How to catch hi-fin goby

lyscer · Aug 8, 2015

I have tried all kinds of ways to catch this guy and have been unsuccessful. For those interest:
Score Board:
Me: 0
Goby: 15+

I have tried with a standard box trap (it is big so it is hard to get in this space, with a net and with this bottle contraption.

I can tell he is hungry because he keeps coming out but he refuses to go in the bottle. Any other ways I could maybe catch him?

** I am putting all my fish into QT to treat for ich/gill flukes so I want my tank to sit fallow for a bit so that I don't reintroduce them back and have to do this all over again in a few months

redfishbluefish · Aug 8, 2015

That bottle looks like an 8 oz water bottle....is the opening big enough for the fish?

Here's what I'd do.....don't feed the little bugger for three days. Now cut a small hole in the top of the bottle trap. Pick a tasty food....I usually pick mysis.....and using a turkey baster, shot the mysis into the bottle. Leave the turkey baster in the hole, and every so often give it another squirt to cause the mysis to swirl around the bottle like a snow globe. The fish will see these food and dart into the bottle. I've had great success with this method.

Here's my bottle with the hole cut in:

lyscer · Aug 8, 2015

It is a 16os water bottle and your method sounds exactly like what I am doing so I will keep trying. Thanks for the response. How do you get your bottle to stay on the bottom? Mine wants to float all over.

I am also trying something new at the moment, I have a 3/4" pvc pipe leading out from his hole. If he goes in there it leads him right into the bottle and I can shut the end of the pvc with my net.