# Shrimp Trawl Tales-Not Woodworking Related



## 3192 (Dec 30, 2004)

Well....it looks like Tortuga may have been the better 'horse trader' on this shrimp trawl trade..LOL! If anyone gripes about the price of shrimp I suggest you tell them _'it ain't that easy brother'!_ We started pulling this net out of a 2'x2' plastic carton Friday afternoon. I thought it was vacuum packed because it kept growing and growing and growing. The thing was flippin' HUGE! The wife looks at me kind of funny and I nod to let her know that there was *NO WAY* we are hooking that thing to our boat. Our camper neighbor is a old time shrimper and he was telling us what was what, how to set it up and how easy it was to use. He could tell that we were not gun-ho about using our boat so we loaded everything in his. We take off towards Trinity Bay and I had visions of being ankle deep in huge shrimp before sunset. He drops the net in the water like a pro and sets up the first drag. We bounce around in the bay for 10-15 minutes pulling this monster and he is ready to check to see if everything was working right. He starts pulling the net in hand over hand and I knew right then that this was not on my cup of tea. Between the stinging jellyfish, little hardheads and other creepy looking sea-creatures, I think we ended up with 3 shrimp and one croaker. I kept my hopes up high on the second, longer drag. This time we ended up with a rusty old crab trap, a VERY upset blue crab, four broken oyster shells and more stinging jellyfish. I suggested we call it a day and head back to base camp. Our shrimper friend told us not to be disappointed and there will be better days ahead for us. I know now that I'm not cut out to be a shrimper and will stick woodturning for my 'hobby'. If I need 'eating shrimp'...there is always Rosie's down at Seabrook. The trawl is now part of our RV Park Co-Op with the shrimper in charge. It will be used every weekend and I'm sure some produce some more shrimp trawl tales! gb


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## bill (May 21, 2004)

stinging jellyfish, little hardheads and other creepy looking sea-creatures, I think we ended up with 3 shrimp and one croaker


LMAO...sorry to hear but thanks for sharing...my mind was picturing every move


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## speckle-catcher (May 20, 2004)

"coupla more, and you'll have yourself enough for a cocktail"


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## Catfishy (Jul 2, 2009)

This time we ended up with a rusty old crab trap, a VERY upset blue crab, four broken oyster shells and more stinging jellyfish.

LMAO How did you know the blue crab was upset?


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

HAW,Haw,haw!!!!:rotfl: Tried to tell ya...but NOOOOO !!! Never pay attention to the old phart.. That's gotta be the nastiest hardest work I ever done on the water.. Now ya know why the trawl wuz up for trade....

j/k Jim....Better luck next time. There will come a day when them skrimps bunch up off the beach and you can fill the boat with a couple of hauls..

Good luck, Amigo.....


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## Slip (Jul 25, 2006)

I had a shrimp net at one time my Father in law gave me (actually went with him using his boat and after he gave me the net to teach me how). Been there done that kinda story. I got rid of the net after first try and never tried it by myself. Wasn't my cup of tea either. My FIL loved doing it. I didn't. I buy shrimp. Good story though. Your story is worth green so I will send you one.


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## Bobby (May 21, 2004)

I had one of those one time too. Just took one time and I used it for looks from then on. I found that when the shrimps are running in the surf you can catch all you want with a good throw net.


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## rodwade (Feb 13, 2007)

so when do we start looking for shrimp in the surf?


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

rodwade said:


> so when do we start looking for shrimp in the surf?[/quote
> 
> As I recall...usually June and July . July is best for big shrimp.. You can tell by looking at the shrimp boats working. When they start dragging INSIDE the rock groins on the seawall (which is against the law) that is a pretty good sign that the biggies are in the second or third gut...
> 
> Bobby can probably give better first hand info...


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## Slip (Jul 25, 2006)

Yea, but I believe that our good state made it illegal to catch shrimp with a cast net other than for bait. It seemed the people with cast nets hurt the shrimping industry? Let me know if I am incorrect.


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## Bobby (May 21, 2004)

slip knot said:


> Yea, but I believe that our good state made it illegal to catch shrimp with a cast net other than for bait. It seemed the people with cast nets hurt the shrimping industry? Let me know if I am incorrect.


It is but I use a lot of bait.:rotfl:


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

slip knot said:


> Yea, but I believe that our good state made it illegal to catch shrimp with a cast net other than for bait. It seemed the people with cast nets hurt the shrimping industry? Let me know if I am incorrect.


I didn't know that Slip. Learn sumthin' new every day...but..reading the regs still leaves it a little 'fuzzy' on the 'bait' thang..not sure if skrimps are included in that definition..????..but not curious enough to test it out. Bought some nice 'wild caught' 10-12s Saturday for $5.99/lbk...Mucho better deal than 'do-it-yoreself'...:rotfl:

*"Cast Net:* A net that can be hand-thrown over an area. 

May be used to take *NONGAME* fish and shrimp only.
May not be greater than 14 feet in diameter.
In *SALT WATER*, nongame *fish* may be taken for bait purposes only. "


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## Hooked (Oct 15, 2004)

LOL..............does this story ever bring back some memories (??). We STILL have a net we bought from some friends about 10 years ago. Used it a couple different times with the same results as you and Karen.
I went to the trouble of making a 'separating' trough to mount across the stern and picked up a large piece of outdoor carpet to protect the desk, gunnel and sides of the boat. Those all worked fine but all the trough ever held was croakers, jelly fish, beer cans, etc.
Maybe we'll try it again now that you brought this up.............. 

What we didn't know at the time is we need a 'tickler' chain (at least that's what a shrimper told us) to stir up the skrimps for the net to catch instead of pass over.........lol


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## Viking48 (Jan 24, 2006)

GB - your problem is that you didn't drink enough beer. Tell me, have you ever known a sober shrimper???














In my younger days my best bud and I really enjoyed pulling one. Some days we didn't catch much but other days we loaded up. Back then, before all the crabbers, we could catch enough crabs to offset any shortage of shrimp. I had a "crab masher" that made quick work of getting the meat out so we always had plenty of fresh crab meat and shrimp. We also caught a lot of bait fish and I would run it through my grinder and freeze it for chum. On offshore trips I would take a milk jug out and poke holes in it then hang it off the back of the boat. Wouldn't take but a few minutes for the action to start.


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## kingfisherred (Aug 12, 2005)

*Shrimping regulations*



slip knot said:


> Yea, but I believe that our good state made it illegal to catch shrimp with a cast net other than for bait. It seemed the people with cast nets hurt the shrimping industry? Let me know if I am incorrect.


No that's not correct, A cast net is defined as a legal sport shrimping device, Thing is with catching and retaining shrimp you must stick to the same rules and areas as all the other sport shrimpers with trawl's, "Seasons and bag limits". Also there are differn't rules as far as catching shrimp for bait or consumption. Few years back they busted some guys for baiting and castnetting shrimp along some road near Galveston, This area is defined as a nursery area by TP&W. They were not very happy about the hefty fine but ignorance of the law would not get them out of it.


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## Slip (Jul 25, 2006)

kingfisherred said:


> No that's not correct, A cast net is defined as a legal sport shrimping device, Thing is with catching and retaining shrimp you must stick to the same rules and areas as all the other sport shrimpers with trawl's, "Seasons and bag limits". Also there are differn't rules as far as catching shrimp for bait or consumption. Few years back they busted some guys for baiting and castnetting shrimp along some road near Galveston, This area is defined as a nursery area by TP&W. They were not very happy about the hefty fine but ignorance of the law would not get them out of it.


Your right, wonder if this changed or if I had been wrong. I sure thought it used to be illegal for use other than for bait and only could keep a quart or pint or something like that for shrimp. I looked it up and you are right. I stand corrected, thanks. I could have swore it was once the law though.


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## EndTuition (May 24, 2004)

Been there done that. Spent two days draging the net for about 10LBs of small shrimp. Spent the rest of the summer repairing the damage to the boat from the net.


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## ladyfish (May 25, 2004)

now you know why I got out of the bait shrimp business.... oh yeah, I have a bait camp for sale. smith point. Ike ate the shrimp boat .... but I have some nets! )

ladyfish


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