Bayou Shrimp Makes Versatile Bait

By DAVID RAINER

Goldenrod stalks sprouting from the decks of derelict shrimp boats signal the condition of the domestic shrimping industry around Bayou La Batre. Even shiny, relatively new shrimp boats with their clean green nets sit idle as skyrocketing fuel prices and imported, farm-raised shrimp make turning a profit virtually impossible.

Those days when characters that might resemble Forrest Gump and Bubba Blue could parlay a single shrimp boat into a seafood empire are gone.

Yet, as we launch at City Landing in Bayou La Batre – supposedly Alabama author Winston Groom’s inspiration for the novel’s setting – for a day of light-tackle fishing in Mississippi Sound, it is the remnants of that bygone heyday of shrimping that will provide the bulk of the productive fishing spots. Shrimp boats that succumbed to violent squalls or a loss of seaworthiness are scattered throughout Mississippi Sound from near Dauphin Island to the Mississippi-Alabama line.

Capt. Bobby Abruscato, an inshore fishing guide from Mobile, depends on that sunken treasure this time of year to provide excellent fishing for his clients. At one time, a few of the masts from the sunken shrimp boats pierced the surface. No more. A few may be marked on charts, but most are hidden secrets that provide bounty for those lucky enough to have the GPS coordinates.

“When the weather starts getting hot, the fish will move into deeper water,” Abruscato said. “Down here in the Sound, we fish deep structure, like the wrecks. I've got about 20 or 25 spots that I can target. In Mobile Bay, we fish mostly shoals and shell reefs in fairly shallow water. At times, you can catch some big trout on the shoals, but this time of year the fish want to be deeper.

“There are gas rigs in deeper water in the Bay, but if you’ve got a big tide swing, like we have today (2.2 feet), it’s harder to fish the Bay because the current is so strong. When you fish Mississippi Sound, the current is a lot easier to deal with.”

And, naturally, the bait of choice that day – live shrimp.

While the commercial shrimping has virtually come to a standstill, catching shrimp for bait has been easy. When Bobby Cleveland, outdoors editor of the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss., and I stepped on Abruscato’s boat, the livewell was already filled with frisky bait shrimp from Rough Water Bait and Tackle.

Like Forrest’s box of chocolates, when fishing with live shrimp, you never know what you’re gonna get.

Abruscato made a beeline for the first sunken shrimp boat. After he checked the current and wind, he positioned the boat and eased the anchor over the side. Abruscato and I started out with a slip-cork rig, while Cleveland went with a split shot and tightlined with the shrimp on a No. 1 Kahle hook, and it didn’t take long for the action to start.

Abruscato credits veteran guide O.P. Harrison with his conversion to the slip-cork rig, which he has modified to suit his needs. Obviously, a large slip-cork is rigged to float the bait at a certain depth over the targeted area.

“I use the over-sized cork for a couple of reasons,” Abruscato said. “One is it’s easier for the average fisherman to cast. The other is that you can see it in the waves. That's critical at times.

“I rig it so the float is sitting at about a 45-degree angle. If a fish comes up out of the wreck and hits it without diving back into the wreck, the cork will stand up. You have to pay attention or you'd never know it. Once you catch on, you can catch a lot of fish that way.”

After throwing numerous speckled trout (spotted seatrout) and white trout in the fish box, Abruscato mumbled something about the lack of water clarity.

“You can catch fish when the water is dingy like it is now, but it gets better when it clears up a little,” he said.

Not long after those words left his mouth, we spotted the frothy tideline slowly marching inshore. When that tideline moved across the wreck, the fishing immediately improved.

Soon small sheepshead and undersized gag grouper were caught and released as spadefish gathered around the anchored boat. Cleveland, my longtime fishing buddy, was lucky enough to hook and boat a Spanish mackerel that was pushing the five-pound mark without a wire leader.

I decided to switch to the tightline rig because Cleveland was having way too much fun, but Abruscato had a warning.

“Whatever you do, don’t let your shrimp dangle in the water,” Abruscato said. “Those spadefish will grab it and your rod will be out of the boat before you realize what’s going on. I learned the hard way. Jeff Vadakin built me a custom rod with my name on it and I laid it down to take a fish off for one of my fishermen. The next thing you know, the rod goes flying overboard.

“I was sick, and I sure didn’t want to tell Jeff what I’d done. Then about two weeks later, I get a phone call. I figured it was somebody wanting to book a trip. I answered the phone and he said, ‘Bobby, you’re not going to believe this, but I caught your rod.’ I couldn’t believe it and I couldn’t thank him enough.”

A couple of times I almost forgot the admonition only to have a spadefish swirl at my shrimp just as I jerked it away.

Then as I was reeling in a small white trout, a more ominous shadow moved toward the fish from the stern of the boat.

“Blackfish,” I yelled as the fish, a.k.a. tripletail, tried to eat the white trout.

Abruscato was hooked up with a speckled trout on the stern deck and looked over to see the blackfish trying, to no avail, to eat the trout.

“Keep your fish in the water,” he screamed. “Get a shrimp in front of him.”

Cleveland had the shrimp, but couldn’t see the fish with Abruscato and me blocking the way.

Swiftly recognizing the dilemma, Abruscato grabbed Cleveland’s rod and dropped the shrimp in the blackfish’s face. The fish immediately inhaled the shrimp with about five feet of line out the end of the rod and set the hook.

The tripletail immediately made a dive as Abruscato handed the rod to Cleveland and I moved out of the way.

In the ensuing pandemonium, Abruscato spotted a flaw that could have been fatal to landing this eight-pound delicacy – the line was wrapped around the tip of Cleveland’s brand-new, high-dollar spinning rod that could be reduced to the trash heap with one surge of the powerful blackfish’s virtual triple tail.

Somehow, Cleveland managed to get the line unwrapped without losing the fish as I grabbed the net. Two more drag-testing runs later, Cleveland got the blackfish to the surface and into the net.

Counting a ground mullet and two small sharks – a blacktip and an Atlantic sharpnose – that were caught and released, a total of nine species had been reeled to the boat.

 The species count went to double digits a short time later when I reeled down on another fish. This time the drag started screaming as I held the rod tip high to apply as much pressure as possible without overstressing the 15-pound braided line.

“That might be that bull red we were looking for,” Abruscato said.

With line steadily peeling off the spool, I told Abruscato I didn’t think I would be able to stop the fish.

“What to do you want to do?” he asked.

“If you want to see what it is, you’re going to have to pull the anchor and follow him,” I answered.

Soon after the anchor was pulled and we started to follow the fish, I knew this wasn’t a redfish. There were no surges, only a steady pull.         

“I think I’ve got a ray or something,” I said.

“I think you’re right,” Abruscato responded.

A few minutes later, we found out it was indeed a ray. With steady pressure, a big Southern stingray, about the size of my round kitchen table, finally came to the surface.

“I’m guessing you’re not going to want your hook back,” I said.

“I think not,” Abruscato responded.

I pointed the rod tip at the fish, grabbed the spool and pulled back hard to pop the line as the big ray slowly glided away into the Gulf of Mexico.

In turn, Abruscato spun the boat around and we headed back to the Bayou with a box full of fish and another addition to our abundant list of fun fishing tales.

For guided fishing trip information, contact Abruscato at A-Team Charters at www.ateamfishing.com or call 800-436-0563.

 PHOTOS:

Top - Capt. Bobby Abruscato unhooks a nice speckled trout that took a live shrimp around a sunken shrimp boat in Mississippi Sound off Bayou La Batre.

Bottom - Bobby Cleveland, outdoor writer from Jackson, Miss., shows off an eight-pound blackfish that swam into the shadow of the boat during a trip in Mississippi Sound.

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