W e are in the throes of what started as a slow shrimping season, and we are taking the football into the 2014 end zone. Something lit a match in Oak Hill and this area caught fire mid-March and burned strong gifting 5 gallon buckets to most everyone no matter how late the tide ran. The urgency to cash in March/April brought many boats on the river forcing the barges to call the Coast Guard to land in our space. Why? Because there are boaters that feel they do not need to move when a barge comes through. Guess what? A barge grounded itself on a sandbar to avoid hitting a small craft and it took this captain 30 minutes to get off the sand bar.
When a barge comes, GET OUT OF THE WAY! It is illegal to anchor in the channel, we all do it but DO NOT become a marine hazard for those steaming in the channel whether it be small craft or barges. Brevard County has been erratic, one day Haulover gives up a bucket and next day Haulover gives up 2 dozen. This month the weather should even out this rollercoaster.
Railroad Bridge in Titusville also remains moody giving up a bucket one night and handing out IOU’s the next night. The blue crab should continue running this month for those that enjoy shrimping and crabbing at Haulover Canal. This has been a frustrating year because of the late start run in both Volusia and N. Brevard County.
The hostility and rock throwing at boaters in Haulover Canal from those anglers who are “space” territorial resulted in FWS being called to a crime scene. Tempers are flaring in Oak Hill from boats bombing by throwing wakes dislodging other boater’s anchors to late arrival boats who anchor rudely cutting off another boater’s stream. Please offset if you are near another boat.
Frenzy, fever and fantastic sizes in Brevard and Volusia County ignited an urgency to play catch up to fill freezers before the dreaded “dinks” populate the river. The veteran shrimpers, the shrimping Academy’s top 10% agree this has been a tough year to cash in on full pulls in Brevard.
The torrential rains and cold fronts stalled our year, but we got game now, and you need to work it out for the remaining part of the season. The dink & small size clock is ticking for Volusia County. South Brevard needs to keep an eye on the Mathers and Eau Gallie Bridges, your season may also stall and turn on later than expected. MacDaddy shrimp lights remain the gold standard, Shumaker summer shrimp & bait custom made and dyed cast nets & winter shrimping gear remain the consumer’s top choice, for more gear info (386)479-4175.