March Shrimping Forecast

Ira Himelright caught 14 pounds of nice size shrimp in Oak Hill

This shrimping season is one for the history books. Water temps are running in high 70’s and the catfish, mullet, pilchards, etc., have made this season exhausting! The water has been dirty, adding yet another level of complexity to the situation. Recently, boaters risked it all chasing shrimp at Railroad bridge as a cold front dropped in and they were thrown around like rag dolls. Some boats suffered severe hull damage was from banging into the pilings; one small Jon boat was sinking; light cords were torn away from the lamps. Point being, NEVER go out when a boundary line is passing through — wind-driven Brevard County can do a great impression of a deadly inlet.

Those willing to wait twelve hours in Brevard have consistently filled up on a gallon or more of impressive-sized shrimp. Oak Hill is consistently giving up shrimp this season, delivering an average of two gallons on building moons (3-4 days before a moon event and two days or so after on a declining moon; avoid half-moons, as they produce the weakest currents). The sizes are also impressive. Titusville pier is reporting low counts, while it’s quiet on the front of Haulover Canal. The Lopez boat ramp is closed so many are not steaming that far South from Riverbreeze boat ramp in Oak Hill. The ramp at Max Brewer is also closed. The 528 Causeway is slow but at least a few shrimp are coming through. The hot spot for March in Brevard has been the dangerous Sebastian Inlet running 8 knots. This is not the place to go without experience. The sizes are jumbo. They have been running consistently.

The crowds have not been bad at all this season, but light blackouts from catfish and other pests have taken their toll on anglers. However, this season has been productive for those that can battle the bait fish. The water is not cold enough to drive them out. This is the fourth consecutive season of warm winter shrimping, raising the difficulty level up several notches. Those using the MacDaddy 7 mode AquaSmartIQ lights use the strobes to blast off the bait and get visuals back. The binary lights (on/off) are having to re-deploy and reset their lights every 15 minutes. If you’re overwhelmed with bait fish, don’t quit and don’t go home. First try moving into deeper water and see if your visuals last longer.

This warm weather winter pattern, and hot summers with red tide has taken its toll on our ecosystem. It’s essentially changing the rules of Central Florida shrimping patterns. It now takes more education and more sophisticated lights to be successful. For more intel, daily reports and mentoring, join us on our Facebook group, “Florida Shrimping Academy – Tips & Tricks.”