Thread: OK yall. This is what we been awaitin on.

In the Harris Chain (at least Lake Eustis where I live) the fishin is really taking off. Don't have to go find them any more, they are right where they should be. Out in the main lake, fish the pads and grass in 5' or less of water. Most all the canals are producing lots of fish, the thing is, most are still males. This means one thing really...from now and for the next few weeks, your gonna have the best fishing of the year. In a 2-4 hour period (right now) it is no challange to bring home 15-20 real nice keepers. You can actually hold up a 11" fish and decide to toss him back cause there are plenty of 12-13"ers out there to be had. Best tactic right now is a minner tipped jig, either chart. or pink headed white, or a grass shrimp on the lightest line you care to use. Dip down to the bottom and raise it up a few inches.
The race is on today, and a big float boat party planned tomorrow, but come tuesday, you will find me on the water at least 2 hours a day. Looking forward to posting some pics if I can just remember to set my camera out where I can see it to remind me.
Dusty

Sounds like you guys are having some fun. Its close to time here in N. Fl/S. Ga, the water temps I have been seeing are 58-62 so they shouldnt be long. I read allot about grass shrimp, where do you find them? Im going home to Ms for spring break March 6-15 and I would like to take some home and give them a try there. We do well at home with babby crawfish and minnows but never heard of grass shrimp

There are really 3 ways to get grass shrimp, and here they are.
1. Buy them at the bait store.....kind of expensive though.
2. Have a really great buddy that will give you some. Best plan, less cost, LOTS less work. and
3. Have a net with a fine mesh on about an 8' handle, find an area with eel grass in water 5' or less. Push the net straight down to the bottom and shake it up and down just a bit as you move it through the eel grass keeping as close to the bottom as you can. I like to put my net out from the boat about 4' and shake/draw it back to me. Less strain on the back for an ol fart. After each pass, bring the net to the boat (I keep mine over the water to avoid a lot of mess) and pick through it. You will know if you are in a good area pretty quick by the number of shrimp you have. If your not familier with them, they look excatly like their larger saltwater kin, but only 1" to 1.5" long.
There ya have it, or at least the way I do it. I do have a really great bud that will give me some now and then, so we share the work. Sometime I will go get them, sometime he will. But bet your southern postierior I will have some come the meet at the end of the month.

Originally Posted by centerdriver

There are really 3 ways to get grass shrimp, and here they are.
1. Buy them at the bait store.....kind of expensive though.
2. Have a really great buddy that will give you some. Best plan, less cost, LOTS less work. and
3. Have a net with a fine mesh on about an 8' handle, find an area with eel grass in water 5' or less. Push the net straight down to the bottom and shake it up and down just a bit as you move it through the eel grass keeping as close to the bottom as you can. I like to put my net out from the boat about 4' and shake/draw it back to me. Less strain on the back for an ol fart. After each pass, bring the net to the boat (I keep mine over the water to avoid a lot of mess) and pick through it. You will know if you are in a good area pretty quick by the number of shrimp you have. If your not familier with them, they look excatly like their larger saltwater kin, but only 1" to 1.5" long.
There ya have it, or at least the way I do it. I do have a really great bud that will give me some now and then, so we share the work. Sometime I will go get them, sometime he will. But bet your southern postierior I will have some come the meet at the end of the month.

Pray-tell
How do they keep???
What do you do to keep them alive for several days??
You don't go out every day to gather them??

flycaster
AKA
John

I net them just like get them like Centerdriver said,I get mine in topped out hydrilla.I belive grass shrimp will beat minnows any day of the week and they are also good for bluegill.Its like passing out candy to panfish

Flycaster, I got some one time not knowing anything about them because there were no minnows available. The shop just wrapped them up in wet newspaper. They kept all day for me that way. Don't know how long they will actually last though.

I would think a small aerated minnow bucket would work fine. They can hop further than a minnow and kinda play possum.

How do you hook yours? I hook mine through the harder shell of the head, though ive seen people thread them on the hook going up the tail into the body.

Keep grass shrimp in a cooler just laying on top of a layer of wet newspaper.

Tom

I get my grass shrimp with a seine net. It's about 3' from top to bottom, 12 feet long, has weights on the bottom and styrofoam floats at the top. Two people hold the sticks at each end that it's attached to and just walk the shoreline for maybe 15 yards. Any place that there is any vegetation in a lake you will have hundreds a lot of the time. Normally one quick walk along the edge of the lake and I am throwing most back after my buckets full.