Sand Shrimp, how to rig?

[Baskett-o-fish]

this past weekend I went to the coast to do some fishing. I used sand shrimp but wasnt too successful at keeping them on the hooks. What works best for keeping them on the line and not free fish food?

[DriftR]

Baskett,
What are you fishing for? Are you going after Surf Perch? Steelhead? Do you use an egg loop on your steelhead setup?

[Joe]

I use a two hook (mooching type) setup with the hooks (5/0) set 2 1/2" apart. The trailer hook goes thru the inside of the head backwards and the lead hook thru the tail. It lays the shrimp out good and keeps them on the hook. Stretchy thread would keep them around longer.

[Baskett-o-fish]

I was fishing for Perch. and yes I use an egg loop. Ill give the two hook (mooching type) setup a shot next time.

thanks

[fishing is life]

try regular storebought prawns/shrimp. peel some of the shell off the front of the shrimp so they can smell better. hook through the shell and use an egg loop to secure the tail.

[Mr. Fisherman]

Another good trick I like to use is to wrap the shrimp in red mesh that is used for eggs. Then wrap in stretchy thread. You will need to cut it off when you re-up your bait and it works great.
Don't forget to change your bait every so often to keep fresh scent trailing out of the sucker satchel.
Let me know if it works as well for you as it has for me. I got tired of feeding the fish till I figured this out. I like the expensive safety pin like bait hooks too when I can afford them...

[ 02-10-2003, 02:47 PM: Message edited by: Mr. Fisherman ]

[Birdnest]

Baskett,

There is a setup that is a double hook with a safety pin like mechinism. A little $$$, but it beats watching your bait go one way and your hook the other.

[Pilar]

Baskett, a real low tech way to do this is to use bait thread and cinch the bait to the hook with 10 turns of thread and some 1/2 hitches.

I usually use small sandshrimp and thread the hook up through the tail, pull out a little line and then put the hook under the head shell and out between the eyes. Then pull the leader tight and 1/2 hitch the tail. Then wrap it with bait thread and it will last longer. The other huge thing was to forget about the hookset. If you get bit just slowly reel up slack till you feel tension and start reeling faster. Don't let it slack.

The bend is your friend

Once the line is throbbing you can give a quick sharp jerk, just enough to get the hook stuck. If you do a hookset on the initial bite you reel in a bare hook every time.

Did you get any dinner plate size perch? What about kelp greenling?

[ 02-10-2003, 12:37 PM: Message edited by: Pilar ]

[Baskett-o-fish]

I had some real nice perch. No dinner plate size but real close. 1 fish was enough to feed me. I had not caught perch in about 25 years. Last time was when I was a youngin down in Coos Bay.


thanks for the tips on how to rig up the shrimp. Ill try them all.

[DriftR]

Baskett,
You have now got that Surf Perch bug. Lots of fun when you get into them and most of the time your all by yourself. I have had good luck with the magic thread wrapping sand shrimp. I also use a little white rubber jig about 1" long with a tail. It sometimes works better than bait. If that does not do the trick I try a little yellow grub rubber jig. To many people fish to far out for surf perch. I see guys casting a zillion miles out but the perch are in the surf right at your feet. Loads of fun and can be really fast action. Good luck and watch those waves.

[Paddlefish]

I also like to use the stranded electrical wire. Six-inch-long pieces are about right. Poke half an inch or so through the hook eye, then wrap it around itself a few times like a bread bag twist tie.

You can firmly bind sand shrimp to a hook -- or anything else, even mussels or clams, and they'll stay.

Also, you can get a good number of baits out of one strand of wire, unlike stretchy thread, which has to be replaced after every bait.