Fishing Behind The Shrimp Boats?

Feger and Damgaard Fish Houses were side by side on the north causeway right where the city park is today. The Carolina and Georgia shrimpers would come in the fall and stay through the winter. There was always the local year round shrimpers also. When I first started working the charter and party boats (1963) the original Snow White, Mako and Miss Juanita would put on shrimp rigs after Labor Day. The Snow White I also put on a shrimp rig when I was a mate on her (1964-65). The Broadbill also put on a shrimp rig when Bob Stone owned it.

Just don't expect much this time of year. When the cobia and tarpon start their migration in warm weather is the time to go.

 

I have to agree with the Capt. This time of year its a little tough to fish behind the shrimp boats, even though there were 6 of them out last Thursday. Best you could hope for this time of year would be a large shark, although a kingfish would be a possibilty if you use live bait like a blue runner.
During the spring/summer tarpon are the main draw. Just make sure you are fishing when the shrimping crew is culling their catch. Lots of big tarpon feeding right behind the boat. I caught the biggest Poon of my life doing that about 15 years ago on a big live mullet...about 130 lbs. What a fight.

 

Never tried this before interesting thread.

 

I bet your full of good info Bob. Thank you for sharing some with us. I won't pass a shrimp boat next time without giving it a try.

 

looks like fun...nice report..

 

Around October and November we trolled behind a shrimp boat out of Ponce Inlet. Spooled line pretty quick and my darn reel was skipping gears. I suspect it was either a large Kingfish or bonito

 

I always wondered about getting behind them but was toon scared as to not tangle in their nets. How do they feels towards us guys getting that close offshore?

 

The nets are approx 100' behind the boat and are approx 6' high at the opening. They work in 50'-60' of water usually. You don't need to get too close. When they are culling their catch and dumping the by-catch overboard is the best time to fish.

 

Very good info. I would like to try that sometime.

 

There are some around Canaveral but so many birds best you will get is pooped on.

 

I've heard of this before but I've never done it.. going to have to give it a try sometime.

 

A few years ago my buddy and I followed a dredger out of the inlet and dropped some clams where they dropped their spoils and picked up 2 nice stripped bass feeding on the clams dredged up from the inlet. I would think the same thing would happen behind a shrimp boat.