Now, I am going to address the "run" to the inlet...

There are over 18 species of shrimp in the lagoon system, they eat plants and animals, they can swim 3 - 5 miles a day.

The shrimp move in the ICW to both head towards inlet to spawn, and also use the ICW to find another nursery that better serves the salinity they need as they grow. Warm water = growth, and they move around and their salinity needs increase and eventually head seaward. The female lays 500,000 to 1,000,000 eggs of which only 20% eggs survive to maturity. The # 1 killer of the shrimp eggs is mullet, the larvae cling to vegetation which is consumed by the mullet.

The male transfers a sperm packet to the female who holds the packet between her ab plates until she is ready to spawn, this could take days.

Salinity levels that are 28 - 34 ppt in lagoon allows the shrimp to spawn WITHOUT going offshore. The sea offshore is 32 ppt.

When the eggs are fertilized inshore and offshore [the current bring the eggs back inshore via the inlet current], once the baby shrimp get to 1/2 to 1 inch long they sink to the bottom, bury in the sand, molt [lose shell], feed and grow hard shell. The nursery can be shallow bays, tidal creeks and marshes---they love to live in the flats/shallow water NOT river ....they only use the river to travel.

They have 5 pairs of  "walking" legs up front and 5 pairs of "swimming" legs and use their tail for propulsion. They develop their legs at 1/2" in size.

The little 2 inch shrimp eat the top sediment layer of the bottom. The 2.5" shrimp eat the organic portion of sediment layer, and the larger shrimp eat animals [worms, crabs, grass shrimp], and they ARE cannibalistic, they eat decomposing animals and can hone in via odors. They DO scavenge dead animals.

Our shrimping season is October to June typically.

Water temp, moon phase and tide conditions influence the runs. They prefer temps of 63 to 67, and they stop running at 75 degrees.

Shrimp bury in sandy bottoms to avoid light and predators, they move up into the flats to feed and hide in vegetation. Vegetation give off oxygen and they really like this.

They run best during full moons, 4 days before and 4 days after. The moon causes stronger outgoing current due to increase in water levels. Shrimp love to move with current but will drift in the wind. They will run in the rain but will go 3 to 6 foot deeper. Different patches of the flats release shrimp at different times. The moon twists the Earth - tilts 3 degrees, water reaches back into marshes, bays and grasses and pulls shrimp out.

Typically, best month is February, then they get smaller as the months go on till they stop. Another great time to go is ahead of a front vs, behind the front which kills the run due to wind changes.

What side of the channel should you be on? Personally, I scan West to East and then make decision.

Western Side - During FULL moon, and last quarter moon because the Eastern side is in the shadow for the early part of the ebb tide.

Center Location:  Best on NEW moon and first quarter moon distributed evenly across center of channel

What is the worst thing that affects shrimp seasons for the next year?

The #1 thing we DO NOT want to see happen is a wet spring...these heavy rains in spring dilute the salinity and compromise the nurseries.

I personally stop shrimping end of March or 1st week of April depending on the size. If the runs are all smalls, I quit. So my freezer is full and I turn my focus towards fishing.

So, to me the season is over....and the thing I do not want to hear is long standing heavy spring rains, tropical storms or hurricanes, if this happens in 2010, the shrimping season will be affected in 2011.

newken wrote:

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I spent several hours reading all the posts and found all to be very informative. 

Hi Kenny! I am so glad you put up with the long winded explanations. The whole point of the classroom area is to pass on some knowledge to those who want to know the little stuff.

Everybody keeps telling me to write a book about shrimping. I personally will never do that....but I will expound on a point as I think about it right here in front of this community. You will find that shrimping is very diversified, and there are so many ways to be successful. There is no right or wrong way to do it. If your getting a decent "pull" from the river, and your pleased...than your way is correct!

Pull up a chair, and ask any questions you want. YOU have my un-divided attention, always. You stick with us, and we will do all we can to make it a "worth while" experience for you all around.

Hmmm,

I am not sure you did anything wrong.

I know you cannot be moving when you use frame nets. But dipping with a net, I am not aware of any law that says you must be stationary while dipping.

Let me look into this more.

Welcome to the site!