I have never knowingly fished a shell bed . I read and hear about it from time to time . Can anyone share how to go about finding them ?

Funny.  I considered making the exact same post recently after watching someone (maybe The Moment guy?) .

 

It's one thing standing on a casting deck in clear water.   But I am most often seated in a kayak in low viz water.  Never seen a 'large' shell area

3 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

Funny.  I considered making the exact same post recently after watching someone (maybe The Moment guy?) .

 

It's one thing standing on a casting deck in clear water.   But I am most often seated in a kayak in low viz water.  Never seen a 'large' shell area

I dont even know why bass would hang around shell beds . They dont eat them " I dont think" and its not a cover they can hide in . Maybe its just something different in the environment .

Smells like a place all types of FOOD would hide in.

Texas rigs is how I find them.

16 minutes ago, scaleface said:

I dont even know why bass would hang around shell beds . They dont eat them " I dont think" and its not a cover they can hide in . Maybe its just something different in the environment .

Probably more to do with baitfish eating the same food the shellfish eat?

Not sure if freshwater shellfish do the same thing that their saltwater cousins do in that they bury themselves into the sandy bottom. If you find a shellfish flat ... usually has a bunch of empty shells about ... l look for bubbles coming up from the bottom.

https://www.bassmaster.com/greg-hackney/deep-water-side-rule-2

If you’re in a boat, your depthfinder (2d, SI) will find them easily. Bumping cranks will frequently pull up shells on a treble giving up location, and they can most easily be felt dragging a Carolina rig or football jig across the bottom. Never pass up a shell bed without giving that location a fair shot. I love them because they are so frequently overlooked since they almost never appear on any maps, including the hi-def stuff on many of today’s units. Kind of “hidden in plain sight.” ?

Excellent Team9.

Loads of small critters very active on some Salt Water Banks. Fantastic night places.

Seems like decent video....cannot corroborate any of it yet, but.....

May make sense....essentially,  first place to start looking is where current or prevailing winds are coming up slopes

 

I never put much thought into the occasional shell on a hook.  In fact, I am usually more upset a fouled retrieve,  than I am thinking about the significance of that shell having been there.  I suppose it is time to add shell identification to the list of things I should get better at

 

8 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

Seems like decent video....cannot corroborate any of it yet, but.....

May make sense....essentially,  first place to start looking is where current or prevailing winds are coming up slopes

 

I never put much thought into the occasional shell on a hook.  In fact, I am usually more upset a fouled retrieve,  than I am thinking about the significance of that shell having been there.  I suppose it is time to add shell identification to the list of things I should get better at

 

same

 

 

Long video, but in browsing through it, he’s right (shellbeds are “juicy” - lol) but for all the wrong reasons IMO. He has the tail (plankton) wagging the dog (location) ?

Excellent Team9.

Loads of small critters very active on some Salt Water Banks. Fantastic night places.

2 hours ago, Team9nine said:

He has the tail (plankton) wagging the dog (location) 

I think he was referencing situations where location can narrow the scope of your search.  Specifically, situations where certain areas may have more nutrient rich waters and support larger bass populations.  I’m confident he agrees with you that it’s not find plankton then find location.

2 minutes ago, RDB said:

I think he was referencing situations where location can narrow the scope of your search.  Specifically, situations where certain areas may have more nutrient rich waters and support larger bass populations.  I’m confident he agrees with you that it’s not find plankton then find location.

Maybe I misunderstood him, but he seemed to place heavy emphasis on finding areas where plankton would be highest and get “delivered” to the fish via wind and current, but that’s not how it works. He’s misunderstood the food chain if so. Just my take. His bottom hardness maps were the best little “secret” resource, though again, I get the feeling he didn’t totally understand their relevance. 

You may be right.  I scrolled through but didn’t watch the whole thing.  If you’re saying he suggests that plankton support the bass v. shells, shad, etc., I agree with you.  As far as the delivery part, current availability is absolutely one component I consider when searching.

He showed likely spots that may support shell “bars” that all have tight contours. Honestly, the shells may or may not be there, but they were all good spots to fish anyway. 
 

At about the 8:00 minute mark, he points to a hole at the 24’ contour. If you look at that location just south, the 24’ hole had a nice shelf leading to it. Look pretty bassy to me. 

There are mussels galore in the TN river, the shells pile up everywhere.  Blue catfish will actually eat them, they look hilarious all bloated with the shells inside