shrimping

[SENSEI]

well, it is that time again
the 2014 season begins today at 07:00
WE WILL SEE HOW IT GOES

[localboy]

Not going this year. Neither today nor next Wednesday. I am slammed at work. May try up in area 7, but it was just not in the cards this year.

[Salmon Fisher]

Great day for us shrimping.
We hit the area south of Lopez Island yesterday and got 3 nice limits before the ebb tide got running. Weather was nice in the morning after a showery night in Cornet Bay. Wind was 5-10 mph. Lunch on the hook in Aleck Bay and back at dock at 12 noon.
Will be back out there next Thursday and Saturday.

[SENSEI]

We went out off of Camano Island and were able to get about 160 for three pulls. not stellar but enough to have several good meals and had a blast doing it.
about 10:00 the weather got sloppy and was a little difficult standing with all the wave action. it was my first outing on the boat since the hip surgery.

[Larry H]

[C-Dawg]

We got our 4 limits in MA 12, and threw back another limit-and-a-half. We had a pretty adventurous day with the wind and waves. Forecast called for 9 kts winds, but I swear there were gusts to 25. With the 9' tide swing, and the shrimping window during the peak of the ebb current, pulling pots was pretty tough with those waves. We usually back into the waves while pulling to make things easier, but we took a couple big waves over the transom and had more water than I was comfortable with sloshing around in the cockpit.

I had ensured the bilge pump worked a couple days before the season opened, but for whatever reason the pump screen got plugged and all that water wasn't leaving fast enough. So we quickly got the pot onboard and headed into protected waters on the lee side of a spit to clean the screen and make things right.

After we cleaned the screen, stowed the pot and rope, we were ready to pull our last pot. However, just because the shrimp gods wanted to make things interesting, the big motor won't start. Appears to be a bad starter. So, we fire up the 9.9hp kicker and head out to pull the last pot. Manuevering in those conditions on that kicker was challenging at best. (Insert argument for twins vs. single) But we got it done, and then a 3.5 hour ride back to port against wind and wave at ~3 kts.

That's the kinda stuff that just makes memories.

[localboy]

Wow, Rick. At least you HAD the kicker. I noted the winds as I was working. Too bad it could not have been like Wed/Thurs. Oh, well.

[hardee]

Rick, glad you made it back.

Well have to talk

Harvey
SleepyC

[starcrafttom]

We left at 10 to go chase lings again. Wind was BLOWING and I did not fell like slamming my way to possession. We heard 4 to 6 on the bar at times. I decided not to shrimp and just catch flounder or sole for lings. Took a while to find a spot out of the wind to get the sole. Had one hit from a ling and that was it. Went back early so I could go show homes.

Some one lost a boat near ship wreak. Saw a photo of face book of it.

[Jake B]

Defiantly sporty out in MA12 got 6 limits in 2 pulls. second pull was not as good as first. lost half the crew to sea sickness and they stayed on the beach for most of the time. and we took a fair amount of water over the transom both getting off the beach at launch and pulling pots.

Rick sorry to hear you were on the kicker going back in had I known you were having issues I would have at least stayed with you till you got in or offered a tow.

I turned all my electronics off except for the hds-8 as pulling pots in those currents with puller my volts dropped to almost below 11. Ill pm you my cell # in case you have an issue again and we are in the same area.

[PaulNBriannaLynn]

We also had quite an adventure out there. We left friday and had a nice night anchored in Elger Bay and protected from the northerly wind. Saturday morning the wind as predicted was coming out of the south but much stronger than was forecasted.

We set our pots in a spot we did well last year. This year we had to work much harder, and probably should have just moved after the first round of pots came up without that many shrimp. The wind was getting gradually worse, gusts around 30 knots. Around 11am it was getting kind of serious out there. We took a bit of water over the transom while pulling some pots and our bilge pump seemed to be choked with sediment and not able to keep up. I couldnt find my square headed screwdriver to pull the lid off the bilge pump "step" inside the cabin to clean it out. Wind waves were probably around 4' so we called it a day. It was a long slow 8 knot cruise back to the launch into the waves, with water spraying over the bow. We got back to the launch and of course its a cluster$%& with a half dozen boats ahead of us all jockeying for position to get there boats out. We finally got in and got tied off.

I go to get the truck and trailer and the trucks got a dead battery and wont start The WDFW fish checker is there and very helpful. He drove his rig over and we tried to jump it. The big diesel motor would not jump however, it just wasnt getting enough juice from the jumper cables. Finally I went back to the boat and pulled a deep cycle battery from the boat and got it in the truck. Meanwhile weve been holding up the dock this whole time and there's a bunch of angry boaters wanting to get out. I got the truck going and pulled the boat out of the water. We were really glad to be on dry land!!

All in all, we got 1 limit. Not too good but at least we had some fun and got back safe. I went home and drank some booze with family and friends an we ate the shrimp! I think they tasted better because of all the effort it took to get them in.

[C-Dawg]

[Jazzmanic]

Wow Rick, that sounded hairy! Glad you had your kicker to bail you out. Are you going shrimping out in the canal again later this month? Let me know, we may have to join you.

Peter & Caryn

[tcr_pnw]

went out for the first time this year. somewhere a bit north of Tulalip Bay where a friend did well last year limiting 5 people. the first pot came up with 70 spots and thought it was going to be a good day. after that it was hard to get more than a half dozen and was a lot of work come max current of the tide. the ace hauler struggled to keep up. backing into the current, I was happy to have the closed off transom of the Venture. there were few good sized 4 footers that buried the splashwell and even 90% of the powerheads on the Yams. however we only got a splashing in the cockpit. pulled the cowling covers off at the dock and was glad to see the underside on the outboards were dry. we should have moved after the pots ended up getting pulled around in the current and coming up empty. once slack tide came about the water calmed and we boated a few more shrimp before the 3pm cutoff.

all in all it was a lot of fun but too much work for 2 limits split between too many people. most expensive shrimp I'll ever eat!

i got a slip in the marina for the month of May so thankfully did not have to deal with the cluster at the ramp.

I have Wed off for round 2. the tides and weather look much better. any recommendations on a better spot to drop coming out of Everett? I heard Edmonds did well.

Troy

[C-Dawg]