Double-anchor is key to admission to shellcracker heaven

Although Tony Alexander likes to keep things simple when fishing for shellcrackers, he said some tools are very helpful in catching these fish.

He uses a depth finder to find underwater points and humps, and he uses two anchors when he decides to set up shop. His depth finder is loaded with mapping software that shows him not just the depth of the water he is directly over, but also the depth and sloping information for the entire lake bottom, all at a glance. That Is helps him determine where to anchor and the most likely place he will find the fish.

Alexander likes to anchor off of points in about 12 to 15 feet of water and cast toward the shoreline, putting his bait in the mid-range depth between his anchoring spot and the extreme shallows of that particular point. That typically works best for him in the winter.

Alexander doesn’t want his boat to move at all while fishing.

“You’ve got to use a double-anchor set-up,” he said. “You can’t have your boat constantly twirling in a circle around one anchor or drifting back and forth with a single anchor. You will spook the fish, plus, it will make it more difficult to keep track of where you are casting and where you are catching your fish.”

Another tip Alexander offers is to slow down when approaching a fishing spot.

“If you zoom in at full speed, then cut the throttle at the last minute, those fish will scatter and stay scattered for 20 minutes or so,” he said. “Ease into your fishing areas slowly, take time to anchor properly, and you will save more (time) than you think you did by racing on top of the fish.”