Over the last 6 months I have spent a great deal of time exploring Lake Somerville. In that time I have caught only one Red Ear sunfish. I spent most of this time fishing around rock outcroppings and hard bottom areas in shallow water. These are particularly good areas for bluegill and longear in the spring and summer.

I have not fished the muddy bottom areas in the trees or canes very much.

Everything I read is that Red Ear will usually hold in deeper water than the other sunfish. They also love snails, which I assume would live in a more muddy bottom area. And they rely upon smell more which makes it even more challenging when using artificial flies.

I setup a new fiberglass 3 weight rod with a Teeny BS 100 sink tip line for fishing deep this winter. I tried it out and caught 6 crappie with it this weekend.

So now I want to spend some time searching for Red Ear on the Lake. I have talked to some of the local fisherman and guides and there are not many caught on the lake.

How would you go about exploring the lake for Red ear? Do they prefer muddy bottom areas vs. hard bottom areas? Would you target deep structure? Islands?

Lake Somerville is a shallow lake with maximum depths only about 25 feet for the most part.

I have caught most of my big Redear during the winter and spring. Usually in water 8 to 15 feet deep. Concrete walls,docks,and over hanging tree limbs are great spring,summer,and early fall, places to find nice Redear. Late fall and winter I usually find em in water 12 to 20 feet holding by ledges,and brush piles. They usually stay close to the bottom year around.



Side Note: Patterns will vary on different types of water bodies.

I usually do not have very good luck with Redear on the fly! The ones I have caught on the fly have been in the summer. Caught em in fairly shallow water 5 to 7 feet deep. I used sinking flies.

Thanks Chuck. I need to find the deep channels and fish them. I guess my next investment will have to be a fish finder. Trying to locate them in winter without one probably wouldn't be worth my time. I'll study the lake a bit more to try and find a couple locations to at least try though.

I've had mixed results. I've had good results in ponds and small lakes like Buescher. But I didn't have any luck on Fayette or Somerville. The results you speak of are exactly what the books say as well. My thoughts were to try and find them with live worms first. Then switch to the fly rod and sinking fly of some type.

Do you know what type of area you caught them in? Hard bottom or mucky bottom? Near reeds?

Appreciate your help, as always!!

Side Note: When you are catching big Bluegill usually you will find big Redear with them! I find this true in some of the water bodies I fish.

Well I've caught well over 500 bluegill out of Lake Somerville in the last 4 months and only one Red Ear. So this must not be one of those water bodies

Usually in the late fall and winter time I see some big Redear being posted in this section. Big ones are also caught in the spring time. For what I know about them just by reading other post is that they love snails and mainly hang on the bottom!