Summer Shrimping in the Gulf Coast
There are two ways to do this. You can go out on the “family” type excursion, whereby you are mostly shown what is done by a crew of “authentic” shrimpers or you can find a working boat and actually get hired on as I did by Captain Rick.
Shrimp boats are very livable these days. Cabins contain a lot of the amenities of home; refrigerators, microwaves, computer access, even shower stalls with hot running water, all run by generators. You will however, have to compromise in some areas. The water is kept in tanks, so you only use it to rinse. And toilets are of the camping porta-potty type, and in some instances may be just a glorified bucket.
Shrimping is best done at night and as you generally go out for a few days at a time be prepared to be long-term nocturnal. Although there are maps and navigational tools, many of the most prolific areas in the Gulf Coast are often found via sightings of other shrimp boats.
Here’s how shrimping actually works: (This is a somewhat simplified explanation, but I will try to give you the gist of it.)
Shrimp migrate during different areas throughout their season so boats follow them. Nets are tossed off the back of the boat with doors to hold them open. Between the nets is a “tickler” chain. When the shrimp sense this with their antennae they literally jump up and into the nets. When the nets are full, they are brought onto the back (aft) of the boat to be emptied or tossed into a vat filled with salt water (the fish rise and are tossed out with netted tools).
This is where the Forest Gump theory ends. It is possible that your nets will be full of shrimp only, but highly unlikely. There will be all kinds of “junk” fish, i.e. eel, flounder, calamari, catfish, and soft-shell crabs. These are usually culled (separated) off the back deck of the boat unless, like in my case, you are given permission to keep some and feast on them later. Seagulls, pelicans, and dolphins know it’s feeding time and will swallow them up even before they hit the water. Catfish and crabs are not fun to get pinched by and can be quite painful so you learn quite quickly to wear heavy rubber gloves and boots and separate them first.
The remainder are placed on cull tables where you toss the non- and undersize shrimp back and out of to the boat’s aft. The remaining shrimp go into iced buckets or laundry baskets and later go below where the hold is also filled with ice. Before they are sold, you “head” them if they are going to end up in a fish house (retail market), restaurant, or your own customers. Often they are bagged in 5 pound lots (which are actually 3 Ã?½ lbs. sans the heads) before selling.
Because I had no idea how to and/or wasn’t strong enough for the “manly” stuff (hoisting and pulling, etc.), I pretty much stuck to the table. After I got the hang of it, I was ambidextrously culling and by the time I had finished one catch, the table would be filled again. Shrimping is not easy. It is often hours of standing and culling and never-ending coffee. But the reward is worth the effort.
The Miss Ashley was docked outside a local fish house with other privately owned and smaller shrimp boats. In exchange for the catch, Captain Rick was given a slip for her as well as electricity when she was docked. There were also plenty of fresh oysters from local beds and many of the boats had crab traps for their own use or to sell as well. I learned to make steamed oysters with the best of them (never eat them fresh and raw unless you procure them in closed shells).
Going out that first night, unless you are prone to sea sickness, is literally quite awesome. You are under a waxing moon (the best time to shrimp) quietly accompanied by dolphins. Away from traffic and lights and humans, it beats Disneyland, hands down. You may, as I did, feel some guilt. After all, these are all Mother Nature’s creatures and the thought of them being sacrificed isn’t quite akin to my nature. But the first time you try fresh Gulf Coast shrimp, you will never want to eat any other kind.
