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Passive Collection Methods...


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#1 Guest_benmor78_*

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 09:57 AM

I was thinking of trying to collect some darters. There's an area of the Trinity river not far from me that has riffles and runs, if I put a trap in that stretch, could I possibly end up with a few darters? And is there a trap bait that works for them?

#2 Guest_Newt_*

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 10:18 AM

You're better off kick-netting for darters. They can be caught in traps, but not consistently or in numbers, in my experience.

#3 Guest_benmor78_*

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 10:53 AM

You're better off kick-netting for darters. They can be caught in traps, but not consistently or in numbers, in my experience.


Unfortunately, I don't know how to kicknet. And if it requires being able to see through the water, it wouldn't work here because the water is extremely silty.

#4 Guest_Newt_*

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 01:54 PM

Kick-netting is easy and does not require high visibility. Just plant your net (whether dipnet or seine) firmly against the substrate down stream of you, trying to eliminate any gaps beneath the net; then shuffle your feet vigorously through the substrate so that the silt and debris flows down through your net. Then haul up the net and see what you've got! This yields lots of small benthos, including not only darters but madtoms, sculpins, lampreys, salamander larvae, crayfish, snails, clams, scuds, isopods, and a great assortment of insects.

#5 Guest_Etheostoma_*

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 04:10 PM

If you're looking specifically for darters in the north Texas area, I've seen orangethroats in Clear Creek on FM 455 west of Sanger. I also caught blackstripe topminnows and freckled madtoms there. Unless they've changed it, there is an area by the bridge where you can pull off and get down to the creek.

#6 Michael Wolfe

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 04:32 PM

Not exactly next door, but not that far (in texas dimensions)... we got some nice darters (goldline and slough) at the convention last week (Athens, Texas)... both were in relatively slow water and so would seem to be rather adaptable to tank life...
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#7 Guest_mander_*

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 06:37 PM

Kick-netting is easy and does not require high visibility.


Not to wander too far off topic... but if one's State laws don't specify kick-netting (is it called something else?) may one assume it is an okay method for collection? ... the bagpipe didn't say, "no"....

#8 Guest_BLChristie_*

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 06:54 PM

If the current of the stream permits umbrella nets work well, you may want to try Ten Mile Creek down in Duncanville as well- in the spring it is clear, cool, and darters and shiners abound- something sometimes hard to find in the metroplex, other than that seining works well

...though that definitely isn't passive,
...umbrella netting perhaps semi-passive :)

#9 Guest_dsmith73_*

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 06:57 PM

Not to wander too far off topic... but if one's State laws don't specify kick-netting (is it called something else?) may one assume it is an okay method for collection? ... the bagpipe didn't say, "no"....


Kick-netting is just a technique that must use some type of net or seine as the actual capture device. If a regulation allows the use of a seine, then it also allows kicking into the seine, and the same with a dipnet(though it is much less practical).

#10 Guest_CATfishTONY_*

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 09:00 PM

Kick-netting is easy and does not require high visibility. Just plant your net (whether dipnet or seine) firmly against the substrate down stream of you, trying to eliminate any gaps beneath the net; then shuffle your feet vigorously through the substrate so that the silt and debris flows down through your net. Then haul up the net and see what you've got! This yields lots of small benthos, including not only darters but madtoms, sculpins, lampreys, salamander larvae, crayfish, snails, clams, scuds, isopods, and a great assortment of insects.



Newt you are the man.
thats the way my dad did it.
thats all we did and it worked for us to get the hellgrammites
(larva of the Dobsonfly)
as long as your net is just bellow the riffle that is.

Edited by CATfishTONY, 29 September 2008 - 09:01 PM.


#11 Guest_benmor78_*

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Posted 30 September 2008 - 07:56 AM

If the current of the stream permits umbrella nets work well, you may want to try Ten Mile Creek down in Duncanville as well- in the spring it is clear, cool, and darters and shiners abound- something sometimes hard to find in the metroplex, other than that seining works well

...though that definitely isn't passive,
...umbrella netting perhaps semi-passive :)


If you don't mind my asking, can one person use an umbrella net effectively, where would I get one, and how is it used? The same way, kick-netting, that newt mentioned above?

#12 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 30 September 2008 - 09:54 AM

If you don't mind my asking, can one person use an umbrella net effectively, where would I get one, and how is it used? The same way, kick-netting, that newt mentioned above?


I would not advise using an umbrella net. I find them pretty limiting in use while a 4' X 4' seine can be used alone and in many types of water. You can buy small seines and most sporting goods stores, all of the online stores have a good selection and even the sporting goods sections of the giant store chains have them (walmart/target). The only problem with some of the sporting goods stores and chain stores are mesh size....Most offer 1/4" mesh and this size will act as a gill net for many smaller fish. If you can, find a 4' X 4' seine with 1/8" mesh and you're set.

#13 Guest_JohnO_*

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Posted 10 October 2008 - 12:14 PM

I found umbrella nets at Dick's Sporting Goods. They have been of very limited use. Tried it in the riffles, and it was nothing more than a gill net with it's 1/4" mesh. I was fortunate enough to get the darters out of the net without killing them, they were stuck pretty good. Didn't make that mistake twice.

I fall back on my tried and true wal-mart pool cleaning net. Extremely fine mesh, looks like 1/16 or 1/24, more or less rectangular in shape, and you can buy them just about anywhere for $10. Works great for kicknetting in the riffles.

When possible I use my hands for that form of netting, one can be a bit more discriminating that way. Get the net downstream where there's a decent current, be sure that the bottom of the net is covering the bottom of the stream (no gaps), reach up about three feet and start rustling the rocks with my hands. Work my way downstream in an arc, and be sure to rattle the rocks right in front of the net - that's where a lot of the fish scared up will take cover. Works even better if you have one person to hold the net and the other to rattle the rocks.

Another effective darter catching technique for me - put the dip net on a long pole, get it almost parallel to the stream bottom, pull it toward yourself while working it side to side just a bit to scare things up. Darters hiding under the rocks will come out, and some times run up into the net. Also, work over the deeper pools with a fast drag of a dip net, you'd be surprised at what you may find. The Percina that I've caught all came from deeper, more tranquil pools. My logperch came from under a log.

I've also noticed that two people with dipnets draw far less attention than two people with a seine.

#14 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 10 October 2008 - 01:20 PM

I've also noticed that two people with dipnets draw far less attention than two people with a seine.

Yeah, it can be quite the bozo magnet. When I was in graduate school in Massachusetts we used to seine some ponds south of Boston for sunfish. At one site we always drew a carfull of local layabouts who'd drive by several times yelling at us, usually something to the effect of "Get a job!". I'm sure it never occurred to them that it WAS our job, besides the likelihood they knew nothing about holding a job themselves. I've never had anything like that happen in the mid-South.

#15 Guest_mikez_*

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Posted 10 October 2008 - 01:32 PM

Yeah, it can be quite the bozo magnet. When I was in graduate school in Massachusetts we used to seine some ponds south of Boston for sunfish. At one site we always drew a carfull of local layabouts who'd drive by several times yelling at us, usually something to the effect of "Get a job!". I'm sure it never occurred to them that it WAS our job, besides the likelihood they knew nothing about holding a job themselves. I've never had anything like that happen in the mid-South.


Ah yes, the joys of urban Boston. I've done a lot of striper fishing in all the rivers and even in the inner Harbor, at night! Boy could I tell you stories....
The biggest danger, [besides driving into the city :unsure: ] was thrown beer bottles from passing cars when fishing under bridges. :angry:

#16 Guest_rjmtx_*

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Posted 12 October 2008 - 10:22 AM

Kick seining into a minnow seine would be ideal, but if you want to do it for free, or next to free, you coud try making an invert kick net. Take two dowels, pipes, large sticks, or whatever, and attach them to a length of vinyl window screen. It'll take a little technique, but you'll catch darters. When I was doing invert work with a little vinyl kick net, I caught darters all the time (which were a welcome distraction). You could really use any kind of mesh and sticks to get the job done.

If you're going to spend money, just buy a seine. Get 3/8" mesh if you can. It's large enough to be relatively easy to pull, and small enough to catch most of what you want.

If you have a fishing license and aren't taking any game fish with your net, the law is on your side.

Edited by rjmtx, 12 October 2008 - 10:23 AM.




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