I know that if I searched the archives, I could sift throug hhour upon hour’s wroth of shellcracker info, since we have discussed them so many times on this board. But if y’all will humor me, I have a really specific question about them that I don’t recall us discussing before.
Let me quote the Georgia DNR guide to fishing the upper Ocmulgee river:
“Particularly in the upper reaches, shellcrackers often exceed two pounds in the shoals. Their favorite food are snails that are common to the rocks and swift water”
I’m going to fish there today, and I’m going to try to find these snails so I can replicate them in fly form. But apart from this, can y’all ofer wisdom to help me catch one of these swift current monsters?
Swamp
Swamper - I’ve not personally found either shellcrackers [redear] or snails in swift water - or any other panfish, for that matter. Even the rockbass tend to hold out of the main current around rocks or wood.
That said, I’ve had pretty good success with redears with a cream “scud” on a #12 scud hook in lakes. origionally I tied the fly for my sonto use as a beemoth imator. I fish it under a strike indicator. I don’t know if this would translate well to moving water or not.
Pattern:
#12 hook 2457 or 2487
thread: white
body: cream Life Cycle caddis dubbing
back: strip from a medical latex glove
After you pull the shellback over and tie down whip finish and use a sharpie [brown] to colour a “head”. Pick out the dubbing on the bottom and trip even with hook point.
Donald
[This message has been edited by beadleech (edited 15 April 2006).]
Hey Swampy,
Donald nailed it. Scuds are the way to
go. Shellcrackers (red eared sunfish) are
my passion as you well know. Snail fishing
can be pretty tough, particularly in flowing
water. I fish scuds much as I would nymphs
and the action is much quicker. Warm
regards, Jim
Try a scud with a beadhead in its body if the current is to fast for an unweighted fly.
Good luck,
Steven
Swamp rat, I emailed you a while ago when life was gettin cold about fishin around jackson. I’m ready to get out and do some fishin if you get a chance. I’m on the river about 4 days a week and I get put you on some nice shellcrackers. We do catch nice ones in the quick shoals and they usually are big! Drop me a line if you wanna go sometime.
Thanks for the input. I tried a scud today, but it was a size 12 and orange. I’ve got to get to the tying bench! 
It was the only one I had. I did manage a small bluegill on it, however. Today, i didn’t find any of the snails. The one time I got close to a rock, it cost me a shear pin! I wasn’t trying to look at it or anything, just didn’t see it coming.
I do have a cone shaped snail fly I tyed using Jim’s dremmel bug method for the shell. Didn’t get around to that one today, though.
Pikapp-You’ve got mail
[This message has been edited by swamp rat (edited 15 April 2006).]
As a fellow shellcracker fisherman, I agree with the others about fishing a scud pattern. I also have very good luck with a Carter’s Sculpin in basic black this time of year and larger beadhead softhackles later in the season. If you want to try a snail pattern, there is a great looking pattern in the fly archives 3rd quarter of 1998. Let us know how it turns out and how you do.
Jim Smith
Georgia
Suggestion for continuing this thread - what is everyone’s favorite colour and size of scud? Weighted or un-weighted? Do you use a strike indicator? What type?
Donald
[url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/042803fotw.html:1e8e5]Rainy’s Beadback Scud[/url:1e8e5]
I use clear glass seed beads for the body and tan Antron or nylon carpet fibers for the legs tied on a size 10 scud type hook. I’ve had good luck on this one as a dropper on a popper or pusher, or by itself. I might use a VOSI if I start missing too many bites but I prefer fishing it without the VOSI.
Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL
“Flip a fly”
[This message has been edited by dixieangler (edited 16 April 2006).]