I just got my shrimp stickers in the mail today and I am excited to get out on the water and try shrimping for the first time ever.
Can you all give me some advice on what to look for when trying to find a decent spot? I will be putting in on Sullivan’s usually. Although, it looks like a lot of folks ride up to Bulls Bay for shrimping. I have never been up that way but it probably wouldn’t be too bad of a drive from Mount Pleasant if I had to go up there.
Thanks in advance!
Buck Hall landing is about 30 miles from MP and not a bad drive. Bulls Bay is pretty shallow and ya can get in trouble pretty quick so on your first trip I would follow someone out…skrimpers tend to help newbees so just ask someone at the ramp if you can follow them…that’s how I got started at BB 8 years ago…
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Thanks for the information. I am probably just going to 1-pole it this year and get my feet wet. I will stay away from BB for now until I learn my way around a bit more.
I will definitely ask some at the ramp if I can follow them out. I am pretty excited to get out there.
I guess one more question, if anyone reads it down here is when one-poling, can I use the front shrimp pole as a sort of stick anchor, and use my actual stick anchor off the stern to keep me held in place?
better to use pole as rear anchor.
quote:
Originally posted by friogattobetter to use pole as rear anchor.
Cool, so just bring a couple poles with me and use one up front and one in the back? I was doing some searching here on the site it looked like it was recommended to use one anchor out the front and two out the back to keep you in position.
I thought using a pole anchor (or a couple of shrimp poles as you suggested) would be a much easier way to keep your boat sitting in one position.
Thanks!
Getting into the north end of Bulls Bay is pretty easy,wide deep channel all the way to white banks island.Great place to one pole in daylight hours on either side of the channel.
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Originally posted by billymacGetting into the north end of Bulls Bay is pretty easy,wide deep channel all the way to white banks island.Great place to one pole in daylight hours on either side of the channel.
Thanks Billy. What boat landing do you put in at up there?
Edit: It looks like maybe Buck Hall Rec Area might be a good bet to use as a boat landing.
You definitely do not want to use Garris Landing for your inaugural trip to Bulls Bay. It’s much closer to the south end of the bay, but has about 10 in. of water at low tide. Buck Hall is further, but safer. Plenty of people shrimping the north end of the bay too, so it wouldn’t be so far of a haul. Just follow someone the first time or there’s a good chance you will either chew up a prop or get soft-grounded. Can’t tell you how many boats I’ve seen spraying up mud at full throttle trying to plow out of a soft grounding.
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Originally posted by OccamsRaiserYou definitely do not want to use Garris Landing for your inaugural trip to Bulls Bay.
Haha, I put in there once when we first got the boat back in February. We were looking for something kinda close, but pretty remote to go for a quick ride and practice putting the boat on the trailer. I’m not sure that it was a great choice. heh. It was freezing cold and there was no floating dock so that my buddy could hop in the boat after he parked the car.
Put in at Buck Hall,you shouldn’t have any trouble getting to white banks,plenty of places to shrimp right in that general area.once you come into the bay it’s a pretty straight shot out to the island but is shallow on either side of the main channel ( mid to low tide). Just go slow or fall in behind another boat heading out or pay attention to some of the folks coming in. Good luck,hoping it’s a good season.
I would use three anchors. It holds your boat better. You can use two poles at the back of your boat for extra help.
Thanks for all of the information and ■■■■■■■■.
Would I basically be looking for a good mud flat to set up shop on? Once the season starts, it will be easier to go out and see what everyone else is doing and I can stop asking these stupid questions. 
I like to use a cajun anchor i made.3/4 galvanize pipe about 8 ft long with a loop on one end and a solid piece of steel welded to the other end and cut at angle.i have 2 of these and can hold an 18ft boat still as a dock.last thing i wanted one poling was having anchor ropes to deal with.i throw bait off all 4 corners and do fairly well
When I one-pole, I put out 2 bow anchors spread wide and then anchor the stern with one of my shrimp poles. That way I am legal and the boat does move much at all when I pull the net in. Granted, one-poling limits the area you shrimp but, if you get on a good spot you can still catch plenty and it is a bit less stressful. Perfect if you are by yourself or with someone who is not adept at running poles or throwing a net (my wife).
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2 and 3 anchors out front are ideal or were as the original design for one poling.
Since it will be shallow water, I just use stake out poles and one shrimp pole to make it legal.
If you dont have stakeout poles, then use your anchor off the bow and 2 shrimp poles, aft stbd and port corners.
The boat can move a few feet without a significant loss of functionality.
Toss bait balls all the way around the boat out far enough that the center of your net will be. About 10ft.
If you have enough bait out, it wont matter where you throw, the shrimp will surround you.
You can also follow the shrimp, throwing more often where they appear to be thicker.
Good luck.
Thanks DF and Friogatto! I love the idea of using my pole anchor on the bow and two shrimp poles on the stern to hold me in place. It’s also a pretty good idea to surround the boat with bait. I was originally thinking a couple of bait balls off each corner, but surrounding the boat sounds like a great idea!
Poles will not secure your boat from moving if there is any chop/swell at all. The poles,if tight to the boat, will pull out of bottom. Use anchors. Minimum 3. Shrimp will be on bait - why spread them all around boat when you can concentrate them in 4 or 5 places.
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I’ve coolered up one poling in Bull’s Bay and in CHS Harbor. Three anchors is best unless you’re really shallow IMHO. I use two stout ones at the bow, and a smaller one I can pull free from the stern. I usually put the pole at the stern. Muddy fast moving water is good, but I’ve also done well on shallower flats in modestly moving water. But just when you think you have it figured out, they will change the pattern. So don’t be afraid to move or look for them.
I have been shrimping Bulls Bay for going on 20 years. Have shrimped the north Bay putting in at Buck Hall; south Bay from Sewee (now closed) Garris and IOP but now have privileges from private launch near Anderson Creek. I have been lost (early on) and have seen a lot of people lost especially at night (my favorite time to shrimp).Here are some tips:
Start out in the daytime till you know your way around.After dark it can be hard to find the creeks to get out
Have a GPS and save trails(I take 2); good spotlight (or two)
Study a map and know the general layout of the bay and the channels
From Anderson Creek mouth there is a channel that runs out towards the left end of Bull Island and a channel that runs in front of Bulls Island. Shrimping just off the side of these channels is a good place to start. You will usually see other boats in the hot areas.
BEWARE there are some real shallow places in the bay especially around/during low tide. Unless you know what you are doing don’t just cut across the Bay. If you see boats out there they probably know the channels.