Fish catching equipment

[frizzo98]

Besides a slurp gun what equipment do you use to catch tropical fish?

 

[rjallen]

A slurp gun is a very specialized piece of gear and ineffective for most fish. It will damage many if used improperly.
Casting nets (you don't throw underwater you use them to isolate an area. ..The weights hold it in place), hand nets with metal rods can be effective.
Fish traps are very effective but can be an issue regulation wise.
Most importantly is VERY GOOD diving skills and expert understanding of fish behavior. There is a very high learning curve.
RJA

 

[r-balljunkie]

slurp guns are basically useless. the fish will just stare at you like you are stupid.

you use two catch nets. You make the nets yourself....1/4" mesh monofilament, tubing for the handle, rod for the sub-frame, wire from the inner frame. sew the mono net to the frame.

you'll also need a catch bucket. you can use a simple bait bucket.

you'll also need some fresh hypodermic needles to "needle" the fish to decompress it, if you are catching them deep.

it takes a lot of practice to catch a fish in the ocean.

good luck.

C

 

[billsreef]

it takes a lot of practice to catch a fish in the ocean.

And lots of patience

 

[frizzo98]

I mean I'm a new diver but my father is not and our first time out we caught several fish and a pair of shrimp. We used a big net thin clear plastic mesh that hase a large opening and narrows. We also used a net that is clear plastic with a mesh bottom. Tickle sticks help a lot to.

 

[frizzo98]

One strange thing is we caught a butterfly fish on the first reef. Never seen that before mostly on the second and third reef.

 

[frizzo98]

Besides a slurp gun what equipment do you use to catch tropical fish?

The reason why I said this is because slurp guns are the first thing people think of and I don't believe they work well. I'm looking for something a commercial tropical fish catcher might use.

 

[ace_92101]

Congratulations on the catches.

 

[billsreef]

The commercial guys often make their own, just like rballjunkie mentioned. For a commercial off the shelf product to use, what you described has already having work well. Sounds like the nets Divers Direct sell for fish collecting. I've got the clear plastic with mesh bottom, both the large and small one. Works well enough. The big trick is figuring just where the fish is likely to bolt when spooked, place your clear mesh/plastic net so that the fish will end up swimming into when spooked, keep net stationary and guide the fish into the net

I usually see plenty of butterflies on the first reef, in the stretch between Port Everglades and Government Cut. Definitely more on the 2nd and 3rd, but still enough on the first that I'd be surprised not see any butterflies.

 

[frizzo98]

I go in between Atlantic to Port Everglades and never see any on the first reef this was my first time. But I only go to the first reef in between Atlantic to a little south of commercial

 

[Saltliquid]

slurp guns are basically useless. the fish will just stare at you like you are stupid.

you use two catch nets. You make the nets yourself....1/4" mesh monofilament, tubing for the handle, rod for the sub-frame, wire from the inner frame. sew the mono net to the frame.

you'll also need a catch bucket. you can use a simple bait bucket.

you'll also need some fresh hypodermic needles to "needle" the fish to decompress it, if you are catching them deep.

it takes a lot of practice to catch a fish in the ocean.

good luck.

C

Spot on mate,hey can the quarter inch mono netting you use be purchased over the net and is that the stretched mesh size?

 

[Saltliquid]

This may be helpful.
http://southeastqueenslandm.aforumfree.com/t315-things-that-are-interesting#953

 

[frizzo98]

slurp guns are basically useless. the fish will just stare at you like you are stupid.

you use two catch nets. You make the nets yourself....1/4" mesh monofilament, tubing for the handle, rod for the sub-frame, wire from the inner frame. sew the mono net to the frame.

you'll also need a catch bucket. you can use a simple bait bucket.

you'll also need some fresh hypodermic needles to "needle" the fish to decompress it, if you are catching them deep.

it takes a lot of practice to catch a fish in the ocean.

good luck.

C

Would i need to decompress any fish caught at about 70 foot depth?

 

[frizzo98]

What about a max depth of 50?

 

[r-balljunkie]

Spot on mate,hey can the quarter inch mono netting you use be purchased over the net and is that the stretched mesh size?

i could never find the right size on the internet, i.e. the 1/4" netting. the stuff we use out here is basically already stretched. any bigger, or expandable mesh sizes.....the fish can swim thru, or end up getting tangled in the net.

my buddy was gracious enough to give me some of his netting before he left for hawaii.

the style of catch net i make is a bit different than on the link you show. i use a stainless steel wire to attach the actual net, prevent snags and repair jobs.

here's a pic of my rev. 0 prototype. my new nets are all stainless steel.
<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r158/cchavis/IMG_0474.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0474.jpg"/></a>

catch bucket

<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r158/cchavis/IMG_0473.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0473.jpg"/></a>


head shape (not my pic...this is the guy who showed me how to catch fish)

<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r158/cchavis/nets.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo nets.jpg"/></a>


its a fun, frustrating way to spend the dive, trying to catch fish. i usually know what im looking for before i start the dive. if i dont see any, oh well. always next time.

 

[r-balljunkie]

here's some pics of my current setup, verses the old ones.


<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r158/cchavis/marshall%20islands/PC096972.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo PC096972.jpg"/></a>



size difference

<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r158/cchavis/marshall%20islands/PC096971.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo PC096971.jpg"/></a>

 

[frizzo98]

Seems pretty good but I just bought my net. I didn't think to build my own and I bought one very similar to that but they all work the same. Maybe if I need or want I will try to build the next one.

 

[Saltliquid]

No mate, I mean they measure the netting while stretched from knot to knot in the netting, that’s what a mean.
The average small mesh here is three eighth stretched.
And frizzo98 it’s not just a depth of 70ish or deeper, it’s the temperature of the water that is the greatest concern.
Their swim bladder functions slow dramatically in cooler waters, so they are more inclined to come up bent, even from just 25 to 30 feet of water.
In summer temps here they rarely get bent much, even from a100 feet of water, in late winter it’s totally different!
Oh and sorry mate, but your netting was cut wrong, the net should billow with no help, it’s a common mistake by collectors when making nets.

 

[r-balljunkie]

Let me preface everything i say. im strictly a hack amateur collector. I only do it for fun and for my personal tank.

Collecting would be a heckova way to make a living....dont quit your day job folks, its damn hard on some days to get a fish in the net.

12 minute bottom time on a deep dive, swimming like crazy chasing fish.
40 minute safety stops.
2 hour surface interval...do it again 3 times a day.
i couldnt do it.

No mate, I mean they measure the netting while stretched from knot to knot in the netting, that's what a mean.
The average small mesh here is three eighth stretched

I think we have an Aussie to English translation mixup.....were both saying the same thing. i couldnt find the 1/4" readily available on the internet, only the 3/8" stretched, which i found not useful for smaller fish like wrasses, chromis and anthias, which is what im usually looking for.

Oh and sorry mate, but your netting was cut wrong, the net should billow with no help, it's a common mistake by collectors when making nets.

Yes, I cut the nets short trying to save on the 1/4" mesh, only have enough left to renet two...I make it work for me:lol2:

i could have used another 6" or so.

 

[Saltliquid]

No worries, Mate.
I have a quarter inch mesh fence net, but I don't want to cut it up, never found the mesh since.
I use to do it commercially for around 16 years, it makes it hard for a hobby to flourish amongst that.