# Bream Fishing Question



## eddiem84 (Nov 3, 2010)

When would you say is the absolute best time (month, moon phase, etc.) to catch bream on the Choctawhatchee, or any other local river for that matter?


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

I have had good luck in april for big shellcracker on yellow river bottom fishing around heavy cover not exactly sure for Choctawhatchee but its probably about the same these two rivers are similar in the way the fish bite.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

I fish the Choctawhatchee on a regular basis, but I'm not a scientific angler. I don't keep records and logs like the very good anglers do. I just go when the mood strikes.

Anyway, the spring has always been a very good time. Right now the river is coming down from a high. We have had 2 or 3 good rises in recent weeks which should help the number and quality. April and May and even June has traditionally been the time of year when the folks hit the river in full force. 

This past year has been very poor mostly north of Cowford due to low water. I finally gave up and moved below Cowford, then gave up from that and started fishing the lower river for speckled trout and reds.

According to a friend who is a pro and fishes the lower river a good bit he says when the current high drops, levels out, and the water clears there should be very good fishing. He knows what he is talking about.

I'm looking forward to a good spring with the fly rod when it gets a little warmer and the bugs start buzzing. Until that happens it will be crickets and worms.


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

It's hard to beat April and May shellcracker fishing on bottom with worms.


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## eddiem84 (Nov 3, 2010)

Thanks for the quick responses! I'm starting to plan our 4th annual bream tournament at Red Bay Grocery, and am trying to figure out the best dates. April is out due to cobia season, it looks like early June is going to be when we will have to do it. Trey Nick helps us out a lot, so I have to work around his trout and redfish tournaments in May as well.


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## kevin32435 (Apr 17, 2008)

First full moon in April for the shellcracker and first full moon in May for the bream in the Choctawhatchee River fish according to the water level


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## screwballl (Feb 1, 2011)

A lot of it tends to be which bream you are targeting....

Perch tend to do better in mid to late fall, bluegill fishing is typically better mid to late spring, shellcrackers prefer late spring to early summer, red ears prefer early summer... So anytime March to June should give you a decent run.

These are of course "Florida seasons", so late spring is usually Mar-April.


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## minkmaster (Apr 5, 2008)

I thought a shellcracker was a redear???


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## tugfisher76 (Aug 5, 2011)

just remember june 1 is snapper open day


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

minkmaster said:


> I thought a shellcracker was a redear???


yea their the same...think maybe he's talking about red bellies? maybe


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