surf fishing and ghost shrimp

I'm here from Cleveland for next 2 weeks. Staying next door to the pier at the Royal Palms. I have been coming here for the past 15 years or so. I spend most of time trying to surf fish. Any tips for catching anything these days besides catfish? This year for the first time I brought a homemade shrimp pump to try and catch live ghost shrimp but so far no luck. Does anyone have any advice for getting them? I'm finding the holes but not the shrimp so I must be doing something wrong. Any tips will be greatly appreciated.

Bam

The lower the tide (and calmer the water) the easier it is to pump shrimp.
Sometimes you have to 'slurp' 4 or 5 times into the hole to get them.
Their tunnels can extend 3 feet into the bottom (often at an angle).
Then I walk around the 'hole' to 'slurp' 45 degrees away from the center.
That works about half the time.

http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=2867&stc=1

Sounds a lot like "work".

It is for an old fart with bad shoulders

Do not want to "cut" the thread with a new topic. but could someone call or post again the phone # to get someone to clean/focus the pier cam. Miss my daily dose of "The good life". Is it owned by the pier or has someone else put it up with their OK?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chillinfish

Sounds a lot like "work".

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Yeah, but them ghost shrimps are like candy for fish.
Seen them get time & time again get hits when nothing else was.

Pumping out ghost shrimp is an exercise in persistence. Once you pump one out of his hole and onto the sand, it's the coolest thing ever! It reenergizes you to keep finding more! I like Pier#r's suggestion to angle the slurp. He's down there somewhere!

How do you hook ghosties for sheepshead or pompano?

Just pass the hook through the body once or twice.

A live one fished from the pier can be hooked thru the tail.
For distance casting you have to thread them up on the hook starting at the tail and coming out in mid thorax between the legs (the toughest part).

Also I've seen them impaled on a small treble hook (#8).

Many folks out west tie them on or use a piece of wire, but that seems like a bit of trouble.

How do you like where you are staying?

I suggest younger help with the ghost shrimp slurping. They really make it fun. With only one slurp per hole the odds are about 25 to one against you. Also in deeper water empty the slurper into one of those beach dip nets sold everywhere. Other wise you may never see the shrimp when the pump empties.

I thread them. They're remarkably hardy, imo. They're so sloth-like in their movements that it's difficult to tell when they're losing energy!

Thanks to everyone for your replies. Sure hope this seaweed clears out soon.
Bam