By The New Pelican Newspaper | on February 21, 2023

By Jim “Chiefy” Mathie | New Pelican Writer

Word of mouth is the primary way for locals to know there’s an epic shrimp run and lots of folks got their shrimp nets wet last week. Locals like to call it “dipping for shrimp” and there’s even a Florida’s Recreational Shrimping Group on Facebook.

Pompano Beach residents Cody and Carly Bandura, owners of The Salty Dawgs, a marine-inspired apparel company, have been keeping an “eye on the weather because we know the shrimp tend to run this time of year. After a few fruitless inlet checks, we finally struck gold one night.”   

They headed to the Hillsboro Inlet on Feb. 7 with “no shrimp sightings.” But they went back on Feb. 9 and saw them. “We didn’t get a full bucket, but enough for us to eat like kings all week,” says Carly.

From then on “for the next week they were thick,” Carly says. “We used our headlamps and nets and with every swipe we were able to get a handful of shrimp filling up our cooler.”

Pompano residents Mareena Reedy and Taylor Zascavage heard about the shrimp run at Hillsboro Inlet via some friends and got in on the action at the Inlet Park docks. They were able to get their Florida Wildlife Commission legal recreational limit of one-five gallon bucket per-person per-day because they were on land. It was “heavy this year as people are limiting out every night,” says Reedy. 

They used bright lights, head lanterns and shrimp nets to fill their buckets. 

Commercial swordfisherman John Michael Lavergne even got in on the shrimp run.

Lavergne was able to fill up his 125 quart cooler several nights in a row and because he has a Saltwater Products License, he can sell his shrimp. His dad John, who’s been doing this since he was a kid, says this is “the best run I’ve ever seen.” 

Deerfield Beach resident Chris Kusmich “slammed them,” calling it the “best shrimp run in years.” He’s also been hearing about lots of action in Miami at the inlets. He says the night he got in on the action there eventually were 20 boats in the inlet and some were so close you could “hear the enjoyment in their voices.” 

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), shrimp are a migratory species found primarily in the inlets during the peak season of January through April. Their movement is based on tide, wind, current and water temperature. You must possess a Florida Fishing License and the recreational limit is one-five gallon bucket (with each shrimp’s head still attached) per-vessel or per-harvester if on land per-day.

FWC Bag Limit: Individuals can take five gallons, heads on, per-harvester per-day. Possession limit of no more than five gallons, heads on, per-vessel at any time regardless of the number of persons onboard.

But the best part of the shrimp run was I ended up with 10 pounds of them and gave lots away to friends and neighbors. My wife made a delicious tomato based cream sauce with pasta and shrimp while our neighbor, Katie Sparks, made a shrimp boil with a recipe from The Food Network. 

The Banduras made a simple but flavorful shrimp jambalaya dish. There are lots of great shrimp recipes to enjoy.

Think Forrest Gump and Bubba Gump Shrimp.

Mareena Reedy holding a large shrimp she caught in her shrimp net. [Mareena Reedy]

Mareena Reedy’s shrimp bucket. [Mareena Reedy]

Carly Bandura’s shrimp bucket. [Carly Bandura]

When it comes to shrimp, most of what we eat in restaurants and purchase at the grocery store is farm raised. John Michael Lavergne said it best, “There’s nothing better than fresh, wild shrimp you caught yourself.” 

Even though this shrimp run has passed for now, stay tuned up for the next one and I’ll see you at the inlet.

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