Shrimping 2019

WalkinDead

Banned
May as well get this thread started for the coming season.

Looking forward to it as we have had a mild winter and there should be a good carry over from last year, which should lead to good overall season. One of my friends has already been once this year, a little too early, and didn't fare too well as far as shrimp go, but he did catch more crabs and jelly balls than he wanted. So many jelly balls, in fact, that he had to wait for the tide to go out to empty his net. He left right after that. Had to laugh at him... The shrimp boats are doing a booming business at the moment, hope they leave us some.

Like last year, DNR will be out occasionally looking for illegal shrimping activity. If you go, good luck, you are allowed up to four quarts of bait in possession. Post any results, if you feel brave.

Like last year, I will post what my wife and I accomplish over the course of the year and answer any questions I can as accurately as I can. Feel free to ask, there are no stupid questions; if you catch us on the beach, stop by and chat.

Another couple we shrimp with on a somewhat regular basis purchased a boat over the winter and we may expand our shrimping to less populated areas. If we do, we will post our results and suggest similar areas for those with the means to reach them. The beach is getting crowded as more and more take up seining and even weekdays are getting to be more popular. Such is life.

Anyone needing net repairs can contact "Pops" Hagar at: 912-539-0935. He has told me he would begin showing up at St. Andrews Pic Nic area the weekend prior to Memorial day, which would make it the 24th or 25th. He will have nets in stock and accept any repairs at that time.

See you on the beach...
 

tlee22

Senior Member
May as well get this thread started for the coming season.

Looking forward to it as we have had a mild winter and there should be a good carry over from last year, which should lead to good overall season. One of my friends has already been once this year, a little too early, and didn't fare too well as far as shrimp go, but he did catch more crabs and jelly balls than he wanted. So many jelly balls, in fact, that he had to wait for the tide to go out to empty his net. He left right after that. Had to laugh at him... The shrimp boats are doing a booming business at the moment, hope they leave us some.

Like last year, DNR will be out occasionally looking for illegal shrimping activity. If you go, good luck, you are allowed up to four quarts of bait in possession. Post any results, if you feel brave.

Like last year, I will post what my wife and I accomplish over the course of the year and answer any questions I can as accurately as I can. Feel free to ask, there are no stupid questions; if you catch us on the beach, stop by and chat.

Another couple we shrimp with on a somewhat regular basis purchased a boat over the winter and we may expand our shrimping to less populated areas. If we do, we will post our results and suggest similar areas for those with the means to reach them. The beach is getting crowded as more and more take up seining and even weekdays are getting to be more popular. Such is life.

Anyone needing net repairs can contact "Pops" Hagar at: 912-539-0935. He has told me he would begin showing up at St. Andrews Pic Nic area the weekend prior to Memorial day, which would make it the 24th or 25th. He will have nets in stock and accept any repairs at that time.

See you on the beach...
Can wait to see the pic of what yeah catch. I always enjoy reading the shrimping post.
 

Rhodes

Senior Member
I'm curious about your thoughts on cast netting vs seining assuming you have probably cast netted for shrimp in the past and also considering you now have access to a boat and could do both. I personally have only beach seined but have often wondered about the potential of cast netting also.
 

WalkinDead

Banned
I have used a cast net for bait in the distant past. I have never cast netted shrimp for consumption. You can obtain a commercial cast net license through the lottery going on at the moment, if you desire one. The limit for commercial cast netting is only 60 quarts vs. 48 quarts for a seine. You could probably get away with using a seine on a commercial cast netting license, but the rewards vs the cost of the license aren't that much better. I catch enough shrimp seining, it's just not worth the extra expense for me as I have no desire to sell what I catch.
Having used a cast net in the past, as well as a seine, the cast net is far too much work for the little additional reward unless used from a boat, and even then it's more work than I want to put into catching a limit of shrimp. That's just me, though, others may feel it to be worth it, especially those who wish to make money shrimping.
Access to a boat means I can shrimp areas with little to no competition, which in turn means I can catch a limit much faster since there will not be anyone else shrimping ahead of me. It does add to the expense a bit, but since I will be shrimping with our friends who own the boat, that expense is shared and we can essentially double our limit. Something we did more than a few times last year, as we both have seines and pulled them simultaneously during the peak of the season. Our best day last year was 96 quarts in under three hours. I couldn't do that with a cast net, even from a boat. During off peak times of the season, the catch rate of a cast net would be abysmal vs the seine and definitely not worth the extra work for me.
 

fuelman1

Senior Member
I decided several years ago that cast netting was to much work. Even when the shrimp are thick in the sound it takes a lot of throws to fill a cooler. 25 years ago I could do it. Not so much anymore. It wears you out in a hurry. I'm itching to get a seine and give it a try. I need to find a reliable partner to make it work.
 

WalkinDead

Banned
I just might be referring to Kim and Ray. I'm still waiting on that invite to go fishing and try that boat out!
 

BrileyDog

Member
I’ll be watching this again like last year to see all the great catches and hope to get down and add my own.lol.. I’ll be watching out for the opening day also. Thanks for starting this thread up again WalkinDead!!!
 

massafibassa

Senior Member
I thought for a while that was you . The one in my avatar is my old boat.
 

WalkinDead

Banned
Correction to above posted limits for commercial cast netting.

Commercial Cast Net Catch Limits:
•From Season Opening through November 30: 150 quarts of heads on shrimp or 95 quarts of shrimp tails per day is the maximum amount of shrimp allowable, no matter how many licensed commercial cast netters are on a boat.
•December 1 through Season Close: 75 quarts of heads on shrimp or 48 quarts of shrimp tails per day no matter how many licensed commercial cast netters are on a boat.
These limits apply even to shrimp taken with a combination of a cast net and seine.

So, it might be viable to shrimp on a cast net license using a seine, if you're willing to pay the $250 for the license, have the time, can find a willing/dependable partner, and are willing to put forth the effort.
While I, and friends, have managed to catch 96 quarts during the peak season, using two seines/crews on numerous occasions over the years, it would be difficult to do that at any other time. Could you make a living at it? Who knows.
 

WalkinDead

Banned
8'x75' is easy to use for two people and will catch you plenty of shrimp, used properly. This is the best all around size. The 50' is a hobby/bait seine or for people who, due to age or physical constraints, simply can't work the larger ones. The 100' seine will catch you a little more shrimp, but requires much more beach to land and can limit the time available for shrimping in certain locations.
During the peak season, you can catch enough shrimp to pay for it in one trip, and that's at wholesale prices.
 

Blackston

Senior Member
I ain’t ever been but once but my first pull we pulled the net tight and the shrimp rained over the cork line and we had 40 lbs in one pull it was pretty cool reminded of pulling the rigs in the shrimp boat with daddy. I enjoy y’alls post keep us posted!!!
 

WalkinDead

Banned
Yep, the best days are two pulls and off to the house with a limit. Haven't ever been able to do it in just one, but some have.
 

mdgreco191

Senior Member
Can't wait to bring out the seine again this year! We will be down there for a week at the end of June. Hope the brown shrimp are still around at that point.
 

Geno67

Senior Member
What type do you recommend (size opening, material, color) would you recommend for FL waters? Monofilament is illegal and net can be no more than 500 square feet.
 

WalkinDead

Banned
The following information is only for Florida residents, or those desiring to seine in Florida waters.

500 square feet is 8'x62.5' of 1.25", stretched mesh, netting. You would have to use nylon netting, green being the preferred color. You can either order it online or, I believe, there's a hardware store in Darien, Ga that sells it. You would then have to hang the net yourself. It is similar to what the shrimp boats use on their nets. It's heavier and more work to pull through the water due to the extra drag of the increased diameter of the netting.
Knew a guy about three or four years ago that was using a 12'x100' net at Jekyll Island, made of this material with a commercial cast net license. He couldn't keep help due to the extreme work involved pulling it. Only saw him use it for that one year, never saw him again. But then, that's a huge, heavy net.
I've used "Pops" 12'x75' net before while he was repairing mine and even that net was a lot more work than my 8'x100' net. It does catch more shrimp though due to the deeper pocket; they don't jump the net on you nearly as bad and, if they do, they tend to jump right back into it.
There is a guy in Florida that sells nylon nets legal in Florida:

https://www.beachseines.com/shop.html

If you buy a net from him, before you leave his shop with it, stretch it out and measure it to make sure it is as advertised and the net is square. He has a tendency to stretch his netting as he hangs it, resulting in less netting than you should have. His nets also have a tendency to not be square; in effect, the top of the net may not be the same length as the bottom of the net. Not going to explain how I know this. Lessons learned. The largest net he sells with 1.25" stretched mesh is 7'x40' for $140. He may custom make you a 7'x71' net (497 ftsq), not sure; this would be the best net you could get from him that would be legal in Florida. No idea what he would charge for it.
He does sell $203, 5'x100', 1" stretched mesh net, but, in my opinion, they would be horrible as far as catch rates go. No idea what Florida regs say for the legal size of the stretched mesh netting, I assume 1" due to the above. A 5' net would have an almost nonexistent pocket resulting in the shrimp jumping the net badly.
This is the best advice I have for you, hope it helps.

Update: He sells a 7'x70' (490 ftsq), 1" mesh net for $203. This would be the one to purchase for use in Florida waters only.
 
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Geno67

Senior Member
THanks for the good information. I wonder if there's shrimp on the beach at Carrabelle or St. George Island?
 
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