Shrimping in florida?

Question

any one have any tips on catching shrimp in florida on the west coast (around sarasota),as to what gear, bait if any ,and traps or nets with out the use of a boat ,any information with be appreciated ,thanks

Answer 1

I spent my youth catching Shrimp for eatin' (and bait) in Fla.

Your "best bet" is to find a sandy/muddy-bottomed inshore flat that is tidal influenced and has no rocks/oyster-beds or major weed-growth.

At low tide, "bait" the area with a mixture of fish meal/bread crumbs ,fish flavored DRY catfood and mud. Distribute soft-ball sized "chum-balls" along a 50-70 Yrd area. (This procedure works best if you bait-up in the early day and begin cast-netting right before dark. Planing to go shrimping at the perfect tide with the perfect light level will dramatically increase your catch!)

Use (at least) a 6-8 FT cast net.

Seining can work, but poorly. Shrimp tend to jump over a sein as you get it closer to shore.

Use a flashlight to check for the Shrimps "glowing eyes". Cast net a 25-30 FT area for 5-6 casts then LEAVE IT ALONE for 30-45 minutes! This allows the shrimp to "re-stage" on your bait balls.

Using this procedure my family never paid for Shrimp! It was not unusual for us to take home (in one night, with a flood tide & full moon) 50-75 LB's of Shrimp!

Hope this helps? Good luck!