SOME SAY a big shellcracker is the most mysterious fish in freshwater. Properly called a redear sunfish, it’s three times the size of a keeper bluegill, on average, and just as delicious. But it’s ...

Blue gill and shellcrackers, nudged out of the mainstream of local fishing by bass the last few months, are back. Forget Rat-L-Traps, Stanley Jigs and Texas-rigged hooks. Think crickets and live worms ...

Among our native fish species, two are standouts — bluegill, or bream, and redear sunfish, or shellcracker. Lake county anglers of all ages seek these panfish year-round. Bream are cooperative.

Some years, panfish fans find that there is a brief lull in catches during late March and early April. During this period, the speckled perch that had recently inhabited the shallow spawning cover in ...

If bluegill and shellcrackers (collectively known as bream) routinely grew to weights of 5-6 pounds or more, we would have far less bass tournaments on the nation’s waters. Pound for pound, the feisty ...

The week upcoming will likely be the height of the panfish spawn for the year. The full moon Monday will more than likely push bluegill, shellcrackers and redbellies onto the beds. One report was of a ...

Largemouth bass and shellcrackers have been the top freshwater catches again this week. Catfish are becoming more active, as are freshwater striped bass and walleye. * Chickahominy River: Thursday’s ...

Largemouth bass and shellcrackers recently have been the most reported freshwater catches, but striped bass are becoming more active and are being caught with some regularity. Here’s a look at this ...