Puget Sound Spot Shrimpers always get eager for the May openers, and this year was a little weird. We got the green light in June, which was the latest Spot Shrimp opener in memory. It was good, and I personally didn’t expect another opportunity for 2020. I think I can say that everyone was pleasantly surprised that we had another day in central Puget Sound. They sure did take their time to let us back out on the shrimping grounds, but it was much appreciated! On Wednesday August 12, we were back out there once again! My buddy Josh and I couldn’t miss a second shot at soaking some shrimp pots.
Unlike every other Spot Shrimp opener, there was no night-before-prep-work. Josh drove us out and I mixed up the bait. Friskies Cat Food, a small portion of shrimp pellets, a few cans of Mackerel, and a few left over herring. Smashed all together with the boat’s trusty fish bonker.
We headed to Edmonds for the four hour opener, to one of my favorite shrimping areas at Browns Bay. It was a pretty happening spot, with more boats than the opener. We dropped pots, headed out for an uneventful salmon trolling session, and raced back to pull pots before the closing bell at 1 pm.
Normally, we would tend the pots. Normally, we would pull them after an hour soak and continue working the gear until we found limits. But with only two limits needed, we let them soak for a couple hours. When we finally arrived back to Browns Bay, we found our pots loaded with Spot Shrimp. More than we needed!
We pulled our two limits and then some from our first two pots and rail dumped over 300 Spot Shrimp. Shrimping was as good if not better than any other opener, albeit so much later in the year! Great times!
Black Rockfish – A Favorite Catch Coastwide
