Fishing Report: Shrimping Fever Burning High

Shrimp continue to draw a huge crowd to Oak Hill & Edgewater Florida in Volusia County. The inter-coastal river is feeling the pressure from the 2015 shrimp season. I predict this season to be epic. I have been seeing the trends over the last few months that have me wound up to get on the river. If your concerned about Brevard action to include Haulover Canal, Railroad Bridge and Titusville Pier the news has not been encouraging. Having said that do not get discouraged. Just bring your fishing rod with you while you hunt and dance with the over slot reds and enormous black drum. The best Brevard strategy would be to bucket up and head to Oak Hill and chase those crickets into your freezer. Brevard will deliver crickets at some point but do not focus only on Brevard shrimp. Those that did this last year got caught short of filling their freezers due to many nights of UN-productive hunting. Why is this? I have an opinion but I am not a scientist and cannot prove what I believe. However, I believe Brevard may be at risk of another slow season. Fill up in Volusia County and bonus hunt in Brevard that way you will meet your goals for the season. Oak Hill is giving up a gallon on a slow night and the sizes are mixed with the majority in the solid mid 4” range with nice size mediums (5 inch) and large (6 inch) range. The stream is slow with 1-3 in the light field. As February marches on towards the last moon event of the month we should hear many 5 gallon bells ringing on a consistent basis. The cold fronts have forced the fat daddy’s to bury up in the mud in the early part of this month. But, if you can get out when we drop into a warming trend you can get a night of nice size Oak Hill shrimp. Typically, the first consistent full pulls come in this month from Oak Hill & Edgewater. When the tide turns and starts to go out , stay an extra hour or so and net up another gallon or so. Many think when the tide goes slack its time to pack up and leave. Take a light during slack tide and deploy it so you can see on the incoming side of your boat. If you mark shrimp, settle in and work the incoming tide. Brevard should sort out and give up some action on the back end of these low pressure fronts. The shrimp that have been taken from Brevard are the 5 inch and larger. Be prepared to setup at dark and stay until morning. The Titusville popular spots are wind driven. Get to your choice of spot early because the best spots get taken fast at Haulover Canal, Railroad Bridge and Titusville Pier. The Titusville pier should get busier but to date are off to a slow start. You have to go to know. The commercial guys have their wings deployed until March 1^st when they have to retire them. Stay away from the commercial shrimping boats and please let them do their jobs. Do not drop in on other boats and cut off their stream. Please off set when you anchor. Barges are coming through at all hours in Volusia County. They will hit any vessel in their path, anchoring in the channel is illegal. Granted, we all do it but when a barge is approaching get out of the way. Help tow any boat that cannot start their engine and is in harms way. RSVP at hsfc.com Feb 19^th to attend my 1.5 hour shrimping seminar at Halifax Sport Fishing Club in Port Orange, free to attend. Event books out, so RSVP.