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Shellcracker / Ky lake question

RUGER

RUGER

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Ok so I have not spent much time on ky lake in the winter.
Not much more in the summer.
Found this island today.
It's about a mile long and the entire thing is absolutely covered in shells.
Every kind imaginable.
My question is after they raise the lake back up in the spring would this be a good area to target shellcracker??
I've always heard target shell beds but wasn't sure if this is what they are talking about.

2AA1C486-411F-4EAD-8819-C40C5EC21293.jpeg

5B6CFF4E-3143-47CC-8776-1F148EECF10B.jpeg



There is zero gravel there. All that is shells.
 
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I'll give you a response if you include the GPS coordinates. :)

(FYI: My response would be "I don't know but I'll give it a try"....)

I haven't fished Kentucky Lake proper, just the Tennessee River which is considered Kentucky Lake with regard to fishing regulations. I keep thinking of hauling my boat up to the main lake.
 
Wish I knew. I've targeted them on ky lake and in my experience they haven't held tight to the mussel beds, despite the old timers insisting they do. I've done better just cruising down the bank catching mostly small bream and the when you catch a shell cracker cruising back to that spot and pulling 4-5 off of it, then moving on down the line. Neighbor of ours fished all the channel markers that look like an oil Derrick built out of telephone poles. 10-15' of water and crickets. They did pretty good
 
One of my neighbors only fishes for shellcrackers on the lake. When I bought my place in 2007, I met him and he said he was keeping 10 to 15 nice shellcrackers per trip. He always had big shellcrackers. He mainly fished Birdsong creek, a few spots along the Duck River Refuge levee across from the mouth of Birdsong and the inlet to the steam plant just north of the New Johnsonville Bridge.

Five or six years ago he just stopped fishing for them. Said he was lucky to catch 3 or 4 small ones when he went out. I don't think his boat has moved in at least 3 years.
 
BuckWild said:
One of my neighbors only fishes for shellcrackers on the lake. When I bought my place in 2007, I met him and he said he was keeping 10 to 15 nice shellcrackers per trip. He always had big shellcrackers. He mainly fished Birdsong creek, a few spots along the Duck River Refuge levee across from the mouth of Birdsong and the inlet to the steam plant just north of the New Johnsonville Bridge.

Five or six years ago he just stopped fishing for them. Said he was lucky to catch 3 or 4 small ones when he went out. I don't think his boat has moved in at least 3 years.
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yeah the main reason i give zero tips anymore. most folks cant show restrain. 15 nice shellcrackers or 100 bluegill per trip will put a hurting on the big spawners.
 
BuckWild said:
One of my neighbors only fishes for shellcrackers on the lake. When I bought my place in 2007, I met him and he said he was keeping 10 to 15 nice shellcrackers per trip. He always had big shellcrackers. He mainly fished Birdsong creek, a few spots along the Duck River Refuge levee across from the mouth of Birdsong and the inlet to the steam plant just north of the New Johnsonville Bridge.

Five or six years ago he just stopped fishing for them. Said he was lucky to catch 3 or 4 small ones when he went out. I don't think his boat has moved in at least 3 years.
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LIvescopers have been seeing alot of shellcrackers back in the summer.I know several that wore them out all summer long.They could be like the crappie and just changing there habits with the increase carp numbers.Or atleast i think thats what has changed the crappie anyway,but could be wrong forsure.
 
bluball said:
LIvescopers have been seeing alot of shellcrackers back in the summer.I know several that wore them out all summer long.They could be like the crappie and just changing there habits with the increase carp numbers.Or atleast i think thats what has changed the crappie anyway,but could be wrong forsure.
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definately had a good spawn last season. caught a bunch of these size and smaller last fall on the flats. several crappie about the same size too. had to wade through them to get to the bigger ones. deana is hooked on those "shellcrackens".

0FB003ED-1571-48D0-82E9-158A2D81AE11.jpeg
 
RUGER said:
Ok so I have not spent much time on ky lake in the winter.
Not much more in the summer.
Found this island today.
It's about a mile long and the entire thing is absolutely covered in shells.
Every kind imaginable.
My question is after they raise the lake back up in the spring would this be a good area to target shellcracker??
I've always heard target shell beds but wasn't sure if this is what they are talking about.

View attachment 163359
View attachment 163360


There is zero gravel there. All that is shells.
Click to expand...
Although not terrible idea, when people talk about shell beds they are talking about LIVING shell beds. You will usually found them in current breaks where current hits the hardest and on high spots but current is key because they need to be in an area where they can filter water. The shells feed on plankton which is what baitfish feed on. So in theory shell beds that are alive have plenty of plankton which attracts baitfish and the shells also provide a good hard spot for predator fish. That's why living shell beds are productive.
 
NumberOne said:
Although not terrible idea, when people talk about shell beds they are talking about LIVING shell beds. You will usually found them in current breaks where current hits the hardest and on high spots but current is key because they need to be in an area where they can filter water. The shells feed on plankton which is what baitfish feed on. So in theory shell beds that are alive have plenty of plankton which attracts baitfish and the shells also provide a good hard spot for predator fish. That's why living shell beds are productive.
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Thank you sir.
 
Also, islands are great places to find shell beds but I would look on the up current side of the island. So with the current running south to north on KY lake I would look around the south tip of the island. Shells should stack up on the current break of the island.
 
ill send you a pm. i took a shot of a map off my boat pad last night that should help explain what numero uno is talking about.

when you fish for shellcracker you have to keep in mind that their behavior is different from bluegill. to me they are a lot like LMB.
 

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