Ghost Shrimp "Mission Somewhat Possible"
TIME: 0900 Hours
LOCATION: Long Beach, CA
OBJECTIVE: To Learn How to Ghost Shrimp
There’s a saying that goes, “If you don’t know, then you better ask somebody.” Honestly, I don’t know how to ghost shrimp, I’ve never gone to ghost shrimp, and I’ve only seen ghost shrimp on the internet, so I went to ask somebody. I went to my friends Jim and Sy.
BIG JIM is a local Long Beach product having fished in its waters since a young lad. He gets lots of information working in a local Long Beach tackle shop, Fishermen’s Hardware Long Beach. To top it off he owns his own bait company, C&J Bait. ngounsay from Sythe Creations does all my custom rod wrapping. He is my fishing buddy, mentor, and fishes the Long Beach waters regularly.
TIME: 1000 Hours
LOCATION: Local Tackle Shop
OBJECTIVE: To Get the Right Tools for the Right Job
I like a hat to help keep the glare away and protection from the sun. You can always keep your back to the sun to help. Deck boots help a lot since you’ll be trudging through muddy conditions and want to keep away parasites, sandworms, snails, and other creepy crawlers off your toes. You also don’t get stuck as much as sandals, but your choice and I’ve seen people use sandals or go barefoot. I recommend a plastic bait tank and not a Styrofoam one. Plastic can take hits that Styrofoam can’t and Styrofoam can be really bad for the environment. Technically speaking anything that holds water will do, but 1 gallon of water equals 8 pounds so be careful of the water cause you’ll carry its weight.
The PVC slurp gun costs $25.95. You can build your own off of free internet plans. There’s minimal cost, but can cost maximum time if you’re not too handy. The stainless steel slurp guns work WWAAYY better and have better craftsmanship. PVC also gets thinned by the constant digging into the sand, which can lead to loss of pressure and cracking. Be sure to rinse either gun after use.
TIME: 1300 Hours
LOCATION: Mother’s Beach Lagoon
OBJECTIVE: Find the Ghost Shrimp
Usual places to find ghost shrimp are lagoons, bays, and anywhere else where there is a lack of wave surges and a surplus of generally calm water. Ghost shrimp homes will look like ant hills and pencil holes, a hole made by stabbing a pencil into the sand. When waves aren’t surging hard the hills are more pronounced, even under water. As the tide falls and waves rock the hills will usually disappear and you’ll see more pencil holes.
Why do ghost shrimp dig ant hills? They dig down into the sand searching for food. They can dig up to 30 inches deep. Pairs of legs act as shovels and with so many they can dig really fast. Why are they called ghost shrimp? I’m guessing it’s because when underwater their bodies are transparent making them hard to see. They’re also not shrimp, they’re related to lobsters.
TIME: 1 Hour 30 Minutes Away from Peak Low Tide
LOCATION: Slightly Above the Water Line, Where Waves Meet Sand
OBJECTIVE: Pump the Ghost Shrimp
Why 1 hour and 30 minutes from peak low tide? First, you get better suction with water, than with just sand. Since you’ll be working slightly above the water line there’ll be lots of hidden water underneath the sand above the water line. Second, once it hits peak low tide you’re stuck in a little area to work with. Sand further from the water line gets dry, hard to pump, and lacking in ghost shrimp. When done be sure to clean your slurp gun to keep it working properly and bring back as much saltwater as possible in the bait bucket.
Can you find the ghost shrimp?
Once there work in a row slightly above and parallel to the water line. Push the slurp gun in with plunger down, use the side handle to put some body weight into it. Go down as much as you can, then lift the plunger up, shoot that onto the beach by pushing the plunger in. Look for anything on the beach and repeat twice more in the hole. Put the ghost shrimp into the bucket fast, they can rebury themselves quickly. You’ll develop the eye for seeing them on the sand. Don’t worry about getting your technique down, there’s always a low tide the next day. They can be deep, 30 inches, and sometimes shallow, 3 inches. Sometimes they’re just wiggling there looking like a dog scratching its butt on the grass.
Some people prefer to wade in the water and pump the holes that are in the water. They’ll use the above contraption to sift the sand and find the ghost shrimp. The PVC pipe frame floats and surrounds the basket in a snug fit. The basket has holes big enough to let sand through, but small enough to keep the ghost shrimp in. The basket comes out allowing you to swirl around some water, see what you got, and pour your catch easily into a container. The nylon dog leash is tough, durable, loops through its handle to attach securely. The clip goes to your belt loop. Wherever you go, it’ll go. IMHO, it’s an absolutely ingenious idea on product usage.
Slurping ghost shrimp out of a hole is like a baseball batting average. Some guys bat .400 and that’s really good. Some guys are lucky to bat .200. You never really know what you’re going to get until you slurp. I prefer closed holes, but I’ve caught 2 ghost shrimp on open holes and gotten plenty of strikeouts on both, closed and open holes, mounds and pencil holes. Best bet is to stay along the water line following it as it gets lower and lower. In that case my average is a respectable .330. Sy has a better feel and is a .500 hitter. Holes will also appear as you slurp, once the underground water is removed you’ll see them appear.
TIME: 1600 Hours
LOCATION: Home
OBJECTIVE: Keep the Bait Alive
Having gotten all the ghost shrimp I need and remembering to bring back as much saltwater as possible I head back home. The ghost shrimp is placed into the tupper ware and only enough saltwater to cover them is put in. The saltwater is changed a minimum of twice a day and the ghost shrimp are kept in a cold place. A friend has kept his alive for 2 weeks by doing so. When cleaning out the tupper ware you can place the ghost shrimp on a towel damp with saltwater. I also use the lid to act as a screener and pour the water out while keeping the ghost shrimp in.
TIME: 1700 Hours
LOCATION: Long Beach, 200 Yards North of Veteran’s Pier
OBJECTIVE: Hook the Bait
“I casted here and my bait went there” is only funny the first few times. OK, it’s funny every time that it’s not you. Naturally, you don’t want to be that guy losing all the bait all the time. Being new to this I asked what hooks people used. I wish I could tell you a specific hook to keep the prices down, but here’s a list of some of what I heard; finesse wide gap, #1 long shank worm hook, #4, #2, and #1 bait holder, #2 and #4 kahle hooks, and octopus hooks. People did say the best bait holder for the job was Eagle Claw. The reason was better bait barbs and the barb length is better suited for the job. I am not sponsored by Eagle Claw and no I can’t get you a discount, sorry flashbacks. Hook size is subjective to size of ghost shrimp and species targeted, as is the size of the ghost shrimp you want. Many do prefer ghost shrimp that are carrying eggs. When in doubt ask your local tackle store for help, see what they suggest. Or post a question in the forum section.
Ever throw a fastball? When baiting I like to hold the ghost shrimp like I’m going to throw a 4 seam fastball right down the plate.
Don’t worry about the claws, they’re more annoying than dangerous. If you’re curious about it, the claws won’t make you bleed. Start by the tail where they poop, hook through following along the tail, follow through, and push out by the head. The tail should be all the way by the eye of the hook.
Others prefer to put the hook through the center of the thorax, still others prefer just using the tail as bait. I even tried hooking near the middle of the ghost shrimp. And I’ve seen people hook the ghost shrimp, then tie the ghost shrimp to the hook. California limit is 50 ghost shrimp a day so you’ve got enough to practice and develop what you like. Some people say cast gently, I prefer to fastball them out there and test my hooking skills. I give them one last ride. The last thing and worse thing I want to do is be some internet demigod tyrant saying this is gospel and I’ll flame you if you disagree with me. The best hooks and baiting is what’s best for you, I’m just throwing out options.
Catching your own ghost shrimp doesn't mean you'll catch the most fish, or the biggest fish, or any fish at all. But, it does make the experience a bit more enjoyable.
TIPS
*Carry a jug of water in your car to rinse off your deck boots. The sand left on the road will be appreciated by the rug at home.
*Use only saltwater to keep to store the ghost shrimp, freshwater will kill them. Don’t learn the hard way.
*Choose tupper ware that will fit into your surf bag easily and don’t poke holes for air. Take the lid off at the beach to allow air. They survive really well, but I wouldn’t put more than 15 in the tupper ware shown. Too many will make for a lot of urine in the container which would kill them.
*Follow the etiquette at the pump site. You'll notice how others are working, just follow the similiar fashion. Start working where you won't cut somebody off and give the elders the greatest of respects.
*Experiment with different sizes of ghost shrimp and hooks for the species you target. The best method is what works best for you.
Special thanks to BIG JIM and ngounsay for their help. Special thanks to Fisherman's Hardware Long Beach for allowing me to take pictures in the store and take up an extraordinary amount of time of your workers. Overall, I hope the reader has gained knowledge where to find ghost shrimp, how to slurp them out, and how to hook them. Good luck and tight lines.
Forever!)
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