Best Bait? Shrimp vs Crab Test - Underwater and Above Water Fishing!

[@1cryogen]

John, your videos are so intelligently put together. Well done!

[@jonmenges2256]

I caught a puffer on a fiddler in VA one fall....sure surprised me.

[@FishingwithBrewski]

You rock! I've wanted to do this for ages. My idea was to drop big wads of each bait in cages next to each other and see which scent drew the most fish to it

[@TheRenegade2424]

You are the man as always been teaching me my whole fishing life❤

[@manuelmelchizedek4309]

Footage is amazing

[@Peter-zg3em]

took my first actual fishing trip down to florida in 25 years this week. kept your videos in mind being so out of my element. six species, two dozen fish total in two days fishing and change. mostly on live shrimp on the tiniest 1/8 oz jighead that i could find. had to size down on my leader, tie an alberto knot and tie direct to the jig. i never do that at home. i rigged them like a gulp, anything i could do to keep them from being picked apart by smalls. removing the tails would have helped. the bait shops sold out of shrimp. they seem to be very popular forage in the winter for the mangrove species. had a shot at one big snook but he didn't take my plugs. he jumped at baitfish or even a small predator. might have even been a tarpon, i really don't know. jumped 2x and was very big. i caught three small snook, a small jack (on a bucktail!!) about a dozen mangrove snapper or so, some ladyfish, pinfish, channel catfish. i asked the lady at one of the bait shops for fiddler crabs and she laughed at me. frozen sand fleas didn't work, didn't give them a ton of time. i guess i outfished the locals so i'll consider it a good trip. i didn't see any sheepshead but i know that they are there from time to time. my dad says he's seen football sized fish eating oysters off of the pilings, and nothing but a sheep is going to get through those thick shells. manatee county, stayed in the inlet because of the chop out front. these videos have helped me more than i can express.

[@pastapaul150]

Awesome. Clearly the crabs are the ticket. Love your underwater vids.

[@josedezayas3467]

love the underwater stuff

[@MartinVSmith6334]

Saw another video where the guy was pulling mangrove crabs from the tree itself. Perhaps you could access that source. Enjoyable, instructive video.

[@TonyZanussi]

Awesome to see you are hooked on Sheepshead now! Great underwater footage too! Started watching your vids before you were in Florida! TripleTail content would be awesome too! Thanks

[@MrSAMUELDONG]

Thank you John.

[@L0st-n0found]

I've found live shrimp with tail always outfishes a pinched tail except for maybe catfish or tiny fish needing a tiny hook Well saw the jig and your reply saying jig so yeah I guess pinched I usually fish with no weight or a reversed bullet sinker with a splitshot to limit how close to Hook. Reversed bullet adds a tiny pop

[@jelly_fishing]

I’m a salt strong lifer. Really enjoyed Fishing the Edge !!!

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I'm glad you enjoyed the book! Thanks for telling me!

[@RayA-rt6tp]

Thanks for that John...amazing.

[@fishingwithjoy]

Awesome, John ! The underwater footage is absolutely invaluable. My experience is the same - shrimp catch small sheepshead and other fish mostly. That said, ironically, my 2 biggest sheepshead were caught on shrimp ! But fiddlers are the best for sure in terms of reliability. Thx !!

[@addicted2fishing119]

I’m not a sheepshead but I’m choosing crab over shrimp any day that ends with the letter y 😂🍻

[@pwrplnt1975]

I love your content, I'm always learning something!

[@curtlang6613]

Crazy Lures in Cape Coral have had fiddler crabs lately

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Thanks!

[@delpoftw8689]

I somehow caught a small pinfish on a fiddler crab yesterday while fishing for sheep. However, the crabs do tend to eliminate most of the snapper and pinfish like the underwater camera shows.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Like an interference fish filter.

[@mikeknottscreek8183]

Great video. Not going to lie, was expecting a video of you with Rick in his boat. Got my blood moving yanking of Sheepshead!

[@hooper4581]

Nice footage John. Any chance you coming north to the meville show next month?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I'll be there.

[@kenfleury9269]

What is the Melville show?

[@deacondoings]

"I can't catch keepers" LOL Welcome to my world LOL🤣

[@Kaptain.Obvious]

Thanks Jihn. Another great SWFL Vid I’m heading down for few weeks end mid April. Appreciate the Pine Island Bait shop tip for fiddlers. Can you recommend any kayak rental shop near Pine Island?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Fiddlers were at D&D in Matlacha. I hope PIBT carries them next year. They're closer to me and an awesome shop.

[@jasontherion69]

First state is in your area Love to see a collaboration.

[@heyreddin2.0s10]

the man, the legend

[@jacobguy3343]

Interesting footage I don't agree with the way u threaded the life shrimp on the on hook tho I usually go in the horn sideways not throught the bottom letting the shrimp be able to swim

[@ethanhall9617]

Sand fleas seem to be the good inexpensive option for sheepshead bait. I’ve caught many a sheepshead on frozen sand fleas. Granted I’m up in VA so the fishery is a little different.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Thanks. Incredibly I live 3 miles across the water from the Gulf beaches but it's close to 2 hours by car, so getting live sand fleas isn't reasonable. The bait shop sold frozen ones but I couldn't get a touch on them. Maybe the quality was poor.

[@AOMilvado]

Nice video as always. Love the comparison. Do you think you would get similar results for porgy fishing?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Porgies are a lot easier. Squid or clams work fine.

[@brianwoodard82]

Hey John, does anyone sell crabs down there? Or are they a go find your own thing…nice video hope the weather gets better I’m coming down in a month or so..

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Call around for fiddlers.

[@jerryf581]

Not that I've caught a lot, but it seems I catch sheepshead on every saltwater trip(AL and LA). All on shrimp, and they were never the target species. The last 2 guides were baffled that I was catching them way out in the marsh where the guides have never seen them.. Why? No clue!

[@TwiztidPain]

Yeah same , deff at night under lights boy you can tear them up on some shrimp. Also probably that is what they feed on down here more.

[@minafady3084]

New sub here .. love your channel and videos thanks for sharing the fun

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Welcome aboard!

[@mikekiss5757]

Hey John what kind of hooks didn't see them in the description

[@Kaptain.Obvious]

Hurricane 1/8oz Snapper Jig. John listed it in another recent vid. “3 bad docks 1 great dock”

[@maynardbp]

Great vid! Have u tried sand fleas for sheeps? It works just as good as fidds.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Gulf beaches are not easy for me to access. Very time-consuming drive.

[@bigjuanflorida4256]

John, do you use barrel swivels or do braid to mono?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Small high-quality barrel swivel.

[@jeffreysnyder912]

It’s like the smaller sheephead’s can’t eat the bigger crabs but they hit shrimp quickly

[@wolffpak9389]

John, exceptional video as always. Which rod of your Skinners are you using, been in the market for a few of yours this upcoming season.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

This red one is what I use the most in Florida, including the tarpon vids: bit.ly/45GoMej I recently switched to my blackfish rod for the sheepshead: bit.ly/3oWVAPu

[@wolffpak9389]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing that’s great info, I was looking at the psychedelic series, I’m in the north east and focus on tog, sheep’s and flounder. Thanks

[@TomHaling]

John, I was wondering about the presentation of the shrimp. In the video they are just laying on their backs on the ground. Not the most natural position for live shrimp. If you rigged them on a sweeper so they stayed upright would it make a difference?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I've tried them a lot of different ways, three ways in this video including the underwater rig, and they just haven't come close to crabs for me. The best I've done with them is how I rigged them on that light jig, as it's tough for them to steal it that way.

[@billelia1933]

Hi John.. Great video.. What kind of hooks are you using for the shrimp..?? Is it a longer shank hook..??

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I use 1/8-ounce and 1/4-ounce jigs.

[@arminwahl8755]

What kind of camera are you using for the underwater footage and how are you rigging it?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

An old Water Wolf.

[@josephmcguiness6452]

I hate when you go over huge fish that you know you’ve already disturbed and kind of blew it on. Doh! At least you get to see them scoot off. Lol

[@Onewayto2024]

Hi John, This is a snook question: when targeting them, do you tie your braid to your leader or use a small swivel? I fish almost exclusively for snook in the Indian River area and I always worry about spooking them with excessive hardware. Thanks.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I go through a small barrel swivel.

[@Onewayto2024]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing Thanks John. Locals down here always tell me not to use one because it will spook snook but then again I’ve caught a few big snook last few weeks under a bridge on BOTTLE PLUGS, so I guess the locals can be wrong too 😁

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

With all due respect to the locals, most of my best fishing is done by breaking their "rules". If you're an experienced northeast striper fisherman, don't disregard what you already know how to do.

[@Onewayto2024]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing Oh, absolutely I don’t mean any disrespect to the locals either. I am a NY transplant having surf fished Long Island for about 45 years so I’m fairly experienced with stripers and blues. I’ve applied what I learned “up there” to snook “down here” and for the most part it usually pays off.

[@Onewayto2024]

John, Sorry but I have just ONE more quick question. Can you please recommend a high-quality barrell swivel? I’ve always used the inexpensive ones, are you recommending a ball bearing model?

[@wiiwanna]

Great footage. Have you tried blue crab chunks or the legs?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I brought a live blueclaw with me one time and cut it into pieces. It did not work well, which was a big surprise.

[@wiiwanna]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing i hear mole crabs work just as well as fiddlers and they are much easier to catch.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

They would probably be great, but Gulf beaches are not easy for me to access. Very time-consuming drive through terrible traffic.

[@wiiwanna]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing sorry to hear that! Maybe you can make a trip to catch them to freeze. It seems popular for ppl to blanch and freeze them for later use.

[@davidfriedman3962]

Info on the skiff being used?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

1990 Maverick Master Angler 18.5

[@IvoHarrisIII]

Did you try freelining the shrimp without a jig head?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

That's what the underwater camera had.

[@teecee211]

Mr. Skinner - could it be the diet of the sheeps during a certain time of year? Ex) red drum (red fish) will alternate between crab and mullet during certain times of the year. Is the same hold true for sheeps? Otherwise this is like the most effective way to target sheeps.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

The main sheepshead season in my part of Florida is winter, and I've always done better on crab, especially for size.

[@duffmeister6480]

I think the fish are seeing that shiny hook, have you tried a red or dark colored hook ?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

It was the same hook in the fiddler crab and the sheep ate that with no problem. Also, everything but the sheep ate shrimp on the gold hook.

[@Ed-qf6qu]

Damn. You are right in my area. Hope to see ya out there in the yak

[@tournot]

Great stuff. Have you thought about trying Oysters? Oysters always work very very well for us

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I tried tying them into balls and they did not work well for me.

[@ralphzaccaria7420]

Try sand flees. You can rake a 5 gallon bucket full for $0

[@addicted2fishing119]

Agreed… great bait

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Gulf beaches are not easy for me to access. Very time-consuming drive.

[@addicted2fishing119]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing makes sense

[@wormway_69]

Get more mud crabs!!! And hi to Patrick Star⭐

[@seanmccarthy1440]

Easy dip the Shrimp in crab juice 🧃 for a few minutes.

[@termite122]

whats really amazing is how they pick the edges of the bait almost certainly knowing theres a hook there..interesting..i guess dropping a crab just tied onto a piece of mono with no hook mite give the answer if they know or dont know a hook is there

[@mbartolacc]

Based on my engineering training, maybe it boils down to physics and statistics, the physics of eating a softer shrimp in terms of mouth size and shape iof the bait s easier for smaller fish than the crab, and statistically, there are more smaller sheepshead than bigger ones, thus meaning that the likelihood of a bigger one getting the shrimp before a smaller one less likely as well

[@Engineer_Heathen]

What about sand fleas? Some people swear by them. Crabs will outfish shrimp any day of the week for sheeps, but crabs are a pain to get in the winter.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Gulf beaches are not easy for me to access. Very time-consuming drive.

[@4theoutdooradventure]

It would have been a fair comparison if you would have thrown the crab exactly where you threw the shrimp the first time you threw the crab about 6 ft further to a different piling and they usually hang on the piling looking for crustaceans

[@guyslone8115]

Can you use a piece of blue crab?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I brought a live blueclaw with me one time and cut it into pieces. It did not work well, which was a big surprise.

[@Glaciershark]

Sounds like supply and demand for the sheepshead. They seen enough shrimp 🦐 they only want the limited crabs 🦀

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

That's actually a good theory. The ones that like shrimp have been culled out.

[@xbnvdsx]

For me when the sheeps are being finicky with shrimp i have to use a small one and rig it live instead of tail to head…

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I've tried that - hooked through the horn and let it twitch around. No better for me.

[@wreckingcrew5172]

I see you just use hooks no jigs

[@L0st-n0found]

OK I don't care if you're targeting sheepies... Seeing big snook and not trying for is a no-no