Back to ghost shrimp again....

How good are frozen ghost shrimp? Would you brine them before you froze them? If so, how would you go about it?

I went exploring this afternoon and caught a few---worked too hard for them to let them go or waste them since I won't be going fishing again for a while.

I learned a little bit about why you suck shrimp in the morning---you don't get as wet when the tide is lower. Those good looking mounds are always in a depth of water that tempts my better judgement, especially when boat wakes are involved. My cell phone still works.

From one thread I read (I'm a poet and don't even know it) they get a little mushy after freezing them but are still good, just not as good as live. It's recommend putting the hook in before freezing them so they stay as intact as possible.

is that slurp gun working ok ? brining is just a light overlay of salt...I think J&M has some special stuff but the guys I went out with just used regular table salt lightly sprinkled over ....that was for ballyhoo though....and i think the same for cigar minnows I am sure some one else in the know will chime in....glad your cell phone survived for now....that salt sure can play heck on things especially electronics

The Hydro-Zooka is doing well, but it would be better if it was a larger diameter. I feel like I'm missing some. Found a pretty good place to slurp them that's on my way to the pier.

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Originally Posted by Haywire

Found a pretty good place to slurp them that's on my way to the pier.

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George, this thread is available to the general public; visitors viewing this forum for the first time may not understand your statement.

I'd be more concerned with the part about wishing his Zooka was bigger Fin.

It's way too late for me to worry about things like that---y'all must have missed the TV special where they had the cameras going while I didn't know it. I didn't even think they'd put stuff like that out where innocent women and children could see it.

Mr Wire while many in the world are concerned about length, you seem to concentrate more on thickness (i.e. diameter).
That is commendable IMHO that we should overcome whatever deficiencies our 'tools' have and just make the best of it ;-)
Attachment 1579

The results of my recent efforts...
Attachment 1580

BTW, they do freeze well in simple seawater in a Ziplock bag...
Attachment 1581

While brining may make them a little 'tougher' it will inevitably drive more moisture out of them, probably making them less attractive to the fish.
Just a thought.

as much as I like making things to use, I might just have to make one of these since you think the Hydro-Zooka could be of larger diameter , why not make it right the first time and with all the spare time I have in the house on cold winter days ....be a good project

Dang, Pier#r----was that all one slurp? I don't think I've ever gotten more than four at one time.

Ironman---I think that's a wonderful plan.

No, I got 60+ in about an hour.
Most are one at a time, with an occasional double or triple but I did have one 'slurp' with 4 at the same time.
It's not much different than time investment in catching small LYs sometimes ;-)

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Originally Posted by ironman172

as much as I like making things to use, I might just have to make one of these since you think the Hydro-Zooka could be of larger diameter , why not make it right the first time and with all the spare time I have in the house on cold winter days ....be a good project

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I think you are on to something there Ironman ,we should all just make own in the size that fits our individual needs and use .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pier#r

No, I got 60+ in about an hour.
Most are one at a time, with an occasional double or triple but I did have one 'slurp' with 4 at the same time.
It's not much different than time investment in catching small LYs sometimes ;-)

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I'm in the process of making my own slurp gun. I'm curious how deep in the sand they are and does it vary depending on tide or temperature?

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Originally Posted by chillinfish

I'm in the process of making my own slurp gun. I'm curious how deep in the sand they are and does it vary depending on tide or temperature?

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Yes, they are 6" to 3' deep in the sand plus whatever the water depth is.
Attachment 1585

My ideal time is near dead low tide.
I would refer to the scene in the pic below as a 'target rich environment' ;-)
Attachment 1583

Hope this helps!
;-)

Well doggies, I've been sucking too deep---no wonder I'm thinking it's hard work. On the other hand, most of the ones I catch are quick to come out of the tube, meaning to me they were one of the last things sucked in, i.e., deep---lots of sand and other goop up in the tube. I gonna have to hire you to show me how to catch ghost shrimp and sand fleas. You won't have to teach me to catch fish---that's a lost cause and impossible,

Thanks for the ghost shrimp lesson Mr. Thornton. I look forward to drowning a few on the pier soon.
Haywire I invested in a nice aluminum sand flea rake. I have found that they are still hard to come by on a beach with a lot of people around. You can fill your bucket quickly if you are lucky enough to see a colony and rake them as a wave recedes. The last trip to GS I walked about a half mile of beach and didn't see any at all. I raked up about half a dozen in random spots and was exhausted and about to give up when a little girl asked me what I was trying to catch with the rake. I showed her my little bucket and she said they had a ton of them and asked me if I wanted them. They were sitting in the surf and running their hands about 6 to 8 inches down in the sand and grabbing them one at a time by hand. I did the same thing the next day and then in the fall at PCB and it works a lot better than the rake. Not something I want to try til the water warms up a bit but its very effective.