Setup for Shrimping

[Bess-C]

Ok, I've got two collapsible prawn nets, 400' of weighted line and a buoy. Can anybody tell me how to set this thing up? Do I need to shorten the line if I'm only going to put the pots down in 300' of water?

I'm not sure how the buoy, line and traps are attached to one another. How do you guys do it?

These traps are light, and I don't know how much weight to add and whether or not I need to add an anchor. If I need an anchor, how big and what style do I need? What do you use for weights?

I'll be shrimping in Canada, so I can have two pots per line and just have to have one buoy. Any help would be appreciated and pictures would help.
Thanks,
Lyle

[Pat Anderson]

Yeah, I'll be interested in what kind of advice folks have here as well...so far our shrimping has been limited to Hood Canal, under 300', little or no tidal currents to contend with in Dabob Bay...I'd like to give it a try in Puget Sound or Canada as well!

[SENSEI]

here is something I scratched out. it is quite the primitive drawing trying to draw with a mouse....lol...

[Bess-C]

Thank you Roger. That is exactly what I was looking for. I know that you tried to explain this to me on the dock in Bellingham, but I wasn't getting it. Maybe some of Pat's product was making me a little fuzzy.

I don't know what a halibut clip is, or where to get one. I do have a a couple of the plastic clips that connect to a downrigger ball. Would those work? I need some kind of quick disconnect. We're carrying everything including the kitchen sink on this trip and I'll need to carry the traps and line in the dingy on the roof.
Lyle

[SENSEI]

here is a page from westmarine that shows the halibut snap or whatever it is called
if you find them get the heavy duty ones good for 15 lbs or so
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product/10001/-1/10001/73389/10001/621/11157/19

[Larry H]

Lyle,

You can buy 'halibut clips' also called 'longline clips' at Holiday Market fishing supply store.

They are located on the left side of hwy 20 (the exit to Twin Bridges), just west of I-5, by the Chevron station. The store is behind the small market.

[Bess-C]

Thanks Ken and Roger,
I now have the halibut clips (from Holiday Market), a small anchor, the line, pots and buoys.

Roger from your diagram it looks like you have the pots and downrigger weight attached with a separate line, not attached directly to the main line. Is that correct? What are you using as the line to the pots? My halibut clips have a swivel at one end. Are you attaching the line to the pots to the swivel? Do you run the main weighted line through the buoy, or do you rig the buoy with some other line and attach it to the main line? If you're using the anchor and downrigger weight, do you still weight the pots?

Sorry about all the dumb questions. I know I'll figure this out in some fashion once I'm actually doing it, but I've never seen the set up and I don't want to lose my pots the first time I put them out. Thanks for all your help.
Lyle

[Papillon]

Since I don't know anything about shrimping, I have to ask....do you bait the pots with something besides empty air....and if so " What ".

Second question: Is this setup going to work in the Gulf of Mexico where our shrimp come from?

Mike

[Alyssa Jean]

CANNED CATFOODTHE OILIER THE BETTER.

[thataway]

Some commercial fisherman in Alaska put us on to using fish food from the fish farms in a plastic perforated container. The fishfarms gave us 50 Lbs, since they cannot store it from season to season, and use a certain type of food for each stage of fish developement.

In Florida, most of the shrimping is by dragging a trawl, even by recreational boats--no 300 foot deep water! I have never seen anyone using shrimp pots (although I still have mine from the PNW). There are plenty of crab pots. The fish and game rules do not address shrimp pots, so by their absence I assume that they are not used.

[Larry H]

Lyle,

I am not an expert, but here's how I rigged mine.

Using 3/16 or 1/4 in line, make a bridal with a loop in the middle and the ends tied to the pot so that the pot lifts level. The loop in the bridal should be about 2-3 ft above the pot when lifting.

Using the same size line, tie a 2-3 ft tail onto the bouy with a halibut clip at the end of the line.

Make eyes (loops) at each end of the weighted line with a halibut clip on one end.

To assemble, clip the bouy to the non-clip end of the weighted line. Clip the other end of the weighted line to the bridal on the pot.

The anchor and cannon ball should have there own tails, with clips. Tie an overhand knot to make a loop (for the cannonball to clip onto) on the weighted line. The anchor can be clipped to the bridal end of the line.

The tails of all knots should be secured with wire ties or ss hog rings or even tape.

This should get you going, and maybe someone with more experience,...Roger??...Dusty??.. will suggest other ways to rig the pots.

[Pat Anderson]

Interesting indeed - I can see the main objective of this whole exercise is to make the dang shrimp pot stay put...I have a little anchor, and a couple of shrimp pots, would need to get the downrigger ball and the clips, may have to give this a try somewhere besides Hood Canal - but now I see why Roger has that honkin' pot puller with the big Honda gas engine on Sensei - I don't think I would want to pull 300' of line with an anchor, a pot or two (hopefully full of shrimp) and a 12 lb ball by hand...anyone tried bringing this stuff up with a little electric-assist Ace Pot Puller?

[Sawdust]

Pat,

Roger's rig gets 'em for sure. Mine does too, but my little electric puller complains bitterly with two full pots, an anchor, and a 12# lead.

You should read closely the WDF statement on one pot per float -- only a lawyer can figure out if you are legal or not with two pots on one float. This is definitely a "don't ask, don't tell."

My usual rig under about 1.1 knots of current is NO anchor, ONE pot, and a 10# mushroom anchor (where Roger has his downrigger ball). It works for me. The weight between the pot and float is very important, because your shrimp count will go down, down, down if the pot moves - any surface action that jerks the float will frighten those little guys.

Over about 1.1 knots I add a second anchor (a la Roger), but don't try to pull two pots with my electric.

HTH

Dusty

[Pat Anderson]

Thanks, Dusty - might just have to give that a try! One pot and a mushroom anchor sounds a lot more do-able. How long do you soak your pots?

[Sawdust]

Soak time depends on current -- 45 minutes will usually get all you want, but if it's slim pickin' 1-2 hours is okay. My normal is about an hour. OTOH, some Canadian friends soak for 3 or 4 hours. If the current isn't too bad and no pot thiefs around -- as long as you want. Roger will have comment I'm sure.

Dusty