Slaton said visitors to Guntersville could expect to catch numbers of fish at this time of year up to about 1 1/2 pounds.

OTHER TVA RESERVOIRS
While Guntersville clearly attracts the most visitors seeking shellcrackers, the other three TVA reservoirs in north Alabama yield good catches as well. While locals point to favorite spots on Wheeler and Pickwick, perhaps Wilson Lake between Rogers­ville and Florence is the best. The lake is smaller and the fish easier to pinpoint.

Lowery, in addition to his duties with TVA, likes to fly-fish for bluegills and shellcrackers. He pointed out several locations that hold fish. One of his favorite areas is in Shoal Creek, which feeds the Tennessee River just east of Florence. The wood-filled coves just below the U.S. Highway 72 bridge attract spawning shellcrackers each year, as does the grass near Emerald Beach Marina just above the bridge.

Other traditional shellcracker hotspots on Wilson include Town Creek and Donnegan Slough, both on the south side of the lake. Donnegan and adjoining McKernan Creek, just upstream from Wilson Dam, is especially noted for its large shellcrackers.

Much like on Guntersville, the shellcrackers in Town Creek and Donnegan Slough can be found around aquatic vegetation, mainly alligator grass or water willows on Wilson

Wheeler Lake also boasts its share of quality shellcracker habitat, as does Pickwick to the west. On Wheeler, the lower to middle sections of the lake appear to be best, including First Creek, Second Creek, Elk River, and areas around the Decatur Flats. On Pickwick, most of the bigger tributaries boast good shellcracker fishing, perhaps the best being Second Creek near Waterloo.

OVERLOOKED NORTH BAMA WATERS
Guntersville and the other TVA lakes receive most of the bream-fishing attention and justifiably so. However, anglers pursue shellcrackers in various other waters across the upper tier of the state.

One such location that receives little fishing pressure but still produces massive shellcrackers is Little Bear Creek Lake in Franklin County. Part of the four-lake Bear Creek Development Authority chain, Little Bear offers just over 1,500 surface acres at full pool and yields shellcrackers that exceed 2 pounds each year.

Weekday fishing on Little Bear can be lonely with very few boats on the water, perhaps because the shellcrackers in this lake are notoriously finicky. They bite aggressively one day and disappear the next, or slam a jig one hour and ignore it the next.

Trace Branch, the biggest arm of Little Bear and located directly across the lake from Elliott Branch boat ramp and campground, is a likely spot for shellcrackers. This area features numerous sloughs and smaller pockets that serve as good spawning grounds for redears.

One phenomenon that occurs on Little Bear is a deeper spawn. While some shellcracker beds will be visible, the majority of the bigger fish come from greater depths than normal. Most of the time, these deeper beds are invisible, although the lake is ultra-clear at times. Still, dinner-plate-sized 'crackers can be found spawning in water out to 10 feet.

Crossing the state, bream fishermen on the Coosa chain bring in good catches of shellcrackers from Weiss, Neely Henry and Logan Martin, according to Rob Andress, a state fisheries biologist. Most state-run public lakes are also stocked with shellcrackers. Andress suggests the lower pond of the three that make up Clay County State Public Fishing Lake near Lineville as an excellent spot for shellcrackers.