lake has been particularly good. During the week ending March 20, 2011, anglers caught 1,229 shellcracker weighing 437 pounds.
Corey McClellan caught the redear sunfish from Wolf Creek in Baldwin County using a fly rod on May 7, 2013. |
Robert Goodman caught this nice shellcracker out of his Salem pond. |
Steve Reed caught this 9 inch long shellcracker on April 27, 2013. |
James Stanton from Beatrice caught this 2 lb. shellcracker from Monroe County Lake, February 2013 |
Tyrone Moye from Beatrice caught this 1.7 lb. shellcracker from Monroe County Lake, February 2013 |
Greg Fountain from Peterman caught this 1.4 lb. and 1.2 lb. shellcracker from Monroe County Lake, February 2013 |
Gloria Pugh caught this 1-lb 6-oz shellcracker from Monroe County Lake. |
Zaria Rogers Peterman with a 13-ounces and a 14-ounce redear sunfish from Monroe County Lake, Spring 2012. |
Sylvester with a one pound shellcracker from Monroe County Lake, Spring 2012. |
Now you know why Monroe County Lake has such a good reputation for bream fishing; Troy and Tyler Sessions from Camden, Spring 2012. |
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Venice Williams caught this redear sunfish while fishing Monroe County Lake with her father during the summer of 2011.
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Chris Sampson caught this shellcracker in early May, 2012, from DeKalb County Lake. |
This fine redear sunfish was caught by a Collins-Riverside student on May 4, 2011. A worm, as usual, was the bait of choice. |
Who says you can only catch redear sunfish during the spring? Rich Matyjasik caught and released this shellcracker from Lake Tuscaloosa using a nightcrawler on July 17, 2011 (in spite of what the camera says).
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Linda Lynam caught this one-pound, two-ounce shellcracker on March 13, 2011 from Monroe County Lake. |
Seasoned anglers can catch large shellcracker at Clay County Lakes, March 18, 2011.
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Ernest Mobley caught this shellcracker at Monroe County Lake.
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Steve Reed caught this shellcracker on Wilson Lake, May 2010. |
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Jerry Tew of Wilmer caught this 1.4 -pound shellcracker during the summer of 2010.
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Redear sunfish are a popular fish to catch in ponds. |
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John Meyer caught this dark redear sunfish during May of 2010 from a private pond in Winston County.
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These shellcracker were caught at Barbour County Lake. |
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Caught at Madison County lake
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John Hornsby caught this at Thurlow Lake
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Brandon Thompson caught this 3 lb and 13 oz shellcracker from the Escambia County Lake on March 21, 2009. This is a new Escambia County State Lake record.
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Nick Lewis shows two fine shellcracker he caught on July 3, 2006 at Chattahoochee Park in Houston County on successive casts with a cricket. One fish was two pounds, fourteen ounces and the other was one pound and four ounces.
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This spawning shellcracker (redear sunfish) was caught on a popping bug from Yates Reservoir.
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Minnie Mims caught this shellcracker over a pound at Monroe County Lake.
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Mary Stallworth with a one-pound, six-ounce shellcracker from Monroe County State Public Fishing Lake.
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Wilson Woods with two nice redear sunfish (shellcracker) caught in March of 2006 from Monroe County State Public Fishing Lake.
