Shrimping's over for this year.

[Alasgun]

The title could have been "Gee Steve's a great guy". As were it not for his help supplying everything from pots and info to bait and that first hint about the E-dyne's, Id not be writting this this evening.

I used half as much bait this year, caught 4 times as many shrimp and learned an awful lot in my secound year as a shrimper. After returning from the sound last evening I made the startling discovery that I'm through for this season. How many of them things can you eat anyway?
I intend to toss a couple pots on our next outing as "experimental" ideas need proving! Maybe next year I can get em all on the first trip?
Mike

[akrstabout]

ALOT more than that! I would eat over a hundred shrimp a week! Nothing better than fresh shrimp and a moose steak every night! Had none in the freezer even when we would catch 200+ per pull!

If you want to freeze, put in one gallon bags and cover shrimp in water, then just freeze.

I ate them fresh. Would last all week. Headed on the water. Tails devained at the same time. Put in a baggie on ice right a way. Once home rinse. Leave shell on. Drain well. Put in large bowl. Cover shrimp with plastic wrap. Cover in ice. Keep them dry and out of water and they will last all week, 5 days for sure and then mine were gone! 30 tails in a sitting is nothing for me!

Keep experimenting and give away the shrimp. Or take guest on the boat, let them help out with costs and split the shrimp! Heck I will buy you bait and whatever in trade for shrimp! I don't have a boat any more!

[elim]

ALASGUN did you weight those pots or did steve?What are they weighted with?

[Alasgun]

I weighted the pots, using an idea of Steves of course. I split a piece of 2 in pvc in the radial arm and glued ends on. Mixed up some Mortor / gravel mix kind of wet and set the corner of the pot in at a 45 degree angle until it set up. I made 4 molds so it didn't take long to get er done. They've held up very well for two seasons now.

P.S roustabout, I eat more shrimp than that too, what you see there is obviously one pull. Do that morning and night for 7 days and you've got a pile.
I'll bet you would buy the bait, if I gave you the shrimp.

Mike

[potbuilder]

I weighted the pots, using an idea of Steves of course. I split a piece of 2 in pvc in the radial arm and glued ends on. Mixed up some Mortor / gravel mix kind of wet and set the corner of the pot in at a 45 degree angle until it set up. I made 4 molds so it didn't take long to get er done. They've held up very well for two seasons now.

P.S roustabout, I eat more shrimp than that too, what you see there is obviously one pull. Do that morning and night for 7 days and you've got a pile.
I'll bet you would buy the bait, if I gave you the shrimp.

Mike

You shoulda told'em it was mud or sumtin' stuck on the bottom of the pots your givin' away all my good tricks!! Looks like you done good now if i ever get my boat in the water maybe i can catch the crumbs that are left.

[FISHFACE]

The title could have been "Gee Steve's a great guy". As were it not for his help supplying everything from pots and info to bait and that first hint about the E-dyne's, Id not be writting this this evening.

I used half as much bait this year, caught 4 times as many shrimp and learned an awful lot in my secound year as a shrimper. After returning from the sound last evening I made the startling discovery that I'm through for this season. How many of them things can you eat anyway?
I intend to toss a couple pots on our next outing as "experimental" ideas need proving! Maybe next year I can get em all on the first trip?
Mike

I too have some of Steve's pots. What are you using for "bait jars"? I'm trying to look at your pics, but can't see. also where did you get them?

[Gary W.]

Can't tell what Mike has in there for bait jars, but you can't beat a 99cent walmart waterbottle with alot of 16th inch holes drilled all around. Been using the same ones for 4 years and seen no wear and tear yet. And they fit right in Steve's rigid pots or I use a bottle with a plastic strap attached to the top and carabiner it into the middle top of the collapsible pots.

[potbuilder]

I too have some of Steve's pots. What are you using for "bait jars"? I'm trying to look at your pics, but can't see. also where did you get them?

Here's what i use, quart or pint size, the shrimp don't care

bait jar in folding.JPG

bait jar in hand.JPG

[Alasgun]

Leave it to an observent type, sorry Steve, I changed up my jars this year and no longer use the holie jug thing.
To begin with I had the poly jugs drilled nicely and they worked fine but mine were tall enough to fill the bait well and held a ton (too much) bait. It was easy enough to use less bait but I also like to add fish scraps and the tall jar left no room.

Solution: While aimlessly wandering the isles at B/J Commercial this spring I stumbled onto a black wire mesh jar. Much shorter, screw lid with a big mouth and "in the range" price wise. Well I picked up 4 of them and used them all this year and pay attention now cause your all gonna learn something here:
From a bait jar standpoint anything would probably work but one thing that was VERY obvious to me this year is lack of sea lice! Yep. all I can figure is them nasty buggers wash out while assending the stairway to Heaven! My normal habit is to land all the pots, remove the bait jars then dump all the shrimp into my tub to purge. In the past once all this was done I'd have to break out the hose and wash everything down to clean up all the lice. This year I have not had the hose out of the bilge compartment once!
Now let me jerk your chain a bit by saying, I think this washing action is due to the 218 ft per min. that the E-dyne is doing while landing that gear.
The mesh jar thing could be something we all learn something from and if so I'll bet our buddy (steve) will soon have them for sale too! Mike

[FISHFACE]

Leave it to an observent type, sorry Steve, I changed up my jars this year and no longer use the holie jug thing.
To begin with I had the poly jugs drilled nicely and they worked fine but mine were tall enough to fill the bait well and held a ton (too much) bait. It was easy enough to use less bait but I also like to add fish scraps and the tall jar left no room.

Solution: While aimlessly wandering the isles at B/J Commercial this spring I stumbled onto a black wire mesh jar. Much shorter, screw lid with a big mouth and "in the range" price wise. Well I picked up 4 of them and used them all this year and pay attention now cause your all gonna learn something here:
From a bait jar standpoint anything would probably work but one thing that was VERY obvious to me this year is lack of sea lice! Yep. all I can figure is them nasty buggers wash out while assending the stairway to Heaven! My normal habit is to land all the pots, remove the bait jars then dump all the shrimp into my tub to purge. In the past once all this was done I'd have to break out the hose and wash everything down to clean up all the lice. This year I have not had the hose out of the bilge compartment once!
Now let me jerk your chain a bit by saying, I think this washing action is due to the 218 ft per min. that the E-dyne is doing while landing that gear.
The mesh jar thing could be something we all learn something from and if so I'll bet our buddy (steve) will soon have them for sale too! Mike

What I'm looking for is something that fits in Steve's sectioned off bait area in his rigid pots. I' having trouble finding something that fits

[breausaw]

Solution: While aimlessly wandering the isles at B/J Commercial this spring I stumbled onto a black wire mesh jar. Much shorter, screw lid with a big mouth and "in the range" price wise. Well I picked up 4 of them and used them all this year and pay attention now cause your all gonna learn something here:

From a bait jar standpoint anything would probably work but one thing that was VERY obvious to me this year is lack of sea lice! Yep. all I can figure is them nasty buggers wash out while assending the stairway to Heaven! My normal habit is to land all the pots, remove the bait jars then dump all the shrimp into my tub to purge. In the past once all this was done I'd have to break out the hose and wash everything down to clean up all the lice. This year I have not had the hose out of the bilge compartment once!
Now let me jerk your chain a bit by saying, I think this washing action is due to the 218 ft per min. that the E-dyne is doing while landing that gear.
The mesh jar thing could be something we all learn something from and if so I'll bet our buddy (steve) will soon have them for sale too! Mike

If it’s the mesh jars I’ve seen, my guess is the nasty little sea lice can’t get in because the holes are too small..could be wrong. Bought some Rubber Made jars at Fred’s that fit Steve’s pots perfect, watched one float away weekend before last because the flap wasn’t closed tight.

Drilled the holes a tad smaller than the Sea lice so now there’s no mess on the deck, use high speed Scrolling tool so able to punch a lot of tiny holes.

[Soundfisher]

Maybe it just a coincidence, or just luck, but I bought one of Steves ED pullers, and I have not had sea lice either. Where did they go? Who cares! Glad that I haven't had to deal with them this year. Alasgun, I think you are right. At the speed they are coming up, it probably washes some of them right away. Just got back from a 24 hour trip= 40#s of tails. The ED makes checking the pots SO much easier. Thanks Steve.

[OATS]

Anybody worried about losing shrimp from the pot by pulling up too fast, i.e., washing them through the mesh? Is this an issue?

[fishtales]

Potbuilder I noticed you have large holes in your bait holder I assume thats because you pull your pots every 4 hours so no need to worry about sea lice. Is your catch better with large holes verses small ones?

[potbuilder]

Potbuilder I noticed you have large holes in your bait holder I assume thats because you pull your pots every 4 hours so no need to worry about sea lice. Is your catch better with large holes verses small ones?

I like to feed the little bastages, they break up the pellets a bit and get my chum slick going and besides it seems to me if your fishing on hard bottom their ain't many fleas/lice anyway, i think the shrimp might eat them.

[potbuilder]

Anybody worried about losing shrimp from the pot by pulling up too fast, i.e., washing them through the mesh? Is this an issue?

I don't think many guys can haul faster than me and it doesn't seem that i wash out too many. In my opinion the guys that claim they all washed out of the pots didn't have any in the pots in the first place

[Soundfisher]

If they are washing out of the pots, then they need more time to grow anyway!!!!! The ED pulls quick, but not so fast that they will be forced through the mesh. If you lose a few, and are worried about it, you need to find a better spot to shrimp. We call those "collateral damage".

[Alasgun]

Right on Soundfisher, Mike

[kenaiking19]

For the sea lice i have heard you can use a big game bag to cover it, but maybe a 1 gallon paint strainer with bait in, a fine mesh like that shouldn't let them lil SOB's in there, but should let the bait do its work. Those lil buggers just destroy bait period.

[GEC1000]

I have be using snack size zip locks, after my wife saw them, she sewed up some mesh bags that work great as well. The sea lice still occasionally get in, but, oh well.

Steve, I saw a previous post, with pics of some swivels etc to keep those square pots you built me from wrapping around the main line. Where do I get some, I d like to improve my layout. I havent been hanging up lately, so the weighed line between the pots has been working, as long as I keep some power on toward the deep during recovery, tx