Nipper / yabby pumping - what went wrong?

[sashkello]

Hi All!

On Friday I went pumping some nippers in the same spot in Pittwater I went before. Haven't been there since last summer. Went on starting incoming tide in the evening. After almost 2 hours of hard work trying different areas - in the sandy water, in stale muddy puddles, at the shoreline all I got was ~10 nippers. I only have been there 3 times before, and I don't exactly remember what tide it was, but I definitely didn't have to spend more than an hour to get 20+ nippers and I only would take the really big ones. I'm not sure what have changed or what I did wrong. Any ideas so that I don't make this mistake again? Was it because of cold water after the rain or maybe the tide was wrong? I always thought that it doesn't really matter, but now I'm kind of wondering what's happened...

[noelm]

They live in holes, they can’t move, so the tide makes no difference, except in the pumping in deeper water or on dry land. Over time, colonies (if that’s what they are called) come and go, sand banks move and the Nippers go too. Just wander around until you find holes, low tide, they are dry, high tide they are knee deep, sometimes you might need to pump the same hole three or four times if they are deep down.

Edited Sunday at 08:28 AM by noelm

[Steve0]

 

As Noel says about pumping more than once in the same hole.

General advice based on personal experience (i.e. someone may be able to offer better advice):

• If you get a yabby first pump, don't let that stop you continuing to pump the hole. Sometimes you may get a few in one hole. Or none I move about 2M or further is none come up from a hole in four pumps and spend more effort less distance apart in productive patches. However, yabbies have a network of holes, so don't pump too close to the last hole or you waste effort.
• Some locations seem to produce a high number of small ones. Keep moving, there'll be larger ones elsewhere.
•   You'll work out how many pumps you need and distance apart with experience.  Keep up a rhythm, picking up when you finish the hole (one pumping and one picking, makes it easier on the back).
• I prefer to chase them with the flat still just dry or just getting wet on a rising tide. However, any time you can pump their holes is OK. It's just harder work having to catch them in a depth of water.
• Some sand had different texture and pumps better. Prospect about to find that sand.
• If there are small channels, pump along the edge and sides (my theory is the flow moves more food to them).
• Sometimes it is worth pumping in flow of the current.
• Once you get to your 'enough' number, sort injured from perfectly healthy.  Put the injured ones in damp paper and use those first.
• Breaking the tip of the nipper stops the healthy ones crunching each other.
• Keep changing the water of the healthy ones and watch for any that look weakened (sorting on sand makes it easy).
• A mesh plant tray with layers of damp paper stored in a cool place is a way to keep them overnight with no risk of injured yabbies tainting the water, sickening others.  Probably OK in a boat, too, if you have a cool spot for them. 

[noelm]

If pumping in deep water, you can make a floating sieve out of something like the picture with a pool noodle cut up and cable tied to the sides, just pump the mud/sand into the sieve and it just washes out, leaving the Nippers. If you miss time the tide, and you are quick, just dump the sand into the water, most Nippers will surface for a second, giving you a second to grab them. Most times, once you find a lot of holes, you will get all you need in a small area.

[sashkello]

10 hours ago, Steve0 said:

General advice based on personal experience

Cheers, mate, some good advice there, I figured most of it, but good to hear that I'm on the right track. Regarding storage, the cheapest aerator changed the game for me - no more dead flappy yabbies. And yes, I probably need to get a mesh because I avoid pumping in the water due to them being hard to spot.

 

13 hours ago, noelm said:

They live in holes, they can’t move, so the tide makes no difference, except in the pumping in deeper water or on dry land. Over time, colonies (if that’s what they are called) come and go, sand banks move and the Nippers go too. Just wander around until you find holes, low tide, they are dry, high tide they are knee deep, sometimes you might need to pump the same hole three or four times if they are deep down.

Well, I mean there are lots of holes, but very few yabbies bigger than baby-size, so I'm not sure what's going on. I thought maybe they go deep at certain points in time? Or all those holes are old and abandoned?

Vast majority of the time pumping more than twice gives me nothing, so I'm not sure pumping deeper down will be worthwhile. Like, pretty much all decent yabbies I got this time were on 1st pump.

 

21 minutes ago, noelm said:

Most times, once you find a lot of holes, you will get all you need in a small area.

Yeah, that used to be my experience, that's why I'm quite baffled by what happened this time... I didn't do anything differently, holes were there, but no yabbies...

[Steve0]

8 hours ago, sashkello said:

Well, I mean there are lots of holes, but very few yabbies bigger than baby-size, so I'm not sure what's going on. I thought maybe they go deep at certain points in time? Or all those holes are old and abandoned?

 

At times, if you get the little ones, keep pumping, and you'll get a larger one underneath. Other times, it's a waste of effort. 

Active holes have fresh sand around the entrance, but that doesn't mean your pump will draw them out. Sand texture matters. At times, you see water disturbance from the hole, which is a sure sign someone is home.