I have seen alot of reports of people catching fish with crab, live shrimp, and crawfish. I am wondering what is the best way to use these. I have fished with live shrimp, but they often die quickly. I'm not sure if I am hooking them correctly. Can anyone give some suggestions on the best way to hook the srhimp and the crawfish? Also, do people use live crab or dead crab or what? I would like to start using some of these to catch some bigger fish.

Depends on the crab for me, they work well whole if there small enough to be fished that way.

Never used crawfish in SW

Live shrimp I've always had the best luck with on a purpose built "clip" hook, or threading it under the carapace very carefully...

There are lots of ways to fish live shellfish and crustaceans, but over the years and much trial and error here are a few tips for you. #1 I noticed that you mentioned that your shrimp would die quickly..common problem if you dont know much about shrimp. The key to active fresh shrimp is where you buy them. TYou should always buy shrimp from a bait shop or marina that is right on the water. The will have a big circulation system that pulls water from the intercoastal or bay. This is important because shrimp consume dissolved oxygen quickly and are very "hot temperature" sensetive. Also dont put too much bait in a small comtainer. I'd say no more than a quart of shrmip for every 5 gallons of water. Shrmip becomed stressed easily and the over crowding causes the oxygen in the water to rapidly be comsumed.

If you're fishing from a boat with a bait well I'd say to change out or add fresh bay water every 30 minutes or so. Also in the heat of the summer I have found that adding a bait net full (10 cubes or so) of ice to the water helps keep the bait well water from becoming too hot. When shrimp get hot their shells become soft and you'll throw the soft shrimp off your hook.

Also..Always use a bait net in a bait well. You will have no doubt applied some sun screen by this time and the oily residue from the sunscreen will come off your hands and begin to kill the shrimp in your tank. ALWAYS ALWAYS use a bait net to scoop out your shrimp.


As far as rigging shrimp I have found a great wat to rig them that keeps the trout and smacks from short striking you and a hook thats sturdy enough for a monster bull red. Always use a hook that is size appropriate for the size of the bait. It will take a little time to figure this out but try to go small. I like to use the red annodized circle hooks with the wide gap. What I do is stick the point of the hook through one of the first shell segments just below the midsection of the shrimp. run the point down about half way into "the meat" of the tail and then start back up to the surface and back through another tail segment of shell.....This does three things...1.) you are sticking a hook through the shrimps head which will likely result in a dead shrimp once you cast...2.) it makes the shrimps tail lay out flat so that they "appear" alive even after dying...and 3.) the hook through two segments of tail shell gives a more sturdy set so you dont cast off the shrimp....BTW the direction on the hook should be..Hook point towards the head of the shrimp...hook "eye" towards the tail......More or less it looks much like a wacky worm set up that is used in bass fishing.

As far as hooking crabs...the very small crabs can be hooked live by starting a circle hook into the underside of the outer edge of the body then out the top of the shell through the carapace....for big crab..you break them into chuncks...bastically quarter tham...then just stick a hunk on a larger circle hook.....anyways..tight lines and good luck.

some suggestions regarding baitwells and sunscreen, I have used Smartshield exclusively when fishing as it is aloe vera based and will not kill any bait from the residue, also I would keep the ice bagged in a quality ziplock bag or use those freeze cubes, the fresh chlorinated water will affect the bait. I would also put some netting in the baitwell to allow the shrimp to cling to something instead of swimming the whole time which stresses them.

Some good suggestions above on keeping the bait alive...as far as actually using live shrimp, I still believe in the old fashioned way, i.e. hooked through the horn just in front of the black brain membrane on a #6 3x Mustad treble hook under a popping cork. In summer months, rig the shrimp about 18 inches under the cork and in winter two to three feet under.

Rigged properly, hooked properly, and fished with popping action, that shrimp will survive as long as it takes to get that trout to bite.

What kind of system do yall use to the keep the shrimp alive? What kind of netting to let the shrimpp cling on to?

I use a 5 gallon bucket with a Mr. Bubbles aerator or a Frabill aerator. You need to use a circular container because the shrimp will gang up in a corner of a squared or rectangular container therefore causing the shrimp to stress and die. I use a piece of screening from a house window to let them cling to. I dip them witha net or use my hands. I probably should always use the net, but.......... I agree that it helps to put some ice in there when it's hot. Use a ziploc so the chemicals in the ice won't harm them.

When I'm wading I use a Flow troll bait bucket and tie it to my belt and drag it with my Do-Net or stringer. Don't put too many shrimp in them, however. No more than 40. You'll kill them esp. if the water is warm. If you tie them up at your camp site after a session of fishing and you have bait left in them, watch for seagulls, herons, or even otters trying to get the shrimp out of the baitbuckets. I don't know how they do it, but they are smart enough to get in there and steal your bait. I've had it happen to me more than once.

Good Luck to all!!!

Lots of good info here. For shrimp I use:

Size 8 3x seaguard treble hook through the horn, 30 lb mono leader, barrel swivel, with and without a weighted popping cork.

Burgess aerator, (looks like a bilge pump).

Fiberglass window screen.

Size 10 3x seaguard treble hook if the shrimp are really small.