Shrimp season is in full swing , and this means the most plentiful bait in the marsh right now is shrimp , primarily brown shrimp . In May , I often get asked , “ When are the shrimp coming in ?”, and my answer is “ They are already here , they ’ ve been here since February .” The brown shrimp , Farfantepenaeus aztecus , is one of three species of shrimp belonging to the family Penaeidae . The other two members of the Penaeidae family are the white and pink shrimp . All three members of this shrimp family are considered decapod crustaceans , meaning they have 10 legs and an exoskeleton or shell . The range of brown shrimp is from Massachusetts all along the Atlantic coast , throughout the Gulf of Mexico , down through the Bay of Campeche . They occur in shallow water , generally less than 180 feet deep , but can be found as deep as 360 feet . Brown shrimp are able to reproduce when they get to be about 5-1 / 2 inches long . They spawn in deep waters of the Gulf with female brown shrimp capable of releasing up to one million eggs on the seafloor . These eggs mature and hatch out into planktonic larval shrimp which typically enter our estuaries in February and March as post-larval shrimp . They are carried into their marsh nursery habitats by tides and the wind . Growth rates of brown shrimp are dependent on salinity and temperature . As they by Chris Schieble
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Biologist Manager
grow larger , they leave the interior marsh , make their way to the outer bays , and eventually return to the Gulf of Mexico . They primarily make these migrations back to the Gulf at night , while burying themselves in the mud bottom during the day . The quickest way to distinguish the brown shrimp from the white shrimp is to notice the grooves on either side of the brown shrimp ’ s rostrum ( horn ). These grooves extend all the way back to the end of its carapace ( head ), whereas on a white shrimp ’ s carapace , the grooves on both sides of the rostrum only extend part way back . The antennae on white shrimp are also longer than their body length ; whereas on brown shrimp , they are only about ¾ the length of the body .
White shrimp , Litopenaeus setiferus , spawn when bottom water temperatures in the Gulf increase , generally from March through September . The recently hatched postlarval white shrimp follow a similar migration pattern to the brown shrimp and make their way to the marsh in June . Larger white shrimp
are more prevalent in our estuaries in late fall with many overwintering in the marsh , and can be found as adult shrimp throughout the marsh this time of year . fishing season is when massive amounts of these brown shrimp begin to make their exodus from the interior marsh to the outer bays and Gulf , and many species of fish , including redfish and speckled trout , are keying-in on small brown shrimp as their primary forage . Being a proponent of the “ match the hatch ” theory , I always look for a good quality shrimp imitation this time of year when I ’ m redfishing . With all of the crazy weather fronts we ’ ve been having this spring , the marsh is churned-up like a bottle of Yoohoo . The fish in these muddy waters have to rely on noise and scent to find prey . Fishing ordinary , unscented soft plastics in muddy water can be frustrating , and that ’ s why I reach for a popping cork rigged with a short 12-18 ” flourocarbon leader with Mister Twister Exude Shrimp on a 1 / 4oz Mister Twister Saltwater Jighead .
Exude by Mister Twister is a scentbased release formula that is water activated to leave a scent trail straight to your hook . A successful presentation must target all of the sensory mechanisms of a fish . The addition of added scent to an already effective shrimp imitation , plus the feeding sound generated by the popping cork can really come into play with the muddy waters we often encounter this time of year during spring inshore fishing trips . For a quick look at how I rig the Exude Shrimp under a popping cork , check out this YouTube video : https :// www . youtube . com / watch ? v = wyeCWp68Syc & feature = youtu . be
As submersed aquatic grass starts to take over in many of the redfish ponds we fish , I like to rig the Exude Shrimp on a 5 / 0 Mister Twister Keeper Hook with a very short leader under a popping cork for a weedless presentation . If you are looking for action , size , color , and most importantly , scent release for your artificial shrimp , Mister Twister ’ s Exude Shrimp has it all . Best of all , it won ’ t turn into a rock if you forget to take it off your jig at the end of the day . To order the Mister Twister Exude Shrimp or any other outstanding Exude baits , log onto www . mistertwister . com
Exude by Mister Twister
June 2016 www . marshandbayou . com 53