Shands Pier 9/8

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killula
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Shands Pier 9/8

Post by killula »

Shands Pier Sept 8, 2011

Total GALLONS:----> 15

Size Breakdown:

% Small ------------- 0

% Med -------------- 30

% Large ------------- 50


% Jumbo ------------ 20


COTTON Disease [quantity]: 0
Location: Shands Pier, west side
Water Temperature: XX
Wind: E
Debris Issues: XX
Average # per Cast: 10-25 on the South side, 30-60 on the North
Current direction: North, outgoing
Boat Congestion On River: Pier
Casting Time: 3hrs
Size of Net: 8ft and a monster 12ft cast net with 1 1/2lbs of lead per ft!
# Casters: 2
Interesting By-Catch: Huge mullet, channel cats, pinfish, blue crabs and ladyfish
Image
3 limits in my 150qt cooler, less ice this time.
Image
taking a shrimping virgin and catching a limit for his first time, priceless.

We started late, was supposed to meet my friend at west shand's pier ( stressing the word WEST about 3 times over the phone, not east but west!). He lives alot closer, by ocala we are in Otown. Anyways he's trying to save us spots at the end of the pier (supposedly). Until we arrive dragging all of our gear and find no Brian! I then call him up and proceed to tell him he's on the wrong side of the pier! He tells me to save him a spot, I look around and dont find one for myself, let alone 3 other men in my crew! Luckily I saw one man who had 3 spots (reserved), two on one side upcurrent to the dock and one on the down current side about 10 feet further down. I told my buddies to drop gear here, as I knew what was going on. The man who was trying to save a spot for his friends who would arrive 3 hours later graciously moved his dolly and cooler out of the way for us without me having to ask for it, but there was about 50 people eyeballing me like I just robbed the city bank. Anyways put there gear down while Joe and John went back to the car to re(hash) the situation, and left me there to fend for myself with the locals. I start with small chatter on how I spoke with the local boat shrimpers and how they are catching limits in a hour in daylight, how tonight is looking very promising and when the hightide is comming, and how the current switches over about 15 mins after the hightide charts because we are so far away from the inlet. Small chatter, about blue crabs this forum, stuff that would help me integrate in the population. By the time my friends came back, I made friends with the entire end of the pier. Not knowing the alcohol rules we brought a 12 pack of budlight and started to drink, We made such good friends with them that they never even told us about the no alcohol rules of the pier until the patrol came! Luckily the beers we had werent all over the place, we put them all in a bucket, the few on the rails still wasnt near anyone, and our new found friends agreed with us that the other grp that just left, left them there at the pier!
Phew, nearly got thrown off the pier!, we disposed of said cans, and continued to work for the shrimp. Brian the lost friend showed up right as the shrimp are running and with a net that had over a 1 inch mesh. Every shrimp in the river fell threw the holes, even the jumbos. But before we start this topic, I express to him now to find any open spot down the pier and take it, telling him there was no room by us. But then I see him walking over to us like a lost puppy, so I take him in. Neighbor at the end, expressed to us we looked like a bunch of canned sardines so he donated a extra spot to us, saying his friend isn't going to make it ontime (saint).
After finding out the hightide was going to be at 1am or 1:30am, Brian asked if he could leave early, and just take the first 5 gallon bucket we all caught. We told him that we should all just stay till the end and split the shrimp equally. Anyways around 11pm he told us he's going to split and just take the first limit with him, thinking we all should catch our limits soon anyways, since he thought we would stay till the prime time, 1AM. He actually thought he was doing us a favor, thinking he just took 4 gallons of culled shrimp, only larges and jumbos. Not realizing 5 gallons is to the first top line of the bucket, and topping it off is 6 gallons and a ticket! Short story, We all ended up with about 4 1/2 gallons maybe 4 3/4 gallons, after staying another 2 hours. Then he leaves with my 5 gallon bucket! Thanks B, glad you had a great time! You owe all of us a cold one!
On the down current side we were catching 5-10 a thrown, not bad. The upcurrent side, the neighbors were catching 50+ a throw. They offered me a chancce to throw Joe's 12ft pogy Baitbuster net twice to see how well it works. 1st throw 1/3 a bucket of shrimp, over 100 of them in a shrimp ball. 2nd throw flop, even with a flop I caught 20, and it looked like a banana. That net is awesome. It takes alot of power to master but the reward is insane.
Didn't get a chance to formally meet anyone on this forum, I know seeing a 6'2 320lb Chinaman that looks like he plays O line on a pro football team might be intimidating but im a very friendly person. Hope to see you all around!
Also wanted to note: the guy at the end and upcurrent side caught his limit in 1 hr, leaving it to whoever takes the spot next. The man and his wife fishing next to us got there with quickness, caught thier 3 limits in 1 1/2 hours and left as well. We jumped in that spot afterwards and knocked them out leaving the shrimp during thier prime while we were catching 50 a throw! OUR NEW NEIGHBORS TO THE LEFT, WHO WERE CATCHING LIMITS FOR 4, was starting to get frustrated with us, and was expressing how he thinks we have our limit and should leave. We knew we were about 3 throws short, but heaving a 25lb net is draining, we called it a day and left them at thier prime.
See yall around!

fixed80
BLACK FIN TUNA
Posts: 3341
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Re: Shands Pier 9/8

Post by fixed80 »

thats a load of shrimp man.

interndoc
Weekend Warrior
Posts: 54
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2008 11:16 pm

Re: Shands Pier 9/8

Post by interndoc »

wow..good job killula
hey man...I would love to get into shrimping....any tips for the newbie ? like equipments/tools ? thanks

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killula
KING MACKEREL
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Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2008 4:57 pm
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Re: Shands Pier 9/8

Post by killula »

go early, it gets packed. Use a 8 ft cast net or larger if you can throw one. Bring a 5 gallon bucket, a very strong lantern the most powerful you can find. Lastly make you own baits shaped like a hamburger patty. Its made of shrimp meal, menhaden oil, flour, and pepsi, add a little bit of clay to harden it. make alot, you will need to bait up every hour. Right before sundown, throw out your baits, one every foot of casting space. Dont put them out too far just a few feet off the dock and where you can cast the net. Hang your lantern right off the dock where you plan on casting, and go to work. My favorite pier is shands pier, theres two; one on each side of the river, I prefer the west side of saint johns, and casting off the north end of the pier.

Good luck.

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coolcow
Seasoned Fisher
Posts: 155
Joined: Sun Sep 21, 2008 11:22 pm

Re: Shands Pier 9/8

Post by coolcow »

Up in Jax for a few days and saw all5"+ shrimp and a bunch of yeller mouf trout (just to blank out the google). Up to24". nice croakers too. Nice beeein home. Have fun NFL folks.

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