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Cigar Minnow
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| I recently set up a salt water fish tank. And am anxious to trade in my spear gun at least temporarily for one of these slurp guns to catch a few local fish to put in my tank. So I was just curious if anyone had used one of these things with any sucess or knew the best place to purchase one.
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Grouper
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Grouper
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| We've sold quite a few and we've gotten reports of varied success. Most guys end up leaving the slurp gun at home and just go with a small hand held net. A decent slurp gun is going to run $50-$60 or more.
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Cigar Minnow
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Last Login: 2/19/2010 3:02:02 PM
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| I had one and wasn't impressed with it. It worked ok on very small fish (not strong swimmers) that were hiding in rocks where you couldn't get a net in there. Basically cornered but inaccessible. Like a blenny, for example. But if the fish had any avenue of escape, or they were 2-3 inch fish that could swim pretty fast, they would bolt when I made the jerking action to suck them into the gun. Even if they got sucked in a couple inches, they would escape before I could cover the end with my hand. I found a slurpgun to be a lot more specialized tool than I thought it would be. I think the downfall is the jerking action you have to use to suck the water inside. It scares most fish away real quick. And I recall a few fish that I did catch unaware got a little beat up by getting sucked into the gun. I actually did wind up having ok luck with the gun by just starting a feeding frenzy with a bit of food, and then dropping the food inside the barrel of the slurp gun. The fish would swim right in and it was easy to close off the end with my hand since they were distracted by the food. Personally, I would use a net and a bit of food over a slurp gun, though. Unless you are looking for small fish deep in rocks or where a net can't reach. But food will lure them out too. That or maybe make a trap out of a clear container or a piece of clear pipe and bait it. Let the fish swim in and cover the entrance with your hand while they are eating.
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Grouper
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The best way to use the slurp gun is when you see the small fish you want you start with the plunger half way in the barrel and start buy making a slight current out of the gun by pushing the plunger out so the fish starts swimming toward the opening then reverse the plunger and the fish swims and gets sucked into the barrel before he can turn around. You will almost never catch anything trying to chase the fish down trying to suck him in backwards. 
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Grouper
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sealark (1/5/2010)
The best way to use the slurp gun is when you see the small fish you want you start with the plunger half way in the barrel and start buy making a slight current out of the gun by pushing the plunger out so the fish starts swimming toward the opening then reverse the plunger and the fish swims and gets sucked into the barrel before he can turn around. You will almost never catch anything trying to chase the fish down trying to suck him in backwards. Excellent adivce!
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Cigar Minnow
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| Thanks for all the great advice. I am anxious to get out and give it a try if these seas ever calm down. Hopefully the fish will be a little slower this time of year. I have never really looked hard at whatever small fish are available out there since I am usually looking for the biggest fish on the reef for dinner. So this will definitely be a change of pace and add some new interest to diving for me.
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Grouper
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| You'll be amazed at what you find - even in the bay.
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Mingo
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i just went with a small hand-held dip net for fish tank applications. It worked perfect for me. Have caugth all sorts of fish in it. Just takes time and practice
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