# Question about keeping live shrimp alive



## challenger (Oct 24, 2012)

I am hoping out get out in my kayak tomorrow and/or Thursday. I caught 3-4 dozen shrimp and about 20 finger mullet this PM and I put the shrimp in a minnow trap and placed this in the creek that I got them out of. I put the trap in a garment bag because I know the pinfish will eat them up if I didn't keep them out. I'm curious if others have had luck keeping shrimp alive. I've read a fair amount about this on the web and there seems to be two camps. 
I kept the finger mullet in a troll type bait keeper figuring having them separate would stress the shrimp less.
I am trying to get a few more drum before the bite is off but I'd also like to start doing some meat fishing for specks. The problem I'm having is that my bait generally can't compete with the loads of shrimp available in this creek so I'm trying to play on a more level playing field by using the live shrimp.
Any other advice on ways to make my baits more attractive than the available forage is appreciated.
Thanks
Howard
Hampstead, NC


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

Don't know about meat fishing for specks since you can only keep 4. Don't need live shrimp for them either. You should be able to get a limit in an hour or less on top water, suspending Mirrolures, soft plastics


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## challenger (Oct 24, 2012)

speckhunter80 said:


> Don't know about meat fishing for specks since you can only keep 4. Don't need live shrimp for them either. You should be able to get a limit in an hour or less on top water, suspending Mirrolures, soft plastics


I appreciate this advice. I've read several of your posts and it is clear you are a big proponent for fishing with artificial. I completely agree that catching on artificial is more fun and more challenging for most fisherman. I'd like to say I'll get my 1 drum limit, my 4 speck limited and as many flounder as time permits so I'll be using a dead stick with bait while I toss artificils.
Have you much success (almost said luck-ooops) Bomber "who DAT" for trout?
If so which would you suggest? 
The are I'm fishing is off the ICWW at the first 100 yards of a creek. It is clear water with sand but soon becomes a muddy, oyster bed bottom just FYI.
Thanks
Howard


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## [email protected] (Jul 12, 2006)

Try hanging a gulp shrimp goofy hooked about 18" under a float


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

I used to cast net both Shrimp and Finger Mullet for a live well Tank that was installed on Rodanthe Pier for a season

Shrimp are actually a bad ass critter especially going up against a finger Mullet

We learned quick that if the Shrimp and Finger Mullet and Pinfish and baby Fatback were left over night in the bait tank in the same compartment by the next morning just about every single fish had puncture wounds from the Shrimp spearing them with their horns and more than a few died of their injuries

You have to keep them separated if possible

I like using live Shrimp for bait especially in the ocean when the water is clear


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## challenger (Oct 24, 2012)

About 90% of the shrimp were very lively after about 18 hours in the minnow trap covered with the laundry bag. The ones that died I'd say were already in rough shape because I left them in a bucket too long as I casted for more while getting them the PM prior.
After putting them in the trolling bucket and then into and out of my kayak several times they were fairly shot. I can't paddle while dragging the troll bucket so I end up taking them out for too long. I did have enough lively ones to fish as long as I could but got only a short flounder (fluke in my vocabulary) and a short Sheepshead. It is the second Sheepshead I've caught in this shallow creek and I'd love to target some more but I don't think there are any large ones. When I lived on LI I spent a lot of time fishing for blackfish and it was nearly always productive and a lot of fun.
I had one on a popping cork but I think it was way too deep because the water was only about 3' deep and the hook was 4' deep. I got the two short fish on it but also got a few crabs and lost several with, I suspect, pinfish. Next time I think I'll raise the hook to 24".
Just my observation-I think it is the sticker on the ass of the shrimp that do the damage mentioned above. The way they flick as they flee and the way they stick my hand as I'm trying to hook them through the horn has me thinking this anyway???
Just as it started getting dusk the wind died and I could see a lot of surface action so I put on a Mirrolure Top Dog Red flash surface lure. I got two hits on 5 casts and then saw another area close by with some nice bow waves from drum. I paddled over and threw it and hooked a drum that towed the kayak about 25 yards then spit the hook. If I had to guess just by the way this fish fought I'd say it would have been the larges one I've hooked in this creek-speculating 25-26" and I wanted to throw my gear when it let go. It seemed to be hooked and it was pulling out line as it towed the kayak but I had a gut feeling that it wasn't hooked well. There is just something about the fight from a fish that is different when it is hooked well enough to land and when it isn't. It easy to tell when one is just holding on to the bait like a flounder does because there is almost no fight and sort of just weight and a little wiggle but when one is poorly hooked it is just a very slight difference. This is my experience anyway and, for me, I can really feel the difference with drum. As I said this one seemed to be in the bag because it pulled hard & long but something about the way it behaved made me a little unsure. Then all of a sudden it went from a bent rod to a floating plug. It was a beautiful afternoon/evening but I was still pissed off to go home without ANY fish. I don't want to start a debate about hooks but I generally switch treble hooks out with single "stinger" hooks. I have some coming in the mail but they didn't arrive so I used this lure with the trebles because I just recently got it. I think treble hooks, with certain fish/mouth types, allow the fish to use the one or two hooks that are not impaled as levers to pull the set hook(s) out. Not intentionally of course-just a product of the fish species,mouth, fighting style.
Third trip in a row with ZERO meat. Of course things could be a lot worse.
Thanks for the tips about the shrimp and the artificials.
Howard


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## Vinnx (Nov 11, 2012)

Trout and Reds will readily hit Shrimp under a float. You just need to make sure you're picking the biggest baddest fighting shirmp you got lol. My first Red I caught on this big boy 5" shrimp, he died in the bucket but I rigged him mid way through the back, out the belly, then back out the belly.. that way he was in that C shape and I used him like a lure jerking it through the water as if it was trying to run away from something.


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

Hang your hooks from split rings. You will lose way less trout and reds because they can not torque the hook.


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

speckhunter80 said:


> Hang your hooks from split rings. You will lose way less trout and reds because they can not torque the hook.


Do you think that this would be an easy task with a mirrolure TT or 52 series lure? I do a gree that split rings help with less twisting on most lures but these two havr different set up for thier hooks.


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

Of course it is easy. The hardest part would be opening the split rings to put the hooks on. Other then that you have two small screws to take out, slide the metal bar out take the hook off and put the split ring on then put the metal bar back on and screw the screws back in


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## [email protected] (Jul 12, 2006)

Fishman said:


> Do you think that this would be an easy task with a mirrolure TT or 52 series lure? I do a gree that split rings help with less twisting on most lures but these two havr different set up for thier hooks.


Put a small livewell in your kayak. Easy - Small bucket, 20 dollar aerator.


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## challenger (Oct 24, 2012)

Yes-split rings on the 52 mirrolures won't work-not enough room under the little clamps. 
Split rings also make the length of the hooks a good bit longer and I've found this often causes the hooks to catch each other. I try to make the replacement hooks sit far enough apart so they can't reach each other ANDso they are free to swing and wobble as well as the treble hooks they came with. That is a challenge eight the clamps on the mirrolures. The eyes on swash or stinger/open eye hooks are usually too large to fit under these clamps so I've just cut off one of the treble hooks on these.
Yesterday I spent 10 minutes untangling the lure I was throwing from my net. I misjudged where the net was and it got in the way of my back cast. The treble hooks went through the nylon mesh and getting them out made for a colorful string of expletives. All my fault but I was wishing I had changed out the hooks again.


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## Alexy (Nov 1, 2010)

speckhunter80 said:


> Hang your hooks from split rings. You will lose way less trout and reds because they can not torque the hook.


..what he said... good advice


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

speckhunter80 said:


> Hang your hooks from split rings. You will lose way less trout and reds because they can not torque the hook.


How well do you think this will work?
Have you done this with success and would you consider removing the center hook?



[email protected] said:


> Put a small livewell in your kayak. Easy - Small bucket, 20 dollar aerator.


WHAT?


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## redbucket (Oct 23, 2013)

Wow, lots of great advice here.


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

Split rings do work on 52s as I have been putting them on for 25 years or more. If you get the wrong size then you might have to downsize the hook.


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

Fishman said:


> How well do you think this will work?
> Have you done this with success and would you consider removing the center hook?
> 
> 
> WHAT?


*Yes with great success or I would not recommend it on the web or during my demo sessions. I have been doing it for 25 years or more. No, I do not take off the center hook but you can. *


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## [email protected] (Jul 12, 2006)

Fishman said:


> WHAT?


The original question was about how to keep live shrimp alive in a kayak. A small livewell would do this, no?


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

No it was if they would stay alive in the creek. But like all great P&S threads.........


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## challenger (Oct 24, 2012)

What does a bagel with cream cheese and turkey cost in Kalamazoo?
Just figured I'd ask.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Honestley if you don't like the flow troll, get a 2 gal bucket and a 8 dollar aerator and rock it. Meat fishing for trout and reds is yery effective, I'd say go to singles on your plugs. I mostly catch reds on a boat on my 750ss with a big hook and a chunk of meat, I only use trebles on trout king Spanish and sting silvers/gotchas now


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Speckhunter what size split rig would you recommend for the 52's and TT's?


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## challenger (Oct 24, 2012)

NC KingFisher said:


> Honestley if you don't like the flow troll, get a 2 gal bucket and a 8 dollar aerator and rock it. Meat fishing for trout and reds is yery effective, I'd say go to singles on your plugs. I mostly catch reds on a boat on my 750ss with a big hook and a chunk of meat, I only use trebles on trout king Spanish and sting silvers/gotchas now


Where does one look for an aeretor that is $8.00???
Thanks
Howard


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

http://www.amazon.com/Marine-Metal-...=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1383508373&sr=1-1


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Frabill-Portable-Aerator&i=441898


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

http://www.marinemetal.com/products/15-3-vt-airpumps


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