A Survey scoop of a Heavy Grass Shrimp Population

Comment

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on April 17, 2013 at 6:04pm

Grass Shrimp are very small Steve and the best place to catch them is in leaf liter or old grasses along river banks or ponds in which you know they inhabit......I scoop all of mine locally at a couple little ponds/lakes that have wood lines close by so I scoop the leaf liter and dig them out....it's very tedious but a highly desirable bait in my brackish waters......You're in with the snakes and the gators to get them where you live.....Some places sell them but few and far in between...I don't bait them like you would using a meal ball and cast net.....just a scoop net, sometimes you may get a couple per scoop and every now and then you strike bluegill gold....I place them in a bucket with aeration for survival and I add ice to chill the water and firm these guys up....they can get mushy in warmer water making them difficult to fish with...Hope this helps Steve.....

Comment by Leo Nguyen on April 17, 2013 at 3:18pm

Steve, hopefully Jeffrey got a much more detailed answer than mine, but those fresh water shrimps are a result of the migratory adaptation of salt water shrimps near the salt marshes, or the deltas. It takes generations of adaptation from the low brine water, especially the estuaries, which then flow through the fresh water connective system, which Jeffrey is well blessed with. His water ways is like the major highways connecting him to the best of the fishing world. On top of that, shrimps, for both fresh and salt water, only live between the elevation of the sea level, to about 500ft above sea level. Any greater, the chance of finding those shrimps are very very hard. I live roughly about 450ft above sea level, and looking for estuaries and larger water bodies, the chance of fresh water shrimp is practically 0, even though there's ton of water being imported from the deltas.

Comment by Leo Nguyen on April 17, 2013 at 3:11pm

Forget the fish. Panfried fresh water shrimps! Shrimp gumbo. Coconut shrimp. Man, imagine those little guys occupy our water ways. Our fishes will become titans.

Comment by Vince Fusco on April 17, 2013 at 1:12pm

I see why the gills and other fish in your area are so nice and fat........ pure protine!!!!!

Comment by dick tabbert on April 17, 2013 at 9:21am

Wow I guess you know what to use for bait.

Comment by DAVID L EITUTIS on April 17, 2013 at 9:01am

You sure are right Jeffrey. Looks like an unlimited amount of food for all the fish to thrive on !!!!!!!!!!

Comment by Steve Totten on April 17, 2013 at 8:56am

Now I'm curious Jeffrey.  How did you get such a scoop of shrimp?  What kind of habitat do they live in, did you bait them? with what?  Are these from a trap of some kind?  I've scuba dived in salt water but only once in fresh, do fw shrimp live in the same kind of places sw shrimp?

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on April 17, 2013 at 8:35am

Any wonder that Bluegill can get large in waters holding Grass Shrimp.....