348 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



Figure 4. — Portion of shrimp fleet operating out of Galveston, Texas. (Both inshore and offshore, single-rig and double- 

 rig trawlers are pictured.) 



little as l}i inches. Mesh size in inshore trawls 

 varies little from IK to 1^^ inches. Thread sizes 

 range from 48 to 36 or less in the cod end and 

 from 18 to 12 in the body and wings. Widths of 

 nets along the lead line vary as the size of the 

 vessel but most single-rig vessels fish 90- to 110- 

 foot "flat" or 60- to 90-foot "balloon" nets, and 

 most double-rig vessels fish 40- to 45-foot "flat" 

 nets. In addition, almost every shrimp trawler 

 is fitted with a small (10-foot) searching or "try" 

 net that is towed from a stern davit. At least one 

 innovation at the lead line, the so-called "tickler" 

 chain, has become a standard net accessory. A 

 new one, consisting of wooden discs loosely strung 

 along the lead line, is said to increase net efficiency 



and greatly reduce gear losses on bad bottom. 

 All nets are fished by means of two otter doors, to 

 each of which a net wing is attached directly. 

 The doors, in turn, are hung on a bridle which 

 joins a single towing warp just forward of the net. 

 A few fishermen are presently experimenting in 

 offshore waters with modified beam trawls, several 

 designs of which have met with success in the 

 inshore bait shrimp fisliery. 



FISHING OPERATIONS 



Length of fishing trip from departure to first 

 landing ranges, in accordance with distance to the 

 shrimping grounds, from 1 to more than 50 days. 

 Whereas most trips along the upper Gulf coast are 



