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Fishing News Latest Fishing News Sawdust shrimp: Age-old technique used to keep bait fresh
Fishing News Latest Fishing News Sawdust shrimp: Age-old technique used to keep bait fresh | Sawdust shrimp: Age-old technique used to keep bait fresh |
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| Written by Danno Wise | |
| Monday, 22 December 2008 | |
 Photo by LSONEWS.com Along the Lower Texas coast, anglers have figured out dumping a quart of kicking brownies in a sack of sawdust will keep them in a trance-like state. Although the shrimp appear dead in their bed of ground wood, they immediately spring to life once they hit the water. This allows all anglers to use live shrimp, whether they’re kayaking a flat or walking to the end of the jetties “I really don’t know how it started or even, really, how it works,” said Calvin Byrd, owner of Quick Stop Bait & Tackle in Port Isabel. “It was something that was being done and when I took over, I just kept doing it. But, it is something that’s pretty popular among our customers. “Without a doubt, the portability of sawdust shrimp is a big advantage. We sell an awful lot to people who are going to the jetties or to the beach and don’t want to drag around a big cooler with an aerator. “The other group we sell a lot to is kayakers. It seems like it used to be all kayak fishermen were throwing lures. Now we’re seeing more and more kayak fishermen using bait. We actually have a small cooler we can pack the sawdust shrimp in that’s really popular for kayakers. They just put that little cooler between their legs in the kayak and they have quick access to the shrimp. “Those coolers sell for a couple bucks and can be reused. We have some customers that use that little cooler over and over until the zipper rusts off. But we also will put them in plastic bags for folks who don’t want to buy a cooler. Then, there’s no extra cost to the customer.” A pair of Quick Stop employees, Luis Buitureira and Frankie Herrera, say they spend much of their time filling sacks and coolers with sawdust and shrimp — particularly during the winter months. “We sell a lot of sawdust shrimp to people going to the jetties and Winter Texans who fish the beach,” Buitureira said. “When they’re surf fishing, the Winter Texans will hang the cooler around their rod holder so they have their shrimp right there. According to Herrera, anglers using a little TLC are able to keep their sawdust shrimp alive and kicking throughout the day. “It’s all in how you take care of them,” said Herrera. “If you get one of those little coolers, throw a few ice cubes in it, keep the lid closed and keep the shrimp out of direct sun, they’ll last all day.” Although the type of wood used to make the sawdust doesn’t seem to matter much, there are definite preferences as to the type of sawdust. “People tend to prefer the larger wood shaving as opposed to the finer dust,” Buitureira said. “Both will keep the shrimp alive, but the shavings rinse off a lot easier.” “I’ve found the source of wood really doesn’t matter,” added Byrd. “Early on, I was always told it did. But through the years we’ve been forced at times to use various types of wood based on availability and the all seem to work the same.” The secret behind the sawdust’s magic seems obscure, but theories certainly abound. “You hear a lot of different reasons for why it works,” said Herrera. “One thing I’ve heard a lot is the sawdust takes some of the moisture out of the shrimp, putting it in sort of a trance. Then when it hits the water, it comes back.” “Everyone has a theory,” Byrd said. “One thing I’ve always heard was the wood holds a little bit of oxygen — enough to sustain the shrimp for awhile. But, I really don’t know why it works or why they started doing it. I know they had been doing it for a long time already when I took over 25 years ago. What really surprises me is in all that time it hasn’t become more common elsewhere on the coast.” |
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