Fiddler Crabs

Can anyone enlighten me on acquiring fiddler crabs? I'm in Orange Beach a few times a year and I always stop at the local tackle stores for advice/bait and I've never had anyone suggest using fiddler crabs. According to a couple of people I talked to they claim they are the secret to catching sheepshead. Do tackle shops keep them stocked? Or is there anywhere that you can go pick them up yourself? I would rather gather my own bait being it's usually more lively, rather than picking some up that have been in the tackle shop for a couple days.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

If you want to gather your own you want a mud flat at low tide. Best I have seen is at St Andrew's Bay off Fort Morgan Road. You'll need a long handle net with a 1/4 or 3/8 mesh.

I've generally had better luck with live shrimp, but there are days when nothing but a crab will do. Try J&M Tackle in Orange Beach---they generally will have them if anyone does. They aren't expensive and stay alive well, so it's no problem to take both shrimp and crabs with you.

Anything special to keep them alive? I came down New Years weekend and tried to do some sheepshead fishing, I bought live shrimp from Top Gun Tackle in Orange Beach. However the shrimp I was given didn't seem very lively to begin with, probably 4 shrimp out of 2 dozen were kicking when I put them on the hook. I also kept the bucket aerated and shaded.

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Originally Posted by AJ316

Anything special to keep them alive? I came down New Years weekend and tried to do some sheepshead fishing, I bought live shrimp from Top Gun Tackle in Orange Beach. However the shrimp I was given didn't seem very lively to begin with, probably 4 shrimp out of 2 dozen were kicking when I put them on the hook. I also kept the bucket aerated and shaded.

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I get my live shrimp from J & M, most of the time. I keep them aerated and they're good for the second day, lots of times (If I don't use 'em all on the first day of fishing). The water that they come in seems really clean, so it may be the tank and the filter that J & M uses. That's just a theory, of course. It's possible that if you cleaned your bait bucket with some sort of chemical or soapy solution and that it contaminated the water. It's also possible, I guess that the bucket held a bacteria that could have contaminated it. During the cool months, I don't use the insulated foam insert - just the plastic bucket. The bottom line is, though, that if you're keeping it aerated and in a shady spot where the temps aren't too high - your shrimp should last for at least a full day of fishing.
Regarding fiddler crabs, I break off the larger claw and put TWO fiddler crabs on a small, strong hook. It helps hide the hook to have two crabs, though I'm not sure what the two crabs being so close to each other simulates in nature. Sheepshead don't seem to question the opportunity, though and it's like Haywire said -- sometimes nothing but fiddler crabs will do. During peak sheepshead fishing, I take both live shrimp and fiddlers. I definitely buy my fiddlers rather than to try to catch them myself nowadays. They're extremely hardy!

Yeah I had forgot my bait bucket at home so I opted to buy one of the 5 gallon buckets they had, which may have had some sort of toxins in it being it was brand new? The water wasn't exceptionally clean either. Sounds like next time I'll be stopping by J&M.

What kind of hook does everyone use for the shrimp and fiddlers? Last time I used a #10 treble hook and hooked the shrimp through the head, I only fished off the the GSSP and I had quite a few shrimp stolen. I wouldn't say it was very good conditions for fishing around the pilings, the waves were kicking and the wind was strong so it made it had to detect bites or keep the bait where I wanted it to be.

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Originally Posted by AJ316

Anything special to keep them alive?

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I'm no expert, but the first time I bought fiddlers I asked the same and was told that it did not hurt to put a wet paper towel (folded up) in the bucket to keep the humidity up. I wet it with salt water, not chlorinated.

Does not seem to hurt.

I use a plain old #4 bait holder for sheepshead. Smaller live shrimp are better than bigger ones when it comes to sheepies. If the shrimp are large, you are almost better off using 1/2.

Fiddler crabs: just make sure not to put them in a bucket full of water! They will drown! Wet paper towels are the way to go.

I've always had better luck with J&M shrimp. Water is cold and clear and shrimp last longer. I do change the water after a day with fresh saltwater too. I use a plastic juice bottle for fiddlers with a wet piece of cardboard and a few blades of grass and have kept them this way for weeks.

Ten-four on the juice bottle! You showed that to me last year and it sure does make getting out one or two at a time simple.

When it comes to hooks, I use the #10 treble and hook the shrimp like you said. On rough days, you probably need more weight to keep your bait where you want it---I've had some of my best action on rough days, but you shouldn't try to fish too deep.

I also endorse J&M shrimp. I had the same thing happen with Top Gun shrimp, and I was using my regular bucket.

Thanks for all the great advice guys, hopefully I can make it down in a couple of more weeks! Hopefully the sheepshead will still be biting.

BTW, Hermit crabs work well too.
Just go to the boats ramps & shorelines around Cotton Bayou, Little Lagoon, etc., & pick up the shells that are crawling around.
You will need a hammer to crack them open and get the crab out. Just don't smash the crab. Takes a few times to get the knack of where & how hard to hit the shells.
Thread the whole crab on the hook, starting at the "tail".

On a vacation to N.C. I saw that bait shops had sea urchins for sheepies. I did not try any.

Next time you catch a sheepie, check its gut content. Often find sea snails small bits of oyster, polycheate type worms etc. Yes there are also crabs and shrimp.
If you are near where there is some old collapsed docks or rocks/concrete with algae on it look for the snails that live on that. I have seen sheepie lie on their side with a portion of their body out the water to get to those snails. They love them.

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Originally Posted by Kobkilla

Next time you catch a sheepie, check its gut content. Often find sea snails small bits of oyster, polycheate type worms etc. Yes there are also crabs and shrimp.
If you are near where there is some old collapsed docks or rocks/concrete with algae on it look for the snails that live on that. I have seen sheepie lie on their side with a portion of their body out the water to get to those snails. They love them.

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And I thought only the French liked Escargot.