I know Fiddler crabs are one of the preferred baits for Sheeps but does anyone ever use them for other species? Almost all of the reds I’ve kept had stomachs full of fiddlers.
Do flounder or trout eat them too?
As for the Sheepshead question… The only time I’ve been fishing for Sheeps has been along pilings that were near the oceanface. Do they also travel up river some? For instance can I expect to catch them up the Stono near Elliot’s Cut?
These are time-sensitive questions as I caught some fiddlers and have time to throw the kayak in and fish tomorrow morning!
Wait, lets go back to my original question… Does anything else besides Sheeps and Reds eat fiddlers and does anyone use them for bait for anything besides Sheeps?
In this case I caught the fiddlers myself as I usually catch all my own bait, but why do you call fids a waste of money for Sheep bait?
I did search around for Sheeps today at various spots on the Stono but found nothing. Lack of experience probably didn’t help…
maybe bonzo meant to say as redfish bait. they’re worth it for sheeps, especially for the price of free.
i know of incidental catches with fiddler crabs on pinfish, oyster toadfish, black drum, trout, BSB, burrfish, and even a spanish mackerel by a friend last weekend.
not aware of anyone targeting anything but sheeps on fids.
Wait, lets go back to my original question… Does anything else besides Sheeps and Reds eat fiddlers and does anyone use them for bait for anything besides Sheeps?
In this case I caught the fiddlers myself as I usually catch all my own bait, but why do you call fids a waste of money for Sheep bait?
I did search around for Sheeps today at various spots on the Stono but found nothing. Lack of experience probably didn’t help…
yea, I cornfused even myself on this one…edited my response above…and I guess if you caught the bait then why not fish with them for reds…sorry man, Bonzo fail on this thread…good luck fishing!
Any and all fish that are on the bottom at the artifical reefs will bite fiddlers,blackfish love em. If you surf fish, fiddlers are good bait there too.
Yes Bonzo, I should have realized the typo in that response. Makes more sense now!
I’ve never tried fids for anything other than sheeps but would if I were desperate. It was more a curiosity question as I was surprised to see all the fids in the reds bellies. I wonder if they’ll be relying on the fids more this year with the shrimp being frozen out…
Today I tried the fids for Sheeps along various crusty pilings up the Stono but no takers at all. It wasn’t all that convenient in a single anchor kayak (boat kept swinging around) and the water was moving pretty swiftly most of the time. Does it matter if/how fast the water’s moving for sheeps? At one spot the water was riled up cloudy by the current…is that a no-no for sheeps fishing?
I did manage a slot red that I kept and a keeper trout that I released so the day wasn’t lost.
the fids in the red stomach probably have mostly to do with the time of year and the tidal cycle- it’s very high now and they’re tailing since it’s warm. they love crabs, and the adults can snarf whole blue crabs without getting pinched.
sheeps probably don’t care too much about ripping current, because in my experience, they typically like the “backside” of whatever structure the tide pulls around. but, that’s my experience because that’s where i fish. i believe, esp when chumming, they will stay in or at the edge of eddies or slack current most times, because that’s where the food can be picked off. my dad always told me to think like a trout in a mountain stream, and that every kind of fish orients to current and structure in its own way. that said, i like moderate to slow current, especially the two hours either side of low tide, for sheep fishing. as you sort of pointed out, two attachment points from a small boat will allow you perfect vertical presentation in little spots like you were working.
I catch fiddlers next to the tidal creek I live on.I have caught redfish on them in the Folly River. I have a new idea, though- how about using fiddlers in the surf for pompano? I have never seen sand fleas/mole crabs on Folly;probably due to the beach renourishment.When a flat day with minimal rip happens I’m thinking of using my ultralight spinning outfit with a 1/2 ounce egg weight in the surf for pompano.
Barbawang, I agree about fishing on the “backside” of the current. At the pilings I was fishing I saw lots of fids clinging to the various oyster/mussel/barnacle shells and I figure some of them slip up occasionally and that’s what the Sheeps are looking for. Next time I get a chance to go out I’ll try again for the Sheeps only with a second anchor this time.
I only really started fishing here last fall but all the reds I kept then also had bellies full of fids. I think it’s interesting that they can even digest them! I know the sheeps can crush them up but the reds seem to be enjoying them mostly whole.
If you look at some of the studies that biologist have done they say that a redfish’s main diet is fiddler crabs. I don’t use fiddler crabs because of the size of the bait. If I were to fish a creek I would want to use a larger bait like a shrimp, minnow, mullet, or menhaden. Redfish also have a keen sense of smell, being why a lot of fishermen will use cut mullet, menhaden, or crushed blue crab. Trout, flounder, and bluefish, etc don’t really eat fiddler crabs. Black drum and sheepshead would be the main two fish that eat fiddlers… Hope this helps!
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used to catch a mess of pompano using fiddler crabs down in tampa bay. would fish channels between islands. etc… pretty effective on a small yellow jig
I catch fiddlers next to the tidal creek I live on.I have caught redfish on them in the Folly River. I have a new idea, though- how about using fiddlers in the surf for pompano? I have never seen sand fleas/mole crabs on Folly;probably due to the beach renourishment.When a flat day with minimal rip happens I’m thinking of using my ultralight spinning outfit with a 1/2 ounce egg weight in the surf for pompano.
Mikeloo, folly beach definitely has mole crab colonies.I catch and use them regularly
fiddlers do catch spottails…I have caught many using them while fishing for sheepies…but other baits like shrimp seem to be even more attractive to the spottails than the fiddlers…
quote:Originally posted by mikeyloo
I have never seen sand fleas/mole crabs on Folly;probably due to the beach renourishment.
I had never seen sand fleas out at folly until this past saturday. went out with my girl and the dog before 10am and we were down at the county park portion. watching the dog in the surf and then sure enough as each wave broke and backed down, there were the sand fleas scurrying back into the deep water.
now I just gotta figure out how to catch some for bait…
