Hood Canal Shrimp
By James Schufreider

The Hoods Canal Spot Shrimp sport season generally opens during the month of May with clear blue skies and majestic Olympic Mountain views. This lured the sportsmen and ladies out like only Hood Canal can. With baited and set pots the fishermen awaited the first easy limit. By 10:00 am the first shrimp were in the cooler but the sportsman was caught by mother nature. The north wind blew in and calm Hood Canal turned into 3 foot seas before the second pull. The guaranteed limits turned into a fight for survival. The small boats retreated and the larger boats toughed it out. Limits were tough because placement of the pots and positioning of the boat was a challenge to any skipper. Still, limits (80 shrimp/person) were possible but probably not the safest thing to do.

Multiple boat swamping @ boat launches, boats left high and dry by the out going tide, broken ribs from being tossed by the waves, and lost gear are what the first opening was all about. This is truly one fishing activity that the boater and crew need to be prepared for and not have any impaired senses.

DEPTH: Didn't matter the first opening, 200-230 ft worked well and was supported by local knowledge. I fished 250-300 ft but you need the right length of lines to fish 300 ft. Double buoys or additional floatation is important in the Hood Canal because of the tides. Weighted pots for quick descents and to hold position is important also. It is not uncommon for the current to push the pot off the edge.

BAIT: If it isn't "Puss n'Boots" cat food your not fishing. I usually use cat food, with addition ingredients with fish scraps as hanging bait. You need the odor to draw the shrimp in and the hanging bait to keep them in.

TRAPS: It turns out that trap design is important, but "quick fisher" style tunnels are a must. The short fishing time and soaks mandates fast, easy entry by the shrimp but requires the pot to be pulled every hour or less. This also allows you to be sure you are in the right location/depth and to rebait.

LINES: I like the hard lay nylon leaded line and will not use the "yellow poly" which 95% of what everybody else uses. I also use one length of line for each pot with no knots or weighs because it is safer to power pull. The yellow poly requires lead weights to be snapped on during setting and removed during hauling.

LOCATION AND COORDINATES: Ya sure! Set where everybody else is. Don't bother going if you don't have a good depth sounder and don't let go of the buoy until you feel the pot resting on the bottom. This can be a high gear lost sport.
This is a very heavily regulated sport in Hood Canal. I saw two Fish and Game boats, one Sheriff boat, and one Coast Guard inflatable, don't they have anything else to do? The Fish and Game also check every boat at some public boat launches. I wonder if they made their quotas or limits?

The sport is fun and the Shrimp taste good. Watch the Weather, know what the tide is doing, and be prepared to get wet when retrieving your boat.