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Shiner methods


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#1 Guest_jetajockey_*

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Posted 01 August 2011 - 06:43 PM

Just getting some opinions about methods of capturing shiners. Have randomly caught some beautiful sailfin shiners, and I've seen them in the water, but dipnetting doesn't work very well. These are areas that are also heavily snake infested and have seen an alligator or two, so not really somewhere that I'd like to be wading around in if possible.

I'm working on a DIY shiner scoop made out of an old bridge landing net and a seine net, so I'm wondering if that will do any better.
Any ideas?

#2 Guest_frogwhacker_*

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Posted 01 August 2011 - 06:58 PM

I have good luck with just a plain wire mesh minnow trap. I use a slice of bread for bait.

#3 Guest_jetajockey_*

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Posted 01 August 2011 - 07:13 PM

I have good luck with just a plain wire mesh minnow trap. I use a slice of bread for bait.


I didn't even think about those.
I may give one of those a try, thanks!

#4 Guest_Doug_Dame_*

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Posted 01 August 2011 - 09:10 PM

Have randomly caught some beautiful sailfin shiners, and I've seen them in the water, but dipnetting doesn't work very well. These are areas that are also heavily snake infested and have seen an alligator or two, so not really somewhere that I'd like to be wading around in if possible.

Most of the Pteronotropis species, including sailfin shiners in particular, are usually pretty easy to catch by dipnetting. They have three habits that work to your favor: they like clear water (so you can see them), they especially like to hang out in groups in a "just so" sweet-spot in the current behind fallen branches and woodwork, and they'll keep returning to that same spot so you'll get a second, third, and fourth shot. (You can also catch most of them by classic "work the banks and roots" methods, but where you can do that, you can probably sight-fish for schools in open-water too.)

Your dipnet doubles as a personal snake protection device. Lure the offending snake into the net, and deposit it somewhere else. But if you do that, and it then slithers off and disappears, all the rest of your time in that location you'll be wondering if you made it mad, and now it's trying to sneak up on you from behind. So a if-you-don't-mess-with-me-I-won't-mess-with-you relationship really is best.

Rather than improvise a shiner scoop from an old landing net and a seine, another idea would to improvise up an assistant and use the seine as ... wait for it ... a seine !!! They work pretty well too.

Keep trying !!!

#5 Guest_Irate Mormon_*

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Posted 01 August 2011 - 11:09 PM

Doug - good advice all around!

#6 Guest_jetajockey_*

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Posted 02 August 2011 - 12:27 AM

Most of the Pteronotropis species, including sailfin shiners in particular, are usually pretty easy to catch by dipnetting. They have three habits that work to your favor: they like clear water (so you can see them), they especially like to hang out in groups in a "just so" sweet-spot in the current behind fallen branches and woodwork, and they'll keep returning to that same spot so you'll get a second, third, and fourth shot. (You can also catch most of them by classic "work the banks and roots" methods, but where you can do that, you can probably sight-fish for schools in open-water too.)

Your dipnet doubles as a personal snake protection device. Lure the offending snake into the net, and deposit it somewhere else. But if you do that, and it then slithers off and disappears, all the rest of your time in that location you'll be wondering if you made it mad, and now it's trying to sneak up on you from behind. So a if-you-don't-mess-with-me-I-won't-mess-with-you relationship really is best.

Rather than improvise a shiner scoop from an old landing net and a seine, another idea would to improvise up an assistant and use the seine as ... wait for it ... a seine !!! They work pretty well too.

Keep trying !!!



Maybe one day I will have your level of bravery, lol. I don't mind wading in the cold water creeks but the vegetated swamps is a big no-no for me.

One other thing I need to do is get a second net with a larger mesh. I currently have the perfect dipnet but I've noticed that the mesh size makes for a fairly slow travel through the water. I was using a 1/4" mesh net also but it didn't last too long with all of my roughhousing :[

#7 Guest_Doug_Dame_*

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Posted 02 August 2011 - 08:45 AM

Maybe one day I will have your level of bravery, lol. I don't mind wading in the cold water creeks but the vegetated swamps is a big no-no for me.

"Vegetated swamps" is not the general habitat description I think of for shiners and esp. Pteronotropis, at least not in places where I've been. Gator bravery is much easier if one avoids spending much solo time in places where large gators are likely to be. And as granddad used to say: "If you've seen five swamp fish, you've seen them all." (Okay, I made that up, but it's kinda true. Pirate perch are not charmers that entice you to keep coming back to see them again.)

If you get a chance to make a run up Highway 29 North from Pensacola towards Century/Flomation, check out all the creeks you cross, from Pine Barren Creek and up. A couple of them have some spectacular Pt. hypselopterus. And Highway 4 (?) going west from Century re-crosses many of those creeks, offering more possible easy access points. Look for darters too, by Florida's meager standards this is a very good area for darters.

#8 Guest_jetajockey_*

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Posted 02 August 2011 - 11:19 PM

"Vegetated swamps" is not the general habitat description I think of for shiners and esp. Pteronotropis, at least not in places where I've been. Gator bravery is much easier if one avoids spending much solo time in places where large gators are likely to be. And as granddad used to say: "If you've seen five swamp fish, you've seen them all." (Okay, I made that up, but it's kinda true. Pirate perch are not charmers that entice you to keep coming back to see them again.)

If you get a chance to make a run up Highway 29 North from Pensacola towards Century/Flomation, check out all the creeks you cross, from Pine Barren Creek and up. A couple of them have some spectacular Pt. hypselopterus. And Highway 4 (?) going west from Century re-crosses many of those creeks, offering more possible easy access points. Look for darters too, by Florida's meager standards this is a very good area for darters.



Bless you for your wealth of knowledge Doug.

I've run into sailfin shiners in some still/slow moving creeks (on accident). In the past few months I've gravitated more towards pygmy sunfish and other killies in the general area.

I'm seriously considering a small boat or rigid inflatable (sea eagle) when financially possible for sampling trips.

I am vaguely familiar with century, have driven through it a few times. I'll see what I can do as far as sampling goes. I have netted a few darters but nothing really impressive in any way, although I've not intentionally gone for them either. There's a place just south of century called beck's lake that looks like it might have some potential. Time to hit google earth again!

#9 Guest_EricaWieser_*

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Posted 03 August 2011 - 11:25 AM

And as granddad used to say: "If you've seen five swamp fish, you've seen them all." (Okay, I made that up, but it's kinda true. Pirate perch are not charmers that entice you to keep coming back to see them again.)

Elassoma gilberti, my favorite native fish, live in swamps. Picture of male: http://gallery.nanfa...resize.jpg.html
Swamp fish can be cool, too.

Edited by EricaWieser, 03 August 2011 - 11:31 AM.


#10 Guest_jetajockey_*

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Posted 03 August 2011 - 07:19 PM

Elassoma gilberti, my favorite native fish, live in swamps. Picture of male: http://gallery.nanfa...resize.jpg.html
Swamp fish can be cool, too.


They along with the others in the genus are the reason I go into the swamps to begin with. Pygmy killies are pretty neat too.

#11 Guest_jetajockey_*

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Posted 04 August 2011 - 07:03 PM

They along with the others in the genus are the reason I go into the swamps to begin with. Pygmy killies are pretty neat too.


Took a short trip to coldwater creek and juniper creek this morning. Both sites had an abundance of Pteronotropis hypselopterus. Ended up using a cheap $6 academy net over the perfect dipnet because the small mesh size and current speed made sampling difficult with it.



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