Favorite Shrimp Opener Spots

[Rollin with Rolland]

After chasing lings thur/fri, some of us will be doppin pots for those great early season prawns on sat., and i'll be one of them. I've heard great reports from the salmon bank area, but if you don't have a large boat that can be tough to get to sometimes. I really shouldn't let this info out, but plenty of people shrimp it. The Biz Point area EARLY can produce very well. It's a short ride from Deception or even shorter from bowman bay. most people hang out about 275ft. (10-20boats). But the last couple seasons i have dropped in 200ft. and just nailed the 8-9inchers. two pulls and almost a limit. i usually let them soak two-four hours, depending on how many i get the first pull. where's your favorite spot??

[A9]

First time I did the shrimping stuff I went with my uncle who had never done it either. He spend a few hundred, buying pots, gear, and an electric pot puller. We got some good info on where to go, secret concoctions for bait, etc. We headed out to Dabob Bay/Quilcene bay on the first day of the opener. We were out there pretty early. Still, a 30 min wait to launch. We launched in Quilcene bay and went out near the other few hundred pots right at the edge of Quilcene bay near Dabob Bay. 200-230 feet was where we were sitting. What a great day that was. Sunny and limits....Cant beat it
We had our limits in the first two pots we pulled. We were the 3rd boat to come in that day, the only one so far with limits according to the checker...
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=47.7 ... 32135&z=12
Theres a link to right were we fished...Right

[kutthroatkilla]

Word to the wise...make sure to guard your pots. I say this after having ours stolen by commercials. Keep an eye on them at all times and if someone breaks for your pots, get ready to take action. This actually happened to me shrimping up in Quatsino Sound and we nailed the guy. We about gaffed him silly, but he took off with nothing. That was the second time. The first time we weren't so lucky and were naive enough to let them "soak" while we halibut fished. Needless to say, after limiting with 4 - 25 pound butts when we returned the pots were gone...and trust me, it wasn't from the current pulling them under, which it can if you don't run enough leaded rope. I usually use around 800 feet of rope per pot...we usually shrimp deep in those inlets up there in B.C. where the current runs like a river...it will swallow your pots quick. Keep an eye out at all times for your pots and don't end up like I did.

KTK

[kutthroatkilla]

Oh and I forgot to add...if you have any left over...I'll trade smoked cutthroat trout (tastes just as good as salmon) for some of them prawns!!! KTK

[A9]

Oh and I forgot to add...if you have any left over...I'll trade smoked cutthroat trout (tastes just as good as salmon) for some of them prawns!!! KTK

That 80 shrimp limit in the sound aint that big...80 shrimp is probably enough for me and a buddy for a dinner. They go quick.... They aren't as big as the ones in the grocery store, and 80 of them isn't a whole lot of meat when you get to eating them...

I used to always give out 25-30 of them to people, but everyone looked at me like "WTF? 30 tails? This is a tiny amount" and weren't grateful for it. Shrimping is a LOT of work and expensive to get your limit and I'm sure not going to give away all my limit to people. Needless to say I'm done giving shrimp away to people. Now crab on the other end, I'm always usually finding a new home for a few crabs at the end of the week. They never go to waste, someone will always claim them, and crab omelets are always amazing in the morning, but I'll be throwing up some offers on this forum this summer when I get home with a few extra crab..Better be ready to jump quick on them...

[Rollin with Rolland]

Oh and I forgot to add...if you have any left over...I'll trade smoked cutthroat trout (tastes just as good as salmon) for some of them prawns!!! KTK

we may have to discuss this later ktk, sounds interesting.....

samk, you're right they can be small, but last season i vacuum sealed 25 TAILS per package....at 16oz each. i would agree it's a lot of work for little reward, but there is satisfaction in harvesting your own...oh and lets not forget they taste great!!

[A9]

Oh and I forgot to add...if you have any left over...I'll trade smoked cutthroat trout (tastes just as good as salmon) for some of them prawns!!! KTK

we may have to discuss this later ktk, sounds interesting.....

samk, you're right they can be small, but last season i vacuum sealed 25 TAILS per package....at 16oz each. i would agree it's a lot of work for little reward, but there is satisfaction in harvesting your own...oh and lets not forget they taste great!!

Much better then any shrimp I've had from a grocery store or any restaurant. You go the work part right. Something about being able to eat what you catch is better then picking it up at the grocery store.

Nothing better then fresh seafood.

Getting back on track:
Last spring we "shrimped" right north of Edmonds in area 9. Between Edmonds and Shipwreck. Limits weren't found in 2 pots like Hood Canal, and it was hit or miss. Often times one pot would have 30-40, and more often the pots would have anywhere from 0-10 in them, doing 45 minute soaks or so...It was definitely worth it, but for sure more work. You'll see the crowds out there if you go..

[Rollin with Rolland]

i already posted some info in a report, so i'll supplement that report here, with some extra info. Shrimped Sares Head (slightly north of deception pass) Saturday. there were plenty of boats, about 10-15 at any one time. i only managed 23 (22 spots, 1 coonstripe)in two pulls, but got a late start and only had them down about 1 hour 30 min. talked to other people, and saw nobody with a limit, but close. I'll definitely be hitting it again wed/thur depending on weather. Anybody else out on sat.?? heard anything?? i was in about 240ft with standard 9lives...

[kutthroatkilla]

i was in about 240ft

RwR -- try about 320' and see if that doesn't produce a little better. Look for plateuas and what not. When we shrimp up at Port Hardy that's what we do and we pull in about 100 per pot. It's freakin amazing! We prawn in areas where the current is rippin like Bolivar Passage. You have my bests -- oh and smoked CT's are absolutely amazing. I'll have to meet up with you and get some fishing in this summer. You sound like a cool dude. Tight lines bud -- and just know you very well may still be KING :king:

KTK

[Rollin with Rolland]

[/quote]

RwR -- try about 320' and see if that doesn't produce a little better. Look for plateuas and what not. When we shrimp up at Port Hardy that's what we do and we pull in about 100 per pot. It's freakin amazing! We prawn in areas where the current is rippin like Bolivar Passage. You have my bests -- oh and smoked CT's are absolutely amazing. I'll have to meet up with you and get some fishing in this summer. You sound like a cool dude. Tight lines bud -- and just know you very well may still be KING :king:

KTK [/quote]

thanks man, i'll give it a try thursday. a little deeper you say.....
the summer should be a blast, we'll have to do that. i'm pretty green in WA, and would love to learn as much as possible.