Shrimping Tips & Tactics: How to Catch Your Limit

Today, I want to dive into one of our favorite fisheries: shrimping. And okay… maybe I say that about every fishery. But seriously—there’s something extra fun about shrimping. It’s fast. It’s social. It’s ridiculously tasty. And in our home waters of the San Juan Islands, it’s world-class.

Listen to the full podcast episode: On Spotify | On Apple Podcasts

Why We Love Shrimping

We’ve got some of the best shrimping in Washington right in our backyard. It’s quick, easy(ish), and a great way to introduce someone new to fishing. If you plan your setup right, shrimping can be as simple as a 45-minute soak followed by pulling dinner right out of the salt water.

Plus, let’s be honest—there’s something magical about eating food you caught that same day.

The Gear That Makes the Difference

We’ve tried a variety of shrimp pots, but hands down, the coffin pot is our go-to. It fishes well, stacks easily, and gets results FAST. We've consistently hit limits with just one pot when Scott and I go out, we may bring two if we have people with us.

🎥Check out this YouTube video to get a visual of this pot design -

This kick ass pot was design and manufactured by McKay Shrimp & Crab Gear, we love their gear because they base everything off of what works for commercial fishermen, so you know if it’s made by them, it fishes! 

Why it works:

• 10 feet of floor space (legal max)

• Six ramps for shrimp to enter

• Two bait containers allowing for more scent to leach out and draw in your catch

• Easy-pour bungee doors

• Stackable and boat-friendly

If you are based in the Anacortes or San Juan Islands area you can pick up these pots at Essential Shipyard Industries in Anacortes, WA by Skyline Marina or at LFS in Bellingham, WA. Just make sure you weight them properly—we use a 10 lb plate zip tied to the inside of the pot and a 12–15 lb cannonball six feet up the line to keep it anchored. If you want to get a visual click here to get access to the diagram.

Our Line Setup (And Why Storage Matters)

Used to be we coiled rope in buckets by hand (messy but doable). Now we use the SMI rope winder on a Scotty mount. Total game-changer. Clean, fast, and efficient both for deploying and retrieving.

Make sure your buoy system includes:

• Two yellow buoys (yellow is required)

• Name, address, and phone number marked clearly on your float

• A C-link system to clip gear together easily - we LOVE these for fast and easy deployment and retrieval

• Enough rope! We run 400' leaded line, even though we usually fish around 325 feet

Pro tip: use a green star or other identifier on your buoy to spot it easily in a crowd. Trust me—opening day is a pot jungle.

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Pot Pullers: Worth the Upgrade

If you’re just starting, the Scotty pot puller is a solid option and mounts right on your downrigger base. But when you’re ready to upgrade, the Discovery Bay pot puller with a davit arm is next-level. Scott installed ours himself—if you're not into DIY, many shops will do it for you.

Upgrading to a Discovery Bay pot puller has been a game changer for us. It makes running charters so much easier, pulling pots quickly and without much effort regardless of the weather we may run into, I don’t have to baby the line anymore. I just crank and smile.

Bait Secrets: Don’t Overthink It, But Be Ready

Shrimp love smelly stuff. The oilier the better! Here’s our go-to mix (prep this at the dock!):

• 2–3 cups of bait pellets (Use your shrimp containers to measure it out)

• A glug of Pro-Cure shrimp/crab oil - enough to coat all of the pellets

• 3 cans of Friskies fish-flavored cat food (amino acids, baby)

• 1 can of Chub mackerel

• Mix in a 5-gallon bucket and use a long-handled spoon

Wear gloves unless you want your sandwich to taste like cat food. If you make too much bait, no problem—store it with a lid and use it later. Just keep it cool. It’ll smell even better after two weeks.

Counting & Processing

You’re allowed 80 shrimp per person, and you need to separate them by limit. We use little white paint buckets from Ace Hardware that fit 80 spot prawns perfectly. Once they’re counted, we process them by snapping off the heads (the kids love—or hate—this part). Toss the heads, bag the tails, and you’re good to go.

Where to Shrimp in the San Juans

If you want a detailed explanation on how we choose shrimping spots - check out our YouTube video here, Scott dropped some serious gold here. Iceberg Point is one of our favorite go-to spots—it’s productive, and fishes fast.

When choosing a shrimp spot look for:

• Steep, rocky edges between 300–325 feet

• Clear drop zones away from shipping lanes

• Gentle currents (≤1 knot) and no wind

We also love spots near Colville Island, Eastern Bank, and the north side of Orcas. Use Garmin or Navionics to scout contour lines and slope.

Pro tip: drop your pot slightly up-current from your target spot. It takes a few minutes for it to sink and settle.

Timing is Everything: Tides & Currents

Only drop when:

• Current is less than 1 knot - This will guarantee that you won’t lose a pot. Anything faster is no-go for us.

• Wind is calm

• You’re clear of other gear

Check tides & current on Deep Zoom. We’ve made the mistake of ignoring current and lost gear—trust me, its an expensive mistake you do not want to make.

Cooking Your Catch

Keep it simple and boil your prawns in seawater (not from the marina). Boil the water first, then add the prawns. Let it return to a boil and cook for 1–2 minutes max until the tails turn pink and start to curl. Don’t overdo them or they will get chewy. You are better off undercooking, as they will continue to cook when you pull them out of the water..

Our favorite ways to eat them?

• Shrimp ceviche (Scott’s go-to)

• Shrimp boil with potatoes and corn

Just plain with melted butter and a view.

If you made it this far, you're ready to hit the water. Got questions? Join our free Facebook group: Anglers Unlimited | Fishing in the San Juan Islands & Beyond and share your shrimp pics or favorite recipes. We’d love to see what you’re pulling up.

Tight lines,
Jamie & Scott Propst