Beautiful on the Bay. Winds laid down and I set up for one poling just before low tide. The whole area has always done moderately well out on the big South sandbar. After 3 hours 4 of the 20 shrimp caught were jumbos. About enough for a sandwich or small salad. Let’s see, $25 for boat gas, $25 for Bait Binder, 50 cent for Vienna sausage, $1 for the tootsie rolls, and $2.50 for beverages. Wouldn’t be so bad but its been the same story every afternoon this week. They just aren’t running right now (at least for me).
Maybe a two piece bathing suit would bring them in. (Or get me arrested with my body.)
I think it has to do with salinity and temperature. I think the rivers are way to salty right now. I caught a mangrove snapper yesterday infront of the weapons station and some kind of super weird pufferfish today. One of the old shrimpers on Shem Creek used to say he made lots more money in a sweatshirt than in a t-shirt. It’ll get right for everyone to do well. I don’t believe lack of success is due to lack of shrimp.
Wondered about clarity and salinity too. Things were a lot better earlier in the season. I ran a full set of poles the night before and it wasn’t any better. I was out in the same area a week or two after the season started and they were running much better. Got about 1/3 cooler in a couple hours 1 polling. Just use to them picking up in size and volume as the season nears the end. Running back at night in the creeks they are jumping like crazy in the shallows at low tide. Just not coming on down yet. It will likely pick up soon.