COLLAPSIBLE FRAME NET
The #1
thing you do NOT
do is cruise the river, see a crowd of boats, and toss anchor thinking
they must have found the shrimp. I make a point to distance myself from
the chaos. ALWAYS scout the width of the channel [start West side],
toss anchor, deploy 1 light and observe. If your not seeing a shrimp
every 90 seconds (or whatever suits you for action), and the tide is
moving nice..move over 20 feet towards center of channel. Repeat until you decide where your gonna set-up full gear. SCOUTING properly takes time, it is a pain the tail, but scouting can make the difference between a skunk and great success.
LOCATION is everything!
The weaker the current the more you need to go towards center of channel. If the current is ripping, try to get on West side in less than 10 feet of water, so that the shrimp are trapped between the river bottom and your boat hull [your dipping reach]. The less depth you have on a "rip" the more control you can gain back.
When dipping ripping currents, it is best to let the bow settle facing Titusville [single anchor system vs setting up horizontal with 2 anchors]/or bridle system. The current drives the shrimp right into your net and you do not have to fight the current to push thru the water. During the moon times, go down with your strongest anchor system ESPECIALLY if your gonna toss a frame net. The collapsible or /PVC type frame net which you can see pics of here [Collapsible Frame Net ] is a large 15 foot sock which exerts great force on an anchor. These CFN's are designed to be kept open by the current, and this creates a "drag" on your anchor.
LOCATION is everything!
The weaker the current the more you need to go towards center of channel. If the current is ripping, try to get on West side in less than 10 feet of water, so that the shrimp are trapped between the river bottom and your boat hull [your dipping reach]. The less depth you have on a "rip" the more control you can gain back.
When dipping ripping currents, it is best to let the bow settle facing Titusville [single anchor system vs setting up horizontal with 2 anchors]/or bridle system. The current drives the shrimp right into your net and you do not have to fight the current to push thru the water. During the moon times, go down with your strongest anchor system ESPECIALLY if your gonna toss a frame net. The collapsible or /PVC type frame net which you can see pics of here [Collapsible Frame Net ] is a large 15 foot sock which exerts great force on an anchor. These CFN's are designed to be kept open by the current, and this creates a "drag" on your anchor.
