DIY: Ghost Shrimp-Yabbie Pump

DIY: Ghost Shrimp-Yabbie Pump

Ghost Shrimp are probably my favorite baits to use in the surf and on the pier. They are odd-looking creatures, like an odd cross between a shrimp and a lobster that got stepped on a bit. Pale in color for the most part but having an orange section on the tail, they have great scent so work fresh dead, or alive. Just about everything in the surf eats, pompano, sheepshead, whiting, redfish, black drum, and so many more. I’ve even had a tripletail chase one down to eat. 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.

Ghost shrimp work best when used as live or fresh dead bait, so getting your own is your best choice. The problem though is that ghost shrimp live in burrows in the sand that can extend up to 4 feet down, 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. 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.

Photo Courtesy of Hans Hillewaert

For this project, I used some leftover 2″ schedule 30 PVC pipe, and a length of 3/4″ schedule 40 PVC pipe. 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, you 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 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 pipe at Home Depot, I think that’s a little short but if you’re in a pinch it’ll work.

Now that the lengths of the pipe are cut it’s time to grind down the upper cap of the plastic test plug. Using the wing nut to press down on the rubber washer till it has a tightish fit with the 2″ PVC pipe. Then using a sharpie mark where the rubber ring ends on the larger plastic top cap. You want to grind that top cap flush to the line so the whole test plug can slide up and down the 2″ PVC pipe.

Once that plastic top cap of the test plug is ground down you want to 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 plug as shown in the picture.

Then you get the 3/4″ cap and plug assembly and attach them to the length of 3/4″ pipe and use a stainless screw to secure the cap in place. We are using screws instead of PVC glue so the pump can be taken apart in the future for maintenance or replacement parts.

DIY: Ghost Shrimp-Yabbie Pump

Now we are going to work on the main body of the pump using the 2″ PVC pipe. Get the coupling and attach it to the 2″ PVC pipe. Again use a couple of stainless screws to secure the coupling to the pipe, then insert the reducer into the coupling and again secure it with the stainless screws. Then push the 3/4″ PVC pipe through the reducer bushing and attach the 3/4 tee to it, and then use a screw to secure it. That completes the main part 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 especially if there’s some wave action, you’ll need 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 just 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.

Photo Courtesy of the NPS Ghost Shrimp Mounds

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