Capt. Lee Noga
Palatka, Florida
It does not bring me joy to report the summer shrimping season in S. Daytona beach has been a bust. No surprise, as I felt this was going to be the case. We had a bio mass of large-jumbo white shrimp enter our shrimping grounds last fall. We dined on them until May plucking them out of both Volusia and Brevard waters. The dynamics logically had to have shifted after this influx of white summer shrimp that entered Brevard/Volusia County off season. Hurricane Matthew may have changed how we chase white shrimp at least in the short term. It seems that the summer and winter seasons have combined and now represent a mix of both worlds. We will know more this coming winter season. Great news is the white shrimp are filling buckets in both Welatka and Palatka. Central Florida does not mind towing North to the Jacksonville areas to fill their coolers. The hot spots are the condo’s in Welatka (you need a boat) and the public docks at Palatka (for those with no boat). The reports and pictures clearly indicate they are in pattern in the N.E. for this time of year. Jacksonville did not suffer the loss of white shrimp that Central Florida did this season. The shrimp in the N.E. were small to medium in September and they are expecting the shrimp to be a nice size this month. The local Melbourne shrimping has been low key and the reports are zero to small counts. This month fires off the white shrimp frenzy in North Florida, that is where the shrimp are in Florida and the action is HOT. Central Florida rests in a lull after we lick our wounds from the summer shrimping no show event. For daily intel on where the shrimping action is, join our Facebook group “Florida Shrimping Academy – Tips & Tricks”
Capt. Lee Noga
Academy of shrimping
www.leenoga.com