# Shrimpers in the Bay



## pb&jellyfish (May 1, 2008)

I have noticed while driving on the 3 mile that the shrimpers are in the bay now. My guess is that the fishing should be good since there are more shrimp hanging around; however, I wouldn't be surprised if it means nothing. Any thoughts?


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## rocklobster (Oct 1, 2007)

Are they on the West or East side of the bridge?


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## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

Closer to the west (Pensacola side) when I saw them.


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## pb&jellyfish (May 1, 2008)

They are all over. Last night I saw atleast six and they were on both sides of the bridge


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## PaleRed (Oct 2, 2007)

Don't know. but on a side note, friends from work bought some fresh shrimp from Port St. Joe, they were freakin huge and delicious. I would think that is part of the reason the flats liven up in the springis because of a large influx of bait. Shrimp and baitfish.


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## Doogiesar (Oct 4, 2007)

I was at 3 Mile Bridge last night. About 6pm they cruised to the bridge going east, then once past the bridge they formed a formation and started trolling nets on the east side. There were about 6 boats total. Could be a good sign, but what else are they killing while nettingfor shrimp?


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## pb&jellyfish (May 1, 2008)

> *Doogiesar (5/13/2008)*I was at 3 Mile Bridge last night. About 6pm they cruised to the bridge going east, then once past the bridge they formed a formation and started trolling nets on the east side. There were about 6 boats total. Could be a good sign, but what else are they killing while nettingfor shrimp?


Not the redfish from the sounds of it.


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## fishaholic (Oct 2, 2007)

> *Doogiesar (5/13/2008)*I was at 3 Mile Bridge last night. About 6pm they cruised to the bridge going east, then once past the bridge they formed a formation and started trolling nets on the east side. There were about 6 boats total. Could be a good sign, but what else are they killing while nettingfor shrimp?


Extinct, Juvenile Red Snapper???


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## wrightackle (Oct 29, 2007)

What are they killing besides shrimp? How about small flounders, crabs, croakers, etc. Basically they are clear cutting the bottom vacuuming up whatever juvenile fish that are unfortunate enough to end up in their trawls. That is why the net ban in florida is a joke.


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## BudYsr (Oct 1, 2007)

I thought the net ban would take shrimp nets out of the bay but I guess that was left out. If you only saw six boats, that is alot less than it used to be. I remember many times counting 12 to 14 boats a night in the bay. I guess the fuel costs have run some shrimpers off.


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## rocklobster (Oct 1, 2007)

If they are concentrated on the East side of the bridge, that means that the breeder shrimp are starting to fall out of the north end of the bay near the mouth of the river. That is where they breed because it is safer for the little ones. What that means for us, though, is that Joe Patti will be selling large shrimp for a small price, since he will have an overstock of them. The run usually lasts about two weeks, and it's usually about this time of year. It's when I stock the freezer.


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## Doogiesar (Oct 4, 2007)

Pb & Jelly, Good one. I catch the reds around the bridge though. There should be somethingthat FWC has inplace for them, just as they have us Anglers restricted from all kinds of things like bag limits,seasons,to now dehooking, and venting being inforced.


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## pb&jellyfish (May 1, 2008)

> *Doogiesar (5/14/2008)*Pb & Jelly, Good one. I catch the reds around the bridge though. There should be somethingthat FWC has inplace for them, just as they have us Anglers restricted from all kinds of things like bag limits,seasons,to now dehooking, and venting being inforced.


They have their fair share of restrictions I am sure. I am not saying whether or not the regulations are good enough, I just know they are there. When I was younger, we used to pull a shrimp net behind our little boat inPerdido Bay; now, its not even worth it with the regulations the way they are (this is totally separate from the gill net ban). I am sure the commercial shrimpers have been hit just the same. I am all for keeping our fishing healthy, but at the same time, I am totally against buying frozen shrimp from China. Find the balance I guess.

Anyways, I am still curious about how this "shrimp run" influences the fishing in the bay.


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

> *Doogiesar (5/14/2008)*Pb & Jelly, Good one. I catch the reds around the bridge though. There should be somethingthat FWC has inplace for them, just as they have us Anglers restricted from all kinds of things like bag limits,seasons,to now dehooking, and venting being inforced.


Have you ever tried to trawl shrimp withthe mandatedturtle excluder on the back of your net? There are also plenty of regulations on the size of the net. That is what put us out of the shrimping business in '88, that and the damn Veitnamese. The Catholic church paid for them to come over here, bought them boat and nets, and then paid for all of their gas.


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## markw4321 (Oct 4, 2007)

Take a look at what a shrimp boat does to the bottomwith it's net out anddecide for yourself whether or not shrimping impacts the Pensacola area fishery for better or worse.

Mark W


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

Is that a picture of a boat in Pensacola Bay?


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## markw4321 (Oct 4, 2007)

PCola native 

photo isoff LA.

mark w


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## Adicted2Fishn (Oct 4, 2007)

I just love the way that we attack people just trying to make a living (shirimping), but yet we don't mind buying shrimp for bait, or for eating. Yes, their are other fish that might get caught up, but there has to be a trade off, there always is. What about all you fisherman going out and catching snapper, or fish. When you pull up a juvie fish, you throw it back... and what happens, BAM.... Flipper got'em. So should you only fish if you are only going to catch the legal size fish...? 

Sorry, we as people, (me included) seem to quickly judge things, without offering solutions...

The original question I believe was asking if this was a sign to fish the bay now, since the bait it there, the fish must be also??? Anyone have good experiences with this time of year? Where? What species?


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

> *markw4321 (5/14/2008)*PCola native
> 
> photo isoff LA.
> 
> mark w


So it is possible the boat is in three foot of water on muddy bottom. That is a lot different than the deep water sand bottom the shrimpers in question are currently fishing. If you don't want them out there, stop eating shrimp.


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## SolarFlare (Oct 3, 2007)

*I need to be tactful, but that is aweful, just aweful!!*



> *markw4321 (5/14/2008)*
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## SolarFlare (Oct 3, 2007)

I can also see your point of view....we all have to make decisions....do we want BAYshrimp or do we want better fishing..... or do we wantshrimp from the GULF andnot from the Bay where the bottom is destroyed, andthe food source for our game fish are stripped!

It's hard to be addicted to fishing if you can't catch anything, or amI missing something?

What's you opinion? 

opcornopcorn



> *Adicted2Fishn (5/14/2008)*I just love the way that we attack people just trying to make a living (shirimping), but yet we don't mind buying shrimp for bait, or for eating. Yes, their are other fish that might get caught up, but there has to be a trade off, there always is. What about all you fisherman going out and catching snapper, or fish. When you pull up a juvie fish, you throw it back... and what happens, BAM.... Flipper got'em. So should you only fish if you are only going to catch the legal size fish...?
> 
> Sorry, we as people, (me included) seem to quickly judge things, without offering solutions...
> 
> The original question I believe was asking if this was a sign to fish the bay now, since the bait it there, the fish must be also??? Anyone have good experiences with this time of year? Where? What species?


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## legalhookin (Oct 4, 2007)

i've heard shrimp can be farm raised, would like to know what that would do to the price of shrimp and all. be nice to have the fish and the shrimp. (by the way.....you know we all use gulps now anyway for bait!!!!!:letsdrink)


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

> *Bay Pirate (5/14/2008)*I can also see your point of view....we all have to make decisions....do we want BAYshrimp or do we want better fishing..... or do we wantshrimp from the GULF andnot from the Bay where the bottom is destroyed, andthe food source for our game fish are stripped!
> 
> It's hard to be addicted to fishing if you can't catch anything, or amI missing something?
> 
> ...


The fishing in Pensacola Bay is incrdible, and the shrimpers have been there longer than most of us have been alive. How good do you want it to be? 

How about firing anyone who has a job that is related to degrading the aquatic ecosystem. If they shutdown all golf courses, banned lawn care services that use fertilizer, shut downall industrial plants dumping toxins into our waterways, and mandated all farmers stop using fertilizer our waters would be munch healthier and capable of producing more than enough seafood for commercials and recreationals. 

That picture just looks like a shrimp boat kickin' up some mud. Not as bad as the many sportfishing boats that plow prop scars across the grass flats.


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

> That picture just looks like a shrimp boat kickin' up some mud. Not as bad as the many sportfishing boats that plow prop scars across the grass flats.




... ya but that's a fine from the FWC for us to do that in grass. What the trawls do is 60' wide "in formation" of 6 boats that's a 300' scar one just one pass. Not even close as they are scooping up a "public" resource and selling it.



:mmmbeer

Stressless


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## CurtyV22 (Sep 30, 2007)

Trying to make an honest living? It would be one thing if they put something back into the resource they parasitically escavate. But when one takes and takes with not an ounce of give back it is hard them to have any defense in my eyes. Especially when they rape the grounds where almost every fish anyone ever sees is born. 



TO ME it is not worth the lower prices on larger shrimp for the grounds of my favorite pastime to be put in jeopardy.


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

> *CurtyV22 (5/14/2008)*Trying to make an honest living? It would be one thing if they put something back into the resource they parasitically escavate. But when one takes and takes with not an ounce of give back it is hard them to have any defense in my eyes. Especially when they rape the grounds where almost every fish anyone ever sees is born.
> 
> TO ME it is not worth the lower prices on larger shrimp for the grounds of my favorite pastime to be put in jeopardy.


Re-read your post. You want to fire someone because it interferes (or at least you perceive it interferes) with you pastime. Thats likesomeone saying they should close down an industrial park were people work becausethey want a golf course built there.

I'm also tired of hearing the word "rape" being used in reference to commercial fisherman. If those shrimp boats are guilty of rape, so is anyonewho eats a shrimp off of their boats. Like I said, boats have been shrimping right there for a long, long time. What makes you think that they will all of the sudden cause an ecological collapse? The fishing off of the three mile bridge is great, but it looks like y'all are willing to fire a bunch of people just to make it a little better.


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## Wharf Rat (Sep 27, 2007)

> *P-cola_Native (5/15/2008)*
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P-cola_Native - who do you sell most of your commercially caught products to?


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

simple solution for the people who aren't in favor of the Shrimpers

STOP BUYING SHRIMP!


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

> *Wharf Rat (5/15/2008)*
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> 
> > *P-cola_Native (5/15/2008)*
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Maria's Seafood, Joe Patties, L&L, and a seafood place out in Perdido (for some reason the name eludes me). It all depends on what I'm selling and who wants it.


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## onoahi (Oct 5, 2007)

My family shrimps in Perdido Bay w/ a 16' net. 95% of our bycatch survives and makes it back into the water. My kids know the first thing we do after the net is pulled is to toss the baby flounder back and watch them swim for the bottom.Typically will have a few eels caught in the net and other than a few shrimp that is all that usually doesn't make it.

The big boys haul in so much that they don't have time to discard it all alive, but I agree w/ those on here that have seen them for 40+ yrs. If they were wreaking that much havoc then Pcola Bay wouldn't be the fishery it is today.


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## wrightackle (Oct 29, 2007)

I remember when the old bay bridge was first opened up for fishing. People were catching 3-4 pound white trout and 2-3 pound golden croakers. What happened to those fish? Now it seems that a two pound white trout is a rarity and the golden croakers are gone leaving only the generic croaker. Once upon a time the local fisherman would take a break and quit fishing for a bit for whatever reasons they had. When the Vietnamese were brought in that all changed. They don't know when to quit. The points P-Cola native makes are all valid. What we have dumped into the water is a crying shame in the name of "progress". Gulf Power, American Cyanimid, Champion etc. etc. have wreaked a terrible vengeance on the waters. Golf courses are absolutely a terrible thing. I think that recreational and commercial fisherman can coexist if the water is in good shape. I don't buy shrimp although I dearly love to eat them. I do love mullet and am lucky to have a friend who is skilled with a cast net.


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## pb&jellyfish (May 1, 2008)

I hear you onoahi, watching the trash fish swim away used to be the best part of shrimping when I was a kid. We used to find the weirdest stuff in our nets. As for any shrimper, if you have a lot of stuff in the net besides shrimp, you are not doing good. There would be times we would pull in a net loaded with shrimp and have very little trash fish; thats what we always aimed for. As for hurting the bay, there are much larger factors (like overall water quality) to be concerned about.

I am with you P-cola Native, the fishing in the area is on the rebound and the shrimping industry is on the decline; I don't think we have all too much to worry about at this time. If you don't catch any fish when you are in the bay, it is because you left your gulps at home,not because there are a few shrimp boats in the bay.

Anyways,thats a cool theory rocklobster. I am going to put it to the test by dropping by JoePatti's sometime soon. Iread an article in Florida Sportsmanawhile backthat mentioned a run ofsmall white shrimp in Choctawhatchee Bay and how you could findschools of specks and reds feeding on them during the run. This has always made me wonder ifwe have anything similar in our area; seeing the shrimpers in the bay sparked that thought again. Some feedback on this would ge great.


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## Doogiesar (Oct 4, 2007)

I am definitly no expert on this subject, I just was stating the obvious here. I don't know what all is entailed with shrimp boats. But ifyou are dragging a net across the bottom then aren't you disturbing habitat?

I would sure like to hear what "Coryphaena" has to say on this subject.

I don't know how it effects the whole ecosystem or fish population. I am sure studies have been done and so on. I wanted someone elses opinions. Thanks for your guys input on this because I really don't know. And yes, I agreethere has to be a trade off somewhere for what you want to have and what you need. Needs vs wants.


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

> *wrightackle (5/15/2008)*I remember when the old bay bridge was first opened up for fishing. People were catching 3-4 pound white trout and 2-3 pound golden croakers. What happened to those fish? Now it seems that a two pound white trout is a rarity and the golden croakers are gone leaving only the generic croaker. Once upon a time the local fisherman would take a break and quit fishing for a bit for whatever reasons they had. When the Vietnamese were brought in that all changed. They don't know when to quit. The points P-Cola native makes are all valid. What we have dumped into the water is a crying shame in the name of "progress". Gulf Power, American Cyanimid, Champion etc. etc. have wreaked a terrible vengeance on the waters. Golf courses are absolutely a terrible thing. I think that recreational and commercial fisherman can coexist if the water is in good shape. I don't buy shrimp although I dearly love to eat them. I do love mullet and am lucky to have a friend who is skilled with a cast net.


Thanks. I also agree that the fishing would improve if the shrimp boats were gone, and from the people I talk to it is only a matter of time before the bay shrimpers are regulated out of business. If this happens the bay will be healthier, but a fewstruggling familieswill lose their source of income. I know what it is like growing up in a family that shrimps for a living, it isn't like they are making a fortune.


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## Murphy's Law (Sep 27, 2007)

I have a friend thats family used to shrimp pensacola bay. He told me damn near ever pull of the net it would be full of baby flounder and alot of other types of fish. After they picked out the shrimp 95% of the by catch went back in the water dead.... I don't like seeing shrimp boats in our waters :boo


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