Shrimping.

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phantoms

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 14, 2005
Messages
246
Well, don't know if it's something stupid, but I sure felt stupid. <br /><br />Went out this weekend and my sister and her family tagged along with their new boat to do some fishing and have me show them saltwater boating and areas of interest. Caught the tide late and couldn't catch any bait (shrimp). Had a good time seeing the sites all day and not catching a thing every time we stopped to fish. When the tide was well on the way out, cast the net a few times to finally get some bait. Got about 30 shrimp, passed some over to their boat and fished for a while (still not catching a thing). Anyway, the sun was going down and so we started heading in. Noticed an older fellow casting a net repeatedly out of a johnboat and cruised over to offer him the remainder of my shrimp (about 15) thinking he wasn't doing well as he was casting again immediately after pulling the net in, over and over. This is were the feeling stupid part comes in. When I pulled up next to him I noticed he was definitely catching shrimp (about 20 each cast), but was just quickly emptying them into the boat and casting again (here I thought he hadn't been catching anything). Offered him what little I had and he simply said that's alright, I'm catching enough by myself.
 
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GatorMike

Ensign
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Messages
902
Re: Shrimping.

A few years back a friend asked me and my sons to go shrimping with him. We set out our lights and within a half hour had dipped a 5 gallon bucket full of jumbo shrimp. We had so much fun that the following week I went out and bought $250 worth of dip nets and underwater lights. Haven't been able to get more than a couple dozen since.
 
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Braxton

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Messages
575
Re: Shrimping.

i have not done this and i live in florida. is it hard to learn the cast net, also do you need a small boat or will my 17' cc work. don't mind if it gets dirty.
 
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oddjob

Commander
Joined
Jun 19, 2002
Messages
2,723
Re: Shrimping.

You can do it fairly well if you have a platform or deck up front. But I would refrian from doing it alone in deep water. Folks have been known to drown falling overboard with the net wrapped around them.
 
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Barbee Q

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
647
Re: Shrimping.

That is funny you said that ODDJOB... My friend was showing me how to use his Cabelo's Special portable net in a bag/container.. I kind of laughed a little. He throws it out the first time and it got tangled-up.. He untangles it and throws it out again, when he tripped over his beer and fell off the front of his boat. It was funny... Then I had to tell him that he should go back to the old school nets, like I used to use when I was a kid.. Soaking wet he gets back into the boat with the net all tangled in his legs.. He packed it back all tangled up and that was that.. I didn't mention it again.. But It was so funny...
 
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Braxton

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Messages
575
Re: Shrimping.

thanks oddjob, i don't want to end up like bd tubs friend....
 
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phantoms

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 14, 2005
Messages
246
Re: Shrimping.

Braxton, casting is not that hard to learn. You can pick up a 4ft or 5ft Betts at any Walmart pretty cheap that throws really easy. These smaller nets throw differently than the larger ones, and you don't have to put the net in your mouth. I cast mine off my 16ft V-hull runabout. Stand on the front bow seats. I don't run into many problems unless there's someone on board with me. Then everytime they move, I think I'm going in. Been lucky so far and haven't got wet. I have a 7ft net also . It's more to throwing it, much heavier and you're more likely to tangle up in it's cord. My shoulders just can't take it as much, so I usually just carry the small net which I can throw all day. <br /><br />Be sure to also check your local regulations. In GA, bait nets must be 3/8" mesh and nets for food shrimp must be at least 1/2" mesh. You can not have both types of nets onboard a vessel at the same time, but you can use 1/2" mesh for bait also.
 
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oddjob

Commander
Joined
Jun 19, 2002
Messages
2,723
Re: Shrimping.

I doing it wrong:( and using way more effort. Thanks.
 
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kenimpzoom

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jul 13, 2002
Messages
4,807
Re: Shrimping.

Last time I threw the cast net, I followed it in.<br /><br />Water was only a foot deep, mud was two feet deep.<br /><br />Of coarse wife and kids laughed their butts off.<br /><br />KEN
 
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phantoms

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 14, 2005
Messages
246
Re: Shrimping.

Smaller nets throw much differently. I throw my 4ft from my right side (I'm right handed), while I throw my 7ft from the left using my bodies momentum.
 
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KilroyJC

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 11, 2005
Messages
384
Re: Shrimping.

Glad the vid helped - it certainly made my life easier...
 
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txkingfisher

Cadet
Joined
Jun 21, 2008
Messages
15
Re: Shrimping.

cast nets are too much work for too little return...
buy you a trawl and be done with it.
 
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