life shrimp qualilty question. ( first place on right after teciman rd galveston )

[planohog]

The shrimp were very small , I was shocked, I should have asked, and they did not last long in my live well on the water.
I wanted to ask the group if that is the norm these days or is that something I should have checked on . size anyway.

The only think I can compare to is the lady in seabrook ( similar quality but they stayed alive ) . Place under kema bridge
larger and pricey .

Two more days to fish. I need a nap first.

[scanoefisher]

When I was using shrimp, I found noticeable differences between one bait shop and another. Not sure how much their oxygenation systems/ obtainment methods vary, but there a couple places I had stopped using because their shrimp died quicker. I found a direct correlation between how they behaved when initially put in my buckets and how long they lived. The more lively they were and quicker they settled to the bottom when not stimulated most often meant they would live long through the day (and through the night in many cases).

[Flounderpounder420]

I think you are talking about smittys bait. The are real bad and would not recommend. The bait shop right off the 61st exit before the intersection. And the bait shop at sea isle when I'm fishing in Galveston.

[H.Maier]

Whiskers and eyeballs, huh. I don't fish bait but my buddies that do swear Louis' on highland bayou consistently have more quality size and more lively bait. That is of course a upper west bay camp. Capt. Paul Marcoisio gets his from Hillman's, I think on Dickinson bayou by the 146 bridge. I can't speak to size but I see shrimpers out on my deep reefs practically every time I go fishing, which is four or five times a week.

[mgstei1]

I like pinky sized ones and none bigger than your ring finger. Place a salt water soaked cotton rag about size of a handkerchief so they can hide and cling and a frozen plastic water bottle when they net em in your bucket.
A 2 d battery size air pump and an airstone on the end with a lead weight to hold it down works great.

Never ever ever place your hand in the bucket and only use a bait dip net. After catching a fish wash your hands and dry them before using the dip net.

[Ibtsoom]

Ok here's the deal. Shrimp size will only vary between local bait shops if they're sourcing from different geographical locations. Most times all the local camps buy from the local boats. --My father sells to Galveston bait and tackle at the base of the causeway.
This being the case, you get what the shrimpers are catching at the time. Most times they work close together and catch approximately the same size shrimp because that's what's there and they're all limited on the size mesh nets they can use by the TPWD. Certain times of year the shrimp are small and certain times they're not - depends on where they are in their life cycle. Shrimp size sometimes varies from one camp to the other due to the location from which their shrimp were caught. Sometimes the camps truck them in from as far off as corpus if the boats aren't catching around here. (Mostly in the winter)
Sometimes one side of our bay has different size shrimp than the other but not always. Size will also vary based upon species of shrimp - brown shrimp, white shrimp, pinks, hoppers etc... , where they are in their life cycle, Time of year etc...
So to make a long story longer...
1. There's very little chance that the local camps will have different size shrimp if they're being caught and bought locally.
2. Some camps most definitely take better care of their shrimp than others and they will live better if taken care of.
3. Little shrimp catch fish just like big ones and you get more per quart.
4. No need getting your drawers in a wad about how big the shrimp are and yelling at the people at the bait camp because the camp is gonna take what they can get from the boat. It's either that or they just won't have any, which means you won't have any..
5. Battery powered air stones and ice help a lot when it's hot outside. So does changing out with new water very often.
However, the best combo is an O2 system and ice. The O2 system even alleviates the need to keep changing out the water.
6. Shut up and fish

[Curmudgeon]

7. Match the hatch.

[plugger]

Good Tip ..... Glue 2 parallel Velcro strips to the bottom of the live well . Place a towel in the bottom of the live well for the shrimp to cling to . They don't get sloshed around and beat up, hence , they'll live longer .

[Termo]

Go to artificial bait. Use the rag to wipe the sweat off your forehead or the slime off your hands and the ice to keep your beer cold.

[planohog]

I like pluggers idea the best, I didnt mention the shrimp were only in the air-bucket for maybe 1/2 hour. I thought maybe I got some ugly water from the bay some where and it poisioned the shrimp.
ibtsoon, I would not yell at a shop, I think my expectations were higher on dead loss after 4 hours in live well. I have been fishing out of a bubbling bucket / yellow floater since I was a kid and felt like i was in heaven, fresh circulated water !
That is great info on shrimp and how they are caught and sold.

[plugger]

It's been an informative post . I don't use live bait unless I take kids which is rare . I usually use the towel for TERMO 's purposes .

[FP3]

I only get my bait at Louis' ---- with a bucket and typical airraider, Ive had bait last till the morning on many night fishing trips ----

[Old Salt]

Go to artificial bait. Use the rag to wipe the sweat off your forehead or the slime off your hands and the ice to keep your beer cold.

That's right!!! X2


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[DeerSlayerToo]

I buy mine at the big blue building off of 61st exit. I think they are cheaper there also. I love the small shrimp because @ two weeks ago my son and I caught 29 keeper specs in surf off one Quart. Fished that evening had 18 then left over shrimp placed in canal over night then the next morning used the rest to catch 11 more.

[DeerSlayerToo]

Then a few days later my nephew and I went and we purchased a Quart and a half and placed in a 30qt Engel bait cooler, that we put ice in sealed plastic bag with aireator and kept over night and not a one of them died, so then I purchased my own bait cooler.(Think the rig set up is @ $75 and well worth it