L_S_2015_04_

52 Louisiana Sportsman^ | April 2015

Cracking the code

Is that wrong? No, but it’s not completely correct either.

Given their abundance and nearly year-round availability,

bluegill get the lion’s share of panfish exposure. However, one

of their neighboring species — the redear sunfish (aka “shell-

cracker” or “chinquapin”) makes a convincing case for more

attention.

A diverse appetite and feisty spirit make this an accommo-

dating species that offers great sport for experienced anglers,

while also providing a great entry point for kids and novices.

A wide array of baits will tempt chinquapin — and when the

fish move shallow to spawn, expect extremely aggressive ter-

ritorial behavior.

Louisiana Sportsman columnist Glen “Catch” Cormier loves a

good fish fry, and he said those chinquapin do just as nicely as

the bluegill.

It’s a well-founded piscatorial propensity: Tell someone

you’re heading off for a panfish mission and you’ll typically hear

some bluegill-related reply.

Reeling up both fish in close proximity won’t shock him, but

the ones with crimson earrings definitely have some distin-

guishing preferences.

“They tend to hold more to the bottom,” Cormier said. “I think

that’s one reason the bluebill get more press — because they’re

usually more available closer to the surface.”

Examining stomach contents, Cormier has found a mix of

aquatic insects, grass shrimp and little crawfish — certainly

a buffet consistent with fish foraging in the lower part of the

water column.

Seasonally speaking, Cormier finds chinquapin are more

spring and fall oriented than the bluegill. In the Atchafalaya

Basin, Bill McCarty said his chinquapin prime time is mid-April

through mid-June.

“They’re most definitely more active in the spring, but after

they spawn they tend to drop off into deeper water, and we

start to see fewer fish,” Cormier said. “That’s another reason

why they’re not as (mainstream) as bluegill — people aren’t

really fishing for them during their more-active spring period.

“They’re fishing for bass and sac-a-lait.”

continues on page 58 >