Shrimp Report: Sept 2013

florida-shrimp-report
The keyboard is silent. Its like a newsroom with no news. July-August summer shrimping was NOT fair to us Central Floridians, and our summer chase is late. In 2012, anglers were squealing with buckets full of delight around the first week of July. The run stopped first week August. This year, the only thing going on is a sales tax holiday to talk about. Okay, let’s get positive. What I can tell you is Brevard County is producing some nice eating crabs and some shrimp at Haulover Canal. Be prepared to put in 8 to 10 hours to really put a hurt on the crab population. Scalloping is off the hook in Crystal River and folks seem to not be bonding with Steinhatchee this season. Personally, I have been to Steinhatchee this season scalloping and I left my mark on the grassland hunting my share of limits to my freezer.

Jacksonville is dry and like us are getting subtle runs of small to medium shrimp which lead many to believe the gates are going to open up real soon. In all my years experience, I cannot recall a year like this year where the winter shrimp were late and the season went epic and ran later than normal. Could this be the same pattern the summer shrimp are going to take? Start 2 months late and last 2 months longer? Honestly, if I could think out loud, I think the shrimp are going to skip Daytona and appear in the St. John’s river and appear in Jacksonville. What could cause the run to be lean in Volusia & Flagler Counties? I have some theories which puts my money on a thumbs down season for Daytona. Come hang at the Academy, and lets dial into where the fish, scallops and shrimp are being “catched up”. The MacDaddy shrimplight is THE 2013-2014 “player” this coming season. Nothing like it on the market. FYI, Bait size winter shrimp coming thru Oak Hill, Edgewater and New Smyrna Beach. Throw a shrimplight while night fishing, and dip up some crabs and shrimp.

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