Hello there. I live on the Ashley and there are millions of fiddlers all over the mud banks. What’s a good way to catch them without mudding my boat? I wonder if they would be attracted to fish in a minnow trap on the bank and find thier way in just like a crab pot? I’ll give it a try and report.
someone told me to dig a hole above the waterline put some nasty “food” in the bucket you place in the hole and they will fall in, at least thats what I have been told, never tried it
Bragging may not bring happiness,
but no man having caught a large fish,
goes home through the alley.
-Anonymous
I’ve tried the sheet with food on it and a string tied to each corner -has to be flat so no marrsh grass. I’ve tried the cup with dogfood buried flush -only works on the falling tide or the ground water pushes the cup up shortly. For all the work, and waiting, you’ll still get muddy. If they are fairly thick, you should be able to get 4-5/minute by hand. I finally decided that the most efficient way was to just spend 10 minutes grabbbing them. I havene’t tried but have been told that herding them into the corner formed by two 12’-16’ 2x4s works, especially with 2 people and if you first bait the mud in the middle. But, again, by the time you set everything up and take it down, you could already have grabbed 50-100 and been on your way. Or go to Haddrell’s and be done with it.
I was thinking I’ll take my shop/vac with the hose on a stick and suck them up. I tried to get them in a cup but they just bury themselves in the mud
I buy those cheap bug catching nets from the dollar tree and drag and scoop them up when they are on the run from me. Lol. For real!! Old minnow net or aquarium net would work too… I just reach ahead of them and pull towards me…
miss’n fish’n
212 SEAHUNT CC
Sea Squirt 16
Grab a Hoola Hoop or Bait Hotel and toss it on top of them. Just be sure it has a top so they can’t crawl out.
>=<((((o> Wando High School Angling Club >=<((((o>
Spend the money and enjoy the day.I have a zillion under my dock every day.Come try what ever you want off my dock.
Stonoman
Thanks for all the suggestions. The bait store is an attractive solution, but I think I’ll stop by the dollar store and get a bug net, then procede to paint my kayak pluff mud brown. I suppose it will be kinda like night crawler hunting as a kid. I think I recall hearing that fiddlers are easy to keep. I’ll do a search.
Thanks!
“Junk always sounds best.”
quote:
Originally posted by wandogofishingI was thinking I’ll take my shop/vac with the hose on a stick and suck them up. I tried to get them in a cup but they just bury themselves in the mud
Rain just ran me in… I got a mental picture and a good laugh! That might work with a small generator.
working hard and playing harder
quote:
Originally posted by wandogofishingI was thinking I’ll take my shop/vac with the hose on a stick and suck them up. I tried to get them in a cup but they just bury themselves in the mud
Please invest in a go pro camera if this is attempted haha
Bragging may not bring happiness,
but no man having caught a large fish,
goes home through the alley.
-Anonymous
You could try what they do in Alabama. Get someone to drop you off at a big old mud bank just before dark. Take a burlap bag and open it up wide and place it on the mud. Then stand there and hold the top lip of the bag a few feet off the mud, so that there is a big open hole. Stand real still for an hour or so and hum show tunes and wait for your friend to come back to get you. When he comes back just pick the bag up and you should have 2 or 3 hundred in the bag.
And a snipe 
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
This Yankee kid came to the IOP in 1945.Local boys invited me on a snipe hunt.We rode bikes all the way down the island.The guys led me into the woods and gave me a croaker sack and a flash light and left me.they were going to another area they said.As soon as they walked off i ran back to the bikes and holding one across my bars and pulling one i hauled ass home.LOL Around 11pm one mother called and wanted to know where the two sons were.I told them snipe hunting.They walked home all the way to Sullivans island.They were pissed when they came for their bikes.
Stonoman
Stono, you might have been a Dammed Yankee, but not a dumb one!
Too funny, Stono:smiley:
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
ALL great suggestions!!
Try simply throwing a cast net over them on the mud and pull it slowly in. Werks fo me 
Seriously folks…just throw a small cast net over them on the bank, back off your boat into deep water, clean the mud out of the net, then put them in your livewell or bucket. Our washdown pump really helps to clean out the net, but is not necessary if you do it right. It only takes one throw if you are good with your net. It is just a little mess for a good day of fishing. I’ve tried a lot of different things, but other than buying them from the bait shop, it is the easiest way.
PioneerLouie
Pioneer Venture 175, Johnson 90
Summerville, SC
quote:
Originally posted by stonomanThis Yankee kid came to the IOP in 1945.Local boys invited me on a snipe hunt.We rode bikes all the way down the island.The guys led me into the woods and gave me a croaker sack and a flash light and left me.they were going to another area they said.As soon as they walked off i ran back to the bikes and holding one across my bars and pulling one i hauled ass home.LOL Around 11pm one mother called and wanted to know where the two sons were.I told them snipe hunting.They walked home all the way to Sullivans island.They were pissed when they came for their bikes.
Stonoman
1945? IOP and Sullivan’s must have been a much different place then. Would have loved to seen it before all the growth.
If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there’d be a shortage of fishing poles. ~Doug Larson
Malibu X-13
WS Pamlico 120 Angler
IOP and Sullivan’s were vastly different right up into the late 70’s