Show me a tickle stick????

Wildcard · Sep 3, 2004

Bug season is here and I decided to grab them, not net them this year. I have heard of tickle sticks, just never seen one. How do I make one? Thanks and happy hunting!

Dryglove · Sep 3, 2004

Here is one version. They also make telescoping versions

http://shop.diversdirect.com/item/Proteaser Tickle Stick_ID19638

Wendy · Sep 3, 2004

lal7176:
Here is one version. They also make telescoping versions

http://shop.diversdirect.com/item/Proteaser Tickle Stick_ID19638

Mine isn't that fancy. Its just a long curved on the end piece of metal. They also come in clear plastic, but i don't think it makes much difference to the bug. To use it just slip it beside the bug and gently tap him on the butt. He thinks someone is behind him so he will come out . You can actually herd them with it.

Wildcard · Sep 4, 2004

Hummm. I was thinking one end had a loop to catch them with?

Wendy · Sep 4, 2004

Wildcard:
Hummm. I was thinking one end had a loop to catch them with?

That's a looper, completely different. Personally I don't use one.

Johnoly · Sep 4, 2004

Wildcard:
Hummm. I was thinking one end had a loop to catch them with?

If you can't catch them with a tickle stick, you'll never get them with a looper which is harder to use. Practice and patience with a tickle stick first then use a looper. Here is a picture of a looper.

crpntr133 · Sep 4, 2004

Speak softly and carry a big stick...hehe

Wildcard · Sep 5, 2004

I was thinking about those bugs that are to far in the pukas to reach. A looper you say? I see no reason not to have a dual purpose stick, do you?

yak · Sep 9, 2004

I make them out of 3 foot sections of 3/8" aluminum tubing, get it from Lowes or Home Depot for under $4. Bend the bottom 4-5 inches out at 45 degrees, pound the bent part flat, add a hockey grip with tape, drill a hole and add a wrist lanyard and you're good to go.

I also add tape marks to measure one foot and 14 1/2 inch increments. The latter is the minimum size for our Summer Flounder, and I can lay the stick right over them to see if they're legal before stabbin' them.

I don't know how your Pacific bugs behave, but New England lobsters will move forward if you can tap them in the tail with the tickle stick. You have to learn to finesse the stick past them to get it behind them without them noticing. Sometimes you get lucky and you can poke it in a back door.

I would expect it to be a whole lot easier catching bugs without claws? Ours are equipped to fight back. :2ar15smil

MSilvia · Sep 9, 2004

Loopers are illegal in New England. Check your local regulations. In any case, if they're harder to use than a tickle stick, why bother with them? In my experience, the best method is to just grab the little buggers... the fancier you try to get, the fewer you'll catch.

Also, don't waste your money on a commercial tickle stick. Those are just a way to squeeze money out of those with more cash than sense. You can make one that will work just as well from wire/tubing as Yak said, or from any one of a hundred things you probably have lying around the house. Personally, I use a capped pole spear as a tickle stick, so I can take flounder too, and haven't had any problems catching (NOT spearing) lobsters with it.

IMHO, just about any narrow 3' prod ought to work. If you can put a slight bend in the end, so much the better.

Show me a tickle stick????

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Wildcard

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Dryglove

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Wendy

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Wildcard

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Wendy

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Johnoly

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crpntr133

lost, even with a compass

Wildcard

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yak

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