Thread: keepin' 'em alive

Presuming that I'm able to catch some of the coveted ghost shrimp, what is the best way to hook them to keep them alive until they are killed by a fish?

I'm guessing a bucket with some salt water is the first step, but I'm just guessin'.

To keep 'em alive I start the hook at the underside of the tail right in front of the "fan" and run it through the tail toward the head and out the bottom of the tail right before you get to the body cavity (the tail should kinda curl up on the hook). If the hook enters the thorax, they die very fast. If I'm having to cast any distance at all with them I will usually run them from tail to head as far as I can and secure them with a couple wraps of elastic thread like some people do chicken livers for channel cats. It helps to use a lob cast because it doesn't take much force to throw the little boogers off. Not an issue if you're dropping down at the pier.

And the best way for me to keep them alive during a day of fishing is to get one of the cardboard flats that sodas or beer come in and put it on top of your ice in the cooler. Then get some black/white newspaper and dampen it with seawater and layer it in the cardboard flat with the ghost shrimp placed between the layers of newspaper. Direct contact with the cold will kill them so you just want to keep them damp and cool. Change out the newspaper at the end of the day with new sheets soaked in fresh seawater and stick them in the fridge when you get home-I've had them last for a few days using this method. The moist newspaper keeps their fragile bodies intact and wicks away their nitrogen-rich waste which kills them if allowed to build up, the cool temp slows down their metabolism which decreases the rate at which they "pee".

Haywire catch his first ghost shrimps.
Haywire happy.

Ghost shrimps not very big and are scarce.
Haywire sad.

Nobody tell Haywire catching ghost shrimps hard work.
Haywire tired.

where do you get elastic thread??? thx jim

Sewing store like Michaels or something similar. I've been using the same big roll for years.

Originally Posted by Haywire

Haywire catch his first ghost shrimps.
Haywire happy.

Ghost shrimps not very big and are scarce.
Haywire sad.

Nobody tell Haywire catching ghost shrimps hard work.
Haywire tired.

Where did you go to catch them if you don't mind saying?

Originally Posted by TennVols

Where did you go to catch them if you don't mind saying?

you tube is a wealth of info....and video's showing what to look for

catching ghost shrimp - YouTube

I caught those in the bay at the Orange Beach Bayfront Park which is about a half mile east on Canal Rd. from the 161 intersection. Be prepared to put up with some mud, but there are plenty. You can get them all along the beach in shallow water if it isn't too rough.