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Outdoors

Shrimp boat bounty

Bycatch produces a major chum line for hungry predators.

By DAVID A. BROWN
Published June 25, 2005

One of my favorite games at childhood birthday parties was the grab bag.

A large sack with an unknown assortment of toys and candy was held higher than our little eyes could see, and we had to reach overhead to pluck a prize.

That's kind of how it is when fishing behind the Gulf of Mexico's giant chum machines - shrimp boats.

Throughout the gulf, shrimpers leave port to fill their trawls with the tender crustaceans. In the process, these trawls pick up a mixed bag of small finfish such as sand perch, sea robins and juvenile flounder and snappers. With no use for such bycatch, boat crews toss the small fish overboard when culling their nets.

Plowing up lots of young sea life is far from favorable. But if it's any consolation, nothing goes to waste.

Returned to the resource, shrimper bycatch instantly enters the food chain, as hungry predators line up by the hundreds behind anchored vessels. Once the freebies hit the water, the oils and edible chunks form a massive chum slick that attracts a diverse assortment, including kingfish, sharks, cobia, tarpon and blackfin tuna.

You can get as fancy as you want, but let's face it, anything tailing a shrimp boat is just looking for a quick meal. Slow trolling live baits such as menhaden, scaled sardines or "pilchards" and "whitebait," Spanish sardines and cigar minnows is your best bet.

If you're lucky enough to run across a shrimper crew that still is culling the nets (usually overnight or early morning hours), it's like a turkey shoot. Just troll back and forth through the visible chum slick and get ready to rumble.

Even after the crew has finished its net chores, an anchored boat still will hold fish. With no active chumming, you will have to work a little harder, but you still will find plenty of action.

Try mixing up the spread with a couple of surface baits and two more on downriggers set at different depths. By probing throughout the water column, you often will find where the fish are staging.

Because shrimpers attract a lot of toothy predators, wire leaders give you an advantage in most cases. Bucking this rule is the sharp-eyed, leader-shy tuna. Generally wary of anything but short lengths of thin (No. 2-3) leader wire, tuna are more apt to bite on a 30-pound fluorocarbon leader. Rig baits on 3/0 short shank hooks.

The one thorn on this rose is the party-crashing gluttons known as bonita. Spirited fighters, they have little food value and simply waste a lot of baits and rigs intended for other targets. But the "boneheads" have their uses, too.

Cut a crosshatch pattern in the fish's flanks and slice off neatly squared chunks that make great chum and bait. Hang the carcass off a stern cleat to spread the fresh scent, then watch the action increase.

Medium to heavy-action spinning outfits are ideal, as they're easier to operate than conventional tackle and enable anglers to quickly pitch a bait at sharks, cobia and others that may come to investigate your boat.

Notwithstanding the fact that some fish species carry a stronger taste than others, post-catch handling has a lot to do with meat quality.

Icing your catch is the cornerstone of the operation.

In Florida's extreme summer heat, allowing a dead fish's internal temperature to rise too high is just asking for trouble. Immediate chilling numbs an expiring fish and slows the release of stress-related enzymes that can ruin its flesh.

Don't think that tossing a couple of bags in the fish box will suffice. Proper cooling requires total coverage, so go generous with the cold stuff and always drop ice bags on the deck to shatter the chunks for even distribution.

For the ideal ice bath, dump a couple gallons of fresh water into the cooler or icebox. This, combined with melting ice, creates a frigid slush that locks in the cold better than a bunch of loose cubes lying around the fish.

Bleeding your catch is helpful - especially with tuna and sharks - in minimizing gaminess. Severing the throat releases local blood flow, but it stops the heart from pumping.

To rid your catch of as much blood as possible, insert a knife blade behind the pectoral fins to puncture the heart. Cut out the gills and inner organs, then pack the body cavity with ice.

When cleaning the catch, remove all of the dark red "blood meat," which carries an unbearable taste. Species such as tuna, amberjack and kingfish have pronounced strips of this meat adjacent to their spines. Slice this out before cooking, then you will enjoy a much nicer flavor.

Marinating fresh fish in golden Italian salad dressing, orange juice or milk (not in combination) will help draw out any strong flavors.

Pack fillets loosely in a large mixing bowl, add marinade and any additional seasoning, toss for thorough coating, cover with plastic wrap and chill for two hours.

Freshly caught fish is among the world's true gems. Handle it right and it sparkles even brighter.

[Last modified June 25, 2005, 00:48:02]