Dipnets
Do not buy
a green or blue net, the shrimp can see them and you will not get as many
shrimp. If you have a blue or green net, sell it or save it for crabbing this
summer. Get a white or monofiliment net. The shrimp have a problem seeing the
white net and will swim into it. With a blue or green net they will not. So
stay with the white or monofiliment.
There are two
basic styles of nets. The two foot and the three foot sock. The two foot sock
comes off the rim of the net, about a foot into a small sock. Below is a photo
of two nets 96" hoops, The one on the right is a better built net. Expect to
pay $20 more. The one on the right should go for $50-$70. Below is two nets,
one on the right is a better built net.
If you are
shrimping off a pier or bridge you will want the full twenty foot pole, three
sections. Each section is six feet long plus the net. If you want to get out
further, as on a bridge, then you need to adjust your length accordingly. If
you are shrimping out of a boat then you will only need the section with the
net on it. Eight feet of net will do fine.
"Frame net" means a net
in the form of an elongated bag kept open by a rigid frame that is buoyed by
floats and is not fished or dragged along the bottom.
It's a net
that is approved by the State of Florida. It has a PVC frame with a sock that
is eight to eighteen feet long. A framenet is used mostly at Oakhill. The boat
is anchored sideways . A Framenet has a bridle with which a rope is attached.
You put the box net in the water down current. If the current is too strong
the box net will ride up on top of the water. So you will need a weight to get
it down. framenets get lots of shrimp very easily. It also gets all the grass,
crabs and everything else that comes along. Only one frame net with an opening
no larger than 16 feet around the perimeter, if deployed from a vessel or from
a structure other than an operational bridge or causeway or catwalk attached
to such bridge or causeway is permitted.
2. Frame nets
shall not be considered an allowable gear for persons harvesting shrimp
pursuant to this rule in any waters of the Southeast Region in Dade County. Jethro
I'll be
discussing 12V & 110V lights. Green lightes, white lights, clear lights,
purple lights yellow lights, coleman lantern and starfire lights. When to use
which light, water depth and clarity.
Let's
start with the 12V lights. These are hooked up to 12V batteries or 12V
generators. There are two basic kinds: the starfire and the 12V recreational
bulb. The most common being the 12V 50W bulb. These are used mostly off
bridges. These lights come in frosted only. The starfire is used on boats and
off bridges mostly. It is best to hang the Starfire over the side against and
under the boat. That way, the bright light will not blind you. I have seen
shrimpers using a Starfire on a PVC pole. Problem here is it will blind you
and you want see the shrimp. If you do use a pole to extend it, either use a
small shade or extend the light deep enough in the water as to not blind you.
110V
lights are used in conjunction with a generator. They can also be used on the
Titusville Pier AFTER THEY CLOSE DOWN. Remember, 110V lights are not
authorized on the pier while there is an attendant there. These light are
great in that you can change the wattage on them. They come in 100W, 75W, 60W
& 40W. You probably would not want to go lower than 40W. You should have
serveral different wattages of underwater lights with you so you can change.
You have
the option of changing the color on a light by painting it. To paint a light,
first clean the bulb with dishwashing liquid and wash you're hands with it
also. That way, when you touch the bulb, you will not leave a grease spot. If
a little is good then a lot is better, wrong. When painting a bulb put a light
coat of paint evenly over the bulb. Use oil base paint only. Colors that are
used by shrimpers are: red, green & purple.
I have
never used a purple light. But know people that have. They say it's great and
attracts shrimp better than a white light. I know that shrimp do not like a
bright light. They will avoid it by going on the outside of the light. Green
lights are great. I've used them many time It attracts shrimp and is not too
bright for the eyes. Red is the same way.
Which
color is best. Well, that depends on the circumstances. If the water at the
Titusville Pier is clear to a dept of 6' I'll change colors of light. I start
with a 100W 110V clear bulb light. If it's too bright I change to a 60W 110V.
If you can not see the shrimp in the light because its too bright then switch
to a green or red light. Better on the eyes. It depends on the clarity of the
water. But if the clarity is not good then I go to the clear lights. Clarity
of the water has a lot to do with which light I use.
The best
light is a yellow light. Not the bug light you buy in the store. To establish
a yellow light you have to have a lot of micro-organizism in the water. Let's
say you're shrimping in four feet of water and the clarity is not good. I
start with a 100W 110V light off the Titusville Pier. I put the light all the
way to the bottom. If the light is too dim, then I raise the light by foot
intervals. When I get a yellow light, thats where it stays. Yellow light is
established by the distortion of the light beams through the micro-organisms
as it goes deeper in the water. So, too deep is just as bad as not deep
enough. It's up to your discretion to judge which depth is best.
Above
water lights are used by many shrimping. Good thing about above water lights
is you can change the wattage of the bulb in seconds. You can use above water
lights on bridges, piers and in a boat. Titusville Pier has 110V and above
water lights are most often preferred. But if you use an above water light,
please use a shield for respect to other shrimpers. Makes a bad night
shrimping when you have someone blinding you with their light. So respect your
fellow shrimpers.
Coleman
lanterns are used off bridges and seawalls. They are great when the shrimp
want a soft light. I have seen times when underwater lights did not do as good
as Coleman lanterns. The shrimp like the soft, above water light of the
Coleman lantern. Be sure your Coleman lantern has a shield or you will not see
much.
The type
and color of light is up to you. Experiment and try different lights. If
you're shrimping off a bridge in six feet of water and you're light is too
bright, go to a colored light, red or green. If a person close to you is
dipping more shrimp than you, analyze the situation. Why are they getting that
many shrimp and I am not. His light might be dimmer than you'rs and shrimp are
going into the dim light.
Anchoring
is an important factor in shrimping. Be courtious and give yourself plenty of
room away from other boats! They will not appreciate you anchoring up over
their anchors and lights! For the solo shrimpers anchoring one anchor and
light from the bow should be all you should have to do. Positioning a seat at
the bow gives more comfort till they start running.
For two or
more shrimpers, anchoring sideways will be more productive. Some folks stetch
their lines out from the bow and stern with a wide spread and dont understand
why. Makes you a victim of other boaters props when they seem to drive within
5' of your boat. The best method in my opinion is to anchor them 90 degrees
from bow and stern and make sure to give enough pitch to secure the anchors
properly.
Another
way is to use one good anchor and fasten to the center cleat (if your boat can
handle the stress). Raise the motor. This will make it less hassle in dipping
around the anchor lines. The boat may be at a 45 degree angle to the current
but you get the wide effect and get more time to capture the shrimp before
they cruise under the boat. Also for the framenetters attaching the net to the
centercleat on the opposite side will allow the boat to go 90 degrees.
Jethro
As for my
style of dipping, it all depends on conditions. If you are dipping on a calm
night, dipping from the current side is ideal unless the current is strong and
you are missing the shrimp. Then you can put the lights on the back side of
the current and they will pop up from under the boat and around the bow and
stern. This will give you a chance to get them before they enter the darkness.
If the framenet is deployed, the large ones will try to avoid the net and
spring to the surface.
If the
wind is strong and the water is choppy the best thing would be to set the
lights on the calm side of the boat in order to see them. This will also help
since my eyes tear up in the wind.
I use the
fishfinder as a tool to find them. they show up as dots on the screen. If they
are deep, I setup the framenet accordingily. I use a 5-8# downigger weight
attached to the bottom of the frame to sink it to the proper level. When it
gets full the net will rise indicating its time to empty.( These are my
technics and may not work for you but I do catch shrimp. I can not be held
liable for injuries and accidents so be aware of your surroundings and safe
dipping) Jethro
Shrimp stay buried in deeper water with
sandy bottom during the daytime to avoid predators and light. They move up
onto the flats at night to feed where they can hide in the vegitation. At
night the vegitation gives off oxygen that is the byproduct of transpiration.
Shrimp, just like fish don't like light but they do like increase oxygen
levels. They have eyes that are designed to see in a certain range of light
levels. Very low light levels as a matter of fact. That is the reason why
their eyes glow when you shine a light on them because of the reflective
coating in the back of their eyes that help amplify light. Their eyes adjust
to light levels much more slowly than humans do. The same is true for fish.
How many time have you caught a fish in the first hour after dark. As light
levels drop in the evening and assuming that there is a current to stimulate
them to move they will move up in the water column to stay in their light
comfort zone. The polychaetes, nematodes, algae, and vegetable matter they
feed on do the same thing. Ever notice how your depthfinder screen looks more
cluttered after dark. That is phytoplankton moving up in the water column off
the bottom. The lights you use dont attract shrimp they just help you see them
better. Shrimp are structure oriented like fish so they will move along and
around things in the water like the bottom, channel edges, your anchor rope,
your boat, or your lights. They come to the surface for several other reasons.
Fish chase them from below because their siloettes are easier to see against
the sky than against the bottom at night. Turbulance from the uneven bottom
creates upwellings that push them up in certain places. The shrimp you see at
the surface are only part of the shrimp going past you with the current. The
barometer will also have an effect. Higher barometric pressure increases the
dissolved oxygen levels near the surface making it more comfortable near the
surface. Lower barometric pressure decreases dissolved oxygen levels near the
surface making it less comfortable for them. Moving water has more oxygen at
the surface than still water.
