Ghost Shrimp are one the ugliest and weirdest looking bait commonly used on the gulf coast, but they definitely are one my favorite baits to use in the surf and on the pier. These odd-looking crustaceans are pale in color except for a strip of orange on their tails, and look like a misshapen cross of a lobster and shrimp that got stepped on after being made. Even though they are ugly, they do have amazing scent properties working as live bait, fresh dead bait, or blanched/frozen. Just about everything in the surf eats them: pompano, sheepshead, whiting, redfish, black drum, and so many more. One time while fishing the pier I even had a tripletail float by and inhale one. While you can buy them blanched and frozen sometimes from tackle shops, they aren’t cheap especially compared to other baits like shrimp and sand fleas.
I feel that ghost shrimp perform the best when used as live or fresh dead bait, so collecting your own is the best choice. The problem with collecting them though is that ghost shrimp live in burrows in the sand that can extend up to 4 feet down into the sand and mud, so digging them out isn’t really an option. So you need a ghost shrimp pump, a suction tool you use to pull plugs of sand out of the beach that hopefully contain the ghost shrimp. You can buy premade pumps online or sometimes in tackle shops but they start out at $60 for a few pieces of PVC put together. So I’ll show you how to make your own ghost shrimp pump so you can collect your own baits for cheap for years to come.
For this project, I used a length of 2″ schedule 30 PVC pipe I had received as a shipping tube, and a piece of 3/4″ schedule 40 PVC pipe from Home Depot. I made two versions of the pump one that requires a 1″ drill bit and saves a couple of bucks, and the other that requires no drilling but uses a couple of fittings instead of one. For tools to make the pumps, you will need a hand drill, some drill bits, a sander or grinder, and a saw or PVC pipe cutter.
Parts Needed
- 2″ PVC Pipe at least 2 feet
- 3/4″ PVC Pipe at least 2 feet
- 2″ Plastic Test Plug
- 3/4″ Cap
- 3/4″ Tee
- 2″ Coupling
- 2″x 1″ Reducer Bushing
- 2″ Cap (This can be used to replace both Coupling and Reducer Bushing)
- Stainless Screws
To make the main body and piston of the shrimp pump first you want to cut both the 2″ and 3/4″ pipes to the same length, I made mine 3 feet long because I don’t like hunching over as much when pumping. If you don’t have a saw you can buy precut 2-foot lengths of 2″ and 3″ PVC pipe at Home Depot, I think that’s a little short but if you’re in a pinch it’ll work.
Now you got the two lengths of the pipe are cut it’s time to grind down the upper cap of the plastic test plug. Spin the wing nut down to press on the rubber washer till it has a tightish fit with the 2″ PVC pipe. Then using a sharpie, mark around the rubber washer on the larger plastic top cap. You want to grind off the marked parts till that top cap is flush with the line so the whole test plug can slide up and down the 2″ PVC pipe.
Once the plastic top cap of the test plug is ground flush put is aside. Grab the 3/4″ cap and drill a hole in the center large enough for the bolt from the test plug to fit through. Once the hole is drilled, you can assemble the pump piston plug as shown in the pictures below.
Now you have the assembled piston cap, attach it to the 3/4″ pipe and use a stainless screw to secure the cap in place. We use screws instead of PVC glue so the pump can be taken apart later for maintenance or replacement parts.
DIY: Ghost Shrimp-Yabbie Pump
Now we are going to work on the main tube of the pump using the 2″ PVC pipe. Get the 2″ coupling and attach it to the 2″ PVC pipe. Again use a couple of screws to secure the coupling to the pipe, then insert the reducer bushing into the coupling and secure it with screws. Then insert the 3/4″ PVC pipe of the pump piston through the reducer bushing and attach the 3/4 tee to it, and then use a screw to secure the tee. This finishes the core assembly of the ghost shrimp pump.
Now to go the route to save a couple of dollars or you already had a 2″ cap laying around its pretty simple. Literally just drill a 1″ hole through the center of the 2″ cap. Then attach it to the top of the 2″ PVC pipe, and secure it the same way with a couple of screws. If you have leftover 3/4″ PVC pipe cut it into short lengths a few inches long to attach to the tee for a larger handle if you want.
Now regarding collecting your own ghost shrimp, I’ll give you a few tips and some info. You want to have a small dip net with you when pumping shrimp, especially if there’s some wave action, you want the net to help scoop up the shrimp you are pulling out of the sand. You want to go out around low tide, you’re looking for mounds in the sand with holes in the center. Like little volcanos, they will usually be together in colonies. You want to place the pump on top of the opening of the ghost shrimp burrow and then pull the handle up. You don’t want to push the pump down into the sand, you want to use the suction force to pull the sand plug and shrimp up. If you push the pump into the sand, more than likely you will cut the ghost shrimp in half.
And the last couple of things I want to touch on about ghost shrimp pumping is in many places there are regulations about their collection, be sure you are abiding by local laws. Don’t want your cheap bait turning into an expensive ticket. And please only take what you need, ghost shrimp are very beneficial to the environment so don’t wipe out colonies just because you can.
