Noob with 17' Bluefin for commercial shrimpin/crab project

I just picked this hull up last week for $500, trailer is too small for it but ok for now. I am in sw Fl now but am moving to s la and would like to turn this into a commercial shrimp boat. i have seen plenty of the smaller rigs like this used, but never up close to see how all the rigging is attached and set up. Anyone have some pics or done this from a small tin boat? This hull is in tip top shape and looks to have been hardly used if at all down here. Looks like they left it uncovered and all the wood went bad so they gutted it, which is how I got it. Most of my boating expierience has been with Boston Whalers. I was thinking of a bow steering helm position/controls to keep the back as open as possible and a 20-40+ gallon belly tank, all depends on what motor i end up putting on here. I have a 150 evinrude ocean pro that would surely push some shrimp nets nicely :mrgreen: but will probably look in the 75-115 range, boats rated for a 90.

Should I just use plywood for the floor or bite the bullet and do aluminum? I'm sure I'll add a bazillion questions as this thread goes on and please offer up any suggestions, links etc Thanks in advance

welcome to tinboats =D>

I haven't seen anyone that has made a shrimping boat here but there's always time for a first.

can't wait to see what you do to it.

you might be waitin a long time if I don't see some pics, get suggestions or talk to someone who has shrimped out of a smaller boat lol

fine steal for $300, they got the hard strippin work done for ya! I would recommend goin with the aluminum on the floor, you can carpet over it and it'll last as long as the rest of the boat.

:WELCOME:

First I live and fish coastal LA & MS every weekend and you do not see many boats that small pulling a trawl. Crabbing yes. A couple years ago we pulled two guys out of the water because they snagged the trawl on something which swamped the back of the boat. They were in a very wide 18' flat boat and were only pulling a 16' trawl. You rarely see a trawler less than 20' and they are very wide skiffs 7'+ wide. You will see a few smaller skiffs in the fall when the shrimp run inside.

The problems I see are 1. is the low freeboard at transom which could be overcome with a jackplate and welding the transom up. 2. is the width. When you turn to close the net, it puts a tremendous drag on one side of the boat. Then you have to pull the net which weights 10 times more when wet. 3. is you need room for your gear and a picking box. 4. is your going to need be able to weld two pull post that can withstand tremendous pressure.

I'm not saying it can not be done but commercially I wouldn't. Recreationally maybe with a small test trawl in the bayous. I would only stay in protected water. Even big Lafitte skiffs go down every year due to nets being out during afternoon thunderstorms.

Sorry to be so negative but I see a disaster waiting to happen. You have to remember that your life is depending on that boat.

Specknreds said:

:WELCOME:

First I live and fish coastal LA & MS every weekend and you do not see many boats that small pulling a trawl. Crabbing yes. A couple years ago we pulled two guys out of the water because they snagged the trawl on something which swamped the back of the boat. They were in a very wide 18' flat boat and were only pulling a 16' trawl. You rarely see a trawler less than 20' and they are very wide skiffs 7'+ wide. You will see a few smaller skiffs in the fall when the shrimp run inside.

The problems I see are 1. is the low freeboard at transom which could be overcome with a jackplate and welding the transom up. 2. is the width. When you turn to close the net, it puts a tremendous drag on one side of the boat. Then you have to pull the net which weights 10 times more when wet. 3. is you need room for your gear and a picking box. 4. is your going to need be able to weld two pull post that can withstand tremendous pressure.

I'm not saying it can not be done but commercially I wouldn't. Recreationally maybe with a small test trawl in the bayous. I would only stay in protected water. Even big Lafitte skiffs go down every year due to nets being out during afternoon thunderstorms.

Sorry to be so negative but I see a disaster waiting to happen. You have to remember that your life is depending on that boat.

Click to expand...

Taken into consideration and exactly the info I want and honesty isn't negative. Looks like I might just have to use this one for crabs,crawfish,fish etc and look for another boat to push shrimp with. We're lookin at a house in the Jeanerette area, you know that area at all?

Wow. On what other site could we pull so many people together with so much broad knowledge. Today I know a little about shrimp fishing. Thanks.

No I'm not really familiar with that area. I stay on the East side of the MS River unless going to Venice. I know they have excellent oysters and some huge trophy Speckled Trout. We occasionally go to Grand Isle.

i gotcha. this boat is 77.5" at the transom in width and 78' midships, not really narrow but witht he deeper vee bottom might not be ideal to push shrimp with from what you say. our contract on the house out there was accepted today, now all we have to do is sell, er give this place away in naples ugh

There is nothing but commercial fisherman where you are moving to unless you work in the oilfields. Someone down there might be able to help you set it up safely. You would be suprised at a Cajuns ingenuity. These guys will turn anything that floats into a fishing machine. Please keep in mind that you said "commercial". There is a Huge difference between recreational and commercial. Most commercial shrimpers stay out for several days at a time to make enough to survive on. Recreationally you go out for a couple of hours and hope to catch 30-50lbs for the freezer. I'm not a shrimper and would not solely base your ideas upon what I've said. What I'm saying comes from sharing the water with them for the last 25+years.

I (tried) to post 3 paragraphs of info as I've commercially trawled on and off for years. However when I hit reply, i needed to login again (just did it 20 mins ago) and all was lost... not typing all that again... sry

Short of long. Yes, but you would want to get a bigger boat ASAP..

those are the sort of boat pics I'd like to see more of. I want to set a boat up to shrimp as a one man rig. I say commercial, but would expect a 50-200 lb day to be more then enough to help supplement my income. I am under the impression the smaller boats go out at night when the shrimp are near the surface feedin?

I'm in the same boat, so to speak. I've got a 16' Carolina Skiff with a 50hp outboard and I would like to know if there is a way to rig it up for strickly recreational shrimping in an intercoastal waterway. Any ideas? Please??

CAPTCAMELTOE said:

those are the sort of boat pics I'd like to see more of. I want to set a boat up to shrimp as a one man rig. I say commercial, but would expect a 50-200 lb day to be more then enough to help supplement my income. I am under the impression the smaller boats go out at night when the shrimp are near the surface feedin?

Click to expand...

Not necessarily most lakes are Real shallow with lots of places to bottom out your boat (mud flats) so going at night, you got to be real careful. The bayous are not clearly marked so it's hard to tell where the bayou (10' deep) ends and the mud flat begins (6" deep). Most lakes are so shallow (3'-6') it doesn't matter day are night your trawl is going to open up enough to get them both ( on top or in the mud). For the most part.

I'd pull a 25' bottom trawl behind a 14x42 flat w/ 50 Merc. I had my own lawn care service so I could head to the Boat launch around 3pm and be back at the house by 7pm (still daylight) heating up the boiling pot and hosing down the boat and net. I wouldn't go at night except maybe on a full moon occasionally. The risk of tearing up the net etc. was usually the determining factor.

The boat in the pic has whats called 'skimmers'. He may pull a bottom trawl as well, hard to tell. That boat could easily catch 100-200#'s an hour. So after you fill the freezer there's plenty to sell. Rigs like that are a common site in SE la. You see them all over the place. He prob has at least 2 electric winches for lowering and raising the 2 skimmers and prob for pulling his balls(tails). Which makes it real easy to run by yourself. Hit a switch and your ball is hanging at face height, swing it over a picking box and untie the ball. That's it. Now with a bottom trawl it's harder because you have heavy boards (doors) to deal with. So most guys myself included will just tie a small line about 5' above the tail and only bring in the boards at the end of the day. You just pull the tail over the side of the boat, dump it and throw it back over. Which can be tiresome but it's not bad considering the payoff.

Here's some pics and videos..

This guy is pulling a bottom trawl. No winches in a smallish flat. (non tin )
[youtube]esg1dm2eBTc[/youtube]

[youtube]OA5xxLz_U1s[/youtube]

This is a perfect example of just pulling in the tail and leaving the boards on the side. Now their catch sux. I would move or pull longer.. But good example..
[youtube]3k6KIZYEa1U[/youtube]



These guys are using a bigger boat but the same setup is often used on flat boats.
Notice the nets on the side of the bayou that they use when the current is ripping out (falling tide). Down in houma you see these all over the place. (conditions have to be right but you burn 0 gas.) Notice also how many crabs they caught in 1 drag as an added bonus.

[youtube]pJ5odNStVSU&NR[/youtube]

Misc. pics

AWESOME VIDS AND PICS!! Thanks a bunch man =D>

well got out here on March 1st, finally settled in and gonna start work on the 17 soon to get it water ready. Have been usin a 12 ft jon boat from a neighbor and bought a home made 5hp mud motor for it. I have been KILLIN the blue cats and eatin good :mrgreen:

So my question is. When you say that you can make enough income off of 50 to 200 lbs of shrimp a day, how much are you looking to make annually doing that, if you don't mind me asking. I live in tennessee right now but would love to move to south carolina and be able to make enough by fishing, crabbing, shrimping to support my family and live well off. So this has been an interesting read for me.

Well my wife and I don't have kids, so what I need to get by on might be different. I think they pay roughly $2-3 a pound for shrimp. Of course you'll need ot factor in boat, nets, riggin, commercial license etc

Yeah kids get expensive. Would just mean I have to fish harder and for more stuff. Maybe charters after a few years experience. Good luck with yours build!!