Shrimping in B.C.?

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Gene Morris

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2007
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255 Tomcat
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Reef Madness
We're new to shrimping and I would like to know, from you pros, what kind of area should we look for to set our traps? Our traps will be attached to a crab pot & line. We will be all through Sunshine Coast, Desolation sound and east coast of Vancouver Island. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Gene Morris
 
Our personal experience was that our best shrimping was deep--where as the crabbing was near the surface (no more than 20 to 30 feet).200 to 300 foot holes were often where we put the shimp pots for the best catches.
 
I agree with Thataway. The best shrimping is in the deepest holes. or at the bottom of a steep rising slope. You need to be careful of where you set out your pots. Most of the B C waters are subject to large tides and swift currents. Put out plenty of line, and use a lot of weight in the pots. The combination of swift current and large tide swings can result in lost, expensive ,equipment. We have spent some anxious time trying to locate lost pots. So far we have never completely lost any gear, yet. Ask the locals where you plan to shrimp. They usually will give you good advise.
 
I was just out east of Campbell River with my nephew on his ex-commercial fishboat. It seems in this neck of the woods it is referred to as "prawning" the term "shrimp" is not generally used and the critter are called prawns - spot prawns to be more specific. The gear, traps for prawns and traps for crab are quite different. Dungeness crab and rock crab are edible species, dungeness at depth and rock just subtidal. There is very little difference in the taste - so I am told. We set ten prawn traps at 60 or so feet for a few hours north-east of Coulter Island (north side of Cortes Island) and got about 20 lbs - just out for the trip and not serious prawning.

Happy prawning!
 
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