to port and sp'^od is reduced to about two knots. One nio.n handles the 

 block and fall, wliich is hool-.ed on to the towing cables in a position 

 Just aft of the hook and chain downhaul and ri£;s the hook and ctiain. 

 A second man mans the winch and makes the final adjustments on the length 

 of the towing cable. The cables to the net lead through the downliaul and 

 lifting hook on the vessel's centerllne and directly over the transom. 

 The net is dragged directly astern except when turning. 



Tlie length of the drag varies with fishing conditions, most 

 frequently ranging from one to over five hours. (see table III- 8) Long 

 hauls are made when shrimp are scarce and there is not much possibility 

 of catching a large quantity of trash fish. In night shrimping offshore, 

 two to three drags are made. The amount of the catch may be judged by 

 the lead angle of the towing cables. Tlais angle becomes more acute as 

 the net is filled and enables the captain to judge when it is time to 

 haul his net. Along the Atlantic coast, it is customary to ma]ce shorter 

 drags. Motor boats used for bait fishing and inshore fishing may haul 

 their nets as often as every five minutes. 



During the trawl, frequent casts are made with the trynet which 

 is a miniature of the large net, equipped with small doors. Frequently, 

 one or two trynet drags are made before the large net is set, in order to 

 determine the type of bottom and to estimate the probable size of the catch 

 when the large net is set. The trynet is carried on the davit on the port 

 quarter and is tov;ed with a single cable leading through a sheave on this 

 davit and the port outrigger and then to the winch. Due to the small size 

 of the net (12 to l6 feet), setting it is an easy operation. It is swung 

 out on the davit which is then locked in place. The doors and net are 

 lowered and towed on the surface until the net is clear. The whole rig 

 is then lowered to the desired depth, the towing lines being shorter than 

 the main net towing lines so that the trynet is set slightly ahead of it. 

 The average length of the trynet tow is about 30 minutes. ^Then hauling, 

 the net is heaved in until the doors are hanging from the davit. The bag 

 of the net is then brought aboard, its contents dumped on deck, and a 

 count of the catch made. Tlie trynet is pulled in at frequent integrals. 

 As soon as shrimp are talcen in sufficient abundance to indicate grounds 

 worth exploiting, the large trawl is put out. The trynet continues in 

 operation just aliead of the large trawl and is pulled in at frequent inter- 

 vals. By this means, the fisherman can tell whether he is still trawling 

 through a concentration of shrimp or has passed beyond. Mien he has passed 

 the concentration, he changes course and resumes trawling tlirough the area 

 where the trynet showed that shrimp were present. The entire trynet opera- 

 tion is easily handled by one man. 



ITlien the captain thinlts that the net is ready for hauling, the 

 speed of the vessel is decreased until there is enough slack in the towing 

 cables to allow the crew on the stern to release the cables from the block 

 and fall and the hook and chain on the centerllne. Wien this operation is 

 completed, the cables are again led directly from the starboard outrigger. 



138 



