| 15 June 2009
Understanding the Grassflats food chain dials you into feeding habits of Snook, Tarpon, Redfish, Bonefish and many other shallow water diners.
Focus on crabs and shrimp, with tips for choosing lures and flies
Seagrass beds support an incredible diversity of fish, crabs, shrimp, isopods (think potato bugs), amphipods (miniature shrimp-like creatures), various worms, algae, echinoderms (urchins and sea stars), and a host of other goodies. Most of the creatures on this grassflat buffet line can't be imitated with the lures or flies we fish, but they are all important prey items for juvenile or adult gamefish and the baitfish that they prey on.
That said, specific Crabs and Shrimp found on grass beds are some of the easiest bait to obtain live or imitate with fly or plastic lure.
Small swimming crabs (family Portunidae) and walking crabs are the most common seagrass crabs. These crabs are either well-camouflaged for green turtlegrass or bare bottom, or wherever coral, rubble, shells or rocks are mixed with the seagrass. Walking crabs scurry for cover or burrow when approached by a fish. Swimming crabs are voracious predators that are more mobile, make a dash (swimming sideways) but ultimately burrow or hide under shells or rocks. Without a chance to cover up, this crab will slash at a fish with its claws.
In the tropics, reef crabs (members of the spider crab family Majidae) are the most common. In subtropical and warm temperate areas, mud crabs (family Xanthidae) inhabit seagrass beds year-round, and are primarily bottom-huggers. They, too, scurry for the underside of these shelters when chased. Mud crabs feed and hide at the base of grass blades and burrow into the soft bottom when threatened. In the subtropics clumps of drift algae appear in winter, and provide mud crabs additional refuge.
Mantis Shrimp live in grassflat holes and are a favorite of large bonefish, redfish, snook and permit.
Though fly fishers have more flexibility when it comes to imitating crabs (and there are many innovative sinking and surface-swimming crab patterns these days) light-tackle anglers can do a good job duping the "crab-eaters" by fishing tan, brown or olive-colored skimmer jigs, or some of the lifelike plastic or scented, soft crabs.
When tarpon,snook and permit are popping swimming crabs at the surface--with grass-choked tide lines a prime example--it's best to cast un-weighted plastic crabs, or crab flies made of buoyant materials such as deerhair. But for the most part, the best flats crab imitations (jigs or flies) should sink to the bottom quickly because crabs burrow in defense. In fact, the best crab flies are weighted with lead so that they sink at a slight angle. Read more about fishing with crabs
Shrimp quickly take on the coloration of their surroundings. Four families of shrimp--common, mantis, snapping and grass--are typical seagrass inhabitants. Common shrimp (family Peneidae), inhabit seagrass beds as juveniles and migrate to deeper water as adults. Usually found in seagrass over soft bottom, they are either tan or green depending on the color of that bottom. An array of lures and flies are effective shrimp imitators--small skimmer jigs, and of course, the many plastic shrimp on the market. They come in many colors so that you can match the bottom as the real critter does. Some plastic shrimp are designed as "forward swimmers" while others retreat like a threatened shrimp on the retrieve. The list of shrimp fly patterns, for bonefish, reds, tarpon, trout, snook and more, grows every year.
Mantis shrimp (family Squillidae) live in grassflat holes, or among coral rubble or shells. They are similar in appearance to the praying mantis insect. Those living among sparse seagrass with coral rubble or open sand bottom are tan; those in dense seagrass are green. There are dedicated mantis shrimp fly patterns now that appeal to both large bonefish, redfish and permit.
Sisters Kailey and Kelsey Taylor shown here landing snook over sandy bottom using DOA Near Clear Gold Glitter 1/4 oz shrimp and DOA deadly combo. These lures look a lot like Common shrimp. (photos Ken Taylor)
Snapping shrimp (family Alpheidae) prefer grassbeds with rubble, shells and holes for burrowing. This shrimp is prime bonefish, red drum, permit, snook, and speckled trout forage. They are usually green to brown and from under an inch to two inches long. They move slowly along the bottom and retreat into shelter when they see a predator approaching. They have a powerful claw that clicks loudly. The famous Snapping Shrimp fly is the best-known and one of the oldest bonefish flies.
Grass shrimp (family Palaemonidae) inhabit grassbeds year-round and are most abundant in summer. Rarely longer than an inch, they live on or among grass blades, where they try to blend in when threatened, but also burrow in bottom. These are a primary prey item for spotted seatrout, though other gamefish feed on them, too, especially in spring. Most abundant in summer, and least abundant in winter, they are often the most common prey for gamefish in spring.
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