I finally got my hands on a dipnet and am really looking forward to using it, especially as the weather begins to get warmer. However, I have no experience dipnetting in the ocean and I don’t really know what to expect. All the videos I can find on youtube are more vlog-style and less about teaching you to dipnet/what to look for, so I’d be grateful for any tips y’all have.
I should mention I’m in the PNW, and a lot of the beaches around me are pretty flat but there is decent variety within that e.g. rockier/more gravelly sections, sandier parts, and eelgrass beds. Are any of those better than the other to target? Are there any other environments I should look out for? Is it better to go out at any one time of day/night? Do tides matter much?
I don’t know much about dipnetting in general but I am very interested in this topic. I’ve been thinking about getting into dipnetting and/or microfishing.
Eelgrass beds in UK are reckoned to be rich, particularly as nurseries for fish. Eelgrass beds are easily damaged so be gentle with them. And on a fairly featureless beach with no hiding places, I think you will find things come out at night, especially amphipods. I don’t have much first-hand experience as I am more interested in freshwaters.
At the lowest spring tides, you will have access to places that are never exposed, so you may find species that are not present higher up in the intertidal zone
Probably the best way to learn this is to locate your closest university marine station, find out who there is doing intertidal or estuarine ecology work, and volunteer to help with field work. There are probably graduate students who would love an extra pair of hands, and someone to share their excitement with.
You can also attract some creatures with bait - for, example, a fish head. Put it in a net bag weighted down with rocks. Place the bag in an intertidal pool that is not subject to heavy wave action.