I am going to be making a new sand shrimp gun and wanted some input before I dive too far into it.

I have seen the slurp guns that you pump the shrimp out with and they seem to a lot easier to use. The quesiton is are they effective or at least as effective as a pull gun?

Also, I have a 4 inch gun I use right now and was wondering if a 3 or even a 2 inch one would work as well? I know it will be easier to pull out of the sand but will it suck out shrimp as effectively?

Anyone that has any experience using the slurp gun please let me know how well they work. I don't want to build one and have it not work as well as a simple suction pull one at 1/4 the price.

i have one of the slurp guns that i've been using for several years. other than having to re-glue the handles every so often, it works pretty good.

you won't get as many shrimp in one shot as you would with a clam gun, but i can pump that thing on 3 or 4 holes in the time that it takes to make one go with a clam gun. much easier on the back.

Can you explain how you use yurs a little for me? I find internet videos and all of them do it differently. I wold assume the best way is to get the hole down as deep as you want and then give a couple full pulls to sucks out as many as you can out of the hole and the move on. Some of the videos show only maybe 2 pulls on the thing and then move on.

How deep do you go on each hole?

I put the working edge on the sand with a little pressure and pull the handle, sucks it right in. Sometimes the shrimp will be shallow and come out with the first pump and sometimes you have to go a little deeper and many pumps.......I usually do pretty good with three pumps max.

How to Make The Ghost Shrimp Pump
Ghost Shrimp - Live Bait Pump - Slurp Gun

You can get all the parts needed at your local hardware store. If you have to buy a full length of PVC, then your per-gun cost will go up, so make two for you and a buddy and consider it money saved.
PVC Parts needed:
2" x 30" long
2" cap
3/4" x 33" long
3/4" cap
3/4" elbow
2" PVC test plug
1 washer with 3/8" hole, approx 1.5" diameter
PVC cement
Cut your 2" PVC, and drill a 1" hole in the 2" cap. Assemble without cement.
Then examine your test plug. Ours came with a washer on top that was larger than 2", so we replaced it with one that was smaller.

The washer that you replace it with should be around 1.5". Too small and the squeezing action of the test plug wont work as well.
After you've sized and ensured the washer is good, disassemble the plug. Drill a hole in the 3/4" cap sized for the bolt of the plug. The bolt is a carriage bolt, and if the hole is sized tightly the carriage end will have enough material to grip to on the cap. If it's drilled too large, the assembly may spin without tightening the plug. Assemble the cap and plug as shown here, then ensure you've got it working.
Next cut your 3/4" PVC to the length you feel is the most comfortable. We suggest 33", but it's up to you. Using PVC cement, assemble the 3/4" pipe to the plug assembly. Slide this into the 2" pipe and check that it is comfortable. You will be pulling the handle up very high, check if that is comfortable as well.


When you're satisified with the length of the 3/4", add your elbow for a better grip. You could also add more pipe out the other side for a larger handle if you wished.
Sorry, the pics would not paste......I usually make a T handle on my pumps. At one point in the inst it says assemble without glue, this refers only to the two inch cap. Under vacuum it just pulls it tighter. A coulple of pulls on the handle with a thump will take apart the gun, makeing it easy to clean out the sand.......enjoy

i don't go really deep into the holes at all with the slurp gun. it'll usually pull anything that's in a burrow out within two pumps. i just put it in the mud, and apply a little downward pressure on the tube while lifting on the plunger, then yank it out and dump the contents on the beach before the suction breaks. you're not trying to pull the mud out of the hole like a clam gun, just water and shrimp. it really works best close to the waterline or where there's a little standing water.

not sure i'd want to use anything else on the hoquiam tide flats, that stuff is heavy and stinks to high heaven. i can usually get a couple dozen shrimp within 20 minutes or so with the slurp gun.

I normally outshrimp the slurp gun guys with my 4" clam gun. Everyone has their opinon.

Chum man, Hoquiam Mud Flats? I think I know where you are talking but if you don't mind would you mind sharing where you go. Would be nice to be able to go out there and get them for curing and the night before fishing instead of going to Westport or Shores when I can find time and can make it. I dug shrimp out at Fire Cracker point with my 4 inch gun for 2 hours and 150 holes and only got 80 shrimp so anything closer and producing better would be a huge bonus.

Thanks for the plans, I have 2 other plans to go with that one so I will make something work and get one made. Gonna make a 2,3 and 4 inch pull gun and a 2 inch pump gun just to see what works best for me. That and the kids can pull the smaller guns easier and maybe get some on their own. Who knows, they all might have their place and all work best in different places and conditions.

Well I got the materials now it is time to put one together. I couldn't find the good test plug but I think the plastic will worjk. If it doesn't then I will have to try a plumbing store or order the good one online.

By the time I am done I should be able to make the flats look like swiss cheese. Making 3 guns and a slurp gun so everyone cna help and maybe save me from having to pull 200 times and save my back a little.

Good luck their fish 4 all, with the proper parts the 2 inch slurp gun is hard to beat and an lot easier on the back than a 4 inch clam gun. Not sure that a 2 inch clam gun will do much for you.

a few hints:

dig for the shrimp near the water line, at low tide or at the incoming tide. It seems like the water forces the shrimp to be closer to the surface. I found that I need to dig deeper (and hence more effort) if I am high on the beach and the water is way farther away lower on the beach

about 6 years ago, I dug some shrimp on the north willapa bay area. All I needed was a pitch fork to scoop up the sand and the shrimpies were exposed with a single scoop. Again, close to the water line as the water rose on the incoming tide. Or, I suppose it could have been that particular location in Willapa Bay or some anomaly of nature when the shrimpies were so close to the surface.

They can be caught without ever digging. I have seen them on the surface in knee deep water before without digging. I would bet they come out often enough but probably don't last long if there are any fish around.

I figured I would try the 2 inch and see what happens. If I can get a clean pull and then pull it back in the hole and pull again it may work the same or close to the slurp gun. Either way it gives my kids a clam gun they can pull easily and try to help. I made a 3 inch gun but have to either finagle the caps for the 2 inch or get flat caps for it. Didn't think and got the curved caps so sealing it may be tough with them.

I only found the red plastic pressure tester thing and I don't think it is working really well. I can suck up water in it but it leaks air bad. I don't know how important it is to get an air tight seal because of how fast you pull it in the videos but I can imagine it making things easier.

Is there something I can do with the red plastic one or may it just be better to find a ball or the black good seal and quit messing with this one?

Got the black seal and it works perfect. Now I just have to go out and give it a try and see if it works, or at least if I can make it work. Anyone thinking about giving making one a try don't get the seal thing with the plastic washers. Get the black one with the metal washers and the ridges on the rubber.

I went a little more elaborate but I had to keep the kids in mind so I wanted it as user friendly as possible. Nothing is glued yet, might not glue anything and just use nuts and bolts but haven't decided yet. Only really 2 places that need it anyway.

The black plug was the trick. Tried it out and it worked like a charm and so much easier to use than a 4 inch gun. And at $3 for the plug and $1 for the washer it was cheaper than 2 washers and a good rubber ball.