collecting live sand eel

[jammy]

Hi, has anyone any advice on collecting live sandeel on the isle of wight.
cheers
jammy

[solehunter]

jammy said:

Hi, has anyone any advice on collecting live sandeel on the isle of wight.
cheers
jammy

I have never done it properly, but i know a couple of cowboy methods.
We done this at colwell.......
At low water dig the fork in rapidly about 2/ 3 inches deep at the water line and toss the sand up the beach. Have a mate there to dive on the odd sandeel you get ,as they bury themselves like you have never seen. They were only small but ok.
Another way is the blunt knife trick. I have never tried this but seen it done to good effect on telly
Get a real blunt knife and do `figure of eight` shapes with it in the sand at the waters edge. Dig down about 3/4 inch deep. If you get it right the buggers will jump out of the sand. Good luck. ;D

[slippery]

head to yaverland with ya fork NOT daytime best early morning or early evening and night, the big tides tend to be the worst for numbers but better for size I prefer med springs. Try opposite the zoo they can be right up on the low tide to 10yrds short of the high tide mark they tend to bury on the edges of the banks there where it is rippled on the edges of water pools. You have to dig fast as, dont dig more than 6 digs if you not hittin them try at least 15 ft away again until you hit them. They tend to be shallower as the tide is rising and deeper when ebbing but generally a forks depth is plenty.
Any where from the arcade to redcliff.
It is also worth chucking a rod out on the first of low here with them on very close range
the more you bash about on the sand they deeper they bury!

Take 2 or 3 buckets(filled with fresh sea water) with you and dont store more than 10 to a bucket cause the more you have the more oxygen they use another tip is to put an ice pack in the bucket to make the water colder so as to slow them down, change the water at least once an hour..............
An air stone n pump is also a good idea for keeping them any longer than 5 hrs

Or the best method buy a net an boat and row round the bottom of sandown pier in the evening and you will have millions!!
Top Tip be quick VERY quick.............

[jammy]

Thanks! solehunter and slippery sounds like i might have to go into training to get my fitness levels up! great tips and will definately try them out, might be able to talk the kids into diving on the little blighters when they scatter in the sand.
cheers lads!
jammy