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My Pickerel Ate Shrimp!


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#1 Guest_chad55_*

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Posted 28 December 2006 - 02:27 AM

I finally got my grass pickerel onto shrimp. I used duckman's advice that he gave me a while back and got him to eat shrimp. The only reason this actually happened though was because I had an outbreak in my feeder tank and I could not feed my fish live feeders. He was starved for about a week or week and a half and I used the jigging technique to get him to strike. The first attmept was a failure and he struck but I tied the shrimp too tightly and he didn't get it. After that he wouldn't strike again and I waited another two days. Did the jig again and got him to eat a couple peices. Then I got him to eat a piece out of my hand! I was VERY VERY happy. Thanks Duckman!

Chad

PS sorry if I rambled...its late and I am excited

#2 Guest_drewish_*

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Posted 28 December 2006 - 10:30 AM

Congrats Chad. I have yet to get mine on shrimp, although I haven't tried much recently. We get out a lot so feeders are usually free, and when they aren't, they are relatively cheap at the store. Again, good job converting it.

#3 Guest_chad55_*

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Posted 28 December 2006 - 11:36 AM

I am hoping to get him onto shrimp fully. I hate feeding feeders! I have been pikcing out dead ones for the past two weeks and they are still dying off on me! I have no idea what is wrong with these feeders. Yea I havent tried much latley either until this. Almost a good thing that I had an outbreak!

Chad

#4 Guest_drewish_*

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Posted 28 December 2006 - 12:57 PM

How many are you trying to keep and in what size container?

#5 Guest_Duckman77_*

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Posted 28 December 2006 - 01:26 PM

Congrats! Glad everything worked out for you. I'm trying to get mine to take pellets now. I had some eat pellets already, but not consistently. I have had one in the past eat pellets so there is hope.

Feeders suck. No need to worry about disease, fungus, or keeping a separate tank just for feeders now. :)

#6 Guest_choupique_*

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Posted 28 December 2006 - 02:07 PM

I am able to keep several dozen feeders in an ice cream pail. Daily water changes, heavy areation, and cool temps ( mid 60's on the floor in that area). Could be the source.

When I catch my own feeders, I usually have much more than that, so I keep them in a sweater box ( long, wide, low plastic container). You can buy those anywhere. I will change water weekly in these, I use a long airstone to areate it, and add a plastic lid from a smaller container for the fish to hide under. If not, they will pile up around the air stone.

Gammurus can be kept alive for months this way, but you have to add leaves or brown paper towels for them to feed on ,and hide in.

If I had to keep them at room temp ( 72+), I don't know if these methods work as well. But in summer, I just keep them outside in a large container with some plants in it.

A friend uses the bottom of a plastic barrel with an ordinary air stone. Again, the floor he has this on is cool. He only changes a buckets worth of water every week when he picks up a new batch of feeders from the bait store.

Tips for buying healthy bait and bait stores: Go to bait shops that have water pumping through the tanks at a good rate, and additional air stones. Look to see that all the fish are very active and trying to remain in a tight group. A few always die, usually from being banged around. Lots of dead fish, low water flow, and listless fish all over the top avoiding the group are signs of problems.

#7 Guest_chad55_*

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Posted 28 December 2006 - 03:48 PM

I have maybe 50 fathead minnows in a 30 gallon tub...BUT I have very successfully kept over 100 in there with now problem at all. I have no idea what is wrong. I have been doing 75% w/c twice a week latley because they keep dying and rotting in there. But hopefully I won't have to deal with this anymore. Also I got them from cabelas and it looked very healthy but next time I go I am going to try shiners instead...That is if I ever buy feders again. I probably will though because my bass likes to have a treat every week.

Chad

#8 Guest_chad55_*

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Posted 28 December 2006 - 07:39 PM

Now I got him eating shrimp that I just dropped in there! This guy has taken a liking to shrimp! Thanks again duckman!

Chad

#9 Guest_dsmith73_*

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Posted 28 December 2006 - 07:49 PM

I had a batch of captive bred grass pickerel once that ate blood worms only, other than eating each other on occasion. I wonder if these fish could have been kept on frozen foods for good. Maybe using frozen shiners or silversides? This seems like it would be much easier and cleaner than live fish. You could easily gut load these too if you wanted.

#10 Guest_chad55_*

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Posted 29 December 2006 - 02:45 PM

That is a really good idea! What would be a good humane way to kill some minnows...lol?

Chad

#11 Guest_nativecajun_*

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Posted 17 January 2007 - 06:11 PM

I have maybe 50 fathead minnows in a 30 gallon tub...BUT I have very successfully kept over 100 in there with now problem at all. I have no idea what is wrong. I have been doing 75% w/c twice a week latley because they keep dying and rotting in there. But hopefully I won't have to deal with this anymore. Also I got them from cabelas and it looked very healthy but next time I go I am going to try shiners instead...That is if I ever buy feders again. I probably will though because my bass likes to have a treat every week.

Chad



Just curious! Why buy feeders? Unless you are in a place that freezes every water source over then I can understand. I guess I am spoiled here in Southern Tennessee within walking distance to the Georgia line. You can catch anything from one half inch, and even less at times, to as big as you want any time of the year here.

#12 Guest_edbihary_*

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Posted 17 January 2007 - 06:27 PM

Just curious! Why buy feeders? Unless you are in a place that freezes every water source over then I can understand. I guess I am spoiled here in Southern Tennessee within walking distance to the Georgia line. You can catch anything from one half inch, and even less at times, to as big as you want any time of the year here.

Some people feel that using wild-caught feeders exposes their fish to risks of parasites and disease. I'm not concerned about that, and obviously you aren't either. But there is some merit to their argument. I think the risk is low, collecting them is fun, and you can't beat free.

Some people here are fishkeeping hobbyists, but not fish collecting hobbyists. They would rather buy or trade for aquarium specimens and buy feeders at the LFS. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, if collecting doesn't float their boats, or if they are not healthy enough to do so. For others, you and me included, collecting the fish and the feeders is half (maybe more) the fun of fishkeeping.

#13 Guest_chad55_*

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Posted 17 January 2007 - 09:03 PM

I would love to have the conveniece(sp?) of being able to collect my own feeders. I probably would have never even stopped feeding live if I could. But there is no where to collect them around me. And I do not have any equipment or a drivers liscense to get anywhere to get them.

Chad



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