Galveston Fishing Charter Company
832-917-FISH(3474)
A combination of unfavorable conditions and the Christmas lull had anglers looking at holiday activities other than fishing on Sunday. While there were no fishing reports, we did receive a note from a reader in Hitchcock who asked why live shrimp are so expensive and what is necessary to catch shrimp on your own.
The gentleman said that he pays anywhere from $16 to $20 a quart for live shrimp and is interested in catching his own bait. He owns a 19-foot boat and was told that it would be suitable for dragging a shrimp trawl.
Assuming the boat is
suitable for dragging a trawl, special regulations and tags apply to
recreational shrimping and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
website has all of that information.
From first-hand experience,
I can say that shrimping is no easy task. In my early years, I owned a
20-foot bait trawl and would go after my own live shrimp and experienced
the frustrations of feast or famine.
Successful shrimping is not
as easy as it might appear. Skill and experience are the two keys, and
it is physically challenging.
One consideration should be
in the time it takes away from fishing. Let’s say that you are going
after your own bait shrimp, launch your boat and soon start dragging
your net. If you are successful in pulling in a quart or more of shrimp,
it is likely you have taken a couple of valuable hours away from
fishing.
Most recreational bait shrimpers quickly learn that the prices at the bait camps are a bargain.
Do not get me wrong, there
can be a lot of enjoyment in operating a bait trawl. Crabs are often
caught in good quantities along with just about anything else on the
bottom including all sorts of debris.
For small quantities of shrimp and other bait, cast nets are a good alternatives and much more user-friendly.
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