Collecting Tropical Strays

[tnc112105]

Hi All,

Hubby and I are going to go collecting tropical strays tomorrow, and I wanted to extend the offer if anyone would like me to set aside some fish for them. You'll have to pick up tomorrow evening around 8pm, but this time of year we regularly catch tons of good sized Spotfin Butterflyfish, Bandtail Puffers and Northern Pipefish. We will also occasionally catch Four-Eye Butterflies, Short Bigeye, and Planehead Filefish, but these are rarer. That's the great thing about collecting! You never know what you're going to find.

They're free, of course but please let me know in advance if you'd like me to take something for you. I'd rather collect only what I have to. These fish will definitely need to be quarantined. Usually they are covered in parasites, but I have found that they readily adapt to aquarium life when fed pieces of chopped live mussel in order to spark their appetite.

 

[Kworker]

Awesome, I've been wanting to go out and collect some myself.

 

[tttony]

That sounds like a great time , are lion fish getting caught in the Gulf Stream as well ?

 

[tnc112105]

I haven't seen any lion fish personally, but it's not unheard of to see them this far north.

 

[homegrowncichlid]

Well, you guys must be out at the ocean right now, please let us know your statistics and technique. Diving location and depth? Seine netting? and how long did it take to collect your catch? were you out at high or low tide? Thanks in advance.

 

[samksy]

share some pics . going with the kids this weekend

 

[tnc112105]

Well, my photography skills leave much to be desired, but I'll try to follow up with some pics tonight!

 

[Aquadicted]

oh dis gun be gewd

 

[tnc112105]

Oh this is so frustrating. My husband got some nice pics last night and I can't find the stupid cord to download the pictures to my computer! Gah! :banghead:

 

[charliethetuna88]

What did u guys get ?

 

[tnc112105]

It was a great day. Here's a list of what we got. We didn't keep all of them of course, but the fish that we took home are eating already!


Lookdowns
Spotfin Butterflies
Foureye Butterflies
Bandtail Puffers
Northern Puffers
Short Bigeye
Bicolor Damselfish
Scrawled Filefish
Trunkfish
Sennet
Blue Spotted Cornetfish
Northern Pipefish


We also have a Flying Gurnard from earlier this year that's doing awesome.

 

[Clink51]

this is pretty awesome. Do you guys actually dive in or throw nets? and how does one get involved in the fun? maybe for next season you'll have space for one more on a boat? lol

 

[charliethetuna88]

Nows the best time of year its not to late should actually get better

 

[reefiness]

yeah im interested in how you do this also. I would totally be interested in trying to catch my own fish to house.

 

[LongIslandAndy]

Buy a seine net 10-25ft add twp poles to the end , get a buddy and go out into about 3-4 feet of water and drag it towards the shore. Last year we where still doing it into October (water will be the warmest). I tend to do it for the grass shrimp, minnows and killies that I freeze for fish food. Try right behind where the Oak Beach Inn was in Babylon. Make sure you don't go at high tide

It's a blast on a nice day

 

[charliethetuna88]

Lets go andy

 

[joe.friedrich]

Just bought my sane net!

 

[tnc112105]

Yup, that's all there is to it!

It's been a great year for us so far, so get in the water if you still can. Try to drag the net through patches of eel grass. It provides a great hiding place for the juvenile tropical fish.

I'm still looking for the cord for the camera, but pics will be up as soon as I find it.

 

[homegrowncichlid]

Hi, statistics please, how long is your net and what kinda numbers are we talking about per drag of x distance? I barely catch anything with my 6 foot seine net and I push it directly towards the shore from chest high water. Perhaps I'm in the wrong area or my technique is no good.

 

[tnc112105]

Hey, homegrown. I think your net may be too small. We use a 30 foot net and get tropicals nearly every time. Spotfin butterflies are the most common. I'm not sure where you're seining, but at low tide Shinnecock Bay is a good place to try