Prospecting for Bream Beds: Part II

In my last post, I described bream fishing tactics used by my friend Lewis Peeler. The lakes he fishes tend to be small, fertile bottomland waters with lots of color. Conditions on big upland reservoirs differ from those he usually encounters. Mountain impoundments usually have rocky shores and bottom. Thick beds of submergent vegetation often fill the shallows. The water is crystal clear. When bream are on spawning beds, it’s easy to see them, even 12 feet down.

Arkansas’ Lake Ouachita, where bream-master Bobby Graves (photo above) sight-fishes for 1-pound-plus bluegills, is just such a place. And Graves’ proven methods for nabbing giant bream here are applicable on similar waters nationwide.

“In lakes like Ouachita, spawning beds of bluegills and redears typically are in pockets, near points and around sunken humps,” says Graves, who has fished such waters in several states. “The fish nest on clean gravel or sand bottom, usually between the bank and the inside edge of a big weedbed in 1 to 6 feet of water. Beds look like big honeycombs, with several nests side by side.”

Polarized sunglasses cut surface glare, enabling Graves to see the inner edges of the “moss” beds and pinpoint the “honeycombs” he’ll fish. He motors slowly while watching for key structure and cover that may reveal bedding fish.


“In pockets, or coves, the ideal site has 5 feet of water on the inside of the moss line and a 30-foot open area between moss and bank,” he notes. “Stumps or other woody cover in the open area make a site even more attractive.”

Graves also watches for “void areas” within the aquatic vegetation—circular openings where submerged weeds don’t grow.

“On points and humps, void areas at the right depth are choice spots,” he states. “For example, a hump may create a clean area 20 feet in diameter. That’s a good spot to watch for honeycombs.”

The scare factor goes up in crystalline waters. Approaching anglers are easily spotted by shy bream, and targeted fish scatter quickly. If left undisturbed, however, bream quickly return to their nests.

“When I spot a honeycomb, I drop a marker buoy nearby,” says the Mount Ida, Arkansas, native. “I keep moving then, marking other spots, and come back a little later. I know where the bed is now and can slip in close without disturbing the fish.”


Graves keeps two 8-foot, medium-light spinning outfits spooled with 4-pound-test Silver Thread line at the ready. One is rigged drop-shot fashion using a No. 4 Carlisle hook tied directly on the line a foot above a pinched-on No. 6 split shot. The other outfit is rigged conventionally, with the split shot above the hook.

“Some days bream suspend above their beds and the drop-shot rig works better,” Graves says. “Other times, you’ll see them right on bottom and the conventional rig is better. Either way, I anchor a long cast away from the honeycomb to keep from spooking the fish, then bait up with a cricket or piece of night crawler. Then I cast to a fish I see in the honeycomb, or to a single nest, and let the bait sink to it. If a big bream is there, it won’t be long till you know it. Keep a tight line, and you’ll quickly learn when to lightly set the hook.”

When targeting bream in extreme shallows (2 feet or less), Graves uses a cork on the conventional rig. “If it’s windy and I have trouble seeing the honeycombs,” he says, “I cast a 2-inch Yum Wooly Curltail or one of Rebel’s ultralight crankbaits to locate the fish, then I switch to live bait. When the weather’s bad, I fish in covered boat slips using a cricket without a sinker or float.

“Some days you can actually watch the bream take the bait; some days you can’t,” he continued. “Either way, fishing like this can be habit forming.”

In the final analysis, Peeler and Graves agree fishing for spawning bream is one of the most fun pastimes available.

“It’s absolutely a blast,” says Peeler.

“One of the best reasons to spend a day on the lake,” says Graves.

Enough said.

Prospecting For Bream Beds: Part I

At first glance, the oxbow doesn’t appear to be a good bream-fishing lake. No brush, weed beds or timber are present to offer cover. In fact, there’s no visible cover at all, just a broad, U-shaped expanse of water without so much as a single twig breaking the surface.

The proprietor of the lakeside bait shop, however, assures us the bluegill and redear fishing is excellent, especially now during the spring spawn.

“The secret,” he says, “is finding the shell beds where bream are nesting. Take a cane pole with you, and when you get out in the middle of this arm, use it to poke the lake bottom. The water’s about four feet deep. When you feel something crunchy and hard, that’s a shell bed. That’s where you should fish.”

My friend Lewis Peeler and I follow the gentleman’s advice. At mid-lake, a cane pole is deployed, and we begin probing the soft bottom mud. Soon, though, the squishy feel of mud becomes the crunchy feel of shells—small, white snail shells that litter a big section of lake bottom. I glance at the sonar fish-finder, which up to now has shown nothing more than a flat, fish-barren bottom. Dozens of little fish-shaped blips now fill the screen as we drift over the shell bed.

Lew eases an anchor into the water. I do likewise on my end of the johnboat, and we quickly rig up two ultralight spinning combos. A long-shanked bream hook is tied to 4-pound-test line, a small split shot is crimped on 18 inches above it, and the hook is baited with a plump cricket. The rig is then cast and allowed to slowly sink.

By the time I make my first cast, Lew is reeling in his second dandy bluegill. “They’re right where he said they would be,” he remarks. “And it looks like there are plenty of them.”

A bull bluegill is spinning in tight circles, putting a substantial bend in Lew’s whippy rod. The drag sings when Lew applies pressure, but there’s little worry this scrappy panfish will get the best of my friend. There’s not a scrap of cover for the bream to swim to.

Soon, the big bluegill is added to the livewell. Then another and another and another. Two hours later, 78 bream are flipping in the tank.


Had we so chosen, we could have continued fishing and doubled that number in a few hours. During the spring spawn, bluegills, redears and other bream are highly vulnerable to the angler’s hook, and those who know where and how to fish this season can enjoy fast-paced fishing fun.

Several events during spawning time make this a good-luck season for bream anglers. First, during the weeks just prior to the spawn, bream go on a feeding frenzy to offset their reproductive growth spurt. They’re also trying to add energy reserves for the stressful spawning season when activity increases. Bream are feeding more, so this is a great time to catch fish.

When male bream have established their nesting territory, they become more aggressive and try to keep all intruders away from the nest. Bream anglers can turn this aggression into a fishing boon; many bream caught duing this period take the bait not because it represents food, but because it intruded into their nesting territory.

Another fact in the angler’s favor is the concentration of fish during the spawn. There may be dozens of nests in an area little bigger than a school bus, and there may be several beds this size along a 100-yard stretch of shore. Because bream are congregated in the shallows, it’s easier to find and catch them.

Peeler’s Bream Tactics

Lewis Peeler learned how to find bream beds while fishing with his mother and older brothers as a youngster. One technique they taught him may seem a bit off the wall, but it’s an effective means for pinpointing heavy concentrations of nesting bluegills and redears during the spawn.

“Fisherman find bedding bream many ways,” says the Wynne, Arkansas, insurance agent. “Sometimes you can see their fins or the swirls made as they move in shallow water. Some folks use their ears and listen for smacking sounds the fish make as they suck bugs from the surface. My way of finding bluegill beds is a bit different. I use my nose.”

According to Peeler, wherever nests of bluegills are concentrated, the air carries a distinctive, fishy odor. And anyone with a normal sense of smell can learn to zero in on that unusual aroma and find big beds that may hold scores of jumbo bream.

“I start by sculling my johnboat along the banks and looking for shallow flats or long sloping banks where the fish are likely to spawn,” he says. “When I detect the smell of the beds, then I look for an oily film on the water. It looks like someone spilled a little gasoline in the water. The two together—the oil slick and the smell—are a sure sign bream are bedding there.”


Wearing polarized sunglasses, Peeler now looks for “honeycombs” of nests, which appear as groups of circular depressions on the bottom. If the water is clear enough, individual fish may be seen swimming above each nest. If not, Peeler drops a bait in first one place then another until he pinpoints concentrations of fish. Or as indicated in the opening story, he may ask local anglers or baitshop proprietors for information that could lead to good fishing spots.

“I typically fish with an 11-foot Buck’s Graphite Jig Pole from B’n’M Pole Company,” Peeler says. “I rig up light and never use a swivel. I tie on a long-shank cricket hook and the smallest split shot that will slowly sink a cricket. I prefer a small peanut cork and put the split shot four to six inches above the hook. As the split shot goes down, the cricket slowly follows.

“Most bream beds on the lakes I fish are on a firm sandy or light gravel bottom,” he continues. “I start fishing in places like that and keep moving until I find the big dark-colored male fish guarding the beds. I don’t race through the cover but slowly scull my boat through an area trying to hit all the likely spots. You must pay close attention when doing this. Many people drop a cricket in and around some cover and if they don't get a bite, they think there are no fish there. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes the difference between catching a fish and not catching a fish is just a matter of inches. It’s important to pay attention to the cover as you fish, and put your bait in lots of little nooks and crannies and close to stick-ups and trees.”

Peeler often fishes oxbows along the Mississippi River and other big delta rivers. Bream beds in these lakes often are in extremely shallow water near shore in places inaccessible by boat. When that’s the case, Peeler may leave his boat and wade-fish.


“Sometimes the fish are just out of reach and the only way get to them is to wade,” he notes. “My brother taught me this method when I was a kid. Using long poles or ultralight spinning outfits, we waded through water that varied from knee-deep to waist-deep as we hunted for bull bream on their beds. When one of us caught one, the other would come over, and we would work that bed together. We found some of the largest beds I’ve ever seen while fishing this way. If you move slowly and try not to disturb the fish too much, chances are good you could land 100 or more big bream in just a short time. It’s a fun way to fish.”

Shellcracker Short Course

We’re quickly approaching one of my favorite times of year—the time of year when bream are spawning. While I love catching other species, especially catfish, fishing for bream such as bluegills and redear sunfish is another much-loved pastime for this country boy. Consequently, this week is Bream Week on Catfish Gumbo, and we’ll start by discussing my favorite bream species, the redear sunfish, or shellcracker.

If bream were placed in divisions like boxers, the shellcracker would be a heavyweight contender. The largest member of its tribe, this popular sportfish delivers a knockout punch that’ll put your bobber down for the 10-count, maybe longer. It’s a George Foreman among sunfish.

Two pounds is exceptionally large for most sunfish, but some Southern lakes produce 2-pound shellcrackers with amazing regularity. Redears over 3 pounds have been reported in Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas, and anglers in Florida, Alabama, Virginia and North Carolina have caught redears topping 4 pounds. The all-tackle world record from South Carolina tipped the scales at a whopping 5 pounds, 7 ounces!

Description

Shellcrackers aren’t as colorful as bluegills, but they are handsome fish, nevertheless. The back shines with flashy olive-green hues, fading to silvery-green sides speckled with brown or green. A yellow wash colors the belly on most adult fish.

The “redear” name is a practical designation based on the scarlet hue tinging the gill flaps. Adult redears have black gill flaps with a reddish, crescent-shaped border. Males are more brightly colored than females and sport a bright, cherry-red border. Females and young usually have a pale orange border.

Another characteristic is the set of hard, toothlike grinders or “shellcrackers” (hence the nickname) in the throat. These allow redears to crunch the shells of the tiny mollusks that comprise most of their diet.

Although native to the southeastern U.S.—Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois and North Carolina—the shellcracker has been widely introduced elsewhere. Its range now also includes most of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana, and portions of Virginia, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming.

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. Small snails, fingernail clams, worms, insect larvae and other bottom-dwelling creatures are favorite foods, but shellcrackers also eat insects and other creatures.

Shellcrackers are delectable table fare, too. Their fillets tend to be thicker than those of similar-sized bluegills, with all the flaky white tastiness that makes that species a favorite for home fish fries.

Fishing Tactics

For many anglers, challenge is the impetus for targeting shellcrackers. Bluegills and other sunnies are abundant and usually easy to catch. Shellcrackers, on the other hand, are less common in most waters and almost always demand more attention to find and coax. Therefore, to catch a shellcracker is to sprinkle spice on an angling banquet, turning the commonplace into the memorable. To use another analogy, the shellcracker is like the golden ring snatched while riding the carnival carousel—a prize that brings special jubilation when finally held in the hand.

Remember two important facts if you want to score consistently on these burly bream.


First, shellcrackers are bottom feeders. If you presenting your bait anywhere except very near or on the bottom, you’ll miss most fish. Most anglers expect to catch shellcrackers using bluegill tactics, but rarely does this work. Bottomfishing is the only way to regularly catch shellcrackers.

Second, be aware that shellcrackers are very finicky. They’re much less likely to be caught on artificial lures than other panfish, and even when fishing with live bait, you must determine the specific bait they want and the best way to present it.

Let me give an example. Recently, a friend and I were fishing for shellcrackers. We were using identical ultralight spinning outfits while bottomfishing with worms. We were fishing the same beds of spawning fish. Problem was my buddy was catching lots of shellcrackers and I wasn’t catching any.

“I can’t figure it out,” I told him. “You’re catching dozens of fish, and I can’t get a nibble. And we’re doing everything the same.”

“Not everything,” he said. “You have a split shot on the line. I don’t.”

I didn’t think the addition of a single tiny split shot could make any difference. But when I removed it from the line, I started catching fish.

Lesson? If you think you’re doing everything right, but you’re not catching fish, try changing your presentation. Even a small variation like a split shot may keep these persnickety devils from biting.

Example two was a similar situation. A buddy and I were fishing for shellcrackers on another lake. This time I was catching plenty while he came up empty-handed. Again, both of us were using the same rigs, same bait and same tackle. At first, neither of us could figure out what was wrong. Then I noticed my buddy was pinching his worms in half before hooking them.

“Use a whole worm next time,” I suggested.

“Why?” he asked.

“Just try it,” I said. “You’re pinching yours in half and I’m using a whole worm. Maybe that’s the difference.”

Sure enough, when he changed to whole worms, he started catching shellcrackers. For some reason I still don’t understand, the shellcrackers that day wouldn’t eat just half a worm. Another lesson learned: shellcrackers are fussy beyond compare, and you have to vary your presentation until you figure out exactly what they want.

Tackle and Baits

Most shellcracker aficionados use a cane pole or jigging pole, especially when fishing lily pads or other tight-knit cover. But when shellcrackers are in more open water, using ultralight spinning or spincast tackle compounds the thrills of catching them.

A small, light-action rod-and-reel combo spooled with 2- to 6-pound-test line works great. Tie on a size 10 to 6 Carlisle (cricket) hook, add a small split shot or two, bait up and then either toss the rig out on the bottom or position a small bobber so the bait rests barely above the bottom. Many shellcracker fans use a sensitive quill-type bobber that tips over the moment a shellcracker lifts a bait, making it easy to detect light bites.

The key phrase is “keep it on the bottom.” Shellcrackers root for food like miniature underwater hogs and seldom look upward for something to eat. A bait floating 12 inches off bottom won’t catch half as many fish as one dropped smack dab on the gravel.

Because shellcrackers aren’t particularly susceptible to lures, most anglers use live bait. Worms, grass shrimp and crickets are probably the top three in popularity, but waxworms, meal worms, leeches, catalpa worms and bits of crayfish tail or mussel meat also get their attention.


If you simply can’t resist trying lures, curly-tailed jigs seem among the best, perhaps because their undulating action looks somewhat like a worm or insect larva twisting through the water. Stick to the smallest sizes, and hop the lure across the bottom with a slow, steady “lift, fall, lift, fall” retrieve.

When possible, use slider-type jig heads where the lead is encased in soft plastic. Shellcrackers are quick to spit out hard items found in their food, perhaps because many creatures they eat are encased in shells. They seem to hold a jig with a rubber-encased head a little longer because of its fleshy feel, allowing an important added instant to set the hook.

Another tip: if plain jigs aren’t producing, try tipping your lure with a tiny strip of panfish pork rind for added visual attraction. Or use a marriage of live bait and artificials. A jig tipped with a redworm or waxworm will nearly always outperform an unadorned lure.

Yes, shellcrackers are persnickety and hard to catch at times. But no self-respecting redear angler would have it any other way. The challenge of catching them is what makes these panfish special, and the possibility of catching a sunfish topping 1-1/2 or 2 pounds makes it all worthwhile. Don’t let summer pass without giving them a try.

Technology Catches Bad Guys

Being a backwoods, back-to-nature kind of guy, I never thought I’d say it, but “Three cheers for technology!” Poachers, burglars and other ne’er-do-wells are finding it increasingly difficult to get away with their wrong-doings, thanks to caring citizens and technological wonders such as cell-phone cameras, computer databases and even the trail cams used by deer hunters. We’re all the better for it.

Consider, for example, this recent case. When 22-year-old Kyle Hall saw a suspicious character aiming a gun at an out-of-season deer near his parent’s Idaho home, he confronted the man and two companions sitting in a nearby truck on the roadside. The man driving the truck told Hall he and his friends were doing nothing wrong, but Hall didn’t buy it. He put his cell phone in camera mode and photographed the three men and the truck’s license plate.

After the men left, Hall met an Idaho conservation officer at the site, where they discovered shell casings, a blood trail and then a dead pregnant mule deer. Thanks to Hall and his cell-phone images, a Pocatello man was cited for allegedly killing the deer out of season. Score one for the good guys.

In another case, a braggart from Horton, Michigan--Christopher James, 44--proved his stupidity by killing a 24-point, record-class whitetail and then sharing the story with a local newspaper. James told a reporter he killed the buck at dusk, tracked a blood trail part of the night and returned later to find the dead deer. What he failed to say in the interview was that he didn’t purchase a hunting license until the morning after he shot the deer.

Conservation officer Troy Bahlau saw the story in the Jackson Citizen-Patriot and compared the information it contained with the wildlife department’s hunting-license database to discover James was unlicensed at the time the buck was shot.

“He bought the license at 9:44 the next morning,” Bahlau said.

The deer’s trophy antlers were seized, and poaching charges were filed against James. Penalties included a mandatory $1,000 restitution for the poached deer and revocation of James’ hunting privileges.

“He lost the buck of a lifetime for the lack of a $15 license,” Bahlau said.

In additional news, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich just last year announced new technology that could bring millions of dollars in unpaid child support to the state. The point-of-sale system administered through the state’s Department of Natural Resources allows Illinois’ Healthcare Family Services department to crosscheck names of child-support violators with everyone who applies for a state hunting or fishing license. If the applicant owes more than $1,000 in child-support payments, they will not be issued a license.

During the first six months of the program, the state collected nearly $130,000 from 90 parents. According to the Belleville News-Democrat, one father wrote a check for $14,000 so he could continue deer hunting.

And finally, there’s the case of Johnny Sandlin of South Lebanon, Ohio. After his home was twice burglarized, he decided enough was enough. Sandlin placed the trail cam he normally uses for deer hunting to record any activity on his driveway. Subsequent photos taken of the criminal were turned over to the county sheriff, and the bad guy wound up incarcerated.

Sometimes there is justice in the world.