The South's Best Shellcracker Holes
Mississippi – Tippah County Lake
 Editor’s
Note: I like to catch plenty of fish that fight hard,
test my tackle and my angling
skills and taste delicious when I eat them. These characteristics
describe the shellcracker (redear sunfish) with its
nicknames of stumpknocker and yellow bream. The South
homes some of the biggest shellcrackers, so named due
to the grinding teeth in their throats that crush snails,
shells and mollusks, in the nation.
According to Larry Pugh, district biologist for Mississippi’s
Wildlife, Fisheries and Park, Tippah County Lake near
Ripley is the best shellcracker lake in the State of
Mississippi. “In 1991, Ripley produced the state
record redear that weighed 3.33 pounds, and even though
it’s only 167 acres, it consistently produces
more big redears than any other lake in the state,”
Pugh says. Tippah County Lake is one of the south’s
best redears lakes because it’s a year-round lake,
and it’s fertilized regularly. Big redears are
caught consistently all year long. In October 2006,
a 2.5-pound redear was taken by fi shing
underwater drop-offs and ledges in the lake. 
“I’m convinced that we had a new state
record redear caught out of Tippah County Lake two years
ago, but the angler who caught the fish didn’t
have it officially weighed,” Pugh explains. “However,
I’ve got a picture of it, and there’s no
doubt in my mind that this redear would have weighed
well over 3 pounds.” If you’re looking for
big shellcrackers year round, head for Tippah County
Lake near Ripley, Mississippi.
For more information, visit http://www.mdwfp.com/Level2/Fisheries/lake_detail.asp?ID=13.
Tomorrow: Caney Lake
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