Center Hill Bream/Shellcracker

[TboneD]

I took my son and my nephew up Indian Creek early this morning, hoping to find some bream or shellcracker on the beds. Well...no such luck. We tried about every little cove, gravel bank, and branch end we could find, but all we could get to take our red worms and beetlespins were little bitty shake-offs. Water temp started at about 70 and was up to 75 or so by the time we left this afternoon. And as for beds, I'm really wondering if the bluegill have bedded much there yet. Although we found some of this year's already abandoned shellcracker beds, all the bream bed colonies up in the branch ends looked old. What do ya'll think? I'm taking the Missus up there next weekend and trying to decide on what we should fish for.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[RUGER]

Seeing the same thing here in NW TN.

 

[TboneD]

Ruger, given your location, how's Reelfoot's bream fishing nowadays? Maybe it's because I grew up fishing the cypress lined bayous of southern MS, but one day I'd like to make the trip.

 

[Prowler]

I don't bream fish but a friend does often, this past weekend he said the shellcracker have done moved
Off for the most part and pulled out deeper but the bluegill were up the cove and creek ends pretty good. All this info is
From the mid lake area, Between the bridges and up toward falling water. We caught 4 big shellcracker tonight while bass fishing in a cove way up the lake. They look spawned out and all were about 10-12 foot deep.

 

[TboneD]

I don't bream fish but a friend does often, this past weekend he said the shellcracker have done moved
Off for the most part and pulled out deeper but the bluegill were up the cove and creek ends pretty good. All this info is
From the mid lake area, Between the bridges and up toward falling water. We caught 4 big shellcracker tonight while bass fishing in a cove way up the lake. They look spawned out and all were about 10-12 foot deep.

Thanks, man. After thinking about it my more, I wonder just how bad years of low lake levels have hurt the bream and shellcracker at Center Hill. Maybe more than we realize? Panfish need cover.

 

[Prowler]

I don't doubt a bit it's hurt them but I'm not knowledgeable enough about bream to know how much. I know I don't see near as many as I use to during spawning season. Whenever they decide to pull the lake back up they will have plenty of cover tho! Should result in many years of good hatches and surviving fish.

 

[RUGER]

Ruger, given your location, how's Reelfoot's bream fishing nowadays? Maybe it's because I grew up fishing the cypress lined bayous of southern MS, but one day I'd like to make the trip.

Going by the pictures posted on facebook by some of my friends and groups I follow they have been doing pretty good lately.
I can be at Reelfoot in 45 minutes from my house and I have never put my boat in there. :D

 

[TboneD]

Ruger, given your location, how's Reelfoot's bream fishing nowadays? Maybe it's because I grew up fishing the cypress lined bayous of southern MS, but one day I'd like to make the trip.

Going by the pictures posted on facebook by some of my friends and groups I follow they have been doing pretty good lately.
I can be at Reelfoot in 45 minutes from my house and I have never put my boat in there. :D

Why not? You worried about a few stumps and maybe some rebar? Reminds me of a friend of mine who was supposed to go last month. He said they were taking his buddy's boat because it was a better crappie boat.

 

[TboneD]

I don't doubt a bit it's hurt them but I'm not knowledgeable enough about bream to know how much. I know I don't see near as many as I use to during spawning season. Whenever they decide to pull the lake back up they will have plenty of cover tho! Should result in many years of good hatches and surviving fish.

I'm not holding my breath as to when. How long they been plugging the dam now?

 

[Prowler]

I don't doubt a bit it's hurt them but I'm not knowledgeable enough about bream to know how much. I know I don't see near as many as I use to during spawning season. Whenever they decide to pull the lake back up they will have plenty of cover tho! Should result in many years of good hatches and surviving fish.

I'm not holding my breath as to when. How long they been plugging the dam now?

It's been so long I can't exactly remember now. But I'm thinking 7-8 years ??