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fiddler crabs

9046 Views 12 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  sobosteve
Question..
I have used fiddler crabs before catching sheepshead,(awesome bait) but I personally have never tried to get my own. Anybody familiar enough with South Nags head ( pea island refuge park) to give me some advice on where, when..the how actually I have, doing the 2 x 4 planks in an inverted ":v" with a tub at the notch buried to collect the crabs in. any and all suggestions welcome.
thanks
sobosteve
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Strips of paneling are much lighter to carry than 2x4's. Jimmy'sfan48 probably knows a spot or 2 you could drive to... Which is kinda tough with all of the development. If you can't get fiddlers don't give up sand fleas and shrimp both work but Pinfish etc won't mommick a crab as bad.
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I always caught the ones with purple on there shell. Were ever the mudd and sand mix is key so you don't sink to your chin. They should be everywhere. Go at Lowater.
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hey whats up. i use to be jimmiesfan48, but here. goes. if you want to get some sand fiddlers. its not to hard. anytime in the summer just go to where the water meets the sand and dig down. once and a while it might be about 10 inches deep but you usually can find as many as you want. you can get them anywhere on the beaches. also try the berkley gulp sand fiddlers they work prtty good to. just hit some of the beach accesses in nags head and then you should be on your way for some fish.
thanks puppy drm 48...will try all that you recommend, I have never tried the berkley gulp sand crabs..tried the bloodworm and the shrimp, works ok. are the fiddlers more active at night? ..and do I use a piece of rotting fish as a lure in the bucket I will put in the hole?
sobosteve
puppydrum48--I believe you have the fiddler crabs confused with the sand fleas--The fiddler crabs are the small crabs with one big claw (looks like he is playing a fiddle) that live in colonies on the shore and after you fish with them, you usually need a blood transfusion because of many bleeding fingers.:eek:
There is an old thread here somewhere on the art of catching and using fiddlers.
I use the chute method.

1-Find an active colony of fiddlers
2-Lay a 5 gal. bucket on it's side
3-Form a V with planks leading into bucket
4-Wait for them to get active again
5-Take a broom and sweep them into bucket

Getting them into bucket was never my biggest problem, but getting them out and on the hook was.

After over a half century of much blood loss and near lost fingers. Sinker man asked me if I had ever heard of tongs. DUH!

Not only does this site give good fishing advice, it can save limbs and body parts.
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Thanks for the directions Fojoloy. I was lost as to how the inverted V method worked that everyone was talking about. I'm looking forward to trying this out now.
ok..thanks for the info..regarding the "sand fleas" I always look for the "v" in the sand once a wave receeds..a sure sign of a flea colony, now the fiddlers is a different problem, I have seen tons of fiddlers when I am not fishing, once at the old fort in wilmington. they were all over the short sawgrass and muck on the way into the fort from the outlying batteries. Now when I am ready to catch some fiddlers, I am assuming they will be in the muck of wetlands..presumaably in the daylight hours as well?
sobosteve
sobosteve--I have an area close by on the sound where a sea wall has washed out and it is a sandy area connected by small marsh, also they run along in the sand at the edge of ditch in parking lot at the marina. I catch them in the day. Ain't going out in the muck for them. I believe the black muck holes out this way bypass the molten center of the earth--I think they connect directly with other muck holes down in China somewhere.:D
lol fojoloy..that muck is horrendous to get in and hopefully out..will find a spot near the sound at south nags head to get some..thanks for the post
anyways..got 2 months to wait before I test that theory..dang it!
sobosteve
Steve, go to google click on maps then hybrid then zoom in on the sound side there and you should get an idea of a few places to try out. I think you can even print you a map. I haven't tried out printing one yet but I have wore out their server looking places over. LOL
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thanks sinker man..will try that.
sobosteve
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