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: They 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.

 
Venice Williams caught this redear sunfish while fishing Monroe County Lake with her father during the summer of 2011.
 Redear Sunfish
This fine redear sunfish was caught by a Collins-Riverside student on May 4, 2011.  A worm, as usual, was the bait of choice.

foot long redear sunfish, shellcracker
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).

Boy with shellcracker
Seasoned anglers can catch large shellcracker at Clay County Lakes, March 18, 2011.


Linda Lynam caught this one-pound, two-ounce shellcracker on March 13, 2011 from Monroe County Lake.


Ernest Mobley caught this shellcracker at Monroe County Lake.

Big Shellcracker
Jerry Tew of Wilmer caught this 1.4 -pound shellcracker during the summer of 2010.


Redear sunfish are a popular fish to catch in ponds.

Redear Sunfish
John Meyer caught this dark redear sunfish during May of 2010 from a private pond in Winston County.

Redear Sunfish or Shellcracker
These shellcracker were caught at Barbour County Lake.

 redear sunfish from Camp Tukabatchee, Alabama


Caught at Madison County lake


John Hornsby caught this at Thurlow Lake


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.

Redear Sunfish, shellcracker, caught at Chattahoochee State Park
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.

Jon Hornsby caught this shellcracker on a popping bug.
This spawning shellcracker (redear sunfish) was caught on a popping bug from Yates Reservoir.

 Monroe County Lake Minnie Mims shellcracker
Minnie Mims caught this shellcracker over a pound at Monroe County Lake.

Mary Stallworth with a one-pound, six-ounce redear sunfish.
Mary Stallworth with a one-pound, six-ounce shellcracker from Monroe County State Public Fishing Lake.

Wilson Woods with two shellcracker or redear sunfish
Wilson Woods with two nice redear sunfish (shellcracker) caught in March of 2006 from Monroe County State Public Fishing Lake.