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Hermit crab any good

4K views 9 replies 9 participants last post by  timmey 
#1 ·
Im after trying to catch some smothounds but am really struggling to get any peelers but am able to get a good supply of fresh hermit crabs. I've also frozen a few down. Just wondering if anyone rates it as I have never bothered using it before. It will be for fishing from the shore. Cheers
 
#2 ·
i have fished from boats before and had realy good peelers and not caught smoothies while a boat close to had hermits and was hammering them. so in my opinion i think they are as good or if not better than peelers. i was also on a pier recently fishing peelers i had no luck but one person was fishing hermits and caught the only smoothie of the day. so go for it
 
#5 ·
Good afternoon Amorphous,

In answer to your question, Hermit Crabs are certainly an underrated bait source for several species, not least smoothhounds. If you are not able to find peeler crabs, try mashed up hardbacks elasticated to your hook . They work very well for smoothhounds here in south Wales. By the way, when collecting hermit crabs along the water edge, carry a kiddies sand castle type bucket half filled with fresh sea water, and pop the live hermit crabs in the bucket. Hopefully this should keep your catch alive until getting home. Drop each H.C. in a bowl of tap water and they should vacate the shells poste haste without damage...its the change of salinity level that prompts this activity. Freeze them down as quick as possible before they die and this will retain their effect as a bait. Hope that helps,

Best regards,

Ticker (Derek )
 
#7 ·
fresh supply lucky you, i have fished peeler and hermit side by side for hounds and hermit always out fished peelers on my local beaches, i guess a lot will be down to your local environment but for me they work very well.
cheers S
 
#8 ·
Good afternoon Amorphous,

In answer to your question, Hermit Crabs are certainly an underrated bait source for several species, not least smoothhounds. If you are not able to find peeler crabs, try mashed up hardbacks elasticated to your hook . They work very well for smoothhounds here in south Wales. By the way, when collecting hermit crabs along the water edge, carry a kiddies sand castle type bucket half filled with fresh sea water, and pop the live hermit crabs in the bucket. Hopefully this should keep your catch alive until getting home. Drop each H.C. in a bowl of tap water and they should vacate the shells poste haste without damage...its the change of salinity level that prompts this activity. Freeze them down as quick as possible before they die and this will retain their effect as a bait. Hope that helps,

Best regards,

Ticker (Derek )
god would i like a bucket of hermits every time i went cod fishing awesome
 
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