Guntersville question

[voeller101]

Been fishing Guntersville 2 or 3 times each year for several years now. I was reading the results of the B.A.S.S. Elite event there back in April or May. I noticed each of the top 3 finishers (Martens, Reese and Wirth) were targeting shell beds surrounded by vegetation which were a transition point for postspawn bass.
My question is, how does one go about finding these shellbeds? After watching the ESPN coverage, I know where Skeet was fishing as we spend a lot of time in that same area. I'm sure I've fished shellbeds but just didn't know it. Any advice?

[21ssExtreme]

I would like to know also. When the FLW was here " Fort Loudoun Lake) last year they also said they were on shell beds. Do they show up on sonar?

[Swift1]

Ive never had the high def electronics to be able to pick shell beds by sonar , But I know of several spots on Ky/Barkley and G ville that have them. I have found them by just fishing. Meaning I would just be out fishing a good drop or a hump and all of a sudden you start coming through shell beds, they feel like no other structure in the lake . If you were to be dragging a c-rig or a jig you will feel a repetitive tick, tick ,tick a very distince feel. Some beds I fish are 20 by 20 in diameter some are 150 feet long Im guessing there might be hundreds of thousands of shells in any particular spot. If you fish them long enough you will see they will eat the paint right off your lures and alot of times you will pick up the actuall shell and bring it to the boat. I hope this helps you a little.

[fishalltime]

I seen Tim Horton on a show 1 time talking about this an he showed how he set the electronics an what to look for . Best I can remember is he said they give a rust color on sonar screen when inside sonar cone .I have seen this on Guntersville before an did'nt know what it was then , an it may have even been something else ,could have been shell bed . I have brought them in on lures before several times .

[voeller101]

Thanks for the advice Swift1. Maybe when I'm down there I'll break out the old jigging spoon. Whenever I fish it at Cumberland, I catch about a 100 shells.