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Feature Story

Time to fill your cooler

By Bo Peterson

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Alan hawes

A few tips can be the difference between a long night on the boat shrimp baiting or filling a cooler with shrimp in an hour.

It starts with the bait.

A lot of shrimp baiters just mash the bait, mix it up as a ball and toss it over the side. Lifelong Lowcountry fisherman Gene Adams patties his mix down like hamburgers, about 8-10 inches in diameter, an inch or two thick. He drops them carefully over the rail, two or three at a pole.

That way they don’t roll after they sink or when the cast net gets dragged across them.

Done right, a single round of bait balls ought to be enough for the night. Adams will mix an extra ball for each pole to “juice” the site if shrimping wanes too quickly. He allows a little drift for the tide when baiting and net casting.

The how-to of bait casting is pretty simple, says Adams, who holds seminars at Charleston Angler, where he works.

The basics

Have good gear.

Cast the bait in the same place in relation to each pole to make sure you cast the net over the bait.

Watch your tides; on an incoming tide, find a flat about 1 or 11/2 feet deep; on an outgoing tide, look for one 5 feet deep. “If you set up at high tide in two or three feet of water you’re going to spend the night,” Adams said wryly.

Place poles 10 yards apart in a line no longer than 100 yards. Drop the bait balls 7-8 feet out from the poles to allow room for the boat and casting and even with the poles in relation to tide flow. The usual wait is 10-15 minutes before casting over the bait. But Adams will throw in a test bait ball while he waits, and cast at it after a few minutes. If it pulls in shrimp, he starts casting for real.

“A lot of people think it has to be dark to catch shrimp, but it doesn’t,” he said. “While they’re on, get on them.”

The law

For every set of 10 poles you need a shrimp baiting license, available at the S.C. Department of Natural Resources licensing office, 217 Fort Johnson Road.

License applications also can be downloaded at the DNR Web site. Licenses are $25 for residents and $500 for non-residents. The season lasts until noon, Nov. 12.

Limit is 48 quarts heads-on per set of poles; one set of poles per boat. Set poles at least 25 yards from other shrimp baiting poles, 50 yards from docks.

Net mesh can not be smaller than 1/2 inch.

Violation fines start at $280.

Boats must have night running lights and safety gear.

Casting

Step 1: Fold the hand line in your throwing hand. Grab the net by the “horn,” or choke point, and choke down about a third of the net.

Step 2: Put the lead line (or weighted line) on a finger of the throwing hand and grab the lead line about three feet from the finger.

Step 3: Extend the throwing arm out stiffly, hold the other arm slightly away from the body. Sling the throwing arm easily like you are throwing a Frisbee, drop the other arm holding the line as you do.

Watch our how-to video: To learn how to throw a cast net, please watch our video of Gene Adams (right) demonstrating the proper technique, visit www.tidelinemagazine.>

Retrieving

Shake the net by waving the hand line before retrieving, to move shrimp farther up in the net. Place the net with shrimp into the shrimp basket. Grab the horn and pull it up the tuck line. Shake and untangle shrimp into basket.

To catch more

A 6-foot net is all the average-sized person needs. Cut the cast net hand line to 15-20 feet; you won’t need to throw any farther, and the line will tangle you up if you don’t.

Don’t fling or heave the cast net. A gentle sling allows it drop and spread open as it sinks. A smaller, 6-foot net opens more than a larger, heavier net.

Flats in Charleston Harbor along James Island and Crab Bank, and the Wando River are popular spots. The biggest shrimp are found in Bulls Bay, but be leery of going at night, Adams cautioned. Even experienced boaters get lost.

Etiquette

Don’t shine spotlights directly at other boaters.

What do I need?

CAST NET: Starting at about $40 for 6-foot radius, 1/2-inch mesh cast net.

The larger the radius of the net, the larger the area that can be covered, theoretically multiplying the number of shrimp that can be caught per cast. You should use a net that you can comfortably open with the most weight so it will sink quickly.

POLES: $20 for 10 10-foot PVC poles.

Poles are used to mark the location of the bait and give you a target. If you are using a 6-foot radius net, try to position your bait at least 7 feet from the pole so you can open the net. Poles can measure no more than 1 inch in diameter, so most baiters use 3/4-inch PVC; 10 feet is minimum length while 15 feet is better.

Many anglers opt for more expensive sets of fiberglass poles made specifically for shrimp baiting and available at local tackle shops. These poles last longer than PVC pipe and won’t bend as much in the current. Many also come fitted with reflective material.

REFLECTIVE TAPE: $10

Each pole is required to have reflective tape, which allows the shrimper to easily locate the next pole while casting.

BAIT: $10-$30.

Shrimp bait generally consists of finely ground fish meal mixed with some type of clay. Anglers mix this clay with water and form the resulting sticky mixture into hamburger-sized patties.

A small bag of about 5 pounds costs about $10. It will make about 30-35 baits and is good for one trip. Larger 10- to 15-pound buckets of bait mix can cost between $15 and $30.

COOLER: About $20 for 48-quart cooler

The limit is 48 quarts of heads-on shrimp per boat per day or 29 quarts of headed shrimp.

LIGHTS: $10 for clamp-on light and 12-volt bulb.

Lights are used to illuminate the deck while casting and also help locate poles when shrimping after dark.

BATTERY: $60 for deep cycle battery to power lamp. (You may also need a battery charger)

Did you know?

The “horn” on the shrimp net is named because it used to made of a hollowed-out bulls horn.

Yum

Now that you have a freezer fullof shrimp, what are you going to do?

Do you know the secrets to the basic shrimp boil? Want to throw some kebabs on the barbie? How about a fantastic shrimp burger? Turn to Coastal Cuisine for mouth-watering shrimp recipes.